At least one of the Fifth Avenue fledglings is learning to hunt.  I witnessed a number of attempts today around 79th Street.  Pale Male was nearby and one of the fledgling made a trip halfway to Madison Avenue on 78th Street too.  I forgot how fast they grew up!

As typically happens after the Washington Square Hawks fledge, they start to explore the higher buildings to the east of the park on Mercer and Greene Streets.  Today I saw two of them on a number of buildings including 16 Washington Place, Warren Weaver Hall, Shimkin Hall and 2 Washington Square Village.

The two fledglings were easy to find this evening.  One was calling from a roof at 78th and Fifth Avenue and one was near the Three Bears playground.  Both parents were seen too.  It's nice that everything is going to plan at this nest.

The Fifth Avenue fledglings are beginning to explore the ground.  Today one of the fledglings went to the ground twice, once on Cedar Hill and once on the south side of the Met.  Soon they'll be playing with sticks and learning how to hunt.  It should be a fun summer.

Update: I've learned that after I left the fledgling caught a mouse. May it catch many more!

This afternoon was great because I got to watch everyone in the Fifth Avenue family, Pale Male, Octavia and the two fledglings one at 73rd and Fifth, and one further north.  The second fledgling was on Cedar Hill and then went down to the Three Bears playground.

Today, I spent a relaxed afternoon with one of the two fledglings at Fifth Avenue.  I had brief glimpses of both parents, but for the most park I watched a single fledgling as it made its way slowly south from the Kerbs Boathouse to a Cedar Tree just north of 72nd Street.

With all three off the nest, I visited the park this afternoon to find two fledglings on Pless Hall and one on Weinstein Hall at 11 University Place.  I also saw both parents.  It was good to know everyone was settling down. 

After I left, the fledgling at Weinstein Hall few into the NE corner of the park and then to Pless Hall to join its siblings.  Their mother joined them on Pless and then one of the hawks flew to the library roof.  I understand a hawk is spending the night on the nest, but can't be identified.  I suspect the mystery of who it is will be figured out on Saturday morning.

Good News and Bad News:

1. No fledgling has been sighted at Inwood Hill Park yet.  So, it is unclear if the nest was sucessfull this year.
2. At 96th and Lexington, one fledgling got trapped in the school construction site and was taken to rehab.  It may have Frounce.  Its siblings may also be infected.
3. All of the Washington Square Park hawks have fledged safely.
4. The outcome of the 310 West 72nd Street fledge is unclear.  I've heard unconfirmed reports that one died after fledging but also a confirmed report that one went to the Wild Bird Fund before being transferred to The Raptor Trust.
5. I heard second hand that there may have been a nest on a fire escape along 122nd Street this year.  I would appreciate any information on this nest.

I had a dinner engagement and missed the last fledge by a few hours tonight.  I understand it was a good flight with a difficult landing on the Silver Building.

I did watch the nestling and the two fledglings this afternoon.  For the most part it was quiet until around 4:40 when both fledglings decided to play on both Goddard and Pless Halls.

I took a brief break from Washington Square Park and stopped by Tompkins Square Park mid-afternoon.  The two eyasses have really grown since I was last in the park.  Things are looking just fine.

One of the fledglings at Washington Square Park decided to go back to the nest today this morning.  It was still on the nest this evening.  Unusual but not unheard of behavior.  The fledgling and the parents were tough to find today.  In the evening, I found Bobby on the Judson Church tower and the fledgling on the Silver building.  The fledgling soon went to roof of the library, just above the nest.  So for a brief moment all three youngsters were together.

The mother flew into the nest some point in the evening,  so the whole family was accounted for.  We'll see what happens over the next few days!

The second hawk fledged this morning at Washington Square Park, leaving just one eyass on the nest.  There was a fledgling in a tree opposite the Silver Building for the afternoon, and in the evening we saw a fledgling on the roof of Shimkin Hall.  So, I think we saw both fledglings but can't be 100% certain.  I'm sure we'll figure it out on Wednesday.

The situation on the second for the fledgling at Washington Square, was similar to its first day off the nest.  The fledgling was exploring Pless and Goddard, and had a journey to Shimkin.  Its siblings have decided to stay yet another day on the nest unless they fledge in the late evening.

The new fledgling spent most of the afternoon on the Goddard Hall, got feed there, and explored the roof.  Before I left, it made a trip to Shimkin Hall.  It did well at managing the wires set up to discourage Rock Pigeons. 

After I left, it made a few more flights including visits to two trees.

Two eyasses on the nest stayed put and did not fledge today.

The first 2018 fledge at Washington Square Park occurred around 6:20 p.m.  Continuing my amazing luck at this nest, here is the fledge...

(The view from the NYU webcam can be found here.)

Updates:

1. 310 West 72nd Street nest has fledged.  Reports are that one bird was found on the ground, sent to the Wild Bird Fund, checked out fine and will be returned to the area.
2. Inwood Hill Park and Randalls Island nests must have fledged, but I haven't heard any news yet.
3. Both of Pale Male and Octavia's Fifth Avenue eyasses have fledged safely.
4. The Washington Square Park nest should fledge any day now.
5. 96th Street is doing fine with one active fledgling and two who are still spending most of their time on the nest.

For the last two days, there has been one real fledgling roosting and spending time off the nest and two reluctant fledglings who keep returning to the nest.  This is unusual but in some ways makes sense. The visits across the street and to the shed might be considered branching and not traditional fledging.  The longer it takes to leave the nest the safer it is, so any delay is welcome.

In any case tonight two young hawks were on the nest and the other was on a windowsill on 95th Street.  The mother was on a cell tower but moved to the 95th Street building.  In both places the mother was harassed by an American Kestrel.

Over the last few days, I've only seen one fledgling at Fifth Avenue.  Today, both were found within 25 feet of their mother on separate buildings.  One was on the west face of a building on the southeast corner of 73rd and Fifth and the other on the south face of a building on the northeast corner of the same intersection.  At times they would cry in unison. They didn't do much while I was there. But they both looked safe and sound.  Octavia tried to get them to come down to a tree she likes to use for feedings but they both stayed up on their high perches.

When I arrived, all three fledglings were on the nest railing sitting side by side.  Then one took off for a building on 95th Street.  It landed a floor below the mother, and it took a bit of time for it to figure out it could use the stairs.

I thought wow, how smart of the mother to bring food there.  She's teaching the fledgling where the next meals will be and bringing the fledgling to a quieter location.  But in watching my video, it might have been just that the mother was feeding herself on the building and the fledgling came in and stole the meal.  At some point in the middle of the fledgling eating, the mother tried to get the pigeon back.  I'll never know which scenario was right, but it shows how easily you can get the story wrong.

In addition to the issues with the meal, the persistent and annoying American Kestrel was causing trouble and if you watch the video a house sparrow couple were a bit worried as they had a nest under where the eating took place.

The remaining fledgling at Grant's Tomb is still too healthy to catch.  It flew easily between the current nest to the old nest and back this afternoon.  Until it gets weaker or hungry/thirsty it can't be caught.  So, the Urban Park Rangers just have to wait.  They're consulting with an experienced rehabber and they are monitoring the bird ever day.

The fledgling cries when the Peregrine Falcons go by and cries while looking at its mother's favorite perch.  Just like a crying human baby, the sounds are difficult to listen to.  They make you want to do something. But in this case "The Crying Game" is really "A Waiting Game".  The bird needs to wear itself out and come to the ground and let itself be caught.

So, for now doing nothing is the best thing that can be done. Sadly, the fledgling needs to let itself be caught, something we can't do for it.

I suspect the fledgling will get captured on Saturday or Sunday.

Update: From Susan Kirby via Twitter on Saturday: "Third Grant's Tomb red-tailed #hawk fledgling rescued and on way to #WINORR. Thanks, Rangers Rob Mastrianni and Dan Tainow, and Bobby Horvath. Love this baby!"