Two Merlins no more than 75 yards apart. This is the second time this winter I’ve seen two at the same time. The first time was in Green-Wood; this time was in Prospect Park. I hung around for a bit to see if they would deign to notice each other, but there were no interactions.…

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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…

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

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

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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.

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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.…

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Common Grackle Red-bellied Woodpecker

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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.

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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…

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