Memories of Christo, Dora and Nora/Not-Dora in Tompkins Square Park

Photo this month by Steven

The Guardian this past week had a piece about Gacek, a plump black-and-white cat who is said to be the top tourist attraction in Szczecin, Poland. 

Guardian columnist Arwa Mahdawi wrote that "there's no better way to experience a new city than seeking out its Gacek-equivalent: the weird landmark that embodies the soul of a place far better than the more traditional sights." 

She then highlights our resident red-tailed hawks of Tompkins Square Park — at least the tawdry love triangle involving Christo, Dora and Nora/Not-Dora that made worldwide headlines in 2018. (You can read The Guardian article here.) 

Meanwhile, you may catch a glimpse of Christo and Amelia (on the scene since April 2018) in and around the Park... and it is officially mating season, as Goggla explains here.

Thanks to Derek Berg for sharing the Guardian article!

When in rehab: Meet Winston, the new red-tailed hawk in Dora's life

Dora's rumored new romance is now blog official.

On Monday, Goggla posted the first photos of Dora (on the left) cozying up to the new love bird in her life — hello Winston!



Bobby and Cathy Horvath, the fine folks at the Long Island-based Wildlife in Need of Rescue and Rehabilitation (WINORR), shared this photo with Goggla.

Dora, the red-tailed hawk who previously lived in Tompkins Square Park, has been in the care of WINORR since April. This marked her second stint there for an injured wing.

She is doing well and seems content with her new life at WINORR. However, she won't ever be returning to Tompkins Square Park — or maybe anywhere out in the wild.

Per Goggla's post:

It looks like Dora is happy hanging out with Winston, who also has a wing injury that keeps him from being unable to live in the wild. The two have bonded and I'm glad the drama of the last year has had a positive conclusion.

SO ... MUCH ... DRAMA.

Christo and Dora raised 10 hawklets these past few years before she left for her latest wing rehab. Meanwhile, Christo has been in relationships with Barucha/Nora/Not-Dora and, more permanently, Amelia.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Dora the red-tailed hawk returns to Tompkins Square Park

Dora re-injures her wing, leaves Tompkins Square Park for examination, possible rehab

Dora's wing is not broken, but she won't be returning to Tompkins Square Park any time soon

Red-tailed hawks who love fast food

Why Dora's private secretary is really leaving

Red-tailed hawks: They're just like us (holiday edition)

Christo responds to rumors that he rekindled flame with Dora

You won't believe what Christo eats for his cheat meals

Dora shares her inspiring outlook on molting

Exclusive: Amelia — 25 things you don't know about me!

A red-tailed hawk and egg situation

[Photo of Christo, left, and Amelia atop St. Brigid's by Steven]

Christo and his new lady hawk friend Amelia have at least one egg in their nest in Tompkins Square Park, Goggla reports.

Here's what she says to expect:

It takes around 28-35 days for eggs to hatch, so if we count April 20 as Day 1, that puts hatching at May 17-24. Since no one can see into the nest, we will not be able to see the eggs hatch, but we will know something is up when Christo starts delivering food to the nest.

The hawks will continue mating until all the eggs are laid, and then maybe for some time after that.

Amelia conveniently came out of nowhere on April 4, the very day that Christo's longtime partner Dora went off to wing rehab.

Christo and Dora have raised 10 hawklets these past few years. So expect at least one hawklet again this summer. (Like here in 2017.)

The Post once again chronicles Christo's 'fowl lust'

The New York Post checks in (again!) with a feature on Christo... and the various hawks in his life — Dora, Barucha/Nora/Not-Dora and Amelia.

Here are three passages:

• Tompkins Square Park’s claw-sanova is now servicing not two, but three chicks at the same time.

• The red-tailed stud named Christo made the front page of The Post in March for dipping his, um, beak in the nests of two different female hawks.

• Bird lovers — who have watched Christo and Dora rear 10 chicks and rule the roost at Tompkins for the last five years — are broken up by Christo’s fowl lust.

The piece includes several quotes (and photos) from Goggla.

Updated:

The story appears on Page 3...



Previously on EV Grieve:
A look at the other OTHER hawk in Christo's life

Post explores the complicated relationship of Dora, Christo and Nora/Not-Dora

A look at the other OTHER hawk in Christo's life

[Amelia on the left with Christo]

Last Wednesday, as Dora was leaving Tompkins Square Park for a wing-rehab stint on Long Island, an unknown female red-tailed hawk quickly took up residence in the now-empty nest. She and Christo, Dora's longtime companion, then mated.

Since then, the Park's hawk watchers have had a chance to observe this newcomer. (For the record, she isn't Barucha/Nora/Not-Dora, Christo's hawk-pal from when Dora left the first time around.)

Goggla was the first report on the hawk, who last week showed considerable skill maneuvering in that day's wind gusts that reached 50 mph. "For this reason, a fellow hawk-watcher suggested calling the new girl 'Amelia' after Amelia Earhart." (Hopefully this Amelia will enjoy a less-mysterious existence.)

Steven shared these photos of Amelia from recent days...







... and coming in for a landing...



As Goggla points out, she is larger than Christo... she has also been assisting in nest-building duties.


[Amelia on the right here with Christo]

There's no timeline yet for Dora's possible return... So all eyes now on Amelia.

Dora's wing is not broken, but she won't be returning to Tompkins Square Park any time soon

[Photo of Dora Wednesday by Steven]

Back on Wednesday, Dora, one of the red-tailed hawks of Tompkins Square Park, was rescued and sent off for an examination and a possible rehab assignment.

Bobby Horvath of the Long Island-based WINORR (the Wildlife In Need of Rescue and Rehabilitation) provided an updated on her injured wing via Facebook:

She has no broken bones but will not be going back to her Park ... She has had some bad luck and needs to regroup and stay out of trouble. She will be staying with us until we figure out what the next best step is. Also people were asking if she had any eggs inside her. The answer is no. So she will be our house guest for awhile. No more soap opera sagas for this gal for now!

And here's an x-ray of Dora's wing...



Goggla has video from Wednesday of Horvath examining Dora's wing in the Park.

Dora had been in WINORR's care starting in late November for an injury unrelated to the current one ... she was declared fit, and returned to the Park on Feb. 26.

Meanwhile, as Goggla pointed out, as Dora was leaving the Park, a new female red-tailed hawk (not Barucha/Nora) had already taken up residence in the nest. Christo and the new hawk mated then for good measure.


[Photo of Christo and the new hawk by Bobby Williams]


[Photo of Christo from Friday by Bobby Williams]

Previously on EV Grieve:
Dora the red-tailed hawk returns to Tompkins Square Park

Dora re-injures her wing, leaves Tompkins Square Park for examination, possible rehab

Dora re-injures her wing, leaves Tompkins Square Park for examination, possible rehab

[Photo today by @alexlawrens]

Dora, one of the red-tailed hawks of Tompkins Square Park, continued to have difficulty today flying. She was spotted sitting on a porch rail along Ninth Street between Avenue B and C.

She eventually made it into Tompkins Square Park ... and into a tree, but the hawk-watchers said it was a struggle. (All photos below via Steven.)



Ranger Rob (aka Rob Mastrianni, a Manhattan Ranger supervisor) and a worker from the Animal Care and Control of NYC were eventually able to safely secure Dora ...







Bobby Horvath of the Long Island-based WINORR (the Wildlife In Need of Rescue and Rehabilitation) arrived in the Park to take Dora away for examination...







At this point we don't know the extent of the injury and when she might be able to return.

Dora had been in WINORR's care starting in late November ... she was declared fit to come back to the Park on Feb. 26 for an awkward-at-first reunion with her longtime mate Christo.

Hawk watchers on Saturday noticed that Dora's rehabbed wing was starting to droop. She likely aggravated it on Monday during the tussle with an unknown red-tailed hawk who invaded her nest.

Meanwhile! As if that wasn't enough drama. Here's a dispatch from Goggla in the Park: "There is a stranger hawk [NOT Barucha/Nora] in the nest right now and Christo is on the Christodora."

She'll post more on today's development at her site later today. Updated: Her post is here, and includes video ... and details about yet another female red-tailed hawk who arrived in the Park!

Previously on EV Grieve:
Dora the red-tailed hawk returns to Tompkins Square Park

HAWK FIGHT

There was plenty of red-tailed hawk drama in Tompkins Square Park today.

Here's a brief narrative, pieced together from several eyewitness accounts. (The first batch of photos are by Steven.)

Hawk watchers spotted who they presumed to be Christo in the nest that he has been fortifying for Dora. However, it turned out to be an intruder, another red-tailed hawk who was unfamiliar to the Park regulars. (The other hawk wasn't Barucha/Nora/Not-Dora.)

That's when the fight started. One eyewitness said that the intruding hawk was the aggressor...





By all accounts, Dora, on top in the above photos, kicked the intruder's ass (paraphrasing). The intruder fled. Red-tailed hawks are very territorial, and the sight of an intruder in her nest, where there may be eggs, likely angered Dora.

After the skirmish, Dora struggled to take off ... Ranger Rob (aka Rob Mastrianni, a Manhattan Ranger supervisor and East Village resident) was eventually summoned to the Park. He thought that Dora would be fine, especially as she started to fly.



She eventually made it into a tree, where Christo brought her a rat...



... and later in the day, Dora appeared to be doing OK...



And a few other photos of Dora today ... via Ryan John Lee...





... and from Garrett Rosso...



H/T Emma Haddad!

Easter with Christo and Dora

Today's red-tailed hawk activity in Tompkins Square Park included: Christo standing guard at the nest, fueling further speculation that Dora has laid eggs...



Christo bringing more materials to help fortify the nest for Dora (perhaps for extra bedrooms?) ...





And more mating...



And hanging out...



Thanks to Steven for the photos!

P.S.

Dora apparently clipped her injured wing... this photo by Steven is from yesterday morning... hopefully it's just a minor irritation... hawk watchers thought she looked OK today...



... and from this morning...

Easter weekend egg watch in Tompkins Square Park

[Photo yesterday by Steven]

Red-tailed hawk watchers in Tompkins Square Park are expecting Dora to lay eggs soon. Christo and Dora were spotted mating (again) yesterday in the Park.

Anyway, here's the most recent post from Goggla on the situation:

Last year, Dora laid their first (perhaps only) egg on or around March 14. It seems all the city hawks nests are running a bit late this year, but Christo and Dora also went through the extra trauma of Dora's injury, subsequent absence, and then the introduction of Barucha/Nora. Christo and Dora seem to have settled into a routine of nest-building, mating and eating together, so we can expect egg-laying any time.

To date, Christo and Dora have had 10 hawklets these past few years.

Meanwhile... here's a photo from several weeks ago showing Dora atop one of the buildings in Village View...



Thanks to East Village and Village View resident Max Pyziur for this photo!

Christo and Dora celebrate Holy Week by mating atop St. Brigid's

You guys!





Photos today from Eighth Street and Avenue B today by Steven.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Christo and Dora are pretty much doing it all the time now

Christo and Dora are pretty much doing it all the time now

Christo and Dora have been busy mating this past week (or so)... Steven, who shared these photos yesterday, and others saw the red-tailed hawks mate on their namesake building, the Christodora House on Avenue B... then an hour later in a tree in Tompkins Square Park.

Afterwards, they hung out together for 30 minutes...



Goggla figures that Dora is due to lay eggs very soon. Christo and Dora have to date raised 10 hawklets.

Dora's Monday

The action, as seen in these photos by Steven, picks up in Tompkins Square Park in the late afternoon when Christo delivers Dora a dead rat.

With the lifeless critter slumped on the limb, Dora calls out for Christo and they mate...



Later, an annoying blue jay dive-bombs Dora...

Call of the wild: Seems like old times for Christo and Dora in Tompkins Square Park

There had been talk this past week that Christo and Dora had started mating in Tompkins Square Park.

And yesterday, the two shared a private moment in front of a group of photographers ... including Steven, who passed these pics along...





Well, you get the idea!

And afterwards... Christo, in the front, takes off for parts unknown...







Now a lot has been made about Christo's relationship with Nora/Not-Dora, the red-tailed hawk that entered his life when Dora was off in wing rehab.

Goggla has an excellent theory about all this now. She spotted Christo and Nora/Not-Dora on the Baruch Houses south of Houston several days ago.

In addition to Christo and Dora, there has been a second pair of red-tails on the Lower East Side for quite some time, at least a year. I don't know if they nested last year, but they were definitely around. A few months ago, there were reports of a dead hawk on an air-conditioner at PS188 on East Houston. I think that hawk may have been Nora's mate.

Around the same time, or a short while later, Dora went into rehab, so Nora and Christo were suddenly single neighbors. I think they were close enough to be acquainted and it was convenient for them to team up. This would explain Nora's odd behavior, being so uninterested in spending time in Tompkins Square and her reluctance to participate in building the ginkgo nest with Christo. She already had her own territory in the Baruch Houses and preferred to spend her time there.

It makes sense ... read the rest of her post here.

Goggla has also suggested a new name for the admittedly confusing Nora/Not-Dora moniker. "I'm thinking of calling Nora 'Barucha' since it reflects her territory. She is much more than 'Not Dora'" ..." (Make your voice heard on that matter at Goggla's poll.)

To date, Christo and Dora have had 10 hawklets together. Perhaps some more will be on the way this summer.