The Usual

     I have not gotten out for a walk in what has felt like FOREVER! I have been amazingly busy, prepping for the NYC Century Bike tour and riding it (well, 55 miles of it) last Sunday (9/8/14), as well as performing my civic duties (sometimes these civic duties take up 11.5 hours of my day), and in between, doing what has to be done around here. I realized how much I missed being outside, so I rode home furiously today, swapped out my pack with my kindle for a pack with a camera, and hopped on my bike and went to the park. I forgot to even change my shoes- my don't care if they get dirty hiking boots sat at home, while my brand new shoes got dusted in dry soil.
     I saw nothing extraordinary today, but I'm okay with that. I was just so happy to see the usual birds of Prospect Park and was happy to be immersed in the outside world, instead of a cold windowless, monochromatic room.

This squirrel is gearing up for fall, getting his acorns in order. Squirrels are primarily responsible for the dispersal of oak trees, they don't remember every acorn they hide!

This juvenile cardinal blends in rather well with some of the dead leaves.

A black crowned night heron takes on its crepuscular role, as it's name implies with a position in the middle of where the lullwater joins the lake 

A scruffy looking red-bellied woodpecker. Many of the birds rights now are in the process of molting, looking mismatched or just disheveled as they drop and replace feathers. 

Catbirds all over the place, as usual. 

Show-off of a mute swan. 

A different pair of mute swans from the one above, this one seems to have the "she's taken" look. 

Even invasive phragmites weeds can look somewhat picturesque at sunset. Many of the phrag's have been covered in tarps in an effort by the park to monitor and lower the numbers of this invasive reed. Unfortunately it seems people have been playing with (and even on) the tarps, disturbing them and phragmites have begun regrowing in some termed areas.

I rarely get pictures of spotted sandpipers in the park because they are so easily startled, half the time, you don't even know they are there. This one was pretty out in the open along the shore of the peninsula, so we saw each other and I kept my distance and let this guy pace up and down the rocks, foraging, bobbing its little body with each little step of those spindly legs. I love the soft waves of the water behind him.

Kissing its reflection. But more likely picking up little invertebrates to eat.