Catching up with Dora, wing on the mend

[Photos today by Steven]

Despite the worldwide attention, Dora was looking pretty relaxed today in Tompkins Square Park. The red-tailed hawk watchers believe that her rehabbed wing continues to get stronger.

A little later, the injured wing started hanging a little low, perhaps from the wind...



Since that Page 1 piece in the Post Sunday, several other media outlets have filed reports on the complicated hawk-love triangle involving Christo, Dora and Nora/Not-Dora ... including CBS 2 ... NY1 ... People ... and MNN (Mother Nature Network).

In its coverage today, The New York Times noted: "Consider us #TeamDora."

And a few excerpts from Goggla's latest dispatch, posted yesterday:

The hawks themselves are carrying on business as usual. Each morning, Christo and Dora work on their nest in the ginkgo tree on the east side of the park. Christo has been stripping bark off a scholar tree near the ping-pong table for lining the nest.

And what of Nora/Not-Dora?

I caught a glimpse of Nora perched on top of a Village View building around mid-day on Sunday. Christo disappears from the park for long periods of time during the day, and I'm assuming he's with Nora, but I haven't been able to find out if they have a second nest or what exactly they're up to. He returns to the park at the end of the day and both he and Dora roost in or near the park.

This evening, I saw Christo deliver a big rat to Dora before going to roost in the Krishna Tree. Even if they don't have a family this year, they are still a well-bonded pair.

Red-tailed hawk drama headed to local TV news

[Photo today by Steven]

Ali Bauman, a reporter for CBS 2, was in Tompkins Square Park today... for a red-tailed hawk segment expected to air tonight at 11.

Dora, pictured above, cooperated by catching and eating a pigeon.

And Dora later...



Photos by Steven!

Updated:

Here's the link to the CBS 2 feature.

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

Among the one-liners:

• "A cheep slut has come between a hawk and her hubby."

• "The three lovers met beak-to-beak in the center of the park, where the plumage hit the fan."

• "To some bird watchers, Nora is nothing more than a rust-colored nest-wrecker."

Here's the article, which includes quotes and photos from Goggla.

Updated 9 a.m.

Heh. The Post put this story on the cover...

Dora after yesterday's storm

The red-tailed hawk watchers were curious to see how Dora would fare in yesterday's nor'easter with her rehabbed wing... Steven spotted her this morning in her nest in Tompkins Square Park ...



...looking pretty relaxed...

Dora – Nora

Dora - Nora

Dora - Nora, Nora - Dora,

Will Christo do what is honorable,

Nora - Dora, Dora - Nora,

Nesting, no time to squabble,

Dora - Nora, Nora - Dora,

Females, time to huddle,

Nora - Dora, Dora - Nora,

Only one hawk from this muddle,

Dora - Nora, Nora - Dora,

Open the envelope please, Ah cuddle,

Dora!

•

peter radley

Previously

Coming home to roost: Christo and Dora spotted building nest together

Early this morning, EVG reader Mark Cyr spotted Christo and Dora working on Dora's nest in Tompkins Square Park... in the top photo, Christo is giving a stick to Dora, who is deep in the nest, her head barely visible (to the left of his).

Per Mark, Christo set about bringing her sticks from various parts of the Park while she threaded the sticks together, building up the nest. "Dora seems to have a serious plan for this nest," Mark reported.

In the photo below, Christo is seen leaving the nest to find more sticks for Dora. She is mostly inside the nest, while working on new construction (there are permits on file for this)...



For now, this looks to put to rest any of the rumors circulating in the Park that Christo has abandoned Dora in favor of Not-Dora/Nora. (This still doesn't explain the Christo-Not-Dora/Nora quickie witnessed by many back on Monday, Dora's first day in the Park after her three-month wing rehab.)

As for Not-Dora/Nora, she was spotted hiding out on Avenue D. Mark said that she seems to like to perch on man-made structures, not trees.

"She is good at camouflage and kept turning her back to our cameras," Mark said. "We have not seen her in Tompkins Square Park since Monday, when Dora returned."

Updated 8 p.m.

Two more photos today via Steven...

Dora, day 2

Steven shared the above photo this morning... where Dora, starting her second day back in Tompkins Square Park following a three-month wing rehab, was spotted sitting in the new nest ... the nest that her partner Christo has been building with (or without!) his new lady hawk crush friend Dora/Not Nora.

As of around 9:45 a.m., Christo was seen circling the nest several times with twigs in his mouth. Then! They were both in the nest at one point. They both opened their wings, but nothing happened, Steven reported. At this time, Dora/Not Nora had not been spotted.



Later in the day, Christo caught a rat. He ate half of it and then called out for — presumably — one of the female hawks to finish the rest. Neither of the females showed up this afternoon. Dora spent a lot of time in the Park this morning and then disappeared.

The drama continues tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Goggla posted photos and a video of Dora's return here.

Some observations:

The question now is, what happens next? Some may argue that Dora should not have been returned to the Park because Nora is settling in, but it was explained to me that this is really the best place for her. Dora is not a candidate for captivity — she is way too wild and needs to be free. Releasing her in Tompkins means she is in her familiar territory and it is the easiest place for her to find food. Ideally, Christo will bring her food, but if he doesn't, she shouldn't have too much trouble obtaining it herself.

The way I see it, Dora would not be alive if she was not picked up and taken to rehab, and this is her second chance. Things might not turn out the way we want them to ... We can only watch and learn.

[Updated] Dora the red-tailed hawk returns to Tompkins Square Park

A rep from the Wildlife in Need of Rescue and Rehabilitation (WINORR) returned Dora to Tompkins Square Park today.

The red-tailed hawk injured a wing back in late November. She has been in WINORR's care since then.

She has apparently made enough rehab progress to attempt a release on her home turf...



No one really knows how this is going to work. Injured wing aside, Dora's longtime partner Christo has basically set up house a nest with another red-tailed hawk, the mysterious Not-Dora/Nora. Goggla has the latest on that situation here.

EVG correspondent Steven, who shared these photos, said that after taking off, Dora has been perched in a tree near the dog run and hasn’t left.

Will update later. Be sure to visit Goggla's site here as well for more observations on Dora's return.

Updated 2 p.m.

More photos from Steven...









Updated 7 p.m.

Well, quite a day, per the red-tailed hawk watchers in the Park.

First, the good news. Dora appeared to be getting around OK on her rehabbed wing.

Then Dora visited last year's nest...



Then she swung by the nest that Christo has been making with Not-Dora/Nora...



She also went atop St. Brigid's on Avenue B at Eighth Street...



Steven last saw her leave to roost on Seventh Street...



There was some kind of skirmish between Dora and Christo and Not-Dora/Nora. (Hopefully Goggla will fill in the narrative here on her post.)

And there wasn't any romantic, fairy-tale reunion between Christo and Dora, who have had like 10 hawklets together.

Christo and Not-Dora/Nora were spotted mating on the Christodora House... not too far from where Dora was perched...



Updated:

Here's a link to Goggla's post with a lot more photos — and video.

Seeing Christo in a new light

Christo the red-tailed hawk looking light as a feather in Tompkins Square Park early this evening... He's just atop a lamp post and not radioactive...



Photos by Steven

Thursday's parting shots

Christo in Tompkins Square Park late this afternoon... photo above by Steven... and below by Bobby Williams...

Dora is on the mend, but she may not be back in Tompkins Square Park anytime soon

Back late November, Dora, the female red-tailed hawk of Tompkins Square Park, injured her wing. (It's not known how she did this.)

During these past two months, she has been in the care of Wildlife in Need of Rescue and Rehabilitation (WINORR).

The Park's hawk watchers were hopeful that Dora would be able to return soon. Unfortunately, that doesn't appear to be the case via this Facebook update from WINORR:

The injured female hawk from Tompkins Square Park is not where we hoped she'd be by now. Although the x-rays were negative, she had a serious bone infection requiring medicating and rest. Her still-drooping wing may be permanent from either tendon, ligament and/or nerve damage.

Those concerned about her possible return to her mate Christo for the upcoming breeding season — that is not possible at the stage she's at. We are not giving up on her ... it may take months of exercise to regain her full flight. So for now she must stay put and hopefully make great improvement. The red mark on her wrist we applied for ID purposes — it is not blood or an injury.

As Googla recently observed, Christo "has been acting sullen and surly since she's been away." And there has been the whole confusing Not-Dora/Nora situation.

Head over to Goggla's site for some of her favorite photos of Dora these past few years.

Images via the WINORR Facebook page.

Triang hawk relations: Updates on Christo, Dora and Not-Dora/Nora

Steven took this photo of Christo and Not-Dora/Nora (on the right) yesterday atop the Christodora House on Avenue B.

As previously reported, Christo, the red-tailed hawk of Tompkins Square Park, has been spotted several times in the companionship of this hawk while his longtime partner Dora continues to recuperate from an injured wing suffered in late November.

Goggla had an update on Dora back on Thursday:

[A]s of this week, her wounds have healed, but she is still unable to fly. She is still in the care of WINORR and we are hoping she can exercise her wing and regain strength. I really miss her and I think maybe Christo does, too. I try not to anthropomorphize and project my feelings onto him, but he has been acting sullen and surly since she's been away.

Goggla has more on Christo, Not-Dora/Nora and a juvenile red-tailed hawk in this post.

Meanwhile, Christo has been working on a nest (pro tip: complete the bathroom first) ... one can hopefully speculate that this is in anticipation of Dora's return...




[Nest photos by Steven]

And from yesterday, Christo eating something...


[Photo by Bobby Williams]

P.S.

I have not personally seen the opossum in the Park lately ... but there have been several sightings this past week. Perhaps we'll have some photographic evidence soon. Because people have asked about the opossum.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Scandal in Tompkins Square Park as Christo courts new hawk while Dora recuperates

The 'other' hawk

Get well soon, Dora!

A reminder not to bother Christo when he's eating

A scene from Tompkins Square park today via Steven...



Although it sorta looks like it from the photos, Christo was NOT eating a rack of ribs.

The 'other' hawk

As Goggla first pointed out on Friday, Christo, the red-tailed hawk of Tompkins Square Park, has been seen in the companionship of another hawk while Dora recuperates from an injured wing.

The Park's hawkarazzi have been busy keeping an eye on the new hawk, called Not-Dora (Nora?) or Arod (for the opposite of Dora, plus Arod had an affair with Madonna).

Steven shared these photos of the new hawk hanging around the Park...













This relationship has possibly been blown out of proportion. To date, Christo and Not-Dora have only been spotted sharing a branch and, possibly, a rat.

As Goggla wrote on Friday:

Red-tails mate for life and the good news is Dora is alive. She will be released back into the park when she is healed, but that could take some time. What will happen at that time remains to be seen. I'm hoping everything will work out as it should.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Scandal in Tompkins Square Park as Christo courts new hawk while Dora recuperates

Scandal in Tompkins Square Park as Christo courts new hawk while Dora recuperates

While Dora is rehabbing an injured wing, her partner Christo — 10 hawklets between them — has been seen in the company of another red-tailed hawk in recent days...

Steven shared these photos of the other hawk ... nicknamed Not-Dora (Nora?) or, the opposite of Dora, Arod (ack!)...

Anyway, here's Goggla with more:

While I've been mourning Dora's absence and am hoping for her swift return, all Christo knows is that Dora is gone and his life must go on.

There have been several hawks around lately and I think a new female has been in the park the last few days. Christo and this new hawk were seen being aggressive with each other yesterday, but it appears he has now accepted her.

Whoa. Read more from Goggla here.

Dora is rehabbing on Long Island at the moment... and she will be released into Tompkins Square Park when the time is right. Her return promises to be dramatic.