A celebrity mobbed by cameras in Union Square

Posing for the paparazzi may be too much for Alec Baldwin.

But it’s a walk in the park for this relaxed (maybe slightly sick of all the attenion?) red-tailed hawk, snapped hanging out in Union Square Park this afternoon.

He’s perched on the low fence surrounding the playground—maybe eyeing a toddler for dinner?

Perhaps he flew over to Union Square from Tompkins Square Park, where EV Grieve photographer Bobby Williams regularly catches him swooping in for a snack.

These hefty raptors aren’t that rare anymore; at least a dozen breeding pairs have made the city their home recently. This New York City Audubon report gives more background.

When Union Square had a lovely fountain

Union Square has been around since 1839, when it opened with a large central fountain, according to the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation.

But when Union Square was ripped up during subway construction in the 1920s, the fountain went with it.

This postmarked, stamped 1910, doesn’t indicate what we’re looking at, but I think it’s Union Square West.