Cemetery Walk

     We are currently in "baby watch" mode as we prepare to welcome our future niece to the family, she is bound to make her appearance any day now, but in the meantime we have the chance to spend some time with visiting family. My mother-in-law stayed with us last night and she, my husband, and I went for a walk this afternoon in Greenwood Cemetery. The cemetery is always lovely to walk through with its impressive monuments, mausoleums, and beautiful views of Manhattan as it contains the highest point in Brooklyn. We had a lovely walk with some fun surprises, enjoy:

This scraggly young robin has his feather ruffled over something...

 

A mourning dove - named because it's call (commonly confused for an owl) sounds sad and mournful.

A dragonfly finds a very interesting sign to bask on. And the hill was indeed full of graves.

The rolling hills within the cemetery provide some amazing views.

Views of downtown Manhattan and the Freedom Tower.

No wonder dragonflies are amazing hunters, look at those eyes! He looks like a fighter pilot. This guy was so cute, he moved his head around a lot, he was looking at something interesting. 

Some of the dragonflies buzzing about were so large they cast very noticeable shadows on the ground.

The large clouds provided a neat background for this statue of the Roman Goddess Minerva, up near the Civil War Monument.

I heard a lot of squabbling and noise that sounded like upset mockingbirds, and then I saw not only the upset mockingbirds, but a red tailed hawk that was clearly upsetting them. In his talons (it was a small hawk- so I am going to assume it was male) you can see his prize, a squirrel.

Not a good quality picture, but the mockingbirds repeatedly took shots at him and hit him hard. The hawk just sat and let it happen. Mockingbirds are notoriously territorial, it doesn't matter how big or small, they don't pick on anything their own size, even people get attacked by nesting mockingbirds.

A mockingbird tells the hawk what's up, but the hawk seems to ignore. 

Always love seeing red tails, such cool birds!

I like how both statue and bird have found something interesting up above.