Monday, March 23, 2015

The beginning of Spring

Ed Gaillard: birds &emdash; Elena feeding a Titmouse
Watch this! I am going to eat these seeds, and not get eaten!

Spring began this weekend. It was a long winter, and Elena had some knee trouble and couldn't get out much. We were finally able to go birding in the Ramble Sunday, and it was a fine outing.

The first order of business was to feed the Titmouses and Chickadees at the Upper Lobe. The Titmousen were characteristically fearless; the Chickadees were a bit more standoffish. One was at least interested enough that it actually sat still for many seconds at a time, and I was able to get some of my best Chickadee photos ever.

Ed Gaillard: birds &emdash; Black-Capped Chickadee, Central Park
I'm not sure I want to do that

We didn't neglect the otehr little birds, though they never come to hand.

Ed Gaillard: birds &emdash; House Sparrow, Central Park
that's right! never neglect the Sparrow, for he is puissant and fierce

All the usual late winter birds were around.

Ed Gaillard: birds &emdash; White-Breasted Nuthatch, Central Park
I'm not going to show you where I've stashed the seeds

And there was singing everywhere. This Cardinal gave a concert about 4 feet from a path and just six feet up.

Ed Gaillard: birds &emdash; Cardinal singing, Central Park
I call this number, "Get Out of My Territory, Fool"

The best birds of the day (in the birding sense) didn't yield any good photos: two American Woodcocks deep in the brush near Azalea Pond; a Merlin perched briefly atop a tree at the south end of Maintenance, then flying fast and hard toward Belvedere Castle; a Turkey Vulture high, high overhead. Fine things to see, though.

I hope you had a good first weekend of Spring, too.

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