Brown Pelicans - Part 1

Earlier this spring, I made several posts about American White Pelicans. 

Now for some Brown Pelicans!

I photographed the White Pelicans at a lake in St Petersburg, Florida. From there, it was short walk to the shore of Tampa Bay where the Brown Pelicans put on a show each evening. 

Whereas the White Pelicans hunt in coordinated groups and scoop fish out of the water with their giant bills, Brown Pelicans employ a completely different hunting strategy: Diving.

Watching them really soothed my soul and raised my spirits.

This one carries some nesting material.

I couldn't get enough of these guys and took a zillion photos, so there will be more to come. They're such amazing birds and fascinating to watch.

Preparing for hawk fledge time

We're getting close to fledge time for the Tompkins Square hawk chicks. All three are looking great and I hope we get to see them around the park very soon. Until then, here are some photos from last week.

Mom Amelia perches in the nest next to one of her kids who is almost as tall as her. 

The young ones have yellowish chests, which is one way to distinguish them from the adults.

Here are two little fuzzy heads hunkered down in the wind.

This may be the only photo I have of all three siblings lined up and facing the same direction.

Big yawn...

Two of the three siblings:

Mom Amelia on the left, a chick standing, and another lying down in front of them.

Practicing some wing flaps:

This photo shows two chicks and dad Charlie (back right), which surprised me at the time. Both last year and this last spring, I have rarely seen him spend time on the nest. He usually delivers food, then takes off. This time, he brought some dinner and stuck around.

Dad was replaced by mom Amelia (right).

This is Amelia and Charlie perched together on the roof of the Christodora on a cloudy evening. They seem relaxed and to have everything under control.

Looking forward to more exciting updates coming soon.

Quality time with Pileated Woodpeckers

Earlier in the season, I encountered a couple of female Pileated Woodpeckers feasting on insects in a tree.

Their hammering could be heard across the whole forest.

These birds are so striking and charismatic.

These two danced around each other on a branch. I'm not really sure what was going on - they seemed more friendly than aggressive.

This is a third woodpecker seen zipping through the air.

The Pileated Woodpecker is the largest woodpecker in North America, being almost the size of a crow. They're usually the highlight of my birding trips. 

 

 

NYC Wildlife

Taking a break from birds for a minute to highlight some of our urban critters. NYC is a tough place for any animal to live, so these guys deserve some recognition for finding their own way in this challenging environment.

This is a little Opossum in Tompkins Square Park. I have no idea where it came from or where it went after it left this tree.

Look at those toes!

And the teeth!

 

I think it was just yawning. After a few minutes, the Opossum made a face-first vertical descent.

These guys are good to have around as they eat all the nasty things like rotting food, carrion and insects. 

Oh, hello!

Another animal who has a varied diet is the Striped Skunk. I saw my first one ever in Queens, and this pair below in Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn.

Green-Wood is also home to this guy, the Groundhog. 

Unlike the Opossum and Skunk, Groundhogs are strictly herbivores.

We're all familiar with this little character, the Gray Squirrel. They come in a variety of coat colors and can be found in almost every NYC park. I think the ones in Tompkins Square are the most amusing. 

 

I mean, what other critter chillaxes like this?