I went running in Central Park early this morning. Wanted to avoid all the tourist groups that come out around 9:00, so I was in the park by 8:00 AM. As I was jogging along a path, I saw two people taking a picture off to the side. I looked, and there was one of our redtail hawks, sitting on a really low branch. I'm pretty sure it was Lola, the mate of Pale Male. She's got lots of brown spots on her belly feathers. But she was not 20 feet from me. The birds - sparrows, robins, grackles, were going crazy, flying around and very agitated, which is usual these days, because the hawks raid the nests.
She seemed to be staring at me. I thought that was weird. Then I stepped back and glanced down on the sidewalk/path, and there was a nest, with 3 tiny, newly hatched babies -no feathers, so they were brand new - obviously sparrows or robins. The babies were on the walk, feebly opening their little mouths, the nest was broken in two.
That's what Lola was staring at. She had obviously gone for the nest, it had fallen, and she was waiting for an opportunity to get the babies - which is nature, I know, and that's what they do, but it was very upsetting to see these tiny things struggling.
I caught the eye of two women and pointed to the nest on the ground, one of them said, "Oh, dear. The poor things." I couldn't leave them on the sidewalk to be stepped on as someone was running by. So we gathered the nest up, I picked up the little ones, put them in the nest, we covered it with the other half and moved it into some underbrush.
The poor things will probably starve to death, but at least they won't be stepped on.
Lola had to find her breakfast somewhere else.
Nature is a heartbreaker sometimes.
She seemed to be staring at me. I thought that was weird. Then I stepped back and glanced down on the sidewalk/path, and there was a nest, with 3 tiny, newly hatched babies -no feathers, so they were brand new - obviously sparrows or robins. The babies were on the walk, feebly opening their little mouths, the nest was broken in two.
I caught the eye of two women and pointed to the nest on the ground, one of them said, "Oh, dear. The poor things." I couldn't leave them on the sidewalk to be stepped on as someone was running by. So we gathered the nest up, I picked up the little ones, put them in the nest, we covered it with the other half and moved it into some underbrush.
The poor things will probably starve to death, but at least they won't be stepped on.
Nature is a heartbreaker sometimes.
