January 2019
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Beach
Probably not what most people think of when they think of New York City.But the Rockaway Peninsula, the lower jaw of the “fish-shape Paumanok” (happy 200th year, Walt Whitman!), is a part of Queens facing the New York Bight.On a recent winter day — at least according to the calendar, for the temperature was near…
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Nestled Nests
It’s the time of year to spot the paper nests of Bald-faced Hornets. They usually build their nests in trees. Winter weather often destroys them and/or brings them down to the ground, like this one. But this one looks to be in excellent shape. However, it won’t be reused; the colony is gone, having only…
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Raptor Wednesday
A Red-tail miscellany.On this day, there were three at the same time; a pair of perched adults and an airborne yearling.Here’s a pair on an overcast day. Note that fist.When the light is right, and the bird is over a year old, then there’s no mistaking a Red-tailed Hawk on the east coast even at…
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Cardinal Red
In winter, where colors are subdued, the tropical-like bounty of the Northern Cardinal male comes as a pleasing fillip to the eye. I’ve seen Europeans in Central Park bowled over by this extravagant bird, as well they should be. Cardinals has been expanding their range northward since the nineteenth century. Especially since the 1940s and…
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Mammal Monday
There’s not much cover in Green-Wood this time of year.
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Carbon Democracy
“Humankind has consumed about two trillion barrels of oil since the rise of the modern petroleum industry in the 1860s. It is worth repeating that burning the first trillion took about 130 years, but we went through the second trillion in only twenty-two years. […] The world’s fossil fuels were formed out of 500 million…
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Yew Said It
This large yew in Green-Wood was overflowing with seeds, above and below.There was no evidence of anybody eating them, however.On the other side of the cemetery, meanwhile, a Red-breasted Nuthatch has been eating from a cluster of two other yews the last three times I passed by. Or so I assume it’s the same bird.…
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While we’re on the subject of small birds
This Golden-crowned Kinglet, spotted just over a month ago in the Bronx, seems to have escaped notice in the photo file until now. So, have at it! And this. Same day, same place. I think it’s a “wild” House Sparrow nest, but will certainly entertain alternative theories. When they do nest out in the open,…
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Nuthatchery
There have been a lot of White-breasted Nuthatches in Green-Wood this winter.Since they’re so vocal, I’ve heard them throughout my forays there.And when more than one of these things starts calling — three in a single tree, say — they make an astonishing radio-interferrance mess of noise.Yes, the White-breasted is a bit red in the…
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Raptor Wednesday
We interrupt our week of small birds with an eater of small birds: a Merlin. In this case, though, this small falcon was being harried by Blue Jays.Which meant lots of noise, almost all of it from the screeching jays.
Backyard and Beyond 