In all honesty, calling Flushing Meadows Corona Park (FMCP) a “park” is a bit of a misrepresentation. I’d like to think of it more as a conglomeration of soccer fields surrounded by other more interesting venues: Shea Stadium, the Queens Zoo, and the Hall of Science to name a few. Yes, it has a storied history (two hugely unsuccessful World’s Fairs), but at first glance there isn’t much to it besides the aforementioned recreational fields, deteriorating structures and sculptures, and the frequent drones of flyovers departing from LaGuardia Airport. But, if you can get past all that and actually look up in the sky, you might be lucky enough to catch view of the many Red-tailed Hawks that call FMCP home. The great thing, or bad thing depending on how you look at it, is that the hawks have become accustomed to all the activity throughout the park, so they are fairly comfortable with you walking right up to them. This makes for great photography, but at the same time I know that it would be safer for the hawks if they had more of a fear of humans rather than an acceptance.
Like they do each year for as long as I’ve heard, the hawks nest in the Unisphere, just off the east coast of Africa. Right now there are two nests visible, but I’ve only observed hawks rebuilding one of them. I originally thought that there was only one breeding couple present in the park, so it’s entirely possible that the other nest is from last year and has since been abandoned. I’m hoping to get back to the location at least once a week for a few months so I can see the whole process, from the laying of the eggs to the first flights of the fledglings.
Since I saw them last, the hawks spent their time chasing wood ducks and collecting branches, so all signs seem to point to the eggs not having been laid yet. I’ve also spotted at least one juvenile patrolling the area, but it’s very possible that there are more residents, seeing that the park is the largest in Queens and provides plenty of food:
