birds
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American Black Ducks
Anas rubripesAmerican Black Ducks are year-’round birds, but they are now sharing the harbor with our wintering Buffleheads, Gadwall, Wigeon, and Red-breasted Mergansers. Soon, loons and grebes should be seen as well. There’s been a Humpback Whale in the harbor and up the Hudson, too, lately, although this blogger hasn’t seen a tail of it…
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On The Rocks
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus). This one-footed stance is common among shore birds. Did somebody say vociferus? This quintet was silent, but in breeding season Killdeer can be loud! It’s Thanksgiving, time to remember what we have to be thankful for and stand on both our feet in defense of it. Let me convey my solidarity with…
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Raptor Wednesday
A Peregrine (Falco peregrinus) was perched atop the head of the statue of Justice atop Brooklyn’s Borough Hall when I emerged from the R train.The bird remained there as I made some copies, went to the Post Office, and returned to swing around to the chignon-side.Not all Justice is blind. We can see the neo-confederate…
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The Chat of the Town
For more than two weeks now, a Yellow-breasted Chat has been haunting the northern side of Trinity Church graveyard in lower Manhattan, the side opposite musical-comedy star Alexander Hamilton’s grave. Chats are small, distinctive songbirds, their creamy yellow breasts contrasting sharply with their olive green tops. Bold white spectacle-like markings about the eyes jump out…
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Well, Hello Autumn!
A trio of female Northern Shovelers (Anas clypeata), the first I’ve seen this season, were on the never-more-appropriately named Sylvan Water. The water is all agleam with the late afternoon gold of the season. No filter, just the usual “Auto” setting on my camera. * A gold so much lovelier than the smears of gilt favored…
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Raptor Wednesday
Journey around an adult Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis). The bird flew low over a veritable herd of Golden-crowned Kinglets, more than I’ve ever seen before, scattering them hither and yon, before perching not so high off the ground. The brick-red tail of the year-old-plus bird shows very nicely in the sun here. Take heart: Bush…
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Woodcock Wednesday
Scolopax minor, the American Woodcock, blending in with the leaves. A lesson for today? Blend with the leaves, probe with the bill, and resist!
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City of Roosts
Rebecca Solnit is a writer I’ll follow anywhere. A few years ago, she produced an atlas of San Francisco that just called to my old geographer’s heart. Infinite City was followed by Unfathomable City, in which she teamed up with Rebecca Snedeker for an atlas of New Orleans. Now she and the wonderfully named Joshua…
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Raptor Wednesday
Merlins like to perch and don’t seem to be as jumpy as, say, the Accipiters, who are constantly on the move.This Falco columbarius had just returned to this perch, where I’d earlier seen it, from quite a too-do with several Blue Jays, which were mobbing it in a nearby tree. Green-Wood‘s a good place…
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Woodcock Season
American Woodcocks (Scolopax minor) are back in town! This one in Green-Wood was pointed out to us by a fellow birder on Saturday; also, a correspondent had one in her back yard in Park Slope the other day. If you were following this blog last year at this time, there were some up-close moments with…
Backyard and Beyond 