The Divine Trio, Part 2

The three little red-tailed hawk fledglings at the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine were very active in the Close on July 16, 18 and 19. The kids have pretty much left the cathedral grounds now, and I haven't seen them for a while. I think they are now hanging out in Morningside Park, and I've always had trouble finding them there. But I did get a lot of nice photos and video in mid-July, and here I offer Part 2 of the Saint John series.

One of the three Saint John the Divine fledglings, July 19, trying to keep cool.

The video is fairly short, but full of some nice shots of the youngsters in trees, on roofs and bouncing a hot butt in a puddle near the guard station in the Close.

This first group of photos shows the kids on July 16. The second photo does not show an alien invasion, but rather a kid with one of the multiple eyelids that hawks have to protect their delicate eyes.

These two shots were taken July 18, when a baby was seen on one of the chimneys on the Cathedral School, while Mama Madeleine sat on a nearby building railing.

This last grouping is from July 19. Unfortunately, I didn't get photos of the fledgling's butt bounce, but you will certainly get a good view in the video.

Island Hopping

Governors Island is just a short ferry ride away from the Isle of Manhattan, and definitely a summer destination (as well as a spring and early fall place to visit). It has an absolutely incredible view of the Statue of Liberty!

The view from the west side of Governors Island, Aug. 6

There is a lot of nature there, particularly birds and flowers, but good bugs, too! The island has very few cars (only official and vendor motorized vehicles allowed), lots of bicycles, and many pedestrians. Slowly but surely, more and more touristy places to spend your money are popping up on the small island. But in advance of the total commercialization that will probably deprive Governors Island of its charm, I've been visiting and documenting the nature there. On August 6, I walked around the island photographing wildlife and avoiding people. I offer here An August Nature Walk on Governors Island.

For the last two years, a pair of yellow-crowned night herons have been nesting on the island. The babies this year are so delightful.

Yellow-crowned night heron youngsters, Governors Island, Aug. 6

The first stop of my walk was just west of the castle, where I saw a banded common tern. I watched it for a while, and you can see the flight in the video.

On a building across from the Harbor School, a mother herring gull watched over her kids, occasionally squawking at them. Below, on the ground, two youngsters ran around, stretched or slept. I shifted my focus between the gulls and the heron nest.

Mama Herring Gull, keeping watch

A baby herring gull, hanging out below Mom

A very balletic baby gull

After leaving the Harbor School area, I walked south along the west shore and found least sandpipers exploring the rocks.

There are flowers to be found everywhere you look on the island, not only in the Urban Garden (which I didn't visit on this trip) or the garden in front of the Harbor School.

And I saw lots of bugs, but focused on the butterflies, including a very beautiful skipper, a monarch butterfly, a cabbage butterfly, a painted lady and a battle-scarred spicebush butterfly (I think, but am not sure).

This butterfly has seen better days, but has survived. Harbor School garden

The island will remain accessible through the end of October. I will go back, I hope several times, and hope to have lunch those days at Little Eva's.

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.