The first fledger left the nest at about 3:30 PM on Friday afternoon (June 8), and flew/glided into a nearby tree on the corner of Winter and 21st Streets. The second fledger left early Saturday morning (June 9) at around 6 AM, and flew really strongly all the way across the Vine Street expressway into a tree along the middle lanes of the Ben Franklin Parkway - not the safest spot for a landing. The third eyass (almost certainly #3) wisely remained on the nest for two more days to get fully ready, and left this morning (June 11) at 8:27 AM and flew strongly to the top of the closest Civil War monument.
Unlike last year, all three flew straight and strong out from the nest, and #2 and #3 went farther than we've ever seen on first flights.
So let's go back to Friday, June 8, when fledger #1 took off from the nest, and made its first landing in a tree.
The tree that it landed in is to the right of the lamp post. The nest is in the top window of the building on the left.
Although the eyass is used to clutching the nest twigs in its talons, it must be a whole different feeling when that twig is swaying in the breeze, and there's no solid nest or ledge underneath.
Kay MengThe newly fledged birds frequently lose their balance, and gain a lot of immediate practice in grabbing, repositioning...
Kay Meng... and using their wings to help them avert disaster.
Back on the nest, the two remaining eyasses huddled up and looked a little stunned at what their sibling had just done!
During all this excitement, both haggards were watching the nest: T2 from his favorite satellite dish...
... and Mom from the art deco neon atop the Hamilton Street apartment building.
As afternoon turned to evening, the fledged eyass, now identified as F1 (fledgling #1), clambered around the tree...
... and then settled in for the night.
During the course of the evening, the haggards checked in with the remaining eyasses on the nest. Here is T2...
He was later joined by Mom. She and the left-hand eyass are looking out at F1 in its tree.
Saturday, June 9
The second eyass to fledge (F2) left just after sunrise. Here is its third ever flying flap!
F2 flew strongly away from the nest, banked left over the Vine Street expressway, and headed for the trees along the Ben Franklin Parkway.
Flying as a rookie is just dandy until you have to land! F2 made a valiant effort to hang onto its chosen branch...
... grabbed another one a bit higher up, and managed to haul itself...
... into a more dignified position. Unfortunately, the branch it ended up on was really a twig, and a few moments after Scott took this picture, F2 was once again floundering amongst the branches.
Pam Dimeler was down at the nest filming on Saturday, and her video shows the two eyasses on the nest, and then at around the 7 minute mark, F2 launches off the nest. Then you'll see F2 in its tree, preening contentedly. This video also gives you a sense of the unending traffic din around the Franklin Institute.
For most of the day, F2 hung out in the trees alongside the Ben Franklin Parkway. The photographers were thick on the ground below these trees, and you can see how this area has busy traffic lanes on either side.
At one point, F2 moved so far out along its branch that it was over the traffic lanes.
Sometimes, the hawkfans would lose track of an eyass in a tree only to have it explode its wings out of the deep foliage.
At one moment, a fledged eyass can appear fiercely independent...
... and an instant later, vulnerable and uncertain of what next to do.
F1 decided to try to fly back to the nest from its tree. It launched well...
... and flapped as hard as it could...
... but could not gain sufficient height to reach the nest ledge.
It made contact with the wall...
... managed to keep some balance and momentum as it banked right under the nest...
... moved smoothly into Plan B...
...and headed swiftly to a Winter Street tree.
On Sunday, June 10, an eyass tried to reach the top of one of the Civil War monuments that form the gateway to the Ben Franklin Parkway, and are favorite perching and food drop spots for Mom and T2.
The eyass started out strongly from its tree, and headed to the monument.
It tried so hard to get a purchase on the narrow ledges...
Joe Debold... but could not figure out how to perch there.
Joe DeboldBut it did a fine job of flying out from the monument, turning around, and flying strongly over to the Central Library all the way on the other side of the Parkway.
It is an extraordinary experience to watch these young hawks grapple with the challenges of their unpredictable new environment after the stability of the nest, and to see them learning and refining their flying, landing and take-off skills, literally learning each minute.
There's a lot of flailing around in trees...
... trying to land in cramped quarters
... and some unmitigated disasters that teach survival and recovery skills!
These phenomenal images from our photo crew reminds me of the motto of the Royal Air Force:
Per ardua ad astra. (Through adversity to the stars)
- which for our eyasses means, "Through adversity to the roof of the Franklin Institute!"
Adversity is also found on the ground. A newly fledged urban eyass can just as easily be on the sidewalk as up a tree. Of course, they have no concept of danger, and head confidently towards busy traffic lanes.
Throughout the day on Sunday, with two eyasses out of the nest and often on the ground, it was Valium/Maalox time for the several shifts of hawkfans who successfully kept them safe, escorting eyasses from streets to sidewalks, alerting passers-by of their impending proximity to a young hawk, and sometimes literally having to stop or slow down traffic to let an eyass get off the roadway.... truly hair-raising stuff.
This eyass wandered into the gardens around the new Barnes Museum to almost the exact spot where one of the 2011 eyasses played endlessly with a plastic water bottle.
Throughout the day, whenever the action slowed down a bit with F1 and F2, there was always excitement over on the nest each time #3 revved up its engines for an apparent take-off.
But at day's end, all that wingercizing did not move it much farther than the edge of the nest where it sat wistfully watching the activity of its siblings.
T2 flew into the nest and hung out with #3 for a while in an encouraging way.
T2's mantra seems to be, "Keep calm and carry leaves." He brought these to the nest and #3 played around with them for a while. Maybe T2 was providing a clue to help #3 decide on a flight plan.
Mom also did her bit by sitting in the middle of the food stash on the farther monument.
"Over here, over here.... there's lots of food over here," she seems to be saying.
Monday, June 11
Was today the day when #3 would finally fledge? Though it was the youngest by two days, it had now more than made up that time, and its wingspan was huge with the feathers fully emerged from their sheaths.
Several of us got down there by 5:00 AM (yikes!) as sunrise is often when eyasses fledge. This was the third morning in a row that Mary Gamble Barrett set up to photograph a fledge, and she was finally rewarded!
T minus 3 minutes - #3 is ready to roll.
T minus 2 minutes - #3 is feeling it.
T minus 30 seconds - #3 gathers itself, poised - almost quivering - right on the edge of the nest.
Mary Gamble BarrettAnd at 8:27 AM, we finally have lift-off. A magnificent, strong take-off ....
... and F3 is now cruising effortlessly out from the Franklin Institute...
... and heads in for a perfect landing on top of the monument.
Not to detract from this flawless flight, but the truth is that F3 selected the easiest landing spot around - big, flat, firm, out in the open, and with the added value of post-flight rat refreshments! You can just make out the rat tail and body on the other side of the monument.
While we were all happily hopping up and down in celebration of this final fledge, Mom and T2 sat solemnly on the roof peaks of the Library, completely aware of what had just transpired and watching intently.
They have a big job ahead of them teaching these three to hunt for themselves and to become self-sufficient by the end of the summer. For now, the haggards will continue to feed the eyasses in response to their hunger calls. They will gradually move the eyasses out from the area around the Franklin Institute.
The hawkstalkers will follow, observe and photograph to provide ongoing information throughout the summer which I will compile here in the blog.
If you're still reading, congratulations on your stamina! This is a mega-post, but the past four days have been packed solid with significant happenings. How wonderful to know that this hawk family has managed, despite the tragedy of losing Dad, to have all three eyasses successfully fledge.
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Awesome work, Della - appreciate all efforts of gathering the images and then composing the results, with excellent narration.
ReplyDelete"keep calm and carry leaves": words to live by. Thank you, Della.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful! Thank you for all the energy you and all the other Hawk fans have put in this year. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteYes, thanks to all of you for being there and chronicling this amazing family. I look forward to every post and appreciate the effort you and the photographers put into this... Truly book-worthy!!
ReplyDeleteThis is amazing thanks for all your hard work. Will continue to follow all blogs. This has been a very eventful summer. Thank you again!
ReplyDeleteMy fourth year watching and first time actually posting to thank you soooo much for all you do to bring us this incredible learning experience. I love it....Audrey
ReplyDeleteAdding my deepest gratitude for all Hawkwatchers and reporters many hours of dedication and hard work.
ReplyDeleteSo exciting that all three are strong and launched, especially
after the loss of Dad. Amazing birds and even more amazing
reporters and photographers. Fabulous work and most appreciated!
Mega-post or not, I was compelled to read to the end. As usual Della, you have told the hawks' story in a most entertaining and informative way. Thanks so much.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the pics and the story. Now back to my #3 and wait for her to fledge at Cornell.
ReplyDeleteAwesome reporting of the story, detail by detail. Awesome photos! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI'm constantly amazed at the fabulous pictures the photographers are able to take. And their generosity in posting them on Hawkwatch so the public can enjoy them too. Congratulations and thank you for all your hard work. It's been a great year once again.
ReplyDeleteWonderful narrative and photos -- was so delighted to find this, as last week I somehow could not connect via Ustream with the FI nest anymore -- kept going black. This has been a wonderful experience, watching and reading this blog. Thank you so much!
ReplyDeleteWonderful! I almost feel as if I were there from your notes and pictures!
ReplyDeleteWOW ...... beautiful pictures and a great description of all three flights ...... THANK YOU !
ReplyDeleteIt is always a pleasure to keep up with this blog. Text as well as photos are wonderful. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on the three successful fledges! And kudos to you, the photographers, and the hawk-stalkers for the fantastic photos and story. (And for keeping the hawks safe while they are on the ground. You all are a fabulous, dedicated group.) Looking forward to more updates on their progress this summer. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThank You Thank You for the pictures and the updates.<3
ReplyDeleteI'm most grateful to you all for your diligence in watching, photographing, reporting, and protecting the hawks. They are a wondrous thing to behold and each spring it's now a ritual for me to begin with egg-watching and end with the final fledge. My life's enriched by the experience! Thank you.
ReplyDeleteWhat a remarkable web site you have here. I stumbled on this the Spring of 2011 and have so thoroughly enjoyed your reporting. Love those hawks!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you from Tucson, Arizona
tons of thanks to all of you who work on this blog and/or contribute. it is just wonderful !
ReplyDeleteI will absorb the other comments tomorrow; I'm exhausted after this! Excellent work as always. Look forward to reading all summer. Better than anything on TV!
ReplyDeleteAnn F.
Della and all the Photographers who contributed to this amazing blog: Thank you for this moving, picturesque tribute of the fourth year of our amazing Hawk Family. Sincerely, Terri612
ReplyDeleteWas so saddened by the loss of Dad and amazed at the arrival of Dad #2 - nature is truly amazing... Thanks to all of you for watching over the brood and providing such wonderful photos & commentary. A real treat - no need for TV here. This is the ultimate reality show...
ReplyDeleteDella, you are a storyteller extraordinaire! Your beautiful text and photo selection and the way you unfold it all create a narrative that is just enthralling, time after time. It's always a pleasure and a thrill to read all the way to the end, particularly since the FI story is so especially poignant this year. Many thanks to you and all the FI Hawkwatchers for all that you do for these amazing raptors and all that you share with the rest of us.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for the excellent photo coverage of these magnificent birds. Your blog is so well written, I almost feel part of it all. I can't thank you enough. Penny
ReplyDeleteThank you for the coverage!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for the fantastic update. I'm a Hawkaholic member but don't always get the chance to check in and see what's going on. It's so wonderful to see the 'children' pledge after losing their father. Thanks god for T2 (and mom). :)
ReplyDeleteI think I saw the entire family soaring high over the Graduate Hospital neighborhood yesterday about 4:00 p.m. I counted five hawks...
ReplyDeleteNice thought, but I don't think the fledglings are soaring high as of yet, and Grad Hosp may be a little out of their territory. The eyasses have been sticking pretty close to home at least near the parkway.
DeleteI am new to watching the FI hawk cam this year and I quickly became addicted - I would sneak them at work and they were the first thing I did when I got home and usually kept them on all night! this was the most rewarding experience for me, it was filled with laughter and tears, but most of all the education I received was priceless. I can't wait til next year. Thanks for all the wonderful information.
ReplyDeleteWhat a truly phenomenal year for watching the hawk nest! It was heart breaking when the male was killed, but it was incredible to see the female and the new male interact with each other and the young ones. How wonderful to see the young fledge. A big thank you for all the updates and the fantastic pictures. This is my second year watching the hawk nest cam. I can hardly wait for next year.
ReplyDeleteI've been watching Cornell's birdcam since end of April --- they're three eyases matured just as yours did and are now all fledged but returning to their nest also. I am THRILLED that T2 took over for their lost dad -- and I am in AWE of these RTH - a real eye-opener for me.
ReplyDelete