Sunset Park
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And Another Thing
It’s good to be the tallest thing in the neighborhood. Everybody wants to be king of the spire. If you’ve been following the blog, you’ll know the cross atop St. Michael’s at 4th and 42nd is a regular perch for Peregrine falcon(s). My latest sighting was the tail end of a drama: a Peregrine taking…
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Springtime in Winter
Over the last week, the warm weather forced unexpected blooms. Roses in Sunset Park.One of half-a-dozen blooming cherry trees noted during a short walk in Green-Wood.The overcast light was definitely wintery, making these blooms look subdued and inducing melancholy in this flower-worshipper instead of the vernal joy of true spring.
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Raptor Notes
Saint Michael’s curious tower continues to be a lively raptor center. On a recent morning, I noticed a black bird diving up and down around a corner of the tower’s base. The glasses revealed a crow dive-bombing a perched Red-tailed Hawk. The big buteo looked cumbersome in comparison to the sleek corvid. It’s worth nothing…
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Peregrine’s Perch and Other Raptors
On the afternoon of December 5th, I noticed a Peregrine atop St. Michael’s. The bird was eating; you can just barely see the prey; it also looks like something is on the far cross arm as well. (Note that these shots are at the limits of my optics, from two long avenue blocks and one…
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Armchair Naturalist at Sunrise
A Grey Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) scouting out House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) cribs as a scrum of sparrows protest. Bit late in the year for eggs or young in these hideaways, innit?
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Flight Sluggish and Swift
On a blooming goldenrod, the only visible flower around, a single bumblebee. It was warm enough yesterday for invertebrates, but they have damn few places to feed. This bee did seem a little sluggish, but it was roused by the proximity of my phone camera, and buzzed a short distance away, and then returned as…
Backyard and Beyond 