Saturday's parting shots

Photos by Steven 

Christo, one of the resident red-tailed hawks of Tompkins Square Park, surveys the downed tree on the corner of Seventh Street and Avenue A ... before catching dinner...

With work permits approved, Amelia and Christo start fortifying their nest in Tompkins Square Park

Steven shared these photos of our resident red-tailed hawks, Amelia and Christo, hard at work in Tompkins Square Park this past week.

Christo, in particular, was spotted gathering construction materials (sticks) to help fortify the family nest...(click on the images for a bigger view)

As Goggla has noted, this is about the time of the winter season in which the hawks assemble (or reassemble!) their nests for the upcoming breeding season.

Christo, badass

Today in Tompkins Square Park, a stupid blue jay was doing his/her best to buzz Christo, one of the resident red-tailed hawks, as these photos by Steven show...

But Christo paid no mind ...

He then flew off and caught a rodent ...

Of mice and hawks

Steven spotted Christo, one of the resident red-tailed hawks in Tompkins Square Park, on the hunt...

... successfully zeroing in on a smallish target — a mouse...

For Christo with some larger prey, check out this crazy Instagram pic via Goggla.

Friday's parting shot

Christo v. Squirrel with nut in Tompkins Square Park today... photo by Steven...

Weekend dining with Amelia and Christo

A moment with Amelia and Christo, the resident red-tailed hawks of Tompkins Square Park... enjoying a pigeon in the company of each other... thanks for Steven for the photos...

Tuesday's parting shot

Amelia and Christo, the resident red-tailed hawks of Tompkins Square Park, seen on a break atop St. Nicholas of Myra Orthodox Church on 10th and A today... thanks to Steven for the photo!

Watching the neighborhood like a hawk

From near the top of Most Holy Redeemer on Third Street between Avenue A and Avenue B... Christo and Amelia take a moment to spend some sunset time together away from their Tompkins Square Park home.

Goggla spotted the Park's resident red-tailed hawks here on Thursday evening ... watching over the land like hawks...

As Goggla documented, it was a challenging summer for the pair.

Two of their three offspring did not make it this year. Thankfully the surviving juvenile is doing well, hunting rats and trying to beat the heat. 

Per Goggla in an email: "They seem like a couple who has sent their kid off to college, and they're now kicking back, waiting for whatever is next."

Wednesday's parting shots

Christo, one of the resident red-tailed hawks of Tompkins Square Park, was up to something today... or maybe on to something. 

Steven saw big daddy swoop onto the side of a building on Ninth Street near Avenue A... intent on whatever was inside this hole in the wall ...

Report: One of Amelia and Christo's 2021 offspring has died

Sad news out of Tompkins Square Park. It appears that one of Amelia and Christo's 2021 chicks has died. 

Local red-tailed hawk documentarian Goggla reported this yesterday:

Unfortunately, we have no idea what happened, when exactly the chick passed away, or where the body is now. It's likely still up in the tree, but there is no way to check up there and, without a body, no way to know what caused the chick's death. Any stories floating around the park are pure speculation. The last time we observed the chick, it appeared fine, but they were all still too small to be able to get a really good look at them. Of course, we're watching the remaining two chicks closely.

As she points out, this is not the first time that the resident red-tailed hawks have suffered the loss of their fledglings. In 2018 and 2019, at least one of the chicks died from rodenticide poisoning.

In more positive news, the other two chicks appear to be doing well ... and they are briefly in that awkward 7th-grade phase as they mature into lean, rat-hunting machines.

Thanks to Goggla for the photos!

Wednesday's parting shots

Christo*****, the resident red-tailed hawk of Tompkins Square Park, road tripped to Fourth Street between Second Avenue and the Bowery today... where Derek Berg took these photos...

***** Hold on! Per Goggla, this may not actually be Christo! It is defintiely an adult red-tailed hawk... but this hawk has a molting tail, and Christo usually molts later in the summer. Perhaps it's one of the hawks from Washington Square Park... or an adult red-tail stranger... to be continued...

Mid-afternoon squab break

A moment with Christo, one of the resident red-tailed hawks in Tompkins Square Park... photo today by Steven...

Construction watch: Amelia and Christo's first nest for 2021

In recent days, Amelia and Christo, the resident red-tailed hawks of Tompkins Square Park, have started building their first nest of the season in preparation of starting and raising the 2021 fam ... and it appears to be in the same locust tree as last year's edition (in the area called Sandra Turner Garden near Temperance Fountain) ... 

Steven took these photos of the construction process... (work permits have yet to be posted with the city...)

and a nest break later...

As Goggla reported, Hurricane Isaisa wiped out their nest last summer... and also as Goggla has noted, the hawks will usually build a few nests before deciding on one (sort of their version of "Love It or List It"). It likely that Amelia and Christo may not make this one permanent, as hawk watchers noticed a broken limb here.

Anyway, be sure to follow Goggla for more on the hawk activity this breeding season.

And here are a few more constrcution shots via Mark H. ...

Tuesday's parting shot

Amelia and Christo, the resident red-tailed hawks of Tompkins Square Park, spotted taking a break atop the Church of the Most Holy Redeemer on Third Street today... thanks to Steven for the photo!

Friday's parting shot

Here are the resident red-tailed hawks of Tompkins Square Park, Amelia (top) and Christo, enjoying the pleasant weather today atop St. Nicholas of Myra Orthodox Church on 10th Street and Avenue A... thanks to Steven for the photo...