Hints of spring

It's raw and cold out, but there are hints of what lies ahead. I was totally surprised to see the mourning cloak butterfly.

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Also by the river

Web-footed lawn -mowers.

The perfect backdrop for a portrait. Two second portrait.

Up on Riverside Blvd. there's a resident mockingbird. He does bus, taxi, doorman whistle, car horn and human laughter.

The routine was being "sung" while nearby sat a song sparrow. Silent.

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Home, Sweet Home

I do love coming upon funny cameos unexpectedly. I don't know if this twosome are related, one small, cautious squirrel in the "house", the other exploring outside. Both about the same size and coloring.

I threw down a peanut. Outside squirrel ran down, grabbed it and went behind the tree. Insider watched everything.

I threw down a second peanut. Insider came out, ran down tree fast and sped back home.

I'll be checking this home every time I pass this way. I'd love to know what else is down the hatch.

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Incubating!

Mama Hawk is incubating. The major clue is that she had lunch in the nest. But this is still the weirdest nest- not from a photographer's point of view, but from the baby-safety point of view. There's no way three growing nestlings can do trampoline exercises in this nest. When it's time to fledge they'll have to go DOWN rather than across, no "branching" this time around. And there's no overhead protection. With all the trees to choose from in this area why, oh why, did they select this spot??!! From the photo point of view this is going to be a difficult event to document. The buds will burst with greenery giving no window of photo opportunity. For the safety of the nestlings the parents will have to build up the sides of the nest and that will take it higher, even more open to the elements. And finally- an alert to all: Do not sit on bench under nest unless you want to be poop-blessed. It might even be wise to alert everyone on the pedestrian path. From hawks, poop flies.

Lunch

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West End Avenue Joy

In our back yard, March 20, 2007 - TWO, both awake, gorgeous woodcocks. They stayed two days.

This morning, March 9, 2010- ONE woodcock sleeping in the underbrush.

Early afternoon- it woke up and then departed. Sweet treasure was here and got documented, West End Avenue visitor. Total joy.

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Learning from squirrels

A couple of seasons ago there was a red-winged black bird who routinely begged for food......followed birders and yelled at them for a handout, lit on back packs waiting, ate out of hands, absolutely knew who had something delicious. Now I've met this robin who flies right over when I'm strolling. He's the only robin who does this. You're walking and suddenly, zoom, he's there. A peanut lover.

And when he's had enough he just flies off to do his thing, usually to sip some water.

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Intermezzo

The goal was to stay with the Riverside Park hawks all day, but when I got there hawk was in nest and after 25 minutes flew elsewhere. Gone. I had thought that maybe it was incubation time. Not so, and according to my records incubation didn't really begin last year until March 24th.

Next stop- go home for lunch. It's tedious seeing nothing, but on the way home a sparrow caught my eye, a snow chip eating sparrow.

and a mockingbird,

and then a definite sign of spring.

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