City Nature Challenge 2022

     This past Friday through today was the City Nature Challenge, a nationwide engagement run through iNaturalist by way of the LA Natural History Museum and California Academy of Sciences. IT's a friendly competition between cities trying to log as much life observed into iNaturalist. The city-wide project also exists as a project on iNaturalist and any observations made in the NYC area go toward both of these initiatives.

    I contributed some plants and insects, but also a lot of birds. I participated in a CNC event at Calvert Vaux Park on Friday, did a little jaunt around Marine Park also on Friday, and then on Sunday got to do some birding in Green-Wood Cemetery.

Every animal that is not a pat or in human care counts, so Robins, Starlings, all got themselves a picture taken.

I also took crappy ID photos to submit on iNaturalist. Like this, of a red-tailed hawk.

Even this House Sparrow got himself a photo, too bad I cannot tell what kind of insect it is eating, could have been a two-fer to submit.
On iNaturalist, everything counts, dead or alive - so even prey would be something that one can submit as an entry.

This peregrine falcon caused a frenzy among all the gulls and also a nice one to add to iNaturalist!

A pair of Forster's terns fed right in front of us and did their hovering which makes it a touch easier to grab a picture. The light was not in favor or snapping photos of any birds over or on the water.

After Calvert Vaux, I had a little time to spare before picking up the kiddo. So I did a quick walk around the loop at Marine Park. 
I began with a wave "hello" to this greater yellowlegs.

It was a quiet walk, really, until I got to this.
A female ring necked pheasant just off the path. She had such excellent camouflage for the dried grasses.

And just a little further up, I ran into this strapping fella. He called in front of me and shook out his wings and chest.

Then he walked right toward me, crossed the path I was on, and headed right in the direction of the hen I just passed. Clearly other things are fogging his brain, enough to just walk out into the open just to pursue a female.

On Sunday I headed out "early," my new early is a birders late morning, to Green-Wood Cemetery. I ran into some friendly faces and joined them for some birding together. I came for the warblers and sure got what I was hoping for.

This blue winged warbler was the drop of sunshine that I needed.

I love ovenbirds and we saw a few. They are always in the shadows, creeping along the ground, so this perfectly captures their essence.

A bold and big bird, the great-crested flycatcher. Love these birds!

Will it walk up? Down? No. Sideways.
Black-and-white warblers just go where they please along the trees.

Very pleased to see two female rose-breasted grosbeaks foraging among the oak trees together. Oddly the oaks were bare of birds, normally for spring, they are hopping!

A red tail hawk was eyeing something.
It was the next place it was going to perch. It soared right over our little group and into the tree we stood below.

A late golden-crowned kinglet. I didn't realize I captured it preening this perfectly tiny feather.