Baby Red-Tail Hawks Born Nestled in Stadium Lights at LIU in Fort Greene View Full Caption

FORT GREENE — Two red-tailed hawk babies were born in a nest perched among the stadium lights at Long Island University Brooklyn — and the family life of the majestic birds was caught on camera by a Fort Greene local.

Photographer Gerri Hernández has followed the family since one of the adult birds flew past her window in December and perched above her apartment building.

She later saw that the hawk was part of a couple that had made a home above the nearby LIU Blackbirds sports stadium, in a small shelf created by 75-foot-tall stadium lights.

She witnessed what she believed to be the two lovebirds courting, making a nest and catching prey.

A little over a month later one of the hawks seemed to be laying eggs.

“I saw the Mr. come around a couple of days ago. I think they changed places and she flew around a bit, otherwise, she sits sits sits,” Hernández wrote on Facebook. “And I wait wait wait.”

The babies hatched a week ago and are settling into their home amongst the lights, Fort Greene Focus first reported.

The fledglings are not the first to be born in the vicinity. Another baby hatched in a tree near the Prison Ship Martyrs' Monument in Fort Greene Park a few years back.

Officials at LIU said they welcomed the hawks, even with the baseball season starting in the stadium. The opening game was March 18.

“We understand why the hawks would choose to make our beautiful campus their home and we are following the advice of The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s to not disturb the wildlife,” said Gale Haynes, vice president, chief operating office and legal counsel at LIU.

“In the meantime, the LIU Blackbirds and hawks are peacefully coexisting on our playing fields!”

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Hernández worries about flying baseballs or the day the stadium lights need to be cleaned.

“I’m not even a bird person,” she said. “But after watching them for these months I find that I care and I worry about their wellbeing.”