mthew

Lesser Black-backed Gull/Larus fuscus on the Coney Island beach, slightly smaller than American Herring Gull/Larus smithsonianus. Two views of a nearby Greater Black-backed Gull/Larus marinus, largest gull species in the world.

Small flocks of American Goldfinches have been all over the cemetery lately. The crop of American Sweetgum seeds is still largely to come.

Not that Honeybee haven’t had enough of Blue Jays, already…

Nov. 13th. (A rather windy day.) Nov. 15th. (Gloomy.) She flew before I got closer. Nov. 20th. (Sunny!) Nov. 25th. (Back to overcast.) These are all from virtually the same place, one of two trees she favors overlooking the western end of Sunset Park.

American Kestrel male flushed by Blue Jays.

Spotlight on Cooper’s Hawks.

At 12 o’clock: A Cooper’s Hawk. At 2 o’clock, an American Kestrel. And turning around to 6 o’clock, a Merlin. Yes, I was standing in one place and seeing all three of these at the same time. I noticed this first. This is a long-time Merlin perch, but lately an American Kestrel male has been…

Suddenly the sky was full of Red-shouldered Hawks. November 18th, Green-Wood. I saw three. Another ebirder noted a dozen soon after I left (and he’d told me another dozen or so were seen flying past Gravesend). (Yes, viewing and photographing conditions were awful, but you can’t have everything.)

One of the three male American Kestrels I’ve been watching around Green-Wood recently. Here’s another. Was done with this lizard by the time I got closer.

Bald Eagle over Valley Water. (The other National Bird on Turkey Day.)