HAMMY THE HAWK story in The Record today

[BLeafe]

http://www.northjersey.com/recreation/140999473_Up_close_and_personal_with_a_young_hawk.html?page=all


BY JIM WRIGHT
SPECIAL TO THE RECORD
The Record

I live next door to a 107-acre nature preserve, and I can look out my window each winter and see all kinds of nifty birds — from hooded mergansers to brown creepers.

With a view like that, I consider myself a pretty lucky North Jerseyan. But I confess that I am jealous of Bob Leafe, a professional photographer who lives on the top floor of a seven-story Hackensack apartment building.

Not only does Leafe have bird's-eye views of points east, but he also has gotten spectacular close-up looks at a young red-tailed hawk that has taken to perching on his air conditioner the past two winters.



'Hammy' likes to perch on photographer Bob Leafe's air conditioner and seems to like striking poses.


In 2011, the bird stayed two months. This year, he has hung out for two weeks so far. Leafe has taken to calling him "Hammy" because he seems to like posing for the camera — "a bit of a ham, I thought."

For Hammy, the ledge has been a great perch because of its high, direct view of the snack-laden Kips Bend portion of the Hackensack River, four blocks away. For Leafe, the onetime house photographer for the legendary Capitol Theatre in Passaic, it was an irresistible opportunity.

With a little trial and error, Leafe built a rudimentary blind in a nearby bedroom window with a 2-inch opening for the camera lens.

"Hammy sees the slight movement of the lens and reflections off it, but he can't see me," Leafe says. "While he's staring at the lens trying to figure out if it's a threat, I'm zooming in from 3 feet away."

Leafe figures the hawk is a male because he is smallish, and young because of his eye color — yellow last winter, browner this year. His tail is not terra-cotta red yet, another sign he is still a juvenile.

Hammy may not be as well known as Manhattan's famous red-tail, Pale Male, or Leafe's musician subjects, who have ranged from Led Zeppelin to Liberace. But Leafe has taken some hawk photos like no others. (You can see them at xrl.us/Hammy).

What do friends and neighbors think?

"Of course, there were a couple of Pale Male mentions," Leafe says, "but who wouldn't think that this is very cool — especially when you have super-close pictures to back it up?"

Hammy has also helped Leafe to see raptors in a new light.

"I can't really say I knew all that much about hawks before, but I've certainly enjoyed all the ensuing research in learning more about them — especially red-tails," says the Teaneck native and former Record paperboy. "It's also opened my eyes to let me now identify a couple of other raptors I've seen in (or over) the neighborhood, such as turkey vultures and kestrels."

The hawk even left a calling card for Leafe.

"I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the gift he left me one day: a regurgitated black ball of the indigestible matter from his last meal," he says. "It looked like hardened tar with feather remnants mixed in."

Have there been any downsides?

"Only when Hammy leaves."


Got a question about wild birds? E-mail features@northjersey.com.

[just watching]

I'm glad you got some good press coverage on "Hammy".  He is a true urban raptor, our own version of New York's "Pale Male". I've enjoyed the Hammy photos.

[BLeafe]

As a result of the Hammy article, I was sent an email that originated from a gentleman who used to live in the Quail Heights building at 240 Prospect about 6 years ago.

Like me, he also lived 7 floors up. Also like me, he was visited by a hawk, which - in this case -perched on his balcony. Like Hammy, this hawk faced east (see picture below).

"I still remember that loud thumping sound as the hawk landed on the railing – I was privileged enough to have 2 separate visits...I am very glad the Record decided to do a whole story on Hammy. Great pics!"

I wonder how many other hawk visits have actually occurred at Hackensack residences.


This is around the time last year when Hammy stopped showing up, which is unfortunate because he was only here for 2 weeks this time around. Last winter, it was 2 months.

If he comes back next winter, I think I'm gonna try to get my building renamed "Hawk Heights".

[BLeafe]

Another email as a result of the Hammy article:

Subject: Hammy the Hawk 3YO excited to spot him

"I believe that we may of spotted outside hammy the hawk on a tree
outside my house in River edge. My 3 year old boy henry spotted him last
week and was so excited. We thought he had escaped from Van Saun but a
day later there was a article in the local section about a hawk in
hackensack."