mthew

A couple of weeks ago, there was one Bufflehead on Sylvan Water. Now there are two. These Bald-faced Hornet nests usually don’t survive this far into winter. (There are no wasps in here; the community dies off in the fall, except for pregnant females, who burrow themselves elsewhere for the winter months.) Here’s what one…

After a winter of chasing each other and everything else, are these Mockingbirds thinking of the spring?

The characteristic silhouette of a falcon… A small falcon, but one that still riles up the feral pigeons.

I’m always on the lookout for the characteristic black marks on the white outer tail feathers of Downy Woodpeckers. The similar but larger Hairy Woodpecker doesn’t have black marks.

Six days apart, a male and female American Kestrel atop the same building topper in Windsor Terrace. I suspect the potential of a breeding pair somewhere nearby. Forty minutes later, I was near Green-Wood’s 25th St entrance and saw a pair atop the Gothick pile: Another potentially breeding pair. The Monk Parakeets were not pleased.…

Common Grackle Red-bellied Woodpecker

I rarely see Chipmunks in Green-Wood, which may not be woody enough for them. But Prospect Park, where I saw this one on a warm day earlier this month, has a regular population.

Last Sunday, what is presumed to be a Rufous Hummingbird showed up in Prospect Park. These photos are from Monday. On Tuesday there was a snow storm, but the bird got through it and has been seen since. This may be the first county record of this species, which breeds from the Northwest up into…