Happy Birthday, Shirley Chisholm State Park!

     Last Saturday morning, my friend Christine and I explored Shirley Chisholm State Park. For her, it was their first visit to this place, and with forecasts for clouds, in the heat of summer, these are ideal conditions on the grasslands.
    Unbeknownst to us, it was the third year of this park being open to the public, and habitat-wise, it's a great park giving Brooklyn Neighborhoods of Canarsie and East New York access to an amazing Green Space with waterfront access for exploration and fishing. The park also boasts ecology programs, a free bike library program, and amazing views of our urban landscape against the reclamation of human activity by nature (with of course, help from people).
    This park and it's two sections are both old landfills, so with a little engineering and work, it is a safe space for people and wildlife, alike boasting many native grasses, wetland plants, and a few trees.
    While summertime is a quiet time, as birds are more secretive as they raise their families and attempt to keep them safe. But over the water, terns are diving into the water, shore birds can be seen at low tide, and if you're lucky you might see a terrapin pop its head up from the water.
    The weather stayed mostly cloudy, but the sun did come out toward the end of our walk and, oh boy, it's blazing hot there, especially on the asphalt. I recommend sticking to the gravel trails and bringing water if you plan to go-- and earlier in the day (mind you the park has hours where the gates are open, so do check before you go) and when there is a nice breeze. And protect your skin with sunscreen or protective clothing! You may also consider bug spray too!
    Any who, we did get some sights that blew us away, including, but not pictured here, and young Eastern cottontail that made my brain explode with cuteness.

Noticed a Killdeer making a lot of racket and feigning injury. That only meant one thing.

There is something worth protecting and distracting from.

Killdeer are LOUD parents and fake injury to lure potential predators away from their chicks.
This family had four chicks with them, and were walking right on the path in front of where we were heading, so we stood back and watched, but eventually and carefully just walked past and kept moving, honoring their space and giving them a chance to calm down.
except one diligent part walked ahead of us, laying flat and calling it's "deer-deeer-deeeer- DEEEER" call loudly until it was satisfied with how far away it "led" us.

Like the piping plover I voluntarily do outreach around, killdeer too are plovers!
Like piping plovers, they nest on the ground, babies are mobile soon after birth and can self feed, but not fly. Parents actively work together to protect the chicks until they can fly.
But unlike piping plovers, they tend to nest in open, grassy, even rocky areas. Sometimes their nests are found in odd places like islands in parking lots or sports fields.
But, both sure are cute!

If you see any baby birds, especially ones feathered, many are fledging, meaning they are learning to get on in life. Often parents are nearby. Unless a bird is visibly injured, bleeding, or parents do not come to care for it for some time, then it is important to find them help with a licensed rehabilitator. Never attempt to care for a bird yourself!

After seeing the killdeer, we saw a large bird, soaring and circling.
It was a juvenile bald eagle. A very young one at that. This bird is a year or less in age with the extreme darkness to its plumage and beak.
It upset a red-tail hawk family who dove at it and chased it off from where they were occupying. So very cool to see, playing out over the park.