The Vernal Equinox, marking the first day of spring, occurred today at 7:33 a.m.

3/20/05--The Vernal Equinox, marking the first day of spring, occurred today at 7:33 a.m.

Stephen Watson, who works at a scientific research center in Pasadena California, sent me this picture of a Great Horned Owl that chose to build a nest right up against his laboratory building. He has been following our hawk story faithfully since last December. Though Pasadena is about as far from Central Park as you can get in the U.S., , this nesting event still falls in the category of "urban wildlife". Anyhow, I loved the photo and couldn't resist posting it, as a greeting from the Central Park hawkwatchers to the Pasadena Owlwatchers.


Donna' Field Notes

Field Notes Friday, 3/18/2005
Temp. 49 F
Sun
Wind gusting 5-10 MPH
Movie, LADY LUCK being shot north end and sides of
Boat Pond
Prey Tally: ?

Rik reports that in the AM Pale Male made two trips to
the nest with construction materials. One trip
carrying twigs and the other with a large amount of
dried grass/vegetation.

Also from Rik, RT combat between Pale Male and an
intruding Red-tail over the Boat Pond in front of the
nest around 2:15PM. Dives culminating in Pale Male
plucking feathers from the intruder, who then was
chased towards the west.

2:34PM LolA deep in nest, face front, alert, looking
through nest twigs
2:40PM Pale Male discovered on left railing of Stove
Pipe building. Lola standing doing somthing with her
beak within the nest concave.
2:48PM Pale Male ?
3:01PM 43 Mallards in the Boat Pond, many people in
the park today
3:08PM Lola stands, tail to bench, head down doing
somthing
3:16PM Pale Male arrives at nest with twig
3:17PM Pale Male up and north
3:22PM Lola stands facing north. I couldn't see it
with binoculars or the smaller scope but with Rik's
scope I could see Lola making those very small digging
motions with her feet
3:25PM Lola settles back in
3:29PM Lola's head appears,face forward, very alert
3:35PM Lola settles into nest, still peering through
twigs alert
3:37PM Lola's head reappears, alert
3:49PM Pale Male to nest, holding twigs in talons and
conifer greenery in beak.
3:51PM Pale Male off nest travels to Stove Pipe and
perches on front left railing
4:34PM Pale Male up from railing and Uptown, traveling
north and then west
4:40PM Lola shifts position, tail to bench
4:47PM Lola shifts position, head to north
5:30PM pair of Canada Geese fly south to north over
Boat Pond
5:55PM I must leave, no sign of Pale Male
Submitted:Donna Browne