I was disappointed to read a reader's question on Marie Winn's blog. The question included a statement as though it was fact, that Pale Male preferred Rock Pigeons over other prey and was less likely to be poisoned.
Those of us who have followed Pale Male throughout the year will be happy to testify to his varied diet which includes mostly rodents. There is no evidence that he prefers Rock Pigeons. None what so ever! (Pale Male does catch pigeons around the Model Boat Pond. I wonder if this has skewed observations, as many hawk watchers follow Pale Male only from the "hawk bench".)
I visited the nest today. The feeling at the bench is that the hatch window doesn't start until around May 1st. When I arrived Pale Male was on the nest and soon there after the female returned to take over brooding duties. Later in the day, I saw Pale Male perched on the Beresford Apartments.
