Winter's Final Hurrah?

     Let's be real, this winter stinks. In my world, honestly, every winter stinks - I'm more reptilian than mammalian and tend to function better in warmer temperatures. Just when you think we had enough snow, this week ended with around 4-5 inches. I'm really hoping that this is it, and I bet the wildlife is hoping that too.
     I took a morning walk on Tuesday at the Marine Park salt marsh, which happened to coincidentally be World Wildlife Day. I had the pleasure of viewing a red shouldered hawk, a pintail duck, and American wigeon. I also, unfortunately witnessed a lot of waterfowl that perished in the rough winter we have had. I am sad to see wildlife die, but the wild isn't all cupcakes, rainbows, and butterflies.

The rising sun warms the world and this little mockingbird, who is eating sumac berries for breakfast.

An American wigeon drake swims in what seems like a puddle of water that is the only open water on the salt marsh. 

 ...Then by Wednesday evening it began to snow... all the way through Thursday...

Window birding from the warmth of my apartment.

     After the snow passed, and with a day off from work, I decided a walk in Prospect was needed. While I loathe winter, I still find it beautiful and this might be my last weekend to enjoy the fresh snow. I actually hope its the last weekend I have to ever enjoy fresh snow until next winter.

This Northern Shoveler also appears to be done with winter.

Even the everyday mallard can be a stunner. Love the blue hiding in his wing.

The snow we got was light and fluffy, the trees are covered. Evergreens are drooping from the weight. Anyway, it makes me crave roasted marshmallows.

Black capped chickadee.

This robin wants to remind you that he's been here the whole time. He is not a sign of spring. But signs of spring can be heard throughout the park. I was really really happy to hear a whole mess of red wing blackbirds belting out their "HONK-A-REE!" It's one of my favorite sounds that signals spring for our area.

I decided to walk over to the boathouse, and was excited to see from the bridge that the two other common mergansers were hanging out in the small pool of water there. When I got over to the side they were on I was upset to see that this drake has a fishing hook and attached line snagged on the right side of his breast. 

Mergansers are divers, they dive to catch their food, fish. We use hooks and lines to catch our fish. It's a shame that when not discarded properly, these hooks and lines catch more than just fish. This merganser was reported to folks who work in the park and look out for the wildlife in it. Unfortunately birds fly, and this one in particular can dive. I've had to catch diving ducks in my zookeeper days, and it's not an easy task. I hope this dude can get helped, it pains me to see animals that are injured, especially injured from our misdoings. In New York, you can recycle monofilament fishing line, check it out. 

The drake could still hold his own, hopefully he can manage just fine until he can be helped.

After the merganser ordeal, I decided to start making my way home, but to first stop by where I began, the picnic tables on Wellhouse Drive. A few house finches and American goldfinches were feeding in the birch trees.

And then, there it was, a Common Redpoll. A life bird for me, and here it is, right in Prospect Park! These birds have had an irruptive year, making their way down a bit more south than usual, in larger numbers.

Also a finch, like the other birds in the same tree and trees around it. These birds eat various types of seeds, the seeds this one is after are those of a birch tree.

Very happy to have encountered this bird in Brooklyn!

And just before leaving, an American Tree sparrow hones its sight perfectly on it's prey of a birch catkin. Yeah, I just learned what a catkin is too.

     Enjoy the (hopefully) last of the snow and begin to celebrate spring, it's almost here!

Spring, is That You??

     Yesterday began cold, the day slowly warmed, but today I woke up to 40 degrees. Really?! I don't think we've seen a day above 35 since, maybe, December? Anyway, I welcome the warmth and do so by spending as much time outside as I can. I walked Plumb Beach, then a few areas in Floyd Bennett Field, and completed the day with a 7.6 mile run.

     I walked around today with an unzipped jacket (because I was sweating!), and only two layers of pants, instead of the three I have been wearing lately. I also didn't need to wear gloves or a scarf, but I kept the huge snow boots, and glad I did, because I did a lot of wading through 2-3inch pools of snow melt water, especially on the ex-runways of Floyd Bennett Field. 

     Todays biggest joy was just being comfortable outside, for the first time this winter; it makes me excited for migration and spring!

Plumb Beach... remembering last summer, how I came here to bird, then laid on the sand, put my feet in the water and rode my bike home. I cannot wait to get that back! The snow is pretty to look at, but I'm over it!

Brooklyn Icebergs! Frozen salt water washed up on Plumb Beach.

Even the jetty looks cold.

Unlike the horned larks I saw last week, hunkered down, braving the wind and bitter cold, these guys showed lots of leg and ran all about the scraggly grasses looking for seeds to eat.

A mockingbird greets me at Floyd Bennett.

I have a soft spot for crows. I used to work with a few individuals when I was a zookeeper and they are just as intelligent and quirky as they say, so I love and appreciate crows, ravens, jays, corvids of any kind! This lucky guy found a piece of bread. There seemed to be a pile of dumped loaves of bread right behind him.

I also find crows really beautiful, those wings are gorgeous!

I have seen grackles and crows using a trick to more easily eat hard pieces of bread.

The crow who nabbed the bread must be high ranking in the pecking order of crows, because crows flew by, or watched from trees, no one bothered the bread winner at all.

Hard bread? Put it on west surfaces to soften it up! I have also seems crows and grackles dip stale bread and crackers in ponds to more easily eat them. Heck, even the crows I cared for as a keeper, would dip their food to soften up pellets.

Long time no see, Gray Catbird! So happy to hear your "meow!"

The crows gave up this guy, a red shouldered hawk, was a nice find.

Ring billed gull reflections.

A mixed group of lesser and greater scaup, males and females.

A handsome ring billed gull.

Snow melt provides fresh water, and a communal bath for gulls.

A very handsome greater black backed gull.

Found a solo fox sparrow in the community gardens near the feeders. I love these guys, I will be sad to see them go up North.

It was really nice to see a bunch of butter butts! Yellow-rumped warblers were abundant today. Can't wait for more warblers this spring!

The Great Backyard Bird Count: Day 4 of 4 - Survival!

     The great backyard bird count ends after today. But please, don't let that stop you ever from getting outside and exploring and participating in citizen science!
     Today's frigid adventure took me to Prospect Park which is easily within walking distance from my apartment, and in multiple layers and heavy-duty boots, I was totally sweating by time I made it there!
     The theme for all the birds today was survival. The last few days have been unbearably cold, and while these birds are fine and well adapted for the cold, the cold has not allowed much to thaw, so finding food can be tough when a layer of snow and ice covers the field, the ice covering the lake spreads and thickens, and of course you have to be smart and conserve your energy if food is hard to find. Almost all the birds I saw today were doing what it takes to survive, and it seems like they know what they are doing! Nature is pretty amazing like that.

It may seem counterintuitive to bathe when it is so cold, but feather maintenance can make or break seeing the next day. These birds roost on the ice, which is getting covered in droppings, and in general, dirty feathers are bad feathers. Birds spend a heck of a lot of time preening, feathers need to be kept in tip top shape in order to allow a bird to fly and keep warm. This ring billed gull would dip in the water, splash around then fly a few feet up to shake off the water, rinse, lather, repeat.

At first you'd think that this goose is in grave danger with ice on its feathers, while it is adding some extra weight, the ice is better off there than under feathers. The way birds keep warm is by using the outer feathers like the outer shell of a winter jacket, it repels water and keeps the down feathers underneath (like the liner of your winter jacket) dry. The down feathers are soft and fluffy, allowing air to get trapped in this layer, that air stays warm between the birds skin and outer feathers. So as long as ice isn't forming below these feathers, this goose's feathers are doing what they should be.

I found my favorite goose with the "eyebrows." Birds stick their beaks under their feathers, because that downy layer is much warmer than outside!

Another ring-billed gull takes part in maintaining those amazing feathers!

A female common merganser grabs breakfast and a gull wants in on it. This hen with another hen and a drake have been on the pond for a few days or so now. Mergansers are diving ducks, their long serrated beak helps then grab fish while their powerful feet propel them below the water.

"Eat my dust."

While being in pursuit, she dove under and came back up with her prize. While being chased she continued to swallow the fish whole, amazing!

Down the hatch! Gulls are just trying to survive too. Being opportunistic and willing to eat just about anything you can get your beak on, is an adaptation that helps gulls get through tough times. It's often why you see them around landfills and dumps.

Lady merganser keeps it classy, even after her ordeal.

A male downy woodpecker chips away the outer bark of the branch, looking for insects that may be waiting below for spring's arrival.

The feeders were being taken advantage of by many birds, including this female purple finch.

A white throated sparrow looks floofy, fluffing up feathers can help warm a bird up.

A few brown-headed cowbirds were near the feeder area, all male. Males have the brown head with a black (and iridescent) body. These birds were directly in the sun and therefore super shiny!

The cowbird on the left was singing it whacky sounding song, take a listen and see what I mean. 

A juvenile mute swan  stays warm by floating in the water (which is warmer than the air) and sticking its beak below its feathers.

Not a sign of spring, Robins have been here all winter long. I bet though this bird is starting to crave worms and insects more so than the berries it has been surviving on for the winter.

A flock of American goldfinch were foraging on sweet gum seedpods. 

Their little beaks are perfect for picking out the seeds, finches, the poster child of survival.

Hope everyone had a lovely weekend or birding during the Great Backyard Bird Count! Now, its time for blankets, cocoa, and hibernation after the last few days!