Nov. 13th. (A rather windy day.) Nov. 15th. (Gloomy.) She flew before I got closer. Nov. 20th. (Sunny!) Nov. 25th. (Back to overcast.) These are all from virtually the same place, one of two trees she favors overlooking the western end of Sunset Park.

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American Kestrel male flushed by Blue Jays.

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Spotlight on Cooper’s Hawks.

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At 12 o’clock: A Cooper’s Hawk. At 2 o’clock, an American Kestrel. And turning around to 6 o’clock, a Merlin. Yes, I was standing in one place and seeing all three of these at the same time. I noticed this first. This is a long-time Merlin perch, but lately an American Kestrel male has been

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Suddenly the sky was full of Red-shouldered Hawks. November 18th, Green-Wood. I saw three. Another ebirder noted a dozen soon after I left (and he’d told me another dozen or so were seen flying past Gravesend). (Yes, viewing and photographing conditions were awful, but you can’t have everything.)

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One of the three male American Kestrels I’ve been watching around Green-Wood recently. Here’s another. Was done with this lizard by the time I got closer.

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Bald Eagle over Valley Water. (The other National Bird on Turkey Day.)

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I’ll be giving thanks for raptors this week… We’ll start with Red-tailed Hawks. (Smaller/higher bird maybe a Red-shouldered. On November 18, I spotted at least three Red-shouldered in an unusually heavy migratory pulse.)

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The last American Woodcock we saw here was being eaten. This one, one of three spotted on November 15, was presumably hoping not be eaten. By being very still on the ground.

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