IDCNY Eyas Fledges Prematurely

The eyas at the IDCNY nest in Long Island City, Queens fledged prematurely by at least 7 to 10 days this evening at 5:20 P.M. I was on my way home from work when I passed by the nest area (without my camera of course), when I spotted a hawk in the air and almost immediately new something was wrong. For a split second I thought it was the mother heading from the nest to her favorite billboard to perch when I noticed the hawks struggling to gain its composure and stay airborne. Despite its struggle, it landed safely on a billboard several stories and maybe 150 feet away from the nest. This is the third fledging I have witnessed and by far the most spectacular and nerve-wrenching. I feared greatly for this bird when it fledges cause of the rough environment it is born into in an industrial area in LIC. Urban Red-tailed Hawks never stop surprising me with their strength and courage living in a harsh urban environment.