Reader Sarah writes:
I haven't seen any posts about this, and just wanted to know if anyone else has noticed the beautiful hawk hovering over Queens Boulevard most sunny days this winter? I see him (her?) from the 40th Street platform often in the late morning/early afternoon, either calmly circling on the thermals, or perched on an antenna on one of the taller buildings. He seems to favor 40th just north of the boulevard. I'm tentatively identifying him as a red-tailed hawk, but I'm not an experienced birder. Once I let 3 trains go by, hoping he'd come closer. Must remember--put binoculars in handbag!
9 comments:
Yes! My son, who is a budding ornithologist, spotted him/her several weeks ago and we have seen him/her numerous times since. My son suspects it might be an immature red tailed hawk because of the amount of grey visible. We are in the 39th Ave/48th St. area.
I saw it hunting two squirrels in fron on my building (54th and Skillman) about two weeks ago. That thing was B.A.!!
yes, I saw him hanging out sitting on a terrace of my friend' apt on the 5th floor (50st and Skillman), and I agree, it was a big bird!
I took some photos of this hawk about a month ago. I saw him eating a pigeon in my backyard last week and today perched on neighboring building. Is it possible to post these photos? (48th and skillman area)
we'd LOVE to post the photos--email them to me at clairedeveron -at- gmail -dot- com.
awesome!
our windows look out out on a nice patch of the queens blvd area from about 41st to 44th...we've been spotting red-tailed hawks since moving here about four years ago, soaring high, or invading the pigeons' personal space down around the rooftops...it's breathtaking to see a hawk attack a pigeon in midflight over sunnyside! fortunately, no visible 'kills' as of yet...
We have to stop this. As an animal rights activist, I'm appalled that mice and rats are disadvantaged now that birds have discovered the power of flight.
We need to demand that the city either build thousands of tiny planes or write stern letters until hawks, eagles and other raptors unilaterally disarm, de-wing, and give up their unfair advantage. If birds were meant to fly, God would have given them helicopters.
It is definitely a juvenile Red-tailed Hawk. I've been watching the red-tails around Brooklyn and other locations in the city for several years. This is a new location for me. I would guess that she spends most of her time hunting pigeons, rats and squirrels at one of the cemeteries south of Queens Blvd.
I just remembered that there was a Red-tailed Hawk nest on the bridge at Astoria Park last year. She could be one of the offspring from that nest.
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