A Morning of Zen

     I still had a half day of earned holiday time so I took last Tuesday morning off. It was slated the be the only full day of sun and mild temperatures. I planned to go to Green-Wood as it tends to be quieter than Prospect Park and I was looking for just that, quiet and nature. Green-Wood recently has been having much issue with folks taking advantage of their open gates doing all sorts of things that are quite disrespectful to the final resting place of many that includes members of my own family, my husband's, and many others who hail from Brooklyn; to the point GWC had to put out a statement threatening to close its grounds if folks don't shape up. Picnicking, dogs, tree-climbing, and recreational activities (bikes, scooters, jogging) are not permitted on grounds, really you are not allowed to do much more than walk, admire, and be respectful.
     I bird often here and try to be thoughtful when I see folks visiting a loved one, making sure to give them their space, especially when there is an active service and burial. I also enjoy learning about people and their past, I will often find a unique headstone or mausoleum and be able to look up those folks (google is a very powerful tool) and learn about someone historic, a tragic news story that did not play out in someones favor, or just find someone who was well loved and admired by their friends and family. I like to at least be mindful about who I am passing by and do my part in remembering someone lost while using this as a place to connect to nature.
     Green-Wood is also an arboretum and a natural space that hosts a variety of wildlife from insects to Groundhogs. Their collection of trees, many of which are ornamental are beautiful this time of year, while many of their native trees like oaks, tulips, and maples are hosts to migrating birds and the insects that they like to feast on. And it is just about that time, for spring migration, and for my baby to at any moment, be born. So this walk today was very needed, it was restorative, calming, and reconnected me to something I have missed a lot as I have isolated and avoided crowded parks and birding on weekends in trying to keep the social distancing thing going. While it wasn't a hugely birdy day (things are really starting to ramp up now), it was still perfect!

So the thing about spring, is that the birds coming in that everyone is dying to catch a sight of are warblers.... well, maybe not always this one, the yellow-rumped, but still this little butter butt gives us a good idea of what photos of most birds during this time look like. Many, many photos of blurds. Birds that are a blur, they move so damn fast, and if its a rarity, this may be the best record shot you get.  Thankfully there are tons of rumps, looking quite smart right now, so I'm not terribly worried that this one came out as a blur.

Another contender for copious blurd pictures, the "I-never-sit-still-for-more-than-2-seconds," blue-grey gnatcatcher! I took 20+ photos of this ONE bird... most were blurs, butts, flying out of frame, or a stick in the foreground perfectly in focus with maybe a bird behind it.

My favorite part of blue-grey gnatcatchers is that they always look to be so disapproving of you.

These little migrant birds are smaller than a sparrow, and as their name suggests, they love to catch and consumer insects.

This little gnatcatcher was busy catching insects hiding in the flowers of an oak tree, flitting and flapping and hovering next to the dangling flowers. Showing what absolutely gives them away, their dark tails flanked by bold,  white feathers.  I have already seen blue-grey gnatcatchers earlier this year when we visited the Rio Grande Valley in Texas, a place where they overwinter. I am always happy to see them again, they make me very happy. 

Chipping sparrows are a common sight among the grasses, their laser-bean calls ring out everywhere right now. They have a very strong hold on the grounds of the cemetery.

Their red cap and clean belly set them apart from our other local sparrows, also their call is pretty unlike that of others.

Another contender for blurd photos, kinglets, These small birds, just bigger than a ping-pong ball but nearly as round barely stay still. Not only did this one sit still, it chose a damn great backdrop....

Showing off its ruby crown, as a ruby-crowned kinglet should, this bird perched on one of the many cherry trees, in full bloom near the Sylvan Water.

Pin-pong ball.
This is a very small bird.
And also, very cute.

I always hope to get at least one bird and bloom capture. Thankful that this little bird was so obliging! 

Really working it there...

And then it does what kinglets do best in photos....

A palm warbler disregards your rules for proper table manners.

Scouring the hillside at the Sylvan water for food, this bird snagged an insect with extra long antennae!

Where there is the high pitched call of "oh-Sam-Peabodyyy," especially at this time of year, there is a sharp looking white-throated sparrow nearby!

Another great bird, that generally I find to be shy for pictures, a brown thrasher. Related to mockingbirds, I learned that these birds nest in Green-Wood!

I told you that there would be another yellow-rumped warbler! This one succeeded in catching a snack!

Later in the day, after work, I begged Tim to put on non-pajama pants and go for a walk at an undisclosed location. We found some birds, a palette of definitely stolen and dumped bricks, and this Eastern cottontail. I also found a deer tick later too. This bun is probably covered in them!

This day was so welcome, I felt like myself again and felt reconnected as I have not been immersed in nature since mid-March. I am hoping to find some strategic ways to get outdoors, avoid crowds, and soon have a little version of myself out there with me. I hope that despite the chaos of the world there is some light to be had in all this. Be safe, be well, and take care of yourselves!