Earth Day 2022

     Yesterday with Earth Day and so I got out, embracing the spring and what it brings with it, lots of life practically screaming for more life. The birds are singing, the plants are staring to wake up from their winter slumber, and insects are zooming through the air all signs point to spring. I think we should finally be beyond the second and third winters we have already experienced after some periods of warm.

    For Earth Day, I took to my bike all day - even hauled my week worth of groceries home on it, and I ventured to Shirley Chisholm State Park and Floyd Bennett Field. Then, today, I biked down to Fort Tilden to become a NYC Plover Project Volunteer, I saw two year birds after training and I am excited to lend a hand to these endangered birds.

    Before I lose you to photos, if you are interested in volunteering with NYC Plover Project and helping to protect Piping Plovers through education and engagement, please check them out, there is another training opportunity to come! 

Birds and buds!
A normally skulky song sparrow jumps up to the highest perch to belt out his song in the hopes of intimidating all rivals and wooing the hearts of the ladies.
Also, the barren branches come to life, with fresh green buds, ready to pop into something more lush.
This song, as well as the more buzzy version by the savannah sparrows, greets you as you enter the Shirley Chisholm State Park.

A real gem, is enjoying the iridescence of a tree swallow who treats you to a prolonged view from its perch. These swallows nest along Jamaica Bay, especially in the Wildlife Refuge where nest boxes provide them with comfortable places to lay eggs and raise chicks.

The winds were whipping, especially at the top of the Fountain Ave Mound. This crow took a few precarious landings to finally nail it. I do love the urban backdrop of East New York to counter the nature in the foreground.

Red-winged blackbirds also are the other dominant soundscape to the park, screaming over the Belt Parkway that flanks the north side of the park.

So I'm obsessed with birds on these amazingly textured twigs of the various plants waking up to the extended daylight.
A savannah sparrow uses this one as its stage to sing its song.

So as I was coming down from the Fountain Ave Mound, I stopped at a small drainage basin. First glance, it seems to have a whole lot of nothing. But a scan with my binoculars revealed something hiding in plain sight.
A sleeping Wilson's snipe! Had zero expectations to find one and this really made my day!

I fought the wind to get a not-so-blurry picture, but I even got lucky that at one point it even woke up to show off that impressive bill it (somehow) hid in those feathers.

Dang, what a cool bird!

When song sparrows are singing, I can't resist them. It's like you're being treated to a limited time engagement. Enjoy their little melodies and the show they put on...

... as they toss their head back and belt out loudly, their song. How lucky are we to witness them, as they risk it all, making themselves vulnerable to everything as they move up high and tall to scream their song into the world. I will never ever get sick of a song sparrow.

And for all the beauty and joy of spring, there is also some death. I love raptors, but I also love snakes. From where I was standing I had a really hard time making this prey item out-- and once at home I realized it was a snake. Red tails are most known for eating small mammals, but they will take snakes, lizards, and birds too. 
With the weather being so warm, the snakes come out to bask and can expose themselves to danger, looks like this was one of the unlucky ones.

But, this little snake could be nourishment for a young bird in a nest somewhere, so with death there is also life. I'm also always stoked for there to be snakes around. Plus, this is probably a safer food option than a potentially poisoned rat.

Taken from my phone today, I am excited to help Piping Plovers here in NYC but also, other beach nesting birds, like these American Oystercatchers. We got to walk the beach after training today and saw these birds, plus a piping plover!

Areas are already roped off at Ft. Tilden as birds have arrived and are already starting the nesting process. Please share the shore with these lovelies.

As I was juuuuust about to exit the beach with some others, I spotted a gull who appeared to be a white-winged gull. It looked to be a first winter Iceland gull! What a treat, I've been needing one for the year, so this made me very happy.
Please consider joining NYC Plover Project, a part of me also joined because I figured I can sit and complain... or I could do something and make a difference! And do that something and make a difference, at the beach. 😎