Thursday, October 19, 2017

Happy 150th Birthday Prospect Park!

     After work today, I decided to go birding in Prospect Park- what a fitting day to go as it is the 150th anniversary of the park first opening!
     Prospect Park has become a very important component of my life in Brooklyn. I had enjoyed birding before Brooklyn, working for Audubon, naturally, birding was a thing I did... but the first time I saw a swallow-tailed kite soar above Prospect Park-- my love for birding was re-kindled and burned stronger than ever. The wildlife in this urban oasis fascinated me, I was addicted and I found myself wondering this park whenever I had nothing better to do. The park allowed me to meet a wonderful network of Brooklyn birders, many of whom I consider friends and enjoy running into in the field, Prospect has become the patch I am dedicated to birding during the Christmas Bird Count. I love this park and feel rather at home within it.
     So I enjoyed a sunset over the upper pool and the wildlife that crossed my path as I stood in solitude under the towering trees, mostly oak and sweet gum- with their changing leaves, exaggerated by the low sun... this is what I saw...
A bullfrog with an autumn leaf.

A fun little bird! A winter wren!

Imagine a cotton ball, with two toothpicks and a few plucky feathers stuck out the back end... that's a winter wren!

Their tiny little tails are so funny. this little thing was quite loud as it "chip-chipped" around some fallen logs. their singing voice is quite amazing for what that tiny body can produce, in volume and length.

Enjoyed some views of the gorgeous wood ducks.

And then, as the sun sank...

Someone is not ready to get out of bed. I sat waiting for this raccoon to stir, and to my luck- it did! But just when I thought I got all the cuteness possible...

DOUBLE RACCOON!

They have such young looking faces-- and to cram in that hole together-- it makes me think they are not a monstrously large, older raccoon.

And TONGUE. What a great end to my little bit of time I had out.
I bet these guys are hoping there is some leftover 150th Birthday Cake somewhere in the park for them...

No comments:

Post a Comment