mthew

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.)

I’ll be giving thanks for raptors this week… We’ll start with Red-tailed Hawks. (Smaller/higher bird maybe a Red-shouldered. On November 18, I spotted at least three Red-shouldered in an unusually heavy migratory pulse.)

The last American Woodcock we saw here was being eaten. This one, one of three spotted on November 15, was presumably hoping not be eaten. By being very still on the ground.

For some local bus shelter interventions. I was just decrying the paltry state of graphic public protest, for I miss the likes of Robbie Conal’s Art Attack. Turns out he is still at work: “Dick Tater,” “Supreme Injustices,” etc. I don’t know who did these B63 line posters, but they’re inside the frames. An inside…

Moss on moss. Lichen on moss.

Young Peregrine over Sunset Park. Adult Peregrine atop the butcher’s block, eating the last of what was probably a Feral Pigeon. Note how distended the falcon’s crop is: good bit of meat on a squab. Merlin. Two Merlin contesting spruce perch, older above/younger below by plumage. American Kestrel female. American Kestrel male.