Hawkwatch at the Franklin Institute

The Hawk Cam is on!!!

2012-02-01T03:11:00.000-05:00

The live feed hawk nest camera at the Franklin Institute has been turned on .... let the viewing begin! Below is the link, and I have posted it at the top of the green column on the right for easy access.

www.ustream.tv/channel/the-franklin-institute-haw-cam

Thank you, Franklin Institute, for providing us with this amazing resource.

Here's how the nest looked tonight at about 11 PM. The low level of light makes it look much grainier than it will be in daylight.

Hawkwatchers who saw the nest in daylight today observed that one of the hawks - most likely dad, the tiercel - had already brought in some plastic bags for nesting materials.

Here the is tiercel last Sunday perched in one of his favorite trees at the corner of 20th St. and the Parkway.

Carolyn Sutton
Though his feathers are fluffed out in the wind, he is very plump after his winter of feasting on the pigeon population in this area.

A couple of weekends ago, Kay Meng, Carolyn Sutton and I watched the hawks catching some rays on the sunny side of the Family Court Building.

Kay Meng

Kay Meng

The pigeons in the Logan Square area seem spectacularly unafraid of the hawks. They travel in large flocks.... safety in numbers? ... and frequently gather on the stone balustrades of the Central Branch of the Free Library.

Kay Meng

When they break out into smaller groups, they still stay packed together.

Kay Meng

We noticed a couple of white pigeons who really stood out in the crowd - not a good idea when hungry red-tail hawks are close by.

Kay Meng

This white pigeon seemed unconcerned about the risk it might be taking stepping away from the flock.

Kay Meng

At one point, dad swooped straight into the flock on the Library, scattering them to the skies.

Kay Meng

He did not make a kill, and perched on the now empty ledge of the Library.

Kay Meng

The pigeons swiftly regrouped and in minutes were back, but a little farther along the balustrade.

Kay Meng

We were hoping to see some nest activity, but the hawks did not go near it. The sticks have definitely been replenished, though, since we were last there.

Kay Meng

The tiercel flew to a tree beside the Barnes construction site....

Kay Meng

... and then launched up into the blue sunny sky.

Kay Meng
We watched him swing in lazy circles above us, gradually gaining height.

Kay Meng

Kay Meng

And finally, after he had soared and glided into the distance, we took a walk over to the Barnes Museum site. The building is just about complete, and now they are working on the landscaping. It looks as if there will be many new trees and smooth walls for perching, as well as stretches of lawn that will certainly tempt squirrels and other rodents.

Della Micah
In short, the Barnes landscaping looks very hawk friendly, and should provide some great play areas for this year's eyasses.

The image below looks across the entry plaza of the Barnes (still surrounded by construction fences) and over to the Franklin Institute in the background. The nest is directly above that silver trash can, in the window furthest to the right on the top row.

Della Micah

Here's another view over to the Franklin Institute, with one of the white Civil War monuments - a favorite feeding perch for young eyasses - in the middle.

Della Micah

This is turned slightly to the right, and shows another open area that will have grass and trees. The big trees on the left run along the Ben Franklin Parkway and are favorite perching and roosting spots for the haggards.

Della Micah

This is looking at what will be the main entrance into the Barnes Museum. I'm standing on the corner of 20th and the Parkway.

Della Micah

Here's what it looked like two years ago prior to the start of the construction.

Della Micah

The Barnes Museum will be opening this spring, and is expected to draw tens of thousands of visitors to the Parkway museum area that also houses the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the newly refurbished Rodin Museum, as well as the Academy of Natural Science, and of course the Franklin Institute.

No doubt the Franklin hawk family will be front and center, taking in all the excitement. The activation of the Franklin Hawk cam today, along with temperatures that will be in the 60's tomorrow, bring spring, eggs, and eyasses ever closer.

Thank you again, Franklin Institute -- you're the best!

New Year's Day with the Franklin hawks

2012-01-01T15:24:00.006-05:00

January 1 in Philadelphia feels more like a spring day with sunshine and balmy temperatures in the 50s. Indeed, the Mummers are concerned that they may actually be too hot inside some of those elaborate, feathered costumes!

Because it was such a lovely morning, and the Mummers Parade was over on Broad Street, thus not affecting access to the Franklin Institute, it seemed a good plan to start off 2012 by visiting the nest, hopefully to see both Mom and Dad.

Well, the good news is I saw both of the hawks and have pictures of them; the bad news is that I took the pictures, and not Kay, Scott, Joe or George!

I met Carolyn at the nest at 7:30 AM and we waited... and waited... but no hawks to be seen. We did see scores of police officers assembling for pre-parade briefings; Winter Street seems to be a major gathering point for this activity.

Our patience was rewarded at 8:15 when the tiercel flew to the nest bringing a stick.

He poked his stick into the pile up there and then rearranged some of the other twigs.

He then looked out for a few minutes...

... before flying into a nearby tree on Winter Street.

He climbed around a bit, grabbing at and discarding small twigs...

before finding one to his liking, and flying it back to the nest...

and then quickly flying away to a tree alongside Logan Square.

But where was his mate? We had not seen the formel in three hours of hawkstalking on Thursday and she was nowhere to be seen today. It had, in fact, been two or three months since she was last seen.

We split forces to look for her with Carolyn heading down Vine Street and me prowling the Logan Square area back to the nest. Carolyn's hawkspotting talent paid off when she located Mom sitting up on a spotlight pole at 19th & Vine.

What a huge relief to finally locate her. The sad news this week of the death of Violet, one of the Washington Square Park nesting pair in NYC, was a stark reminder of the dangers that can befall hawks.

Like her mate, she looked fat and healthy.

It is also noticeable how much broader through her chest she is than the tiercel - just a bigger bird altogether.

In our excitement at finding the formel, we missed seeing Dad leave his tree, and once again had only one hawk in view.

This time, I won the hawkspotting award as I spied him on the top of a distant flagpole outside the Family Court building.

I think it is quite a perching feat to appear so comfortable atop a slippery round finial!

During this time, a large flock of pigeons kept swooping past both hawks in daredevil fashion. After each fly-by, they perched on the balustrade of the court building looking down almost in derision at the hawks below.

"This is not going to end well," I thought to myself as I noticed both hawks looking increasingly interested at the prospect of a possible pigeon brunch.

And then... boom! Dad launched himself up at the balustrade and the pigeon flock exploded outwards and away - all except one.

If you look at the middle of the right hand balustrade, that brown/tan blob is the tiercel with his pigeon prey.

Almost immediately, the female flew in, grabbed the pigeon and flew with it to the end of the building - to the exact spot where we had first spied Dad last Thursday. She started ripping off the feathers which fell around us like a snowstorm. Here are some of them by Carolyn's foot!

Meanwhile, the tiercel flew to the top of another flagpole and resignedly waited for the feast to end.

You can see the formel's tail hanging out from the ledge on the left as she leans forward to eat.

How satisfying it is finally to see both of the Franklin hawks together and looking so well.

A Happy New Nesting Year looks imminent!

End of year wrap-up and start of new season

2011-12-31T14:49:00.000-05:00

As 2011 draws to a close, Kay, Carolyn and I thought we should check on the Franklin hawks last Thursday as they gear up for a new nesting season.

We quickly found Dad sunning himself on an ornate ledge of the Family Court building near the Franklin Institute. As soon as Kay pointed her camera up at him, he stepped forward, talons overhanging the ledge, and looked steadily down at us.

Kay Meng

He looked in fine fettle - almost fat - with thick shiny plumage fluffing up in the breeze. He soon left the ledge and dive bombed some pigeons near Logan Square. He did not seem to be seriously hunting, and as the pigeons scattered he looped up onto a wooden light pole.

Kay Meng

He definitely seems to have bulked up....

Kay Meng

... from the skinnier tiercel we saw at the end of the summer.

Scott Kemper

We looked all around for Mom but she was nowhere to be seen. Dad, meanwhile, sat contentedly in the sun on top of his pole against an impossibly blue sky.

He went through a whole routine of tail fanning...

Kay Meng

... wing stretching

Kay Meng

... and head scratching

Kay Meng

... before taking off and heading towards the Franklin Institute.

We followed him over, hoping to see some nest activity, but no hawks were there. The nest sticks look a bit lower than at the end of the summer. When the Franklin Institute did its annual scrub of the ledge after the eyasses had fledged, they probably trimmed the mound of sticks back a bit to make a flatter area for this year's nest.

Kay Meng

There are some longer twigs pointing up, indicating that the hawks have been bringing sticks to the nest.

Kay Meng

In the next few weeks, we should see lots more activity as the haggards get into high gear with nest improvements.

* * * * *

A happy update on the CBS Philly Most Valuable Blogger Contest:
Thanks to the unbelievably enthusiastic support of Franklin Hawkaholics literally worldwide, I'm delighted to say that this Hawkwatch blog won the People's Choice Award!!

The prize was a $50 Amazon gift certificate which I delivered into Rick Schubert's hands at the Schuylkill Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in appreciation of the wonderful job they did in rehabbing #3 back to health from her broken leg, and then hacking her out to learn how to fly strongly and hunt, both of which she was doing very effectively when released in to the wild at the end of the summer (see post from September 11, 2011).

I hope everyone has a wonderful New Year's celebration tonight, and I wish you all great happiness and success in 2012. And get ready for another magical nesting season with the amazing Franklin Institute hawks!

#3 released and is flying free

2011-09-11T00:00:00.000-04:00

I received wonderful news today from Rick Schubert at the Schuylkill Wildlife Rehabilitation Center that #3 (aka Squishy) has been released and is now flying free. This picture was taken at the SWRC before she left.

Steve Aldrich

From Rick Schubert:

"Number 3 was recently taken to an undisclosed location, where she is already flying free and is being hacked-out. She's an enormously strong and fast flier, with a penchant for killing almost everything in sight. She watches carefully, judges the best moment, then swoops down and grabs it. She's in a carefully selected habitat to give her the best chance for a long life.

With juvenile red-tailed hawks such as Number 3 at a wildlife center, the release is not a single moment where you let the bird go and walk away; it is a process. Because of that, she needs lots of privacy and quiet to complete the rehabilitation process.

As always, wildlife rehab is not about interfering with natural processes; it is about un-interfering. We give back a chance at life to an animal who lost it as a result of something we've done. Just a chance, not a guarantee, because we believe these animals have value in and of themselves, for their own sake as living beings, and not simply for the use or enjoyment of humans. In this case, the hawk didn't ask to be born on a cement building with cameras and streets and cars and artificial lights and honking horns and smog, nor did it deserve to take its very first flight looking into Winter Street, the Vine Street Expressway, and a dozen lanes of the Ben Franklin Parkway. Their adaptability does them credit, but millions of years of evolution doesn't prepare them to make a first landing on a concrete sidewalk.

The rehabilitation of Number 3 was a complete success. Thanks to all the Hawkwatchers for their concern, and to Della and Carolyn Sutton and Peg Smith for their help. It's always OK to care.

It has been a busy summer, as we took in over 100 injured birds of prey so far in 2011, in addition to almost 3000 animals in total, and our Clinic is still full of patients. We hope and pray that next year the Franklin Institute hawks won't need us again."

Here's #3 in a recent picture showing the strength that Rick mentions.

Steve Aldrich

Hacking-out is a technique used in rehabilitation to help the hawk to become an independent hunter by giving her exercise and experience outside of any cage or enclosure.

It seems perfect timing to get this news of #3 finally flying free at the end of a week when we think we have seen her siblings for the last time and believe they have headed out on their migratory flight.

Here are the last pictures from September 2 of the remaining eyass. It had just caught a mouse on the ball field....

Carolyn Sutton

... and then looking eerily similar in its take-off technique to #3....

Carolyn Sutton

... it left and we have not seen it since.

All three of the 2011 eyasses are now on the way to the next exciting stage in their lives, and they head out with our highest hopes for them.

Hurricane hawk interlopers and the return of #1

2011-09-04T05:01:00.001-04:00

In recent weeks, we have only seen one eyass. This is the bird that has always seemed a little less active than its sibling. Of course, we have no way of telling, but we've been thinking that #1, the first to get going out of the nest, has also been the first to head out from Philadelphia southwards on its migratory flight.

The second eyass, imaginatively named #2, has been content to hang around the ball field at 26th Street by the Art Museum. Most mornings, it sits one of the goalposts...

Joe Debold

... or on the baseball backstop.

Joe Debold

Joe Debold, who has followed #2 high and low for countless mornings, has named it EG for Easy Glider which reflects its laid back approach. EG seems content to stay on the ball field, using the fences to look for hunting opportunities...

Joe Debold

... that often occur where the grass meets the underbrush.

Joe Debold

Joe Debold

#2 is flying very strongly...

Joe Debold

... and landing well.

Joe Debold

Its hunting efforts are enthusiastic...

Scott Kemper

... but are not always successful.

Scott Kemper

The parent hawks seem to know that this eyass still needs help, so they continue to make food drops. Here, EG finds a tasty young rabbit left in the grass.

Joe Debold

Joe Debold

... which it proceeds to eat with gusto.

Joe Debold

... and perhaps with some appreciation for the superb care it continues to receive from its ever-attentive parents. Here, mom is looking down on the rabbit feast from the nearby apartment building.

Joe Debold

As Hurricane Irene roared northwards last weekend, we worried how the hawks would fare. On the morning of Saturday, August 27, the haggards were together on a lamp post by the Art Museum. The tiercel (dad) is on the right. Their summer molt gives them a dishevelled appearance...

Scott Kemper

... in stark contrast to the smooth new plumage of #2.

Scott Kemper

While waiting for Irene, #2 entertained itself with some new machinery being used to clear the invasive trees and plants from around the ball field to give the native species room to grow.

Scott Kemper

This clearance has been pretty dramatic. In just a couple of days, the hawks' hunting grounds changed from this...

Carolyn Sutton

... to this.

Carolyn Sutton

The storm blew through Philadelphia all day Saturday, and in the hawks' territory the main damage was fallen trees. This tree was across the Parkway from the nest and the haggards often perched in it.

Carolyn Sutton

The nest itself seems hurricane-proof and showed not a stick out of place.

Carolyn Sutton

Just to demonstrate the severity of the flooding, here are the train tracks that run at the end of the ball field as they normally appear...

Carolyn Sutton

... and here they are after Hurricane Irene passed over.

Carolyn Sutton

The day after the hurricane passed, the eyass tested out its flying skills in the high winds. Here it is gliding on the wind with wings outstretched...

Scott Kemper

Scott Kemper

... and now it flies directly into the wind, cupping its wings around the flow, and barely moving.

Scott Kemper

But the big excitement after the hurricane was the arrival of two interloper hawks on August 30. One was an eyass, but with a much paler face than our young hawks.

Scott Kemper

Here's a close-up of its brown-striped tail.

Scott Kemper

The second interloper was an older hawk; its tail was red, unlike the eyasses which have brown striped tails. However, this hawk's eyes are still golden indicating that it is not yet fully mature.

Scott Kemper

Where did these hawks come from? Are they from neighboring hawk territories? Are they migrating hawks (passagers) blown off course in the storm? Is the red-tailed invader a former Franklin hawk?

The red-tailed interloper flew right at our #2 much to its surprise.

Scott Kemper

#2 did not take kindly to this incursion, and aggressively flew in pursuit.

Scott Kemper

Our eyass soon abandoned the chase...

Scott Kemper

... and the interloper flew up into a nearby tree, while its younger colleague perched farther away.

Scott Kemper

Meanwhile, #2 found itself in a stand-off with an extremely bold squirrel.

Scott Kemper

When squirrels get this close, it's as if the eyass is paralysed and can do little except gaze in utter bewilderment (head turned almost upside down!) at the brazen creature who ought to be the next meal.

Scott Kemper

The squirrel made a final, contemptuous dart at the eyass who remained rooted to the branch.

Scott Kemper

The youngest interloper watched all this with equal bewilderment!

Scott Kemper

#2's fortunes picked up when it found another rabbit food drop, this time left in the tree.

Joe Debold

As it feasted...

Joe Debold

... the red-tailed visitor watched hungrily...

Joe Debold

... much to the annoyance of #2 who glared right back...

Joe Debold

... let out a couple of fierce screeches, and then in its consternation, dropped the rabbit off the branch.

Joe Debold

This was immediately observed by the visitor...

Joe Debold

... who jumped down, grabbed the rabbit carcass and flew off with it.

Joe Debold

#2 had a couple of other encounters with the interlopers. The eyass visitor flew onto the roof of the pagoda behind the Art Museum overlooking the Schuylkill river. #2 quickly landed on the rock wall at the base of the pagoda...

Scott Kemper

... and puffed up in indignation at the intruder invading its territory...

Scott Kemper

... and the intruder gazed down in some trepidation.

Scott Kemper

#2 hopped closer onto a fence and fluffed up in greater anger.

Scott Kemper

The interloper decided it was time to head out and flew from the pagoda roof as #2 crouched forward to take off in pursuit. Notice how tightly its talons have curled around the perch to give it maximum stability to push up and out.

Scott Kemper

And the chase was on!

Scott Kemper

When the interloper alighted briefly, its striped tail was clearly visible, indicating for sure that #2 was chasing the younger of the two visitors.

Scott Kemper

The red-tailed interloper was also harassed by #2. When it flew to a ledge on the glass front of the Art Museum parking garage...

Joe Debold

... it was chased again by #2 who immediately flew over and landed close by. It's fascinating to see them both gazing at the glass. Memories of the window ledge at the Franklin Institute?

Joe Debold

#2 edged ever closer toward the other hawk..

Joe Debold

... unnerving the visitor who took flight...

Joe Debold

... with #2 in pursuit.

Joe Debold

A fascinating aspect of this amazing morning is that neither of the Franklin haggards who rule this territory made any attempt to run off the intruders. It was all left to #2 to deal with these hawks who had invaded the Franklin hawks' territory.

As if this week hadn't provided enough amazing hawk happenings, it ended with the reappearance of eyass #1 who we were certain had migrated a couple of weeks ago.

September 1 began as usual on the ball field with an eyass hunting for breakfast finally with considerable success.

Joe Debold

It gobbled that mouse down whole!

Joe Debold

When it hopped up onto the fence, something caught its eye at the other end of the field.

Joe Debold

And there was the other eyass!

Joe Debold

It's pretty certain these are the two Franklin eyasses as neither showed the least aggression to the other, unlike the events earlier in the week with the interloper hawks.

These two happily flew and perched all over the ball field.

Joe Debold

They joined up on a pile of brushwood.

One of them dove deep and bravely into the pile...

Joe Debold

... and came up with the remains of a previous meal.

Joe Debold

These hawks have incredible vision but not such a great grip...yet. When the eyass dropped the scraps, it gazed down in consternation, but did not venture back down into that challenging brush pile.

Joe Debold

So here we are at the start of September, with all four Franklin hawks reunited. We'll probably never know where #1 has been for the past couple of weeks, and it can only be a few more days at most that the eyasses will be here. The urge to join the streams of raptors that are now passing high in the skies above them will soon become irresistible. #3 is still in rehab, and as soon as there is news of her progress, I will post it here.

I'll end by expressing my enormous appreciation to all the loyal readers of this blog who have been voting every day in the Most Valuable Blogger contest here in Philadelphia. The contest ends next week on September 9, and fans can vote every day. If the Hawkwatch blog wins a prize ($50 Amazon gift certificate) I intend to donate it to the Schuylkill Wildlife Rehab Center in appreciation for their care of #3.

Here's the link where you can vote:

http://philadelphia.blogger.cbslocal.com/most-valuable-blogger/blog/64-hawkwatch-at-the-franklin-institute

Hawks, storms, rain and water

2011-08-23T16:48:00.000-04:00

August in Philadelphia means high heat, humidity and vicious thunderstorms. This month is now close to being the wettest EVER in Philadelphia, a dramatic change from the near-drought conditions of June and early July.

Our hawk family seems quite unperturbed by the severe rain and thunderstorms of this past week. I worried about them in the midst of the high winds and lightning, and hoped that they had found shelter and could sleep. John Blakeman shared some information about this in the first season of the Franklin nest:

"Where do the hawks sleep on windy, rainy nights?

When they sleep, they turn their heads around and tuck them into the fluffed-up feathers of the back. A sleeping hawk looks morbidly headless.

On rainy, windy, or otherwise unfavorable nights red-tails typically fly into a large hardwood tree, perch on a horizontal limb that allows the toes to wrap around the branch and grip it. But on a cold, windy, rainy, winter’s night, it would seem hard to be able to sleep in such a position.

Here’s how it’s done. Red-tails, like most other birds, have an interesting and useful foot locking mechanism used when sleeping. As the bird begins to nod off, there is a ratchet-like band of tissue that can be tightened around the inside of the leg. Once tightened, it sticks together somewhat like velcro, locking the bird’s grip on the branch. The hawk doesn't have to pay any attention to holding on during the night. The bird’s toes are physically locked around the branch, and normal winds cause no problems.

I’ve never encountered a sleeping red-tail in a gale. I think in those situations the bird must both lock its toes around the branch, and also stay awake and lean over into the wind. I don't know this, either, but I presume that the birds in these situations will attempt to park themselves in a somewhat protected position in the tree or woodlot.

What about heavy rains? This is exactly why red-tails spend so much of their time diligently preening their feathers. As with all birds, they have the
Kay Meng

oil gland on their rump. The lean over and strop their bill on this gland, pick up some feather oil, and then preen it into all the feathers on the body. When well-preened, water runs off a hawk’s back almost as well as water off a duck’s back. Still, in the heaviest down pour, the outer feathers can get soaked. But the fluffy, inner down feathers remain oiled and water repellent. After a summer rainstorm we often seen a sodden red-tail. Underneath, though, she’s warm and dry. Red-tails, like all birds, are like turtles. They carry their houses of feathers with them wherever they go."

Above is the formel (mom) drying off on one of the many spotlights that illuminate landmark Philadelphia buildings.

The rain also fills up the spots where the hawks like to bathe. One of their favorites is the ledge that runs above the nest at the Franklin Institute. Here's mom after a quick dip.

Kay Meng

On Sunday, the tiercel (dad) decided to make good use of the morning sun and one of the fountains in front of the Art Museum. You can just make him out under the falling water on the bottom ledge of the two-tiered fountain slightly to the right.

Scott Kemper

Here's a closer view....

Scott Kemper

He then hopped up into the higher bowl of the fountain...

Scott Kemper

... and seemed to be enjoying the flow of water

Joe Debold

Joe Debold

The eyasses are always curious to explore whatever catches their eye whether on land or....in a puddle! Earlier this month after a rainstorm, one of the eyasses waded into this puddle at the ball field, and started to drag out an old t-shirt.

Joe Debold

When he landed it, he seemed a bit at a loss of what to do next!

Joe Debold

We thought he was going to go at it again...

Joe Debold

... but perhaps sensing we were in silent hysterics at the antics - an OMG moment, to be sure! - he reclaimed his dignity with a quick drink....

Joe Debold

... and then stomped off through the puddle, an eyass on a mission...

Joe Debold

... to inspect the next curiosity.

Joe Debold

It reached down with its beak to grab at something in the water...

Kay Meng

... a sycamore leaf!

Kay Meng

By this time, we were laughing out loud, and far from being scared, the eyass merely gazed at us in apparent disdain!

Kay Meng

It is a continuing miracle how unconcerned these hawks are at our proximity. They go about their business as if we are a familiar part of their landscape. Earlier this month in the grounds of the Rodin Museum we had a ringside seat for another puddle episode.

The eyass headed toward the water, and seemed attracted by the sun-dried leaves.

Joe Debold

It messed around with the leaves...

Kay Meng

... then took several sips of the rainwater.

Joe Debold

Joe Debold

Next, a bath seemed in order...

Kay Meng

Joe Debold

... then off to inspect something interesting...

Kay Meng

... which turned out to be a plastic cup.

Joe Debold

We then enjoyed the pretty reflection.

Joe Debold

And now a shameless request for your vote for the Hawkwatch blog in the Most Valuable Blogger contest! The blog has been named a finalist, and fans can vote EVERY DAY until the contest closes on September 9.

http://philadelphia.blogger.cbslocal.com/most-valuable-blogger/blog/64-hawkwatch-at-the-franklin-institute

If we can win an award - $50 Amazon gift certificate - I plan to donate it to the Schuylkill Wildlife Rehab Center which is taking such good care of our injured eyass, #3.

Thanks for voting early and OFTEN!

Hawkwatch at the Franklin Institute a finalist in « Most Valuable Blogger « CBS Philly

2011-08-17T09:28:00.001-04:00

This blog has been chosen as a finalist in the Most Valuable Blogger Awards. Fans can vote every day until the contest closes on September 9th. It is listed in the "Everything Else" category!

Many thanks for all the support - this blog is truly a collaborative effort with so many phenomenal photographers, hawk fans out there in all weathers and times of day sending observations, expert knowledge from John Blakeman and Rick Schubert. It is a joy to write and share it!

Vote early and often!!

Hawkwatch at the Franklin Institute « Most Valuable Blogger « CBS Philly

Pictures and update of #3

2011-08-08T09:41:00.001-04:00

There is very positive news about #3, the young hawk who sustained a leg fracture on her first flight out of the nest back in June, probably from landing awkwardly on a concrete sidewalk. She had her cast removed a couple of weeks ago and after spending several more days in the small recovery cage, was placed into a much larger outdoor flying cage.

Steve Aldrich

The cage is about 30 feet long, and contains both fixed and swinging perches. She is now flying back and forth between the stationary and swinging perches.

Steve Aldrich

Michele Wellard, assistant rehabilitator at the Schuylkill Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic, reports that #3 is flying strongly, and landing confidently on the various perches. This indicates that her fractured leg has healed really well.

Steve Aldrich

She is pouncing on and catching the food put into her cage, and is starting to develop the hunting skills which she will need when she is eventually released.

Steve Aldrich

#3 has been at the Schuylkill Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic for about seven weeks now. Rick Schubert and his staff, along with Dr. Boutette and Dr. Dazen at the Animal and Bird Healthcare Center and Hospital in Cherry Hill, NJ, have done a superb job of rehabbing this hawk and bringing her to this point where she is ready to start longer flying and hunting sessions.

Steve Aldrich

Even though #3 does not look at all thrilled about being in rehab, she is a very lucky hawk to have received such excellent care.

Steve Aldrich

Many thanks to Steve Aldrich, IT manager at the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education. for these lovely photographs, and to Michele Wellard for keeping us up to date on #3.

Evening hawk stalk

2011-08-01T18:40:00.020-04:00

As regular readers of this blog know, most of the observations of the Franklin Institute eyasses since they fledged have been done early in the morning, just after sunrise. We thought it would be interesting to check on the hawks one evening to see what happens at the end of the day.

Carolyn Sutton, Kay Meng and I met last Thursday at 8:00 PM down on Winter Street right under the nest. The day was heading into twilight with streetlamps lit. Almost immediately we spotted one of the eyasses sitting on a lamp-pole overhanging the busy six-lane Vine Street expressway that races straight through Center City.

Kay Meng

The trees in the background are the ones to which the eyasses flew on their fledging flights from the nest.

Kay Meng

The eyass peered intently into the dense undergrowth down below along the side of the highway looking for the telltale movement of a rodent.

Kay Meng

Something moved down there, and he was on full alert...

Kay Meng

... and then launched.

Kay Meng

The eyass dropped like stone straight down, and was just about buried in the grass. We couldn't tell if it had caught anything.

Kay Meng

The evening rush hour traffic was roaring past about three feet to the left of the eyass, and with the light dwindling every minute, we worried how it was going to fly up and out of the traffic canyon about twenty feet below where we stood on the 21st Street overpass.

The eyass looked up and around, gauging its next move..

Kay Meng

... and then to our horror, it took off and flew UNDER the overpass, about three feet above the speeding cars. This is the overpass (no hawk in the picture).

Kay Meng

We could only desperately look for the hawk to emerge on the other side of the bridge. Heart attack moment doesn't begin to describe what it felt like to see the eyass fly with the traffic under the bridge.

I guess we needn't have worried, because it popped up on the far side, landing nonchalantly on a lamp pole. In the picture below, this fearless, silly hawk is sitting immediately above the white light furthest to the right. If you double click on the image it should enlarge.

Kay Meng

After all that, we could see that it had not caught any prey, and it immediately began peering down into the undergrowth below its new pole. Fortunately, its next pounce was over in the direction of the Parkway and not down into the traffic.

This may be the same eyass that Carolyn saw a couple of weeks ago flying through an underpass near the railroad at the end of the ball field. Let's hope it doesn't feel a need to continue practicing this particular flying skill....

Carolyn Sutton

By this time, it was too dark to follow where it flew. We walked back towards the Franklin Institute, and as we looked over towards the Free Library and Barnes construction site, we saw a hawk fly into the trees at the corner of 20th and the Parkway. Almost immediately, it was followed by another hawk. Were they the haggards or the eyasses?

We hustled across the Parkway, and there was just enough light for my binoculars to pick out the brown striped tails of the eyasses. They next flew to the ledges below the roof of the Library, roused their feathers, and looked to be settling in for the night. Had we discovered where the eyasses spent the night? Do they stay together during the night?

The next morning, Carolyn Sutton - who deserves a medal of valor for early rising - got to the Parkway before sunrise, and found the two eyasses exactly where we had left them the night before. This was pretty exciting as it is the first time we have known for sure where they spend the night - at least, one night.

It was also interesting to see how late in the day, well into dusk, that the eyass was still hunting.

Here are a couple of pictures of that eyass before it got too dark.

Kay Meng

Eyasses hunting high and low despite the heatwave

2011-07-28T11:13:00.001-04:00

Despite the brutal heatwave gripping Philadelphia this past weekend, the hawks were easy to find and extremely active. This is in such contrast to last year when we saw an eyass for the last time on July 17.

As I headed to the ball field at 24th St. by the Art Museum, the formel (Mom) flew out of nowhere and landed on the lamp pole right in front of me.

Della Micah

Here's a map of the area - thanks to Scott Kemper - with an arrow pointing at the ball field.

If you pull up a Google satellite map of the Ben Franklin Parkway/Art Museum area, you can see how many pockets of greenery, bushes and trees there are stuffed of rodents and birds. Hawk smorgasbord!

The formel looked down at me as if to say, "There you are - now get over to the ball field where all the action will be." She flew and I followed.

Sure enough, when I reached the ball field there was an eyass sitting on the fence beside the batting cage clutching some prey. Scott, Joe and Carolyn had seen it pick up the carcass - a rat - from the ground below.

Della Micah

The eyass flew with the rat in its talons from the fence to a nearby pine branch. Although it had prey, this eyass let out a couple of food calls. When we saw the flies buzzing around, and then caught the whiffs of decaying flesh, we realized this was definitely not a fresh kill. Was the eyass calling out for fresh food?

Joe Debold

Joe Debold

The eyass then settled into its meal, finding the not-fresh flesh tough to tear...

Joe Debold

... into swallowable chunks.

Joe Debold

It drooled a little after finishing its meal.

Scott Kemper

As always, we found a haggard keeping watch...

Scott Kemper

...in this case, the tiercel (Dad) from a nearby tree.

Scott Kemper

The haggards' feathers are starting to look a bit moth-eaten as they enter their summer molt phase. As the tiercel flew down the field...

Scott Kemper

... and landed on the goal post, his missing tail feather was apparent.

Scott Kemper

He then took up that characteristic talon-resting position that renders him instantly comical.

Scott Kemper

With three of the four Franklin hawks accounted for, I headed down the Parkway to see if I could find the other eyass. As I neared 21st Street, I found Sandy Sorlien and her husband, John, gazing up into the shrubbery that lines the fence alongside the Vine Street Expressway, and sure enough, there was the other eyass, beak agape and panting in the ever increasing temperature.

Della Micah

Sandy and John reported that the eyass had just captured a mouse down in the undergrowth, but had left it lying on a log.

Della Micah

Right beside it was the pile of grass and weeds that the eyass had grabbed in its talons as it pounced on the mouse, and did not release until the mouse was dead.

Joe Debold

Strangely enough, having caught the mouse, the eyass showed no further interest in it. It continued to perch up above, and then moved closer to us down onto the fence, panting even more heavily.

John Arnold

The temperature at this point was already in the 90s. It then hopped back up into the trees, and started on some personal grooming: wiping its beak on the branch...

Scott Kemper

... and then preening. Hawks often close their eyes when preening. Their eyelids are reptilian, closing from the bottom up.

Scott Kemper

This eyass was seemingly oblivious to its freshly killed mouse down below on the log. I can only think that it is now hunting so well that it is not impelled to immediately eat everything it catches. The heat might also have a negative affect its appetite.

Here are John, Sandy, Scott and Joe planning their next move...

Della Micah

... and Joe and Scott taking a final shot.

Della Micah

When I saw these two images that Sandy took standing in exactly the same spot, I was again struck by the unique urban wilderness we experience in following these hawks.

Sandy Sorlien

By moving her camera lens only a couple of feet, we move from the wild young hawk perched in the glade to the glass and steel skyscrapers towering over the Franklin Institute.

Sandy Sorlien

We headed back to the ball field to check on the other three hawks who had sensibly decided to take an early siesta in the now almost unbearable heat and humidity. Here are Joe, Carolyn and Scott taking a breather before we all headed home to start on the rest of our Saturday commitments.

Della Micah

Sunday:

So next morning with the heat wave easing slightly, I headed back into Philadelphia to see what the happy hawks were up to for their Sunday activities. It was great to have Kay Meng, back from vacation, joining Carolyn, Joe and me.

It didn't take long for the first eyass to appear on what is proving to be one of their favorite hunting perches - the football goal posts on the ball field at 24th Street.

Joe Debold

During the next two hours we were treated to a hunting extravaganza from this eyass who was clearly hungry. It launched its attacks on anything that moved...

Joe Debold

Kay Meng

... or what it thought had moved...

Kay Meng

- in this case, a rat-like stick.

Joe Debold

It really thought it had live prey...

Joe Debold

... and looked frustrated that it had been fooled by a dumb old stick.

Joe Debold

It would then return to the goal post to catch its breath and look for the next hunting opportunity.

Joe Debold

This eyass was trying so hard to catch something, and we were all willing it on. It saw a small rabbit near the fence and set out low to the ground with deadly, silent speed.

Joe Debold

It almost caught it, but the fortunate rabbit scooted under the fence at the last second...

Joe Debold

... and the eyass had to put on the brakes to avoid a crash landing

Kay Meng

We could sense the eyass's mounting frustration at being unable to land any prey.

Joe Debold

Perch, pant, regroup....

Kay Meng

... and then try, try again.

Kay Meng

Its sibling sat preening on a nearby dead branch, with the smug "I've had my breakfast already," look. The apartment building in the background is part of the Park Towne Place complex that runs alongside the Parkway.

Joe Debold

Meanwhile, a quiet drama was unfolding at the far end of the field where the formel (Mom) sat watching from a tree.

Della Micah

If you look closely at my blurry image, you can see a squirrel on the branch right above Mom's head. This had to be a commando colleague of the Parkway Stare You Down squirrel from a couple of days ago.

Instead of creeping quietly away, this guy kept yammering away at the hawk, totally attracting attention to itself. She menacingly turned around to eye it...

Kay Meng

... but in similar fashion to cat bird attacks, she basically ignored this squirrel-with-a-death-wish.

Back at the hunting fields, our hard-working hawk finally was able to catch a moving target.... a very slow moving target!

Joe Debold

But hey, worms are protein too! And now the eyass was a roll, next finding a bug in the grass. The bug must have been making a strange sound to elicit this reaction from the hawk.

Joe Debold

Kay Meng

The fearless photographers, Kay and Joe, took advantage of the bleachers to set up their shots

Della Micah

Then, the eyass's persistence paid off. Something caught its eye.

Kay Meng

It flew fiercely toward the fence....

Joe Debold
... avoiding one of the many swallows flitting around the field...

Kay Meng

... and pounced hard.

Joe Debold

"Please don't let this be another stick," we all breathed...

Joe Debold

But no stick this time!

Joe Debold

The eyass had FINALLY caught something worth eating - a field vole.

Joe Debold

It had some trouble... dispatching... its prey...

Joe Debold

...but finally had the situation under control, and flew with its now dead vole to the roof of the field house...

Kay Meng

... and then to the goal post to begin its hard-earned feast.

Joe Debold

At first, it started pulling off relatively small morsels...

Kay Meng

..but as its eating frenzy increased...

Joe Debold

... the body parts it swallowed got larger...

Joe Debold

... until it just gulped down in one huge beakful the ENTIRE remainder of the vole

Kay Meng

Joe Debold

Kay Meng

Joe Debold

Kay Meng

Now totally gorged, it didn't bother to clean up the remaining body parts splattered on the goal post..

Kay Meng

... before flying a bit heavily to a nearby tree.

Joe Debold

The crowd was pretty much silenced after that gore fest! Then a check to see if the cameras caught all the action.

Della Micah

And now to finish, here are some more lovely head shots of the eyasses...

Scott Kemper

Joe Debold

Joe Debold

As always, I must express my deep appreciation to Joe, Kay and Scott for these incomparable images. We are blessed to have such generous, talented photographers so willing to share their magnificent images.

News on #3 - she is flying!

2011-07-27T04:13:00.000-04:00

Exciting news this evening from Michele Wellard, Assistant Wildlife Rehabilitator at the Schuylkill Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic, on #3, the eyass who broke her leg while attempting to fledge in early June:

"Tonight, Number 3 was released from her indoor recovery soft cage to a very large outdoor flight. She was a little bewildered, but is flying and perching well (not to mention eating). We are all feeling positive about her recovery. I'll send pics of her in flight soon."

Carolyn Sutton, who volunteers at the SWRC on Tuesday evenings, sent this additional information:

"#3 has been moved outside! Rick and Michele removed the protective tail covering and we let her loose in one of the flying cages. She took off immediately for the other end, then flew right back at us. We all ducked in unison. LOL. She is simply stunning; flies like a champ; not so good with landings... but then we knew that, didn't we? No concrete here. Hip hip hooray!!!!!"

As soon as I receive any additional news of #3, and hopefully, pictures, I will post on the blog.

Sunday and beyond - an incredible week of hawkwatching

2011-07-21T19:00:00.007-04:00

As soon as the sun is up and the eyasses have had their first meal of the day, they start larking around. Sunday morning found them once again up at the Art Museum whose roof provides some of the best perches in the city.

Joe Debold

Scott Kemper

As always, a parent haggard keeps an eye on them - in this case, Mom, who is being pestered by a mocking bird.

Scott Kemper

The other eyass sits on a lamp pole watching the show.

Scott Kemper

Mocking birds HATE hawks, and attack them with impunity. The hawks have endless patience, showing only mild, understandable irritation when these pesky little birds dive bomb them.

Scott Kemper

Joe Debold

Occasionally, the hawk will snap its beak at the pest, but more often will fly away when it's had enough.

Scott Kemper

Like most kids, the eyasses are fearless about where they play and explore. The current construction site behind the Art Museum has some cool machinery to jump on.

Scott Kemper

Well-placed perching fences enable them to hang together...

Scott Kemper

... and show off their synchronised landing skills.

Do not (repeat) Do not try this at home: Professional landers on a closed fence!

Scott Kemper

And of course, the Barnes Museum construction site is still the destination of choice when the urge to perch in a really noisy, dangerous area....

Joe Debold

Joe Debold

... surrounded by construction workers...

Joe Debold

... is just too much to resist.

To a curious young eyass, a dumpster is also irresistible - ugh!

Scott Kemper

Scott Kemper

Occasionally, the hunter appears to become the hunted. Some of the hawk-battle-hardened Parkway squirrels apparently believe attack is the best form of defense...(squirrel right at the bottom)

Joe Debold

... in the form of a stare down.

Joe Debold

This rookie eyass seemed just a bit clueless as to what should happen next.

Joe Debold

But Mouse 101 has definitely been mastered...

Joe Debold

...with all material thoroughly internalized!

Joe Debold

Joe Debold

This eyass's curiosity was piqued by its own shadow, possibly the first time it had ever seen it.

Scott Kemper

Can I catch that? Maybe... if I walk quickly.

Scott Kemper

Whoa - that's not me!

Scott Kemper

But what have we here? Perhaps this hawk was imprinted by the spatula in its nest?

Scott Kemper

The early morning sun highlights the beauty of these hawks at rest...

Joe Debold

Joe Debold

... on the prowl...

Joe Debold

Joe Debold

... and in flight...

Scott Kemper

Joe Debold

The elevation of the Art Museum allows us to view them from above as they hunt along the grassy embankment of Spring Garden St.

Scott Kemper

On Sundays, this street is closed to traffic to enable runners, bikers and joggers traffic-free access to the West River Drive. The eyasses seem to enjoy the endless parade of activity. Here's Carolyn Sutton photographing one of her buddies who is posing perfectly!

Scott Kemper

The ability to swivel their heads beyond 180 degrees - shades of The Exorcist! - saves them from having to shift their feet.

Scott Kemper

This year, it is striking how rarely, if ever, we hear the eyasses calling for food, in marked contrast to 2009, the first season of the Franklin Institute hawk nest. That summer, one could hear the characteristic "seagull call" almost every morning as the hungry eyasses made it known they needed a food drop. The haggards are now very experienced in raising their young, and have done a phenomenal job of keeping this year's eyasses well fed literally from the moment they hatched. These eyasses seem much more advanced in every way from the previous two broods.

Because of their silence and the increasing size of territory through which they range, it is becoming steadily more difficult to locate them in the mornings. On Wednesday, the only hawk I found at 5:45 AM was Dad up on his usual lamp post near the Rat Tunnel.

Della Micah

For the next hour and a half, Joe, Scott, Carolyn and I split up and searched from Logan Circle to the Art Museum; from the Franklin Institute to the Fairmount Water Works; from the Free Library to the Rodin Museum, keeping in contact by cell phone about our fruitless search. Not a hawk to be seen.

Finally, just after 8 AM, Carolyn located the eyasses romping in Logan Square where I had just been ten minutes previously. By the time I arrived, one of the eyasses had moved to the ultimate adventurous hawk perch...

Carolyn Sutton

...the Franklin Institute's Budd BB-1 Pioneer, the first stainless steel plane ever built.

Joe Debold

Degree of perch difficulty = 10+. It's not even a perch! What a show-off!

Joe Debold

We found the other eyass in a shady grove of trees near the nest.

Joe Debold

He then hopped down onto the fence along the Vine Street Expressway.

Della Micah
Here's Joe photographing him. What you don't see here is the proximity to the six lanes of traffic thundering along down below. My lens is poking through the railings for this shot.

Della Micah

As we passed under the nest, we noticed that it had had its annual spring clean by the Franklin Institute to remove all the slicings that if left would erode the stonework. Additionally, there had been some careful "pruning" of the nest sticks to reduce the considerable height of three year's worth of nest material.

Joe Debold

Here's how it looked in May!

...and then in June.

Mary Gamble Barrett

This will give a larger surface area for the haggards to begin piling on their sticks, a process which has already started, indicating their total satisfaction with this nest.

Joe Debold

Scott Kemper

And now this marathon blog post must end! Here are three gorgeous head shots of these strong, healthy young hawks who are ready to take on the world. Each time we see them now may be the last. As Carolyn Sutton recently said, "You just can't predict much in Nature. These hawks will constantly keep us guessing. With luck and persistence, we may be able to keep up with this family for a little while longer."

Joe Debold

Scott Kemper

Joe Debold

More on #3 and Part 1 of an extraordinary weekend with the hawks

2011-07-18T18:16:00.002-04:00

Here's more news on #3 from Michele Wellard (Rick Schubert's assistant) at the Schuylkill Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic:

"Number 3 went to the vet on Thursday and the cast was removed. Dr. Boutette was very pleased with the healing he observed on the x-ray taken after the cast came off. He recommends another few weeks of treatment at the clinic to ensure the newly healed bone is hard and strong to be able to take the kind of impact it will need to do when the bird lands from full speed. Nevertheless, Dr. Boutette is very happy with the progress and says the hawk's prognosis is 'excellent'."

Additional information on #3 comes from Carolyn Sutton who volunteers at the SWRC:

"Just returned from my volunteer shift at the SWRC. #3 is doing well and the cast is off, but the doctors prefer s/he be kept in the small cage for another week or so to make sure her fracture is completely healed. Our feisty FI friend is NOT a happy camper."

* * * * * *

Does everyone know that if you click on an image on the blog, you can see it enlarged? And then your back button will take you back to the blog.

This past weekend provided some extraordinary moments with the Franklin Institute eyasses. It all began just before sunrise on Saturday morning on the river side of the Art Museum. Both haggards sat quietly together on a lamp pole.

Della Micah

The full moon was setting behind the hawks when Scott caught these absolutely amazing images.

Scott Kemper

Scott Kemper

I sent these pictures to John Blakeman who commented:

"The photos of the hawks sitting out on poles at night are wonderful. I've noticed this many times. Red-tails in all seasons of the year will commonly roost for the night on lone poles or open tree branches, fully exposed to the night air.

But this happens only in the absence of winds or heavy rains. The birds seem to know what the night's weather will be, that there will be no adverse winds or precipitation. This "pole-roosting" happens under meteorological "high" conditions, under a high pressure system, with little or no winds.

How the birds discern what the night's winds and weather will be, I don't know. But they are very good at this. If you see a Red-tail sitting out on a ledge or light pole at dusk, there simply will be no winds that night. Temperatures are not considered. I've seen Red-tails on utility poles awakening at dawn in winter when temperatures were sub-zero. Winds are the real factor."

--John Blakeman

Dawn broke, reflected on the Cira building.

Scott Kemper

The hawks meanwhile were joined by their offspring, and each bird sat on its own lamp pole, watching for the first unwary rodent to appear.

Memo to self: Get a bigger camera lens....

Della Micah

It's not only Philadelphia's gorgeous architecture to which we are exposed on our hawkstalking adventures. This tunnel under the Art Museum circle is one of the primo rat areas for the hawks. They sit outside waiting up on lamp poles for breakfast to appear...

Scott Kemper

... and they don't have to wait long. The tiercel swooped down and back up to his pole with a large rat, and instantly one of the eyasses flew over, snatched it and took off for a nearby tree.

Scott Kemper

He perched for a while trying unsuccessfully to fend off an attacking mocking bird. You can see the rat's legs and tail hanging below the branch.

Scott Kemper

He took off to a new tree clutching his rat...

Scott Kemper

... and started to "unpeel" it with great difficulty. Rat skin is much tougher to deal with than ripping feathers off a bird.

Scott Kemper

Scott Kemper

When the mocking bird started harassing again, the eyass took off down to the tree glades by the river.

Scott Kemper

The eyasses fly in complete silence with no flapping or rustling sounds - only a whoosh of displaced air in their wake if one is in their flight path. It's easy to see how an unwary rodent or bird may have very little warning of the final approach. This guy was oblivious to the hawk crossing inches above him.

Scott Kemper

Beetles are a trusted breakfast snack, always available to the hawk-eyed hunter...

Joe Debold

... willing to do some stomping...

Joe Debold

... to get its prey.

Joe Debold

It is I, The Great Beetle Slayer...

Scott Kemper

When the eyasses have eaten, it's time to practice the basic hunting technique of pounce-and-grab. Optimally, of course, one would practice with live prey, but when one is an inexperienced eyass, that's hard to come by, so one makes do what is at hand...or talon.

Scott Kemper

Sometimes a branch...

Joe Debold

Sometimes a plastic bag... ahh, memories of home sweet nest!

Joe Debold

And then to kick it up a bit, savaging a discarded t-shirt...

Joe Debold

... into abject submission!

Joe Debold

The eyasses are constantly in each other's business, always checking in to see what's up.

Joe Debold

Scott Kemper

Sometimes, it seems they do it on purpose, pretending to catch something right in front just to annoy the other sibling.

Scott Kemper

Joe Debold

But they are definitely a team that hangs together.

Joe Debold

Their intense curiosity provided some moments of high hilarity for us on Saturday. One of the eyasses, thinking it had finally hit the prey jackpot, swooped menacingly down onto a tightly rolled up newspaper...

Joe Debold

Then mantled strongly to warn away all comers as it crushed the life out of the paper with a talon death grip.

Joe Debold

Uh oh... where's the blood and fur?

Joe Debold

The eyass continued to wrestle the paper to the ground...

Joe Debold

... and then tried to skin it! Meanwhile, we were all shaking with silent laughter!

Joe Debold

Just as we were recovering from the Battle of the Newspaper, the other eyass was creeping up on someone sleeping outside. The hawk was making a stealthy around-the-tree approach to the sleeping bag stretched out behind.

Joe Debold

Now that the weather is warm, a number of homeless people prefer to sleep outside. We have gotten to know some of the "regulars" along the Parkway, many of whom share our enthusiasm for the hawks and are valuable sources of hawk whereabouts in the early morning.

This guy, however, was oblivious (we hoped!) to the deadly predator fast approaching.

Joe Debold

We had no idea what might happen next...

Joe Debold

I had visions of the hawk jumping up onto the sleeping bag, and then all getting the fright of their lives.

Scott Kemper

But it ended without drama as the curious young hawk found something else with which to distract itself.

Saturday's hawkstalk ended as the sun rose higher. Amidst all the morning's comedy, there were moments of sublime beauty.

Scott Kemper

I continue to marvel that we see all this right in the middle of one of the country's largest metropolises.

Joe Debold

Joe Debold

The intersection of wild nature with high art is breathtaking.

Scott Kemper

But that's not all, folks....I'm working on Sunday!

News of #3 - and an eyass finally catches live prey

2011-07-15T03:06:00.001-04:00

Eyass #3 is making really good progress recovering from its broken leg sustained from a rough landing on the sidewalk after leaving the nest too soon. S/he is now grabbing and holding food with the foot that's on the "bad" side.

Today, s/he will be examined by the medical staff, and if all looks well the cast will be removed. The young hawk will then be moved from its current small cage to a much larger outside cage to begin serious flight training so that the muscles in its wings and legs can gain the strength and conditioning necessary for flying.

Meanwhile, the eyasses celebrated Bastille Day with a sunrise swoop along the Champs-Élysées-inspired Parkway.

Carolyn Sutton

French urban planner Jacques Greber designed the Parkway in 1917 to emulate the Champs-Élysées in Paris. The Champs-Élysées terminates at the Arc de Triomphe, and the Parkway ends at the Art Museum, reminding one of Paris while in Philadelphia.

The Parkway also has an international flavor lined as it is with flags of countries from around the world upon which our hawks frequently perch!

Scott Kemper

On Tuesday, Carolyn Sutton caught this first sighting of the young hawks all the way up at the Art Museum, as an eyass chased the tiercel from the top of one of the signature griffins that adorn the roof.

Unbothered, the tiercel perched on some of his favorite terra cotta tiles under the museum's gorgeous roof...

Carolyn Sutton

...as the eyass admired the stunning view below...

Carolyn Sutton

... of the Fairmount Water Works alongside the Schuylkill river. Following the Franklin Institute hawks around the city takes one past a seemingly never-ending series of architectural and landscape delights.

Carolyn Sutton

But the most exciting event of Tuesday was seeing one of the eyasses catch its first live prey! Kay Meng and I caught up with Carolyn on the Parkway as the eyasses made their way back from the Art Museum.

The tiercel was watching the proceedings from a window ledge of the Franklin Institute....

Kay Meng

... as one of the eyasses perched on a lamp pole and watched small birds hopping around under the trees of the Parkway.

Kay Meng

We weren't really paying much attention as we've now seen them perch, watch, chase, pounce... and miss so many times.

But this time it had a different ending. The eyass finally zeroed in on a bird that had no idea it was a target.

Kay Meng

The eyass took off from the lamp post at high speed, flew down low and across the Parkway, and landed on the ground at the side of a tree. It was too far away at that point for Kay to photograph. The hawk then left the ground and we could clearly see that it had something in its talons.

It settled up on another lamp post, and as we got closer, we could see the feathers raining down as it defeathered what appeared to be a small bird.

Kay Meng

While I never take pleasure in seeing a creature killed, I did feel great excitement as it means that this eyass now knows how to hunt and feed itself which greatly increases its odds of survival beyond the end of the summer when the haggards will stop feeding their youngsters via food drops.

It was eating so enthusiastically that several body parts were consumed still feathered!

Kay Meng

Kay Meng

When it finished eating, it hopped up onto the end of the pole...

Kay Meng

... wiped its beak a couple of times on the rounded surface, and then took off for a nearby tree...

Kay Meng

... where it sat for a while - perhaps looking taller and prouder.

Kay Meng

Here are a couple more pictures from Kay of our hunting hero before The Epic Chase when it was still looking around....

... and being goofy!

The eyasses' world is definitely increasing in size each week. Their territory now extends from the red light district at 19th Street...

Carolyn Sutton

... to the pine grove at the Art Museum up at 24th Street.

Carolyn Sutton

It looks as though this year's eyasses may stay around longer than last year's when our final sighting was July 17, in contrast to the first year with the Franklin eyasses when the last eyass sighting was August 29.

So stay tuned to see how this summer continues......

Eat, Prey, Play: the eyasses' busy days!

2011-07-11T05:25:00.003-04:00

This has been a wonderful week of hawk watching. The eyasses are zooming around looking bigger, stronger and swifter each day. Their parents continue to take superb care of them, providing endless supplies of food.

Here is the tiercel flying in with a food drop.

Joe Debold

Mom has just done a drop-and-run at the nest, as an eyass flies right in to eat...

Carolyn Sutton

... and later, a hopeful eyass waits on the nest in case there's another delivery.

Scott Kemper

Other favorite spots for food drops are the tops of the Civil War monuments. One of the eyasses mantles over its prey, well aware of its sibling watching enviously from a nearby flagpole.

Scott Kemper

The dirt piles at the Barnes construction site are a fine place to eat...

Scott Kemper

... and lamp poles are also a big hit as breakfast tables!

Scott Kemper

Catch of the day is Headless Pigeon...

Scott Kemper

... delivered by the tireless tiercel who had to catch his breath for a minute or so, visibly panting after his hunt.

Scott Kemper

Meanwhile, his offspring ripped into the pigeon, leaving very little except...

Scott Kemper

... the feet. This hawk stalking is not for the faint of heart!

Scott Kemper

When not eating, the eyasses are definitely caught up in the thrill of the hunt, launching from their perches...

Scott Kemper

... and flying fast and low to a distant squirrel

Scott Kemper

... who took effective evasive action by running up the tree.

Scott Kemper

So if squirrels are too tough to catch, there is always a lively leaf to go after...

Scott Kemper

... and pound into submission.

Scott Kemper

Then head over to check out....

Scott Kemper

... another potential piece of prey

Scott Kemper

.... which needed tossing in the air before a proper pounce could be executed...

Scott Kemper

....and then another leaf.

Scott Kemper

It is disconcerting to see how close to the road and traffic they hang out.

Scott Kemper

At 6:00 AM there are few cars on the Parkway, but we have seen some very near misses as the rush hour picks up.

Scott Kemper

The hunting instinct is now so strong that once the eyass sees an unwary squirrel on the far side of the Parkway, it takes off at high speed, low to the ground....

Scott Kemper

... really low to the ground

Scott Kemper

... and seemingly quite oblivious of Scott who literally felt the wind of its wings as it passed within a couple of feet from him.

Scott Kemper

It flew at full speed towards the tree root as the squirrel desperately raced to take cover behind the metal barrier.

Scott Kemper

The eyass instantly banked sharply to the right across the barrier...

Scott Kemper

... as the fortunate squirrel banked left behind the barrier and reached its tree in time.

Scott Kemper

I wonder if a Darwinian process of evolution is underway whereby the Parkway squirrels will become a super-species of escape artists. The ones that are left must have had many encounters with the Franklin hawks and eyasses.

As the eyasses practice their hunting and flying skills, it's hard not to inject an anthropomorphizing dose of play into their antics.

Was this choice of landing spot and pose really just a coincidence?

Scott Kemper

Well, it was definitely not the best choice to demonstrate one's landing skills, so better get outta there

Scott Kemper

Why leave a nice, smooth, flat roof edge...

... to land on a narrow, pointy, sharp metal strut? Because I can!

And now for a couple of even trickier perches...

Playing tag on a very scary looking piece of machinery inside the construction site: one eyass lands as the other exits stage right.

Carolyn Sutton

Joe Debold captured this amazing sequence at the Barnes construction site when an eyass discovered what spectacular hunt/grab/chase action could be had from a half-filled plastic water bottle it found lying on top of a narrow cement wall.

Checking it out...

Joe Debold

Pounce and grab.... and balance.

Joe Debold

Joe Debold

What's this? Better grab it and see...

Joe Debold

Oops - lost the bottle down below, and trying to look nonchalant about it.

Joe Debold

Back to the hunt...and pounce down fast

Joe Debold

Got it... "Die, bottle!"

Joe Debold

A more serious moment... symbols of independence as the eyasses continue on their journey

Carolyn Sutton

Fourth of July weekend hawk sightings and Fireworks

2011-07-04T23:21:00.000-04:00

I was away from Philadelphia on Sunday, July 3, but several hawkstalkers sent in their accounts and pics.

Carolyn Sutton was literally up at the crack of dawn, and found one of the eyasses in the darkness. They are not in the least bothered by flash photography. Carolyn took several pictures of this bird, and was close enough to reach out and touch it. [She didn't!]

Carolyn's report: "Pre-dawn hawkstalk was short this morning. There was no sign of the haggards, but I managed to follow Frick and Frack from the Franklin Institute ledges to the Barnes construction site, then back and forth on Callowhill for several blocks, down Wood St. to 18th, then returned in front of the Family Court building to the Logan Circle pigeon preserves... all between 5 and 6:15 AM; what a workout! They perched together on every telephone pole on Callowhill between 20th and 18th St."

Sandy and John Sorlien were also out on the Parkway, starting at 6 AM, and sent these observations and pictures:

"For almost two hours between about 6 and 8 AM, we watched the two eyasses messing around the Barnes construction site while the formel kept guard from a high tree.

 When we first found the siblings, one jumped behind a low concrete 
wall and came back with a dead bird. It looked like it had been 
around for awhile, not very juicy. We got a good look through 
binoculars of the eyass choking on and regurgitating some of what it 
ate. Promptly it resumed gnawing at the carcass.  Its sibling sat 
nearby looking longingly at the food, but was not given any.

 It tried to eat various other things around the site - some rope, 
some chain grease (it wiped its black greasy beak against some 
machinery to clean it off), and here, a possible tiny remnant left 
behind by the other eyass.

 It peered into the dumpster but didn't see anything worth pursuing.

 The two mostly stuck close together, using the many wonderful perches 
at the site and peering in various directions. There was not too much crying

 for food.

 Here one eyass seems to be trying out a pigeon pose to attract some pigeons.

 They also spent about 15 minutes on the ground, poking into the hole 
of a tree and attacking sticks as described by John Blakeman in 
Friday's post. They look incredibly goofy walking and running.

We were more involved in their activities than usual, even though we kept our distance. Twice, an eyass flew low just a foot or two from our heads, so close we felt like targets. Its flight was absolutely silent. The second time, we felt the wind from the hawk's wings, yet never heard nor saw it coming. This had never happened before, this year or last. Could it be that the hungry eyass was attracted by the blood-red P of my Phillies cap turned to the back?

 John B, is that something that would make them fly near? Once I had 
that thought, erroneous or not, I took the hat off and stuffed it in 
my pocket for the rest of the outing!

All this time the formel kept watch, until one eyass decided to join 
her. It took off flying...

... and landed right next to her, whereupon she flew off to the Free 
Library roof, leaving the eyass in her place.

 We never saw the tiercel; presumably he was out hunting.

When both eyasses were perched on the chain-link fence surrounding 
the Barnes, a fellow in a van stopped on the Parkway, opened his 
window and called out, "What are those?" He'd thought maybe they were 
eagles. He asked, "Are they dangerous?" I said, "Not to us," though 
after today's close calls perhaps I should rethink that. No more red 
hats, anyway.

Today, on the 4th of July, Carilyn Sutton sent this account:

"Got to the Parkway late this morning, but still saw the whole Franklin hawk

family celebrating Wawa Welcome America.  Dad staked out the viewing area,

while Mom brought the picnic breakfast.  I watched one of the eyasses knock

the prey from Mom's grasp, then pick it up from the dirt pile below and fly to 
some construction equipment to chow down.  The other, pictured below, 
watched from its perch on the fence.

Many thanks to Carolyn and Sandy for these great pictures.

As befitting the city where the Declaration of Independence was signed, Philadelphia's Fourth of July festivities are spectacular, and end with a massive fireworks display over the Benjamin Franklin Parkway

You can see the Civil War monuments - favorite breakfast spot for food drops - at the bottom of the Parkway, then the trees in which the eyasses spend much of their time lining the roadway up to the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

During the first season with the Franklin Institute eyasses, John Blakeman sent us these reassuring words about fireworks and hawks which are equally timely for this year:

"Fireworks? For anyone concerned about this, just remember the worst, scariest thunderstorm you encountered as a little kid. I used to curl up scared under my blankets, even on hot summer nights, trying not to see the lightning directly. But the thunder was undiminished. Very scary.

But red-tails have been enduring powerful thunderstorms for millennia. And they can't crawl under a blanket, rock, or anything else. They are locked with their feet secured around a branch high up in a tree, pretty close to an actual lightning strike.

And don't doubt that the eyasses

Fireworks are not significant threats to red-tails. Real lightning storms can be, as they decidedly were for a bald eagle's aerie a few years ago here in Ohio. A family of about-to-fledge eaglets were spending another night on a big bald eagle's nest high in a tree. But a thunderstorm approached and a bolt of lightning struck the nest tree. The mass of nest sticks was instantly incinerated, killing the eaglets. The nest burned for a time up in the tree, until it collapsed to the ground in a both wet and fiery cascade.

As the actual site of American Independence, Philadelphians should take special pleasure in the local Fourth of July celebrations.

Our red-tails, will, too. I think the eyasses will take special delight in watching the fireworks. The colors and movements, even the sounds, should intrigue them, just as the colors, movements, and sounds of their potential prey do. Right now, they are learning about these environmental factors, with an instinctive interest.

If two of the eyasses are perched together, one might be saying to the other, "Did you see that one? Just as I was imagining I could grab it, it faded away. Let's see some more of this! This sure is better than those dead pigeons Mom and Pop brought us before we could fly."

--John Blakeman

For those of you less familiar with our hawks' territory in Philadelphia, both of these images show the Benjamin Franklin Parkway stretching up to the Philadelphia Art Museum. The two white vertical columns at the bottom are the Civil War monuments on which the hawks regularly perch. They also hunt and perch in the avenues of trees on either side of the Parkway. In the image above, you can see the Free Library with its pillars on the right. The Family Court is just out of the picture on the right.
The Franklin Institute is the large building across the Parkway on the left. Front and center is the beautiful Swann Fountain in the middle of Logan Circle.

Della

How the eyasses learn to hunt

2011-07-03T00:23:00.000-04:00

This week, Kay Meng who is in her third season of photographing the Franklin Institute hawks, returned from vacation. She met up with Carolyn Sutton and me early Friday morning, and took these great pictures of a splendid morning of hawkstalking all four hawks.

We found the haggards sitting side by side on the end of the Family Court Building.

Mom had her 1000 yard stare going....

... while Dad was busy watching Kay take his picture.

We followed the two eyasses around the neighborhood as they chased small birds and perched on various buildings and wires.

They are becoming extremely skillful fliers, landing smoothly and balancing effortlessly on the most precarious perches.

When one of them spots potential prey, it goes on full alert....

... and then takes off in swift pursuit of some small birds.

We have yet to see them actually catch anything, and their enthusiastic chases usually peter out with perching in a new spot - in this case, a classroom window at nearby Hallahan High School!

Hawkstalking often takes one to hidden corners of the city. Here is a little gem of a colonial street - Carlton Street - tucked behind the office buildings in Center City.

There is a Frick & Frack tendency with the eyasses as Carolyn Sutton documented on Saturday morning. They find the Barnes construction site simply irresistible, and have little respect for rules...

... as they dig in its dirt piles....

... and dive in the dumpsters!

Finally, one of our intrepid hunters was rewarded with a long-horn beetle...."Hey, ya gotta start small and work up..."

Several hawkaholics have been wondering whether the Red-tail parents teach their fledged eyasses to hunt, so I asked John Blakeman to weigh in with his thoughts:

"Yes -- and no.

Yes, in the sense that they provide food in the weeks after fledging while the offspring are as yet incapable of hunting and killing . Without this food, the young hawks would starve in a week or so.

And this food is provided in such a way that it encourages hunting. The easiest, and least effective provision of offered dead prey by the parents is to simply drop it right at the feet of a sitting immature hawk, whereupon the young bird drops upon the dead prey and has a nourishing meal -- without effort or lesson.

Inexperienced parents often do this for more lengthy periods at the start of the learning season, in June, after fledging. But with experience (or age) the haggards (adults) soon start dropping or placing food at some distance from the immatures, who then have to get up off their perches and wing their ways to the more distant food.

The immatures learn from this that they have to fly around to find food. Eventually the parents either drop the food a some great distance, expanding the occupied geography of the young birds, or they stop feeding altogether.

That provokes hunger, an essential experience. Without hunger, the young birds just sit around existentially, doing little. Hunger, induced by reduced parental food provision, turns on instinctive hunting and killing behaviors -- which are yet undeveloped. This is what causes the immatures to drop to the ground and start "attacking" sticks, leaves, and other uselessly inanimate objects, just as human children learn from playing with toys.

Then, by instinct, not cogent thought, the parents will start dropping only injured prey in front of the immatures. With this, they get to experience the exalting emotion of actually killing a live animal. It squirms, squeals, twitches, and finally sits dead in the young hawks' talons, whereupon it is consumed. Nothing is more enjoyable than this for a hawk.

After a few of these episodes, the young hawks start looking for prey to capture and kill on their own. This can take weeks to learn, while the parents are still providing prey when needed.

But by mid to late summer, the fledged hawks will have learned to search for and pounce upon and kill and eat prey. Did this all happen because parents "taught" them to do so? Or did the fledged eyasses learn this by watching the parents hunt and kill? I think neither. Clearly, the young hawks are not able to watch the parents capture many prey. That happens quickly, and often remotely from the eyasses.

And the parents didn't teach any hunting or killing skills. Those evolve naturally from the developing instincts and hunger motivations of the young hawks. Parents merely provide back-up food when the immatures have failed to capture their own. Eventually, they perfect their own prey-searching instincts and experiences, resulting in honed and reliable food-gathering capabilities.

When this happens, the parents retreat, leaving their offspring on their own in August. Shortening days turn on strong migration urges in September, and the year's young are soon on their way southward in migration, now fully capable of spotting and killing field mice, voles, and other sustenance prey."

-- John Blakeman

Weekend hawk frolic

2011-06-28T01:54:00.000-04:00

On a gorgeous early Sunday morning, there's no better place to be than down on the Ben Franklin Parkway, watching the young hawks zip around enjoying their flying freedom, and the challenge of learning to hunt.

I was not only person to think this! Lots of hawkaholics were out and about at this early hour (6 AM)

... all looking for the first glimpse of our young stars. One soon appeared on the fence at the Barnes construction site. (Any unattributed pictures were taken by me.)

Carolyn Sutton

The group got bigger...

... and bigger!

And there was a LOT to photograph. Over the course of the morning, we saw the two haggards and both eyasses. The parents are doing a superb job of providing food drops, and both young hawks eating well.

The tiercel (Dad) delivered a small bird to the top of the Civil War monument, and immediately an eyass flew in to grab it, and hopped down to a lower ledge, bird dangling, to devour it. They are getting quite expert at defeathering their food.
George Lloyd

The other eyass sat for a while in a tree along the Parkway, eyeing squirrels and small birds...

... when it suddenly swooped down into the traffic lanes...

Scott Kemper

... and pounced on some road kill - a small bird - that sadly had been squashed quite flat, and did not really look like a bird until the eyass grabbed at it. This is the first time in three years of hawk watching that I have ever seen one take some road kill.

Scott Kemper
Scott Kemper

The road kill bird was in one of the lanes of the Ben Franklin Parkway - not a good spot to take one's time contemplating whether or not to eat it!

As soon as I took this picture, I stepped into the roadway behind the hawk to divert traffic if need be.

A couple of moments later, the hawk took off safely and up to a nearby security light's flat top...

Joe Debold

...to rip into its road kill prize.

And Chris Bee, visiting for the day from NYC, Joe Debold and Scott Tremper caught every gruesome moment!

After it had finished eating, it relaxed on top of the lamp, and gradually lowered its wings in the warmth of the morning sun.

The Barnes construction site has lots of fun activities for curious young hawks. Joe captured this sequence of an eyass playing, jumping at, and ripping off some packing materials from crate top.

The previous day, the eyasses were hanging out together in the trees...

      Joe Debold

      Joe Debold

... and in the grassy areas beneath...

   Joe Debold

where Joe Debold caught them practicing sneak attack skills, jumping at each other and at sticks deep in the grass.

Then in a moment of stillness, this eyass looks as if it were sitting for John Audubon.

Joe Debold

The tops of the Civil War monuments are currently the favorite spots for food drops. These monuments flank the Ben Franklin Parkway that leads up the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The Parkway is lined by flags from many nations. The flagpoles are popular perching choices for the hawks, as well as the trees alongside.

Here is the formel (Mom) setting the table on top of one of the monuments.

Joe Debold

The eyasses were both on the nest at that moment, watching her with... hawk eyes!

Joe Debold

She flew the food over to the nest...
       Joe Debold

... and when the eyasses had finished eating, one of them started playing with a stick.

        Joe Debold

        Joe Debold

Dad is always an enthusiastic stick deliverer, and he is clearly planning on nest improvements over the summer and fall.

       Joe Debold

Sunday morning's hawkwatch ended with one of those "money shots" yearned for by photographers. At the base of the Civil War monuments is elaborate carving that includes a small eagle.

Joe timed his picture to perfection when one of the eyasses landed on this tiny target!

Joe Debold

This gives a sense of the scale, and of how small a perch the carved eagle was as a landing area.

The eyasses proved to us this weekend that they are making superb progress in their flying and hunting skills. And the amazing hawkaholic photographers are creating some of the most beautiful images I have ever seen of the Franklin Institute hawks.

News from Rick Schubert on #3

2011-06-25T09:58:00.024-04:00

Rick Schubert from the Schuylkill Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic sent this news and some pictures of #3, who is recovering from a fractured leg bone sustained when she left the nest too early last week.

"She is recovering well in our care, eating well and maintaining good energy. We're keeping her in as low stress an environment as possible (stress kills wildlife). Dr. Dazen and Dr. Boutette have a cast on the leg. She needs to stay in a relatively small cage until the fracture heals, so that she does not injure herself further.

In a few weeks, she will go outside for some physical therapy and some flight time. In the meantime, it is vitally important that we keep the tail feathers and the flight feathers (called remiges) in perfect condition.

All flighted birds, and birds of prey especially, live or die by the condition of their feathers. Like a Formula One race car, they are ultra-high performance engines that need to be flawlessly maintained. That's why they can be frequently seen preening and conditioning each individual feather. Their feathers are essential survival tools, and poorly conditioned ones mean decreased likelihood of successful hunting. But in a cage setting, it's easy for a bird to inadvertently break or fray those feathers to the point where they are no longer useful. The tail on these birds is part of the steering and the brakes, as well as assisting with lift.

For birds that recuperate in cages, we apply a special wet paper tape that dries to form a stiff protector, but when re-wet can be easily removed. I learned this technique and much more while working for the amazing Diane Nickerson, director of the Mercer County Wildlife Center, and one of the smartest rehabbers I've ever met. She taught me to be hyper-aware of the condition of a bird's feathers. That's just one small component of the complex art and science of wildlife rehab that hopefully I've given you a glimpse into."

Many thanks to Rick for sending us this news of #3 who is one of close to twenty injured raptors that he and his staff are currently caring for at the clinic.

This rehab facility relies on the generosity of people donating to help support their work. No monetary amount is too small. http://www.schuylkillcenter.org/donate   In-kind donations for animal handling, food and medical supplies are also greatly appreciated. http://www.schuylkillcenter.org/donate/wishlist.php

Here is their wish list:

Gift cards
Gift cards from any major supermarket (particularly Shoprite, Superfresh, and Acme) as well as from Petsmart and PETCO

Animal care and handling
Unscented liquid laundry detergent
Chlorine bleach
Dawn dish detergent - right now we have a LOT of Dawn dish detergent after a major donation of it
Food storage bags (gallon size)
Heating pads
Rubber gloves (S, M, L, and XL)
White, unscented paper products (i.e. toilet paper, paper towels) - our greatest need, believe it or not, is paper towels and trash bags! Regular, kitchen, and superjumbo size (55 gallon)
Bath towels
Bed sheets

Animal Food
Canned dog food, any flavor (no lite or special diet)
Puppy chow
Jarred baby food (fruit, vegetables or meat)
Unsweetened applesauce
Any dry dog food with chicken, beef, or lamb as first ingredient

Medical Supplies
French catheters 3.5, 5, & 8
Telfa pads
Hemostats
Latex exam gloves (M & L)
Vet wrap (1’x 2’ & 4’)
Bandage scissors
Tegaderm 1620
Pedialyte oral electrolyte solution, unflavored
Rolled gauze or gauze pads

To donate in-kind supplies or pro bono services, contact Emily Simmons, Director of Resource Development, at 215-482-7300, x117 or email emily@schuylkillcenter.org

In-kind contributions can also be brought to the Schuylkill Center’s main education building during regular business hours (Mon-Sat, 8-5) or mailed to the following address:
8480 Hagy’s Mill Road
Philadelphia, PA 19128

Pictures of X-ray and hawk in recovery

2011-06-21T10:43:00.000-04:00

Rick Schubert sent this image of the x-ray of our hawk's fracture of its proximal tarsometatarsus bone.

If you double-click on the image it should enlarge.

And here is our hero in recovery with a pink cast. No definitive word on its sex, but because it is so heavy for this stage of its development, it is probably a formel.

She is back at the Schuylkill Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, receiving antibiotics and anti-inflammatory pain medication.

Many of you have asked how to donate to the Center in appreciation of Rick's time and expertise in helping the Franklin Institute hawks, and all the other wildlife in need of assistance.

Like most not for profit organizations, the Clinic struggles during these financially hard times, so any donation, no matter how small, is really appreciated. Here is the link if you would like to know more about donating: http://www.schuylkillcenter.org/donate

In addition to critical dollars to support programs, the Clinic also needs in-kind contributions of basic medical supplies, cleaning supplies, food, toys, and other equipment for animals undergoing treatment or care prior to release. Here is the link for in-kind donations to the Clinic: http://www.schuylkillcenter.org/donate/wishlist.php

I cannot think of a better way to honor Rick Schubert and the Clinic, and to show our support of the Franklin hawks.

Rick Schubert's news on the injured hawk

2011-06-20T23:23:00.000-04:00

Rick Schubert sent this update tonight on the diagnosis and treatment for the injured eyass that was rescued on Friday from the nest:

"As you may know, last Friday, at the request of the Franklin Institute, we climbed out on the ledge and removed the injured bird and brought it back to our clinic for an evaluation, first aid care, and fluid therapy. We determined the animal had a fractured leg (actually, what people colloquially refer to as a bird's "leg" is really its foot, and what people call the foot is really just the toes). I carefully straightened it out and put a splint on it, which is a temporary immobilization device, a first-aid measure, until it could be properly X-rayed and set. This keeps the fracture from becoming unfixably worse or tearing tissue.

Michele Wellard, assistant director of the Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic, took the animal to the wonderful Animal and Bird Healthcare Center and Hospital in Cherry Hill, NJ. There, the amazing Dr. Boutette and Dr. Dazen treated the animal pro bono for us. The radiograph showed that the bird has a fracture of the proximal tarsometatarsus bone. Then the good doctors set the bone and put it on a regimen of antibiotics and anti-inflammatory pain meds.

Dr. Boutette remarked that he is 100% certain that this fracture happened from the animal landing on concrete...in fact, he has never seen a fracture on a bird present itself with this specific signature that was not the result of landing hard on concrete. We were very sad to hear this, but validated that our deduction was correct. It explains everything that the Hawkwatchers observed with this bird. If left alone, it would have died.

The bird is back in our care at the wildlife clinic and will remain so until the time of its release. We still have a lot of work to do, but cross your fingers that everything works out OK. This was a real team effort, with Gene from the Franklin Institute (who held onto my leg so that I did not fall off the ledge and go 'splat' on Winter Street), Della, Caroline and Michele all playing critical roles. I especially cannot thank Drs. Dazen and Boutette enough for their generosity and skill, both for this bird and for all the "non-celebrity" birds that they treat free of charge for our little nonprofit clinic.

We are all very well aware that so many fledgling hawks do not survive their first year. That's the way of nature. But what happened was not this bird's fault...it is not genetically weak or inferior, and we are not tampering with the gene pool. We are all giving back to this bird the chance at life that nature intended...just a chance, not a guarantee. To the wonderful Hawkwatchers I would like to say, it's always OK to care. Caring is a good thing. Could use a bit more of it in the world."

Off we go, into the wide blue yonder....

2011-06-20T01:36:00.000-04:00

This weekend, several early morning hawk watchers saw phenomenal progress in flying skills from the eyasses. Both of them are now flying back and forth across the Parkway...

Scott Kemper

Joe Debold

Scott Kemper

... and landing competently in trees, and on fences, lamp posts and window ledges.

Scott Kemper

Joe Debold

Scott Kemper

Scott Kemper

The rounded surfaces of the lamp posts are still a challenge, but these two get A's for effort!

Scott Kemper

This morning, Carolyn Sutton and I watched as the eyasses flew from their “sleeping” trees in front of the Barnes site to the roof of the Philadelphia Free Library across 20^th St. They were immediately joined by the tiercel who led them on an unsuccessful three-pronged hawk assault on the Logan Circle pigeon population at 19^th and Vine.

The pigeons seemed recklessly unafraid of the hawks when they immediately lined up on the parapet roof of the Family Court Building right over the hungry predators perched just one ledge below.

The haggards are dropping food for them in many different spots, but the eyasses are now starting to hunt. They haven't actually caught anything yet, but several squirrels had close calls today. At one point, an eyass and both haggards zoomed in on the same squirrel who somehow avoided capture. The young hawks swoop down like stealth bombers, gliding along the ground with talons at the ready.

This eyass was watching a sparrow above it, and you can see its right talon just itching to make a grab.

Scott Kemper

Both haggards and at least one of the eyasses visited the nest this morning. The formel almost always arrives with sticks or fresh greenery - a sign of deep attachment and commitment to the nest. The haggards frequently hung out together today as they tended to their offsprings' flight training and feeding. When the eyasses had finally been fed to bursting, the haggards cleaned up some squirrel remains from the top of the Civil War monument, and then shared a small bird together.

Compared to the previous two sets of Franklin eyasses, the eyasses this year seem really advanced in their flying and hunting skills considering that they have only been fledged for one week. I asked John Blakeman why this might be, and he responded:

"The initial hunting behaviors of the Franklin Institute fledglings relate, I'm certain, to several cogent matters. First, and probably most important, they have been raised by an experienced pair of haggards. The formel and the tiercel have done this all before. No surprises for them. They were always several steps ahead of the developing eyasses, knowing exactly how they behaved and what they needed.

Secondly, and also very important, was the provision of ample food to both the sitting formel during ovulation and incubation, and also to all three eyasses on the nest. The weight of the injured eyass (#3), 1200 grams or so, indicates ample food. Many eyasses at this stage are only 1000 to 1100 grams. 1200 grams indicates very strong growth, resulting from ample food, with few or no periods of hunger or fasting.

Lastly, ample jump-flapping on the ledge before fledging also contributed to the flying prowess and eventual hunting successes of the two free-flying eyasses.

Everything for those two birds is in order, allowing them to start serious flying and hunting right away."

--John Blakeman

This eyass is totally at ease in its ever-expanding urban environment that includes the iconic One Liberty Place in the background.

Scott Kemper

Update from Rick Schubert on the rescued hawk

2011-06-18T16:19:00.000-04:00

Rick Schubert sent the following information on Saturday afternoon:

"I think I have gotten to the bottom of what was wrong with the hawk. There is definitely a sprain or small fracture near one of the ankle joints that I missed upon the initial exam, because you cannot palpate it, and the bird can still stand on it. However, it is progressively getting worse and is noticeable today.

This explains a lot. First, it could easily have happened as the bird took its first flight and landed on concrete, instead of on dirt and grass. It was able to walk so we didn't notice it. Second, it explains why the bird appeared weak and was not jumping up and down and practice-flapping its wings. Third, if the bird is in pain, just like a person, it is not in the mood to eat and therefore will feed less. Lastly, this can fall into the category of "human-caused" interference, since we're the ones who laid the concrete down, and hawks never evolved to have to deal with concrete.

I have immobilized the joint in a splint, and we have an appointment with Dr. Boutette for a radiograph on Monday. Despite the injury, it is actually quite strong and fights back viciously whenever handled."

Another rescue, and so far so good

2011-06-18T01:42:00.000-04:00

This morning, the third eyass remained quietly on the nest. Amid mounting concern about its lack of energy compared to how its siblings had behaved prior to fledging, the Franklin Institute asked Rick Schubert from the Schuylkill Center’s Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic to take it off the nest and make an assessment.

I had spent the morning watching the fledged eyasses on the surrounding buildings as well as #3 on the nest. About 30 minutes before Rick arrived, a haggard dropped off a rat at the nest. #3 made loud food squawks, and this was the first time this spring that I have heard that sound from any of the eyasses, as they have been so well fed. It grabbed at the rat, mantled over it strongly, and then started to tear into it and eat ravenously in a way that had not been seen in days.

I was invited to watch the proceedings in the Board Room, and so was lucky enough to witness the extraordinary care taken by Rick and the Franklin Institute staff to ensure the eyass's wellbeing. Thanks go to Gene Mancini for these pictures.

Taking an eyass from the nest is much more complicated than putting it back, and Rick had to lean out backwards in order to reach his net around to the eyass without frightening it. Fortunately, because they are so used to seeing people behind the window, the eyass was only mildly surprised when Rick first slid himself out onto the ledge.

At one point, the Franklin staff were holding onto Rick's legs to be sure he didn't take flight! Rick slowly eased his net under and along the front of the nest, and gently laid it over the eyass. There was no flapping or struggle. He pulled the net slowly towards him until he could reach to wrap the soft netting around the hawk, and gather it safely through the window and into the room.

As Rick gently held the eyass, a hood was placed over its head to remove the visual stimuli that can be stressful, and the hawk visibly relaxed....

... as Rick gave it a quick examination, placed it into a box, and quickly headed back to the rehab clinic.

The early word on the hawk is that it seems generally healthy but young, and its feathers are still not ready for flight. There will probably be more news tomorrow after further observation.

* * * *

Now, for some news of the fledged eyasses. One of them was up on what we call the bathing ledge which runs above the nest the length of the building under the parapet. This ledge slopes back and down and fills with water whenever it rains. It is a favorite spot for the hawks to bathe, and this eyass has now learned all about it.

At this point early in the morning, there were none of the all-star photographers present, so I had to use my mini-lensed camera. The eyass is that tiny brown blob in the middle below the parapet. It was soaking wet, and had a punk-like look with its spiky wet plumage.

It moved along the ledge toward the nest, and I suddenly saw the tiercel (dad) perched on the end of the ledge, keeping his eye on the nest eyass as well as the bather. Dad is the other brown blob in there somewhere!

Carolyn Sutton's sharp eyes picked up the formel sitting in a tree over by the Barnes Museum construction site, so we now had four of the family in sight, but where was the remaining eyass?

Once again, Carolyn powered up her atomic eyesight and picked out a tiny eyass shape on the top of the book store at the corner of 22nd and Wood Streets near the Barnes Museum construction site.

I went over to check it out, and found the eyass looking perfectly at ease, looking back toward the nest and possibly at its mother in the nearby trees.

Some people on the street told me they had seen it eating and that around the front of the building there were feathers all over the sidewalk. Sure enough, there were feathers everywhere.

At this point, I was joined by Mary Gamble Barrett who captured the eyass looking very smug as the current holder of the long distance flight record from the nest.