Fieldnotes
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Raptor Wednesday
This linden tree sported a male American Kestrel in 2017 and 2018, too. Now here’s… another? He’s facing the low winter sun. That makes for good photographs, but also gives his potential prey a good view of him.You’d think he’d want to come out of the sun, but that might throw his shadow ahead of…
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Waiting Out the Winter
Two specimens from the general area of back-of-the-beach scrublands at Fort Tilden. Big silk moth cocoons, I think.From a distance, they look like lingering leaves, of which each bush or tree still had a few.
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Grebe
The water beading off this Pied-bill Grebe… You know, I think this plumage is more interesting than the breeding plumage. This cinnamon tinge to the neck is not, by the way, found in all non-breeding birds.
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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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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…
Backyard and Beyond 