mthew

Tuesday morning Bald Eagle flyover. This might be the same bird I saw the previous Monday and Tuesday. A heavily marked (for our part of the country) Red-tailed Hawk. I think this one is female. A young Cooper’s with full crop. As of Tuesday, I haven’t seen this male connecting with a female, although he…

Falco columbarius: they love this linden tree. I’ve seen them up here regularly since 2022. In winter, that is. This is the second sighting of this Falco sparverius pair bonding off Sixth Avenue. Have yet to see mating, and the location of their cornice cavity nest.

Big bird, big eye: the inner eyelid or nictitating membrane can really be seen in action here. And again.

While watching the Bald Eagle at Valley Water, I noticed a familiar silhouette in the distance. The bird flew closer, perching in a tree nearer the Baldie. But looking the other way. Adult Astur cooperii with very full crop. The next thing I knew there was a Red-tail buzzing the eagle before landing in this…

Bald Eagle at Sylvan Water last Tuesday. Smack dab in the center of Brooklyn. A circle or two around the lake… … those eagle eyes spot something. And snag it! Sushi! (One of the sunfish, perhaps.) And away the bird flew, circling back towards Valley Water.

Last Tuesday, I spent almost two hours with a Bald Eagle in Green-Wood. I first saw the huge bird perched above Valley Water. A bold Blue Jay read the Riot Act. An American Kestrel flew past but did not engage. But a pair of Red-tailed Hawks did, making some passes as the eagle screamed. (It…

Last Monday, I saw a long line of bird crap string out of a pine. Whoa! I always keep an eye on the pines in winter in case of owls. It took me a moment or two to find the culprit. We occasionally get Bald Eagle fly-overs in Green-Wood, but actually perched ones are rare.…

I’ve seen this male American Kestrel on this nearby chimney pot three weekends in a row, with a couple of sightings in-between. This was last Saturday. Three hours later, the bird was a block away on the edge of Sunset Park, at 41st and 5th, and I was a lot closer. Half an hour after…

In my years of local American Kestrel observation, I always note the absence of females during winter. Not complete absence, but they do become much rarer. Before these two, I hadn’t spotted one since January 24, and before that Jan 12. Where to do they spend their time? On Thursday, February 27, I had two…