Another urban redtail nest -- this one in a thrilling location

Astoria Park nest with 2 chicks 5/20/07
photo by Jules Corkery




Jules Corkery, a birdwatcher I met in Central Park a year or two ago, has just sent me this exciting photo and a report about another urban redtail nest I haven't reported on before. It is in Astoria Park in the borough of Queens. The nest is located on the southeast corner of the Queens side of the Triborough Bridge, above the tennis courts. The nest is secured on the top horizontal pipe and its support arms. The pipes are tubes that run along the base of the bridge and probably hold wiring, etc. [Location description by Jules Corkery]

Jules writes:
Since I've been watching the Astoria nest fairly closely, I've been putting the hatching dates around 5/4/07 - major change in behavior at that time. They're growing so fast!

Last night, both adults were hunting pigeons by perching on the flood lights high above the athletic field and jumping off to grab pigeons as they came flying under the bridge.