The Beth Lenz

Sweet Ruffy

2012-02-09T08:26:00.000-08:00

When perching, finding this babe is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Perfect blend of colors. Thank goodness for the mahonia blossoms. They're still supplying food.

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Weird glimpses

2012-02-07T09:30:00.001-08:00

West End Avenue owls.

Owl evidence in the pines?

February blossoms. What happens when the snow arrives?

Fortunately, no beetles spotted yet.

Hunting for grub.

Grackle mob

Delicious rubbery dried berries.

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Food line

2012-02-06T05:17:00.001-08:00

The park robins are here from Canada. Our robins have already gone south. Lots of food for the picking, or should I say, pecking.

Duck "soup", shovelers swirling up lunch from below the surface.

Handy chestnuts.

Catering service by J.H.

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More hawks and Ruffy

2012-02-05T05:49:00.001-08:00

All hushed. Cooper's hawk on the watch.

West side of Lake, the red-tail is watching. Gentle, beautiful face.

Last stop on way home, Ruffy. She's like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

Going after tiny insects close to the ground.

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Plucking good

2012-02-03T06:55:00.001-08:00

All shot at Upper Lobe. One less pigeon in the park.

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Fun watching

2012-02-02T04:42:00.001-08:00

It's so early, February 1st, spring on the way????

There's one berry laden tree that the birds ignore in autumn, but now those dried up berries are a real treat, - on ground, still on tree, delicious.

Back to Ruffy. All's well.

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February????????

2012-02-01T15:40:00.001-08:00

Nature has gone wonky. I've never before seen daffodils in February. As for the thin ice, yes, they got that right.

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Sweet Tuesday

2012-02-01T05:17:00.000-08:00

I had not idea what to expect as I approached the Planetarium. After all, we had had some bitterly cold days. The first difference was the second feeder, red flying saucer style. This was a good sign. Had there been no feeder I would have assumed no Ruffy. A bit of patience paid off. Ruffy is a survivor. The behavior was different, sip at feeder, roost, preen, sip again, rest, preen. In the hour that I watched I didn't see Ruffy sip from the mahonia buds. It was wonderful watching how the tiny body moves.

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Back again

2012-01-31T15:58:00.001-08:00

Ruffy is fine. I'll be posting images again after this couple of weeks of intense work. It was so
nice to go out and stretch. Ruffy is doing well. I need about 20 hours to prep images.

Tidbits

2012-01-24T13:15:00.001-08:00

These are from earlier in the month. I don't know the current status of Ruffy. Assuming that no news is good news. Since I've shot about 4,000 images on assignment I need a bit of a rest from shooting and editing. Being weary doesn't keep one's reflexes perky.

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Ruffy, the 7th

2012-01-19T05:57:00.001-08:00

All from the 7th. Very busy on other projects. Frustrating, but necessary.

I may take a detour and blog another subject for a couple of postings.

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Not sure

2012-01-16T10:46:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure what's going on with Ruffy. These are from the 7th, a cold but not frigid day.

I did see robins yesterday. Hearty bunch.

Frozen berries?

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Ruffy

2012-01-14T03:26:00.000-08:00

The flying wonder.

I won't be posting every day for the rest of this month due to heavy work load coming in, intense cold weather, and a desk top computer that has gone seriously wonky. There are still Ruffy images to be posted from a couple of days ago. There's no way to know how this sweet bird will manage in freezing weather.

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Meal completed

2012-01-11T13:53:00.001-08:00

Having completed all that was going to be eaten of squirrel at the present time, and pausing to rest it was up to tree, wipe beak against bark.

Gorgeous bird.

Further up branch.

Flight imminent.

Off to another tree higher up. Digest and nap. The remainder of squirrel could be a later meal. Squirrel jerky.

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More Yummy

2012-01-10T09:31:00.001-08:00

Past the intestines it's time to get to the real guts. Peanut butter coated something?

Delicious

And onto the liver?

Don't worry, I won't take away your lunch.

Giving the squirrel CPR?

Yes, CPR.

Rib cage exposed.

A piece of rib being eaten

It looks as if this kid has had enough. Full crop. Will flying be possible?

To be continued.

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Anatomy

2012-01-09T05:59:00.001-08:00

Dining on nectar makes for nice clean eating, fun to watch.

Dining on squirrel is not as neat, but observed, it's a great lesson in mammal anatomy. There's a lot of good protein in a squirrel.

The hawks always seem to begin with the intestines and then work upward.

Hmmm.. something bigger.

If the squirrel has been eating peanuts and acorns maybe that's what's in the "pipeline".

Look around. All's safe. Nobody is going to steal this meal.

More to follow. Lots of food in a squirrel.

Lots more squirrels available.

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Pre-Breakfast posting

2012-01-08T05:28:00.001-08:00

This was going to be hummingbird day, but sometimes plans change. First sight, young hawk, new kill. Congratulations, caught a meal.
But first check on mini-friend. Perching is good.

Back to hawk. Meal caught, but nothing happening.

Still nothing happening. Up on branch looking things over.

Slightly breezy. Having a bad feather moment.

Finally! Right, there's a meal.

Hawk dines and the world walks by.

Much better from north side of lawn.

There's a lot of meat in a squirrel. Time to learn squirrel anatomy.

Eat, stop and check for any dangers.

This no longer looks like a sweet young hawk. This is a serious raptor, no question about it.

Mmmmmmmmm, delicious.

I'm hungry. Time for breakfast. More to follow.

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Lunch

2012-01-07T04:35:00.001-08:00

To each his own.... nuts, nectar, found food.

Resting before dining is a good idea.

Lunch.

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January tidbits

2012-01-06T04:43:00.001-08:00

I'll never get used to January robins.
My favorite.

Stand and sip.

Got that red, sort of.

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Whoosh!

2012-01-04T06:35:00.001-08:00

Everybody was in a berry-picking mode. Waxwings, robins, finches.

In a split second they all lit out of there like a bat out of Hell. There could only be one reason.

Hawk! Cooper's.

I didn't stay around long. Too cold.

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Shiver

2012-01-03T07:28:00.000-08:00

Don't know how I could have missed this before.
Busy titmice, personable. Still looking for chickadees.

Gorgeous. Yellowbelly sapsucker.

Too cold to go hunting today, but still have lots of Jan. 1st images to post.

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Catching up

2012-01-02T05:55:00.001-08:00

Still editing yesterday's images when I realized there were still 2011 images to post. I tried sorting Ruffy into flying images and artistic images. This sweety is totally gorgeous and fascinating no matter how the images get sorted.

If only everything could be as perfect as a hummingbird.......

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January 1, 2012 tidbit preview

2012-01-01T15:10:00.001-08:00

Somebody had fun in the park last night. Too bad they didn't clean up their mess.
Fusspot. This kid won't eat peanuts, but deliver a pecan and all's fine in his world.

And finally, the best subject for a new year, Ruffy. More pictures will follow.

Lots of pictures to edit. This was a great way to start the year.

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Ruffy beauty

2012-01-01T05:14:00.001-08:00

Joyful subject for the start of a new year

After dining sit and digest. Note pollen on tip.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

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Slow Friday

2011-12-31T05:13:00.000-08:00

Not all pigeons are drab grey.
Surprise cormorant

Mama Squirrel. Whoa!! Isn't it a bit late to be having kids?! They won't survive the winter, if we have a blistering cold winter. Nature is mighty mixed up.

Lazy lunch

It was that kind of day. Not much going on. Maybe next year.........

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A little color

2011-12-29T05:26:00.000-08:00

Winter.... muted tones...... greys and browns. Into the mix comes the brilliant cardinals.

The Mrs.

Busy work schedule this week. When if I miss a day it's due to work pressure.

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No stopping

2011-12-27T05:50:00.000-08:00

I was watching Stumpy (appropriate name), when into the space, whoosh......
arrived a young red tail hawk. I knew this wouldn't be a good photo op... too many branches and a hoard of screaming blue jays.

Narrow window for shooting and I knew this bird was going to fly. I decided to point-and-shoot.

That was fun. Hawk didn't catch anything. Headed west. More jays screaming in the distance.

Next location: the oven. Tipsy had been nibbling on these stalks, but downy didn't end up drunk.

This really puzzled me, touch of color in the grey landscape. I think this is a goldfinch, but the beak doesn't look like a finch beak, too pointed, a December puzzle bird.

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Still at it- Ruffy

2011-12-26T05:10:00.000-08:00

There are lots of handsome birds to watch for, the white throated sparrow...
The alert cooper's hawk...

but it's the rufous hummer that has captured my heart. Thank goodness for the mahonia shrub, handy buds above and below, easy sipping. My pal who lives in North Carolina reports that her mahonia is no longer in blossom.

Hovering for a change

Back to sitting while sipping

Gorgeous blend of colors

Still more to post. Sipping underneath probably provides some protection from the wind and cold.

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Something different

2011-12-25T06:37:00.000-08:00

Yes, there are still Ruffy images to be posted, but.....

for today there's a fun essay. This is Tipsy, first spotted eating berries and falling over drunk.
He switched to nuts, would stand up and eat and then slowly fall over. Too much "egg nog".

I wondered about neurological impairment, but when another squirrel appeared he scampered off with him. Tipsy...... pickled, lopsided squirrel.

Merry Christmas!

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Beautifully tipped

2011-12-23T04:02:00.001-08:00

This jolly gang always sits and waits for seeds to be delivered,- entrance to park at West 69th.
Back to Ruffy. Beautiful,- some hovering, some perching, gorgeous display.

I had to explain to one tourist that this was not a bumble bee.

The east bushes.

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More sit-and-sip

2011-12-22T04:59:00.001-08:00

If someone would line up glasses of chocolate malted or root beer float and one straw I'd also perch and sip-sip-sip-sip-sip-sip-sip-sip-sip-sip-sip-sip-sip.

Wings being used for balance to keep from sliding along leaf.

And if I'd sip so much I'd have to sit a bit too and digest the lot.

Thank God for the mahonia blossoms. There isn't much nectar in town.

One pal asked about photo equipment. In this area absolutely no tripod and for the good of Ruffy no flash. This is a heavy tourist area, crowded walking space. Tripods would be a hazard. Also- lenses with a minimum focal distance of around 4' also helpful.

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The perfect shrub

2011-12-21T05:07:00.001-08:00

Low light, slightly warmer, less wind. Big help. I could watch Ruffy behavior without freezing.
Finally, nice clear red spot. I've been trying to get that.

But much more fascinated is watching the feeding method. The mahonia blossoms make dining easy. Perch and feed. Yes, Ruffy moves around from blossom to blossom, from east to west very fast, but once at a blossom with open buds she perches and works the buds. Energy-saving.

The wings being used for balance, not hovering.

Sitting on po-po??

Lots more images to post. This treasure is fascinating.

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Ruffy

2011-12-20T04:46:00.000-08:00

On the way to see if Ruffy is still in town. Another tiny, -sassy titmouse.
Not a nectar sipper.

Stilll in town. From a distance it's possible to tell how tiny Ruffy is. It's the general consensus that she's female.

Every bud is a food source.

Great method, sit-and-sip.

Gorgeous tail.

There's the red throat spot. I've been trying to catch that.

Time to rest, so gentle.

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More rufous

2011-12-19T05:21:00.001-08:00

Little bits of pretty. That's what this entry is about. Fluff and more fluff. It's fascinating watching tiny Rufous. The mahonia blossoms are perfect for this hummer, nectar in each blossom. Perch and sip. It's beautiful the way he analyzes which blossoms to sip and how to twist his tiny body to get at it.

To be continued.

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Oh, my God!!!! Rufous!!!

2011-12-18T05:07:00.001-08:00

It was very refreshing to see the shovellers doing Mix-Master. They swirl in a circle, stir up the bottom and edibles rise for easy eating. There were other great subjects yesterday, but the best follows.

One of the birders asked if I'd seen the rufous hummingbird. I didn't believe it. A hummer? In December? And not a ruby throat???? I tramped off to see this expecting to see nothing.

Oh, my God. A real treasure. I couldn't believe my eyes. This is also the first rufous for me. At first I went happy-stupid, but then settled down to observe behavior. Tiny hummer. Cold weather. A few shrubs, Mahonia bush, an evergreen shrub, spike-tipped with multiple blossoms. Thank goodness for the blossoms. Nectar! The behavior was the same as the ruby-throat, - dine, rest, dine, rest. The difference was that this baby seemed to move slower,
or maybe it was because all the blossoms were in one spot, no need to flit over a large space. When I came along it was roosting.

Before long out came tongue and off it flew.

Very convenient shrub. Rufous could sit on leaf or twig and sip. Energy-saving.

I wanted to get all the details, the tail feathers, the front of the bird. All I could do was shoot non-stop and wait.

To be continued. I'm worried for this whimsical little bird. It's so cold and windy. It has a long trip ahead of it. Will it find its family? Will it survive?

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Finding "Waldo"

2011-12-17T14:32:00.001-08:00

There are 14 waxings in this shot. Happy hunting.
And there are 13 waxwings in this shot.

Everyone was in this berry tree.

Coming in the next posting an OH, MY GOD bird, a rufous hummingbird. No kidding. Hummer in December and a rufous to boot. Incredible! Still editing.

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Watching above

2011-12-16T05:48:00.000-08:00

There's no way to tell what's in the park once the weather turns colder. I've seen the grackle swarm before. It's a vision to behold. They don't call, but you can hear the sound of their wings, flapping, nothing else. I'm sorry branches were in the way while this was happening. It's an awesome sight.

Over at another corner I'm used to seeing some activity. Nothing moving. Nothing. That means only one thing. Raptor in the area. Sure enough. There sat an immature redtail hawk obviously watching for possible lunch.

No clear views. Lots of branches. I'm glad there weren't leaves.

There was no catch and hawk was obviously going to stay in that area, so I moved elsewhere. If I miss posting for a day or two it means I'm busy working on opera projects. Or marbles. But then that's a whole different topic. Haven't lost mine yet.

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Preening

2011-12-13T06:14:00.001-08:00

This was a day of trust. The normally shy junco couldn't have cared less that a big glass "eye" was admiring it.
This was the ultimate trust, one hermit thrush preening, ballet-like.

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Sweet sparrows

2011-12-12T03:58:00.001-08:00

There's no way to know what intimacy will arrive for the camera. I'll take house sparrows if they show up. Seed munchers.

Chipping sparrow for a mere three seconds.

Oh wow! Fox sparrow. A treat.

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Cold and still fun

2011-12-10T14:27:00.001-08:00

This looked like Christmas. This Hermy is going to eat a berry. It's worth waiting.
Bingo! Got it!

Not a berry, but worth a smile.

The snorkel waxwing.

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What the???

2011-12-09T05:31:00.000-08:00

This was a case of WHAT'S THAT. A puzzle bird.
Weird.

Oh, an in between goldfinch, not yellow yet, winter color?, immature? Definitely an unexpected goldfinch.

I love shovellers.

Sly wink.

Pretty in autumn.

Hermy in the brush

A ruby crowned hermit? No. Just an optical illusion.

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Open paths

2011-12-07T04:56:00.001-08:00

It's now possible to walk from the Maintenance Meadow to the Evodia Field and down to the Oven. The core of the Rambles has not yet been cleared, but at least it is possible to stroll in parts of bird land. Lots of eating going on.

The cooper's hawk was chasing a starling repeatedly, so it was a huge surprise when it came back with a redwing blackbird, not even dead.

Now it's dead.

The one-second titmouse had one seed.

It felt good to be in the Rambles, back to a bit of normalcy. It was quiet, not crowded, deep carpet of leaves. Today they'll be soggy. The Azalea Pond area is still fenced off.

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The OhMyGod bird

2011-12-06T04:47:00.001-08:00

There was plenty worth seeing yesterday both ordinary and special, but it was the final subject that really blew my mind. At the Oven. My eyes saw another "tree". Before I could sort out what I was seeing it took flight. I'm pretty sure this was a great blue heron. It and Central Park South made the vision spooky. It felt as if I was photographing a prehistoric creature. Total surprise. Awesome. I'm never good at flight pictures. I'm standing there spewing, "OhMyGod! OhMyGod!" trying to capture this wonder. There was another birder nearby standing mouth open in wonder. When the bird had vanished around the corner we just looked at each other with big grins on our faces.

Also saw hawks and waxwings, still being edited.

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Berries

2011-12-05T04:14:00.001-08:00

Pretty soon all the berries will be gone. Mockers love them too.

It's the waxwings who give me a laugh. The flock flies in, then tries to select the best berry of the lot. Think consumers examining every banana in the super market. Same logic.

Orange tail!!

Fairway has blackberries, $5 for three boxes. They're sweet.

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Acorns

2011-12-03T05:42:00.001-08:00

There's an article in today's Times about the shortage of acorns. Better not tell the bluejays about this. Maybe there's a "shortage" because the jays got there first.

Of course jays will go for almost anything. I think this was a sliver of dried papaya. The jay was having a real problem with this delicacy.

Finally the papaya got abandoned.

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Short stroll

2011-11-30T15:54:00.000-08:00

Sometimes it's necessary to take a work break. This was a fine pause.
Gorgeous American Black duck

Ruddy ducks, lots of them

Shoveller

Titmouse hunting

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Still getting a laugh

2011-11-29T07:36:00.000-08:00

Not just fun birds to watch. I really liked this get-up.
On a path at the Upper Lobe. Mature hawk. Who??

Lima, Mrs. Pale Male. I had only a few seconds before she took off and headed North.

Back to the "puddle" and the personable gang of waxwings.

And hello to you too.

I'm thirsty.

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More water fun

2011-11-28T05:24:00.001-08:00

Muted autumn colors... not quite. Blue hoarders.

And on to the fun...... sippy waxwings. So gorgeous!

Sharing allowed.

There will be more waxwing images. There's nothing better than a good mob scene.

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Total fun

2011-11-27T05:42:00.001-08:00

Glorious balmy day. End of November? Feels like spring.
Santa. Making list, checking it out.

Huge fluffy thing way up in tree. Heart pounding, is it a new kind of owl out in the open? Nope. A wasp nest.

Autumn leaves and gorgeous attitude grackle.

And that's when the fun began. Huge flock of cedar waxwings in the area. Skittish at first. Tentative. As each flew in I whispered, "I'm a friend. I'll protect you from the hawks. Don't be afraid." I was curious to see if they were all females or males, or immature or a mix. First the adult females came by.

Then a mix. All skittish.

A youngster.

And then the fun began, two at a time.

Still editing. I didn't want to drown this posting. Lots more waxwing images to come. They were a fun group. Even the one who let loose "splat" on my head, red berry mash. That's the equivalent of being given the okay.

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Odd lot

2011-11-26T06:55:00.001-08:00

The sparrows built this nest behind the directional sign at 72nd street. Now they're taking it apart to get to buried edibles attached to their building materials.

Didn't expect this.... Strawberry Fields, south end, one uncooperative kinglet.

Pretty in the leaves.

Downy, down.

The usual down, hermit.

I said this was an "odd lot". I have no idea what was going on.

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Thursday pretty

2011-11-25T03:53:00.001-08:00

Favorite little tree. Thankful to see it.
Thanksgiving stuffing.

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Food hunting

2011-11-22T04:02:00.000-08:00

If it's quiet the birds will come down for food. Redbelly doing tree base feeding.
The titmice were working the area behind the Police Station. Great bugs in crevices. They were also going under the maintenance trucks for bugs caught in branches stuck under truck.

Oh joy, well fed hawk. Look at that crop!

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Yummy

2011-11-20T15:55:00.001-08:00

I can usually make book that I'll see at least one hermit thrush. It's sweet when they smile right back.
This was the highlight, a flock of gorging cedar waxwings. I've been waiting for this. You can't not laugh. Snatch it and get it down.

Hail! hail! , the gang's all here.

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Cool Friday

2011-11-19T04:42:00.001-08:00

Roaming. Listening. Looking for movement. There's no one spot for seeing birds now that the Rambles is fenced off. Food is key. Where's the food... berries, bugs, worms. That's where there will be birds. Maybe.

One cedar waxwing. Sometimes nobody is eating berries. They have to be perfectly ripe.
One kinglet. This will not go on much longer.

Blend with the soil winter wren.

This was the total surprise of the day, worm catching blue jay. Quite a change from acorns.

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Looking for magic

2011-11-17T04:22:00.000-08:00

It would be nice to spot an elusive bird, something rare to the park, but in fact, everything is special. There is still so much destruction and so many paths roped off that it's a pleasure to see anything.

Nice subjects at Tanner's Spring. The catbird.

Hermit thrush

Droopy-eyed hermit.

Swirl a little

Wow, a yellow rump.

Kinglets bathe too. This one wasn't too skittish, a miracle.

Kinglet stayed around probably because there were visible bugs.

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Pleasant day

2011-11-15T07:10:00.001-08:00

Never know what to expect..... the dregs of Halloween.
Pretty in the park.

Sippy, the hermit.

A flash of yellow. Oh joy, a golden kinglet. Tiny three second surprise.

One, just one, ruby kinglet.

Communal bath. A puddle will do.

Laugh time. Ripe berries.

Off to Fairway to buy some berries for humans.

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Kind of quiet

2011-11-14T07:22:00.001-08:00

I was really hoping that the kinglet would flash me, but obviously I wasn't perceived as competition.

Brown in brown, hard to see, sweet winter wren.

Forgot to post this on the 1st. Robins eat snow!

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Missed in the shuffle

2011-11-13T08:54:00.001-08:00

Slow day in the park. One waxwing here. One robin there.
Leucic robin.

Oh joy, rotten apple dining.

Back to 69th street. Never a dull moment.

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The haves and the have not

2011-11-11T04:56:00.001-08:00

Shakespeare Garden, a have-not on the prowl, feral cat. Not interested in human interaction. Life is going to get hard for this cat.

On the other hand... Broadway. Someone dropped a cupcake on the pavement, chocolate cake, lemon icing with a bit of decoration. Do these pigeons look happy?

A bit of trimming flipped off and the sparrow got it.

Two minutes later there wasn't a crumb left. And no place to wash their sticky faces.

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Still searching

2011-11-10T07:05:00.001-08:00

I still have to post the Halloween images, (now taken down,) but Mr. Pumpkin is still guarding 69th street.
This has to be the most woebegone young robin I've seen in a while, Novmber and still a "Tweeny".

My wish is to find a lawn of kinglets. It's getting a bit late for this activity. One space. Something hopping around in the grass. Oh joy, kinglets, but only three golden crown. Three are better than none.

And then something caught my eye, -movement, flash of yellow, a what? The best I could figure after studying the images in computer was a lone female or immature magnolia warbler. By the time the warbler vanished so had the kinglets. Drats!!

This wasn't exactly a prime photo op, so if anyone has a better idea of what this warbler was please let me know. I love to learn.

Sipping time. The hermit..... there are now fewer of them.

The starling. They may be brats, but I love their personalities and feather patterns.

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The Berry Season

2011-11-09T04:57:00.001-08:00

Some berries are not ripe yet, others just right. I can't see the difference, but the birds can. Hermit thrushes not looking undernourished.

Mrs. Finch

Mr. Finch

Mrs. Finch still working on one berry.

On the ground. Lots of berries down there. Slender robin. Huge berry.

Not going down. Oh, oh.....

I thought I'd have to do the Heimlich maneuver on this robin, but robin finally ejected berry.

Try again.

Meanwhile, "upstairs"...

Seen on October 30th.

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A nice fall day

2011-11-08T05:20:00.000-08:00

Finally more than one cedar waxwing. Six flew into this tree, then flew off. I heard them before I could see them. For a while we've only been seeing single waxwings. This is more typical.

Peek-a-boo ruby kinglet. Never flashed.

The surprise blackpoll

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Culinary surprise

2011-11-07T05:30:00.001-08:00

Predictable, grackle with chestnut.
Not expected, hermit thrush with monster worm. I was not close and didn't want to spook the thrush. This November worm was the equivalent of a huge Italian sausage.

Huge surprise. Face off. Cardinal vs thrush.

Cardinal won. Never saw a cardinal dine on worm before.

She'd take a bite, chew, then another bite, chew. Eventually she had enough and flew off. Nobody else came for the worm. I waited about ten minutes. Abandoned protein.

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Autumn giggle

2011-11-06T04:17:00.001-08:00

November. Not as many warblers. One surprise blackpoll.
Because there are not so many travelling birds it's time to stop and watch behavior. Autumn favorite: The sky is falling. Chestnuts. I've seen this before and never fail to get the giggles. Grackles are gorgeous, nasty at times, but definitely exquisite.

The first idea is to swallow the chestnut whole. When that doesn't work they try soaking it. When that doesn't work they try cracking the shell with their strong beaks. This is a study of the anatomy of a mouth.

Oh oh, chestnut fell into water. Don't want it to sink.

Get that nut back!

Fell into water again. Toss leaves looking for it.

Don't know the final chapter, because another grackle tried to steal the chestnut and this grackle flew into the bushes.

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From the 25th

2011-11-05T04:59:00.000-07:00

These were taken the same day that the flickers were ant-picking up near Sparrow Rock. Sometimes I waffle back and forth with postings.

We've got an apple tree in the garden. The birds love the apples.

These are all pre-storm images, peaceful junco oblivious to human presence.

Young fatty

Chipping sparrow.

First time at Tanner's Spring in a long while.

This was afternoon, a good time to play with light.

Robins don't usually share space. They must have been very thirsty.

This is at one of the trees that lost half its branches.

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Always surprises

2011-11-04T05:02:00.001-07:00

To get to the park I have to pass through the Valley of the Ghouls at this time of year.

Ah, back to civilization. There are more hermit thrushes around these days than sparrow.

The titmouse with lunch which kept rolling off the log, the nut that is.

Lots of towhees in town too.

Two

Yellow rump. I love this bird. It comes "labeled".

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Life in the shambles

2011-11-03T05:32:00.001-07:00

Would you believe me if I reported seeing a snowy owl on the way to the park? Trick or treat! A 69th street special.
Lots of small birds in branches and leaves. Ground feeders. A magnolia warbler.

Surprise winter wren

At Maintenance Meadow on downed branch, female towhee.

Going for grub mocker

My favorites at this time of year, the kinglets. Hooray, a male. Golden crowned.

Definitely not undernourished

A ruby crowned at bath time, 1/2 second bather.

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On the ground

2011-11-02T03:59:00.001-07:00

There are hundreds of hermit thrush in the park most hunting bugs in the fallen branches.

But this is the real treat for today. It's two weeks behind the usual date that I see this, a carpet of kinglets. When the grass starts hopping you know what it is, busy kinglets. When I saw this I stopped and stayed put till they vanished. Female golden crowns.

The difference this time was that they had to hunt under snow.

Finally, a male.

More kinglets tomorrow.

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Smashed

2011-11-01T05:01:00.001-07:00

Looks can be deceiving. Lush berries, but they're on the ground along with 1/3 of the tree they were attached to. Berry tree near entrance to pier at Turtle Pond.
Entrance to West 69th street. Uprooted tree now "packaged." Fencing smashed.

Typical- all along West Side.

From mighty willow tree next to Bow Bridge.

Into the Rambles, heading towards Summer Cottage

Path totally blocked

The Gill..... whole new landscape

From the tree where the owl sat when we all saw it

Upper path north of Azalea Pond

Maintenance Meadow all roped off

North of Upper Lobe. The shrubbery down in the Upper Lobe is flattened.

Death can be beautiful. Also on ground.

Cedar Hill looks good.

There were lots of birds gorging yesterday. Pictures will follow. For now, the ruination must be seen. Walking in the Rambles is severely limited. The landscape is changed.

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Sad Sunday

2011-10-31T05:03:00.001-07:00

Looks can be deceiving. I expected to get to the park and find snow delicately decorating branches and leaves, but not too much snow.
I didn't expect a war zone. Branches snapped, not delicate branches, the main body work of the trees. Major trees uprooted. Trees split in half. Fences bent and benches smashed. This was heart-sickening.

I didn't search for migrating birds. There were birds working the ground, finding bugs and bits in and around the fallen limbs. There were hundreds of hermit thrushes.

Seed-eating juncos.

The phoebe didn't have to fly from a branch on high. The branch was on the ground.

I'll probably check out Riverside Park today.
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