Redtail Activity: The babies are branching out

Here 's a report I just received from long-time hawkwatcher  Ben Cacace

August 20, 2005

A sequence of RT activity seen
from the reservoir, lake and Belvedere Castle:

At the reservoir I followed a 1st year (born in 2004)
Red-tailed Hawk that has apparently established a
territory around the reservoir. It often perches on
the El Dorado and is frequently seen on the west side
of the reservoir. Today I watched it move to very low
perches just north of the reservoir from 2:45p-3:15p.

Later on, from the lake, I spotted two RTs flying just
south of the Beresford calling. A few minutes later I
saw a RT perched on the tall reddish building a few
buildings south of the San Remo at 3:55pm. At 4:06pm
this bird headed south circling before the Time Warner
building then stooping to a spot just east of Columbus
Circle as seen from the top of the lake. The 5th Ave.
RTs were doing the calling and the intruder appeared
to be one of the south end Red-tailed's - probably the
male due to the lightness of the head. Another RT was
perched on the north side of this building at the time
and remained there when I left the lake at 4:30pm.

. . .

All the best.

Ben

Also, from an earlier  report Ben sent to e-birds:

DATE: Friday, 19 August 2005 (1:30p-6:10p)
LOCATION: Central Park - reservoir, lake to Turtle
Pond
REPORTED BY: Ben Cacace

One of the south end juveniles (from the Trump Parc
nest) was seen kiting for awhile over the Ramble/Lake
around 5:00p. I was standing at the base of Belvedere
Castle. The 5th Ave. adults were giving out their
territorial calls from the trees at the same time -
near the castle. Later on at 5:10p-5:13p the juvenile
was seen again in the same area this time attended by
the 5th Ave. adults. The territorial calls were given
as the adults dove on the young hawk with talons down.
No contact was made and after a minute or two the
young hawk decided to head back to its territory at
the south end of the park.

*