Hawks leave nest at Fresh Pond Parkway. Is Broadway next?

The red-tailed hawks who nested at a Cambridge office park have taken flight, but are still seen by the loyal photographers who gathered along Fresh Pond Parkway this spring.

The spontaneous gathering of hawk fans has led to a lot of friendships and even dreams of a Broadway show.

"My dream is for there someday to be ALEWIFE! The Musical. The Story of Buzz and Ruby,'' photographer John Harrison wrote by email. "That thought occurred to me when I was in Manhattan a couple of weeks ago ... If a Lion can have a Broadway show, why not the much more deserving Alewife red tails!''

George McLean of Medford is one of the many photographers who have made pictures of the young red-tailed hawks.

"This hawk is a great hunter, I watched him for over a month. He always provided,'' McLean said by e-mail.

You can see a gallery of hawk watchers' photos here.

The hawks have left the nest, but the crowd that gathers every day to watch them has become a tightly knit group that is planning a pot luck this weekend.

"They no longer come around the nest but we see them in a five block area and they are still fed by their parents,'' said photographer Ernie Sarro, who has documented the hawks progress here. "Pretty soon they will be able to capture their own prey but we'll see them around for the summer. We just have to work harder at it.''

Two adults and their three chicks called the building at 185 Fresh Pond Parkway home for more than three months. The dad is known as "Buzz" and the mother is "Ruby." The three chicks -- growing fast -- are called "Lucy," "Larry," and "Lucky" by the crowd of photographers who have watched them grow and then take flight.

Sarro said even though the hawks have given flight, "There is still plenty of interest and our group is having a "Letting Go" pot luck party this Sunday at 4 p.m. at Danehy Park behind the Whole Foods at Fresh Pond Mall.''