Backyard and Beyond

My day in birds began just after 5 a.m. when I woke to the pre-dawn chorus of the local House Sparrows. Argh! I grumbled something and rolled over. Between rain clouds, I went out to Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge in the middle of the day. Some thirty-seven species of birds and three mosquito bites. Many Tree Swallows, above, who nest in the boxes set up for them there, including one set up underneath an Osprey nest. Saw one Barn Swallow among all these acrobatic swallow-fliers. I watched this juvenile Black-Crowned Night Heron groom from a blind for a while. Eventually, it broke off a stick and flew away with it. It was probably going to use it as a fishing lure. Yes, they do things like that.

I also saw a Peregrine cruise overhead as I was about to cross Court St. It landed on one of the arms of the cross atop SS Paul & Agnes, the highest thing south of Atlantic Avenue in my neighborhood. It’s a regular perch for raptors.