Donna's Field Notes - 7/24/05

Fledgling watching traffic
July 22, 2005
Photo by LINCOLN KARIM

Field Notes 7-24-05

Note from Marie: I'll answer Donna's  6:13 pm question some other time. Sorry,  I don't have the BOOK in my office.


Trump Parc Territory
Charlotte, Junior, two Fledglings

Sunset 8:20PM (NYT),
Temp. 84F,
Humidity 62%,
Mostly Sunny,
Wind variable,
Prey Tally-rat.

All times PM unless otherwise noted.
Contributers to today's Field Notes are Irene Payne,
Bruce Yolton, Ben Cacace, Kentaurian, Arthur, and
John.

First an important unposted sighting from Saturday,
7-23-05, that I didn't receive until today.
At 7:50PM,  John sighted  a Fledge on the
railing of the "glass box", across CPS, slightly E of
Little Hill.  The fledge sat on the left side of the
railing and two pigeons sat a few feet away on the
right side. Then she jumped down to the white lip
below the railing and disappeared from sight. An adult
RT was perched on the E Chimney of the Hampshire
House.  At 8:50PM a fledgling was sighted on the
railing of the brown building adjacent to the
scaffolding on the level of the window near the
construction  netting.

Now back to 7-24-05
Irene's morning report:
5:45-7:45AM Observations of RT's over the park looking
N, from a CPS observation point-Zip,Zero, Nada.
8:00AM Junior perched on the CNN sign.
Bruce reports-
10:20AM Adult RT flies low between buildings at
Seventh Ave.
Arthur reports-
Around noon- Fledge on construction net.  Junior on
construction elevator.
2:00 Both birds gone.
Donna and Samantha's report-
(From Ben's bench)
2:40 Charlotte, tail to park, on Hampshire House E
chimney.
2:43 Looks up, preens, wags tail.
2:43 Stares down and to NE (fledgling?).
2:57 Charlotte preens breast, two perfect rounded
breast feathers fall and breeze wafts them over a bit
to drift slowly down onto the high left HH terrace.
(Anyone know who sweeps up there so we might obtain
them for DNA testing?)
3:02 Adult RT above HH with prey in talons, identified
as Charlotte by molt marks.  She circles over park,
very wide circles, then above Little Hill, west of
Little Hill.
3:05 Disappears behind Time Warner building, then
appears again in front of TW, circles above Green
Glass building.
3:07 Charlotte lands on W circular pipe
structure,oblique, misses her step to move, gets
balance, moves near center strut, shaded from sun
partially, roof of Green Glass building (888 Seventh
Ave.)
3:15 Flock of pigeons wheel W. Charlotte faces S.
3:54 Charlotte still on pipe wheel.
Return to Little Hill-no new sightings.
We set scope up on CPS north sidewalk, many people
look through the scope in amazement including a number
of carriage drivers who enthusiastically tell us
stories of RT hunting they've seen.  Sam gives the
horses our ice water and snacks.
4:25 Charlotte still on 888 wheel.
4:45 We try Columbus Circle, Charlotte's still on the
wheel.  Sam plays in the fountain.
4:56 Charlotte on the wheel but moves a step W.
5:15 There.
5:20 There.
5:20-5:40 John reports Jr on X of Essex sign.
5:23 There.
5:35 There
5:40 Where's Charlotte!
Back to Little Hill
5:44 RT on E chimney HH...it turns, it's Jr. who then
once again faces S.
6:00 Dragonfly buzzes Jr., he snaps at it.
6:02 Jr. begins careful full-slide-of-beak preening of
red tail feathers. Intermittantly looking down and S.
6:13 Jr. to far right, most western, jaggy decoration
on top of the Essex House.  Bruce says he thinks it's
a finial.  Marie, you have the BOOK...Is that leafy
jaggy thing a finial?
6:15 Jr. up and to W, lost in foliage.
6:35 Adult RT (Junior?) on west prong of X in Essex
sign, looking S and slightly W.
7:00 Adult RT (Charlotte?)discovered on E chimney HH.
7:22 I've gone to try and see which RT for sure is on
Chimney by going to 58th. Looks like Charlotte.
Peregrine sighted from, E circles HH. RT on Chimney in
shadow, VERY STILL. When I cross the street, now it
looks like Jr. They've switched? Little Hill watchers
say that CHarlotte came after the Peregrine like a
bolt out of hell and chased her E. (Nobody is going to
get Charlotte's babies.)
7:33 I get back to Little Hill and the hawk on the
chimney has now become Charlotte again.

Ben and Kentaurian report Charlotte roosts on the nest
once again this evening.
B and K also report Junior for the third time seen
going to roost on silver support near roof of north
face of 888 7th Ave.

HE'S USING BUILDING ROOSTS!
7-21-05 from Veronica's roof, first sighting of Junior
going to roost on a building, "Green Glass" 888
Seventh Ave., by Veronica, Jean, Bruce and Donna.

Submitted-Donna Browne
Just a word, I hear from Ben that a silent mugging
took place on a bench at the ballfield this evening.
Please watch your stuff and use the buddy system at
least by dusk in the park.