Let It Snow!

Many who have discovered over the years that old age, ice and fractures tend to be correlated might look out the window on a snowy day and decide to stay in to prevent injury. Then there are those, like me, who look out the window, pull on the snow boots, grab a walker and a camera, and trudge outside to record the white stuff. My logic? One can either use a verticality-assistance device and look like an old lady or be an old lady and stay home.

This young red-tailed hawk was probably seeing his first heavy snowfall, Jan. 7, 2017

This young red-tailed hawk was probably seeing his first heavy snowfall, Jan. 7, 2017

So when the snow was falling on Saturday, Jan. 7, I first pulled beautiful Hillary, the Christmas tree, out on the sidewalk, then took off with walker and gloves for Central Park. The result? A new video, Snow Day!

You won't see footage of the chickadees, sparrows, tufted titmice and nuthatches I was feeding in the Ramble. Whenever I'd try to lift my camera up, a bird would perch on the lens as if to say, "What the heck are you doing? That hand should be filled with seeds!" So I went with the feed-the-birds alternative to chickadee photography.

Below are some of the photos from the afternoon in Central Park. Heading home in the snow, the New York skyline was beautiful in the haze. There are no photos of Woody and the green-winged teal, but you will see them in the video!

Chasing Hawks on Christmas Day

We had a gorgeous Christmas Day, a perfect time to walk in Central Park and find red-tailed hawks. We were so happy to chase one first-year youngster around the Ramble, and then thrilled to see Octavia north of the Met Museum and Pale Male just south of the Reservoir. 

Pale Male, Christmas Day, 2016

Pale Male, Christmas Day, 2016

The Chasing the Hawks in Central Park video I titled I Saw Three Hawks Come Sailing In on Christmas Day, on Christmas Day. It is always fun to photograph Pale Male.

I love photographing hawks on sunny days. These photos of the youngster made me happy.

The first photo below is of Octavia, high in a tree north of the Met Museum. The rest are of Pale Male, first south of the Reservoir, then on top of the Met Museum, then just east of the obelisk.

The Joys of the Winter Solstice!

Dec. 21 was a glorious day in Central Park, for I was able to see my first male green-winged teal, plus Woody, a young male pintail duck, lots of mallards, and a couple of hawks. I was also able to feed chickadees, nuthatches, tufted titmice, sparrows, woodpeckers, squirrels, pigeons and other hungry wildlife in the park (no pictures of the smaller birds on this day, because the birds were on my hands or on my hat or camera).

Green-winged teal drake at the Pond in Central Park, Dec. 21, 2016

Green-winged teal drake at the Pond in Central Park, Dec. 21, 2016

On the Christmas front, I posted a short version of the Christmas story told in art at the Cloisters on Facebook, but a longer one on YouTube. I hope you enjoy it!

Another photo of the green-winged teal, our dear Woody!, the little pintail duck (now called Pinny), and some foliage visible from Gapstow Bridge. Look for some of these characters to appear in the Christmas in New York Central Park video!

Young red-tailed hawk near the Boathouse, Central Park, Dec. 21, 2016

Young red-tailed hawk near the Boathouse, Central Park, Dec. 21, 2016