Mar 30, 2011

Re-visit

NY Trip Day 4:

Within our first few minutes of visiting the Ramble on Saturday, I was grinning....realizing I loved the area. We made our way back for a bit today, searching [unsuccessfully] for a rare bird and visiting the regulars:



This is a new bird, a Fox Sparrow!




and a Wood Duck.

Also at Central Park today: a few bufflehead and the rest of the regulars. :) Unfound: Kinglets.




Jamaica Bay

NY Trip Day3:

BLUSTERY at Jamaica Bay. Will have to make another trip someday a little later into Spring Migration. Birds, nonetheless:




A NY Gull smashing an oyster to bits. Go ahead, ask me 
what kind of gull, just try it!


I thought I heard a giant bunch of Canada Geese coming in. Not so.


Snow Geese! Bunches.

Also at Jamaica Bay: RWBBs, American Oystercatchers!, Cardinals and Goldfinches.
Northern Shovelers, Green-Winged Teal, Osprey and a Snowy Egret.





Yard Bird

NY Trip Day Two:

Relaxed and hung out on 22nd Street today. I figured I better try for a few shots of those wonderfully noisy Monk Parakeets:




Only other yard visitors today: House Sparrows and a Junco or two.


Central Park Birds

NY Trip Day One:
A little too busy before the trip, I didn't have time to research....we headed to the Ramble, which runs from about 72nd to 80th Street in the center of the park. Here are the [boring everyday NY] birds (according to my mom) we found:


We started with three Red-tailed Hawks. These are the first two - the third was perched closely in a Spruce. 
When we got back to the house, we were looking at the photos and learning about Pale Male...long story short looks like we had an authentic sighting of this very famous NY Red-tail and his current mate Ginger. Hadn't been a goal, and it didn't occur to me while we watched the pair, but some anecdotal evidence suggests that's who we saw. FUN.


A Male Cardinal


and a female. I've always enjoyed the female more.


White-throated Sparrow. There's been one visiting Colorado, at the Red Rocks Trading Post. I was so excited to see this one - after a few moments though, we realized 
they're as common as House Sparrows in NY.



Tufted Titmouse. :)


Very Exciting Red-bellied Woodpecker [tongue searching for insects.]
(Another "boring NY bird" according to my mom..."Oh we get those in our backyard all the time.")


Male. I think we saw about 6 of them in the space of an hour.


White-breasted Nuthatch...tamer, friendlier and less likely to hide in the shade
than their Colorado counterpart.


Blue Jay.


and Grubby NY Squirrel.

Also viewed today: Northern Mockingbird, European Starling, Mallard, American Robin, Mourning Dove, Rock Pigeon, (SHOCKING I know) House Sparrow, Downy Woodpecker, Black-capped Chickadee and American Goldfinch.



















Mar 21, 2011

Weekend Snippits

Got outside for two seconds this weekend. Here are some snippets:


Song Sparrow serenade at Running Deer. I love how they greet the sun!


Is this an easy silhouette? RWBB...


A duck in a tree. A Wood Duck! Connie found it for us on our Big Thomson Ponds State Wildlife Area walk. Someday I should see such a thing more closely!!