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Nest Door To The Owl
Not fifteen feet from the Barred Owl, buried in some Yews, was one of Mr. Cooper’s Hawks (Accipiter cooperii). The hawk was closer to me — I was closer to it than it was to the owl — so it looked substantially larger than the owl, but the owl is a larger bird. Was the…
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Duck Out of Water
I don’t remember the last time I saw a Canvasback (Aythya valisineria). Whenever it was, the bird was in the water. This bright male surprised me on the rocks of Pier 4 at Brooklyn Bridge Park this afternoon. From a distance, with a few Gadwall around him in the water and on the rocks, I…
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Strix varia
A hot tip from someone who wishes to remain anonymous clued me into this Barred Owl (Strix varia) located… somewhere in NYC.I had to agree to be blindfolded before being led to the site; it was either that or ride bundled into the trunk. This close-up shows what looks like a small delicate bill, but…
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Gowanus
Some fifty Mallards were hanging out on the Superfund canal last weekend. Prospect Park’s Lake was mostly frozen, but this tidal, briny, self-heating (?) water remained open to waterfowl. It was a rather active morning: I heard American Crows in the distance and shrieking Blue Jays closer, which made me wonder if there was a…
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Wing Mystery
A wing and nothing but a wing.Found at Floyd Bennett Field in the last week of December. About 6″ long.
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Borough of Raptors
Two Red-tailed Hawks (Buteo jamaicensis) drifted overhead of me as I crossed the Terrace Bridge on Saturday, coming from somewhere in the direction of the parking lot now befouling the top of Breeze Hill. One landed, the other floated off towards Lookout Hill. This photographed bird shook its tail feathers quite a bit, which made…
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Creeper
The Brown Creeper (Certhia americana) is rare in Brooklyn because its habitat is woodlands. This particular fast-moving specimen challenged my photography skills recently in Prospect Park, characteristically circling up tree trunks and branches in a hopping-like motion as it searched for invertebrate prey. The bird’s down-curved bill and stiff tail-feathers help keep it close to…
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Red Hook
Male Gadwell (Anas strepera).Female Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator). The design on the funnel of the Loujaine, an old freighter now used for storage.I arrived at the Erie Basin just as a water taxi disgorged consumers for the Swedish-themed flimsy-furniture store. These two goats in harness followed the crowd of bipeds towards the entrance.They hadn’t arrive…
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Texas Flowers
These are some flowers I’ve been hoarding to brighten and warm up a cold winter’s day.
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Backyard and Beyond 