Wednesday, July 3, 2024

Downstairs community

Warm, clear day, young catbird looking for food and studying me.
 




Parent dove in nest with nestling.  I don't know if there's a second nestling. View limited.


Yesterday's dead dove is definitely dead. Blow flies feasting.
Leucystic robin,  not painful, just loss of pigmentation, near fountain.

Starling anting.  They always look silly while  aerating.

Mv eye caught movement near front door, biggest rat I've seen in a while, midday.  Naturally I took pictures until it scurried into the bushes. I ran into the lobby to the doormen.  "There's a rat outside. I've got pictures."  They look at pictures and announce, "That's Harry." HARRY???? What??? Harry? Victor previous doorman named him.Victor has been retired at least two years, so Harry has been here for a while. "We've seen him run by the door with a whole slice of pizza."  Okay, does Harry pay rent? Does Harry have a mortgage?  This is New York. anything goes.  We have hawks around here and Harry is still alive. Smart rat.

'


Tuesday, July 2, 2024

Cooling off

Mouth open, stretched out on ground, anting.... how to get cool in summer heat....  robins, starlings.. not battles.
 




An immature starling.
Immature catbird.

Monday, July 1, 2024

The Usuals

It was so humid in the morning that it took an hour for my camera to adjust, fogged glass. It looked like photographing through scotch tape. Finally the glass cleared, but there was no answer to the dove nest population, one or two babies?  Same tree as last year, but slight shift of nest position. I suspect two nestlings.
 



The starling faces are good for a comedy team, all adults here. The young are around yelling for food


Adult robins collecting mulberries for nestlings.

My favorite juvenile robin, so strong and personable... and cooperative.

This dark-headed kid is a male.