Two Hawks, One Pigeon

In Part 5 of The Grant's Tomb Fledglings, shot on June 28, you'll get to see the three young red-tailed hawks between 9:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. First, the youngsters explore and cry and try to figure out the hunting thing they are expected to learn. One kid pounces on a napkin and, after carrying it to the top of a park bench, begins to "pluck" it. The napkin didn't stand a chance. Then one youngsters grabs a pigeon brought in by Mrs. Grant (also called Claremont), takes it to a tree, drops it, eats on the ground, then tries to protect the meal when a hungry sibling shows up to eat.

Two kids and one meal, right before grand theft pigeon.

The great hunter with the napkin prey.

You'll find Part 5 below. If you want to get to the sibling rivalry action without watching the beautiful babies pose, preen and hunt napkins, skip to minute 25 or thereabouts. You'll see one youngster with the pigeon meal dine on the ground until a sibling comes in, studies the situation, then grabs what remains.

All photos below show the young hawks on June 28 near Claremont Playground.

Fun on the Ground at Grant's Tomb

The three Grant's Tomb red-tailed hawk fledglings spent much of June 27 on the ground, chasing bugs, twigs, clover and other fascinating items near the Claremont Playground and behind the General Grant National Monument.

Grant's Tomb fledgling, north of the General Grant National Monument, June 27, 2017

Two hawk siblings near Claremont Playground, June 27

Parental supervision

Baby hawk vs. squirrel. The squirrel won.

The day was so filled with action that it warranted its own Chasing the Hawks video: The Grant's Tomb Fledglings, Part 4: June 27, 2017. So much fun to watch! Adult red-tailed hawks don't spend a lot of time on the ground. They tend to swoop down, grab the prey, then swoop back up to a tree to eat. But the babies are discovering what they can and can't do, and because they weren't designed to run on the grass, they often fall over as they hop around. You'll see that in the video.

The photos below are all from June 27.

Chasing the Divine Hawks

Norman and Madeleine, a red-tailed hawk couple, have a nest above the statue of St. Peter on the Morningside Drive side of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine on 110th Street in Manhattan. This year they had three little kids, and the youngsters have now fledged, fortunately for now into the Close.

A red-tailed hawk fledgling in the Close of the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, July 15

This red-tailed trio are about a month younger than the fledglings in Central Park, Grant's Tomb and Tompkins Square Park. The first video in The Divine St. John Fledglings series follows the kids from June 13 through July 15. You can really see how young they are here.

The grounds of the cathedral, called The Close, are so beautiful. Three peacocks — Phil (the white one), Jim and Harry (the blue ones) — live there and can wander wherever they want. Right now, the peacocks are molting, and feathers can be found all over the place. The three fledglings have been running around on the lawns, chasing squirrels and bugs. You will see that in future videos.

Madeleine (I think) on Gabriel's horn on the top of the cathedral, keeping watch over her fledglings, July 11, 2017

My first trip to the Cathedral of St. John the Divine was probably 15-20 years ago, when I attended a free concert by the New York Philharmonic there. The church has a rich history of the arts, poetry, compassion, love of nature and education (the Cathedral School is a very special place for K-8 students). The church has a Blessing of the Animals event each year.

These photos cover June 13 through July 15.