Backyard and Beyond

The sound of Fish Crows made me look out the window late this morning. This was my view (well, with a little help from my camera) from up here on the Harbor Hill Moraine. And those are the crows on top of each of the neighboring water towers.Which makes these huge midnight figures on the far left of the building Common Ravens. A family of five!

Well, I was out the door pretty quickly, let me tell you. I’ve been particularly intrigued by Brooklyn ravens since New Year’s Day 2015, when a pair suddenly appeared down at the end of 39th St. Later I saw them gathering sticks for a nest around nearby Bush Terminal Park. I know the direction they took their sticks, the same direction I’ve seen them take food this year, but damned if I know where they nest. I’m just glad they do. Anyway, Bush Terminal Park is pretty good place to see or hear them. They’re not present every visit, but enough to tell me they like the coastal route. But back to today: I’m 10 stories below these three youngsters. Both parents flew in as I watched, the second one looked like it had something in its bill. Gotta be a lot of appetite with these three, who are hopping and taking short coasting flights. As I was watching, a Kestrel, so tiny in comparison, made a U-turn over the building screaming bloody murder. Awful lighting, but an unmistakable silhouette of one of the parents, with the great bill and the ruff-like throat feathers blowing in the breeze.