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#birdsforbecsnan

3 posts3 participants0 posts today
Public
Urban Dinosaurs

Those of you who have followed me for a while might have wondered about the number of pictures I posted from the Berkshires. We had had a vacation house there, but that phase of our lives is now—we've moved out—so I'll confirm it. But I’ll post my first and last good bird pictures: a bedraggled red-tailed hawk after a downpour, in 2017 (shortly after I started birding), and a common raven this month.

A hawk with very wet feathers on a ~2 cm branch, looking to its right. In the background are green leaves.
A raven flying left to right against a clear blue sky. Note the diamond-shaped tail.
Public
Urban Dinosaurs

I didn't have much time in Central Park today, but I got some nice photos of common New York City winter birds: a tufted titmouse, a downy woodpecker, an American goldfinch, and a house sparrow. (Aside: with so few people posting here from New York, I'm going to switch to using rather than the Manhattan-specific I used on the Bad Site. It would be nice if other NYC birders tagged their pictures that way, too.)

A left profile view of the titmouse, perched on a thin branch. There appears to be a dark spot over its beak.
The woodpecker is perched vertically on a tree trunk, with its tail as usual providing bracing.
A right profile view of the goldfinch, which has its head turned towards me. There appear to be some dark spots on its head.
A left profile view of the sparrow, on a thin branch.
Public
Urban Dinosaurs

The interesting thing about these pictures of a common raven and a red-tailed hawk is what happened just before. The two were contesting for space on a tree; eventually, the hawk left. This tree was right across the street from where the ravens have a nest. The raven then went to a nearby building; the hawk was joined by another, probably its mate, and circled just north. Plus, until a few years ago, that nesting site was used by the hawks.

The hawk perched on top of a concrete building roof decoration. Behind it is red tile.
The hawk is soaring, wings and tail feathers spread wide, against a blue sky. It’s looking down, probably for food.
Public
Urban Dinosaurs

The weather and my schedule finally cooperated enough to let me get out with my camera. I didn't see anything interesting in Central Park (though I didn't have long there), but I saw an American kestrel in Morningside Park and a common raven near St. John the Divine. Both were nice—I haven't seen any kestels in about two years, and the raven because right after I saw it, it flew to where a pair nested last year.

Public
Urban Dinosaurs

I recently took a nature-focused trip to Costa Rica. As you may know, it's a wonderful place to go to see all sorts of wildlife. I can't possibly post all of my pictures, but I'll post some of my favorites over the next few weeks.
So: a keel-billed toucan, a red-legged honeycreeper, a slate-throated redstart, and a tropical kingbird.

A toucan in a bare treetop, with its head raised so that its body is almost straight. Its mouth is slightly open.
A bright blue bird perched on top of a bar log, in profile view.
The bird is perched on a thin branch, facing us but with its head turned to its left. The blurry background is green.
A profile view of a bird perched at the very top of a thin, bare branch.
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