There can never be too many ducks

Winter is my favorite time to see ducks, and some really interesting ones can be found in the waters around NYC.

I was really excited to find this female Common Eider off the beach at Coney Island. 

She is my first and I revisited her many times to get a decent photo. A random snow storm hit during one of my visits, which made photos nearly impossible, so I returned the following day and found her in the same spot.

I didn't have any luck seeing a male (they are black and white), but I was really happy to get good looks at this gal.

These ducks breed in the Arctic, so seeing them this far south is pretty special.

Common Goldeneyes usually show up in winter. The males appear black and white, but the dark head is actually a deep iridescent green.

These ducks are not uncommon, but they don't appear in large numbers here, so it's pretty cool to see one.

Long-Tailed ducks are some of my favorites, so I have posted photos of them before, and don't mind sharing some more. I find their plumages really interesting.

 

This is an immature male: 

And this is an adult male in non-breeding plumage:

This one is not like the others. All the ducks above are diving ducks, and often found along the shore. Muscovy ducks are none of that. Most of the ones we seen in North America are domesticated versions, and can often be found in parks or lakes.

 

I like how varied they are in appearance. This is a male. 

This is a female.

And these are Muscovy ducklings. Squeeee!

Happy Groundhog Day

It's Groundhog Day, the day we're supposed to take advice from a rodent about whether to put away that winter coat or not. Seeing as how there are still mountains of frozen brown snow lining the streets, I'm just going to assume we should continue wearing boots and gloves.

But I will pay some respect to these critters because they manage to live among use here in the city and generally keep a low profile. They're not as visible as squirrels, raccoons or rats, so seeing one is a special experience and I'm always surprised at how big they are. 

In Manhattan, Fort Tryon Park is a good place to spot one.

The ones below were seen in Brooklyn.

Apparently Punxsutawney Phil this morning predicted six more weeks of winter, so bundle up.

 

 

Neighborhood hawks

Before the snowstorm rolled in last Sunday, I made the rounds to check on our local hawks. It's the time of year when the Tompkins Square Red-Tails are sprucing up their nest and defending their territory against other hawks.

I found Charlie in the park hunting for snacks. When he arrived a year ago, he seemed to focus solely on catching birds, but he's been spending the winter clearing the park of rats. 

Nearby, Amelia kept watch.

Both hawks can often be found perched on Most Holy Redeemer church on E 3rd Street. It offers them a great vantage point where they can look over their territory and the city. I'd love to know what the view is like from up there.

Charlie is on the left while Amelia is on the right.

I took the photos above from the street, and the ones below from a rooftop a few blocks away.

This is Amelia:

From my far-away vantage point, I later found Amelia perched on the cross of St Nicholas of Myra church on Avenue A and 10th Street. If you squint, you can see her in this photo.

This one is a little closer, but I was almost a mile away.

Back in the park, Charlie caught a rat and flew it high into a tree to eat.

A short while later, he flew off, his bulging crop visible.

Bonus: in addition to the Red-Tails, I found a couple of other hawks in the area.

 

This is an immature Red-Tail who was scoping the neighborhood and drawing the ire of Amelia, who chased it around.

And this is an adult Cooper's Hawk seen soaring around the Con Ed plant, and eventually chased off by a Kestrel.

Another Cooper's Hawk:

Winter is a good time to see raptors in the city as they migrate. Keep and eye on the sky for Bald Eagles as well.

 

 

Today's snowstorm

I took a walk around the neighborhood earlier today as the snow really started coming down. It was fun for a while until the wind picked up and I decided to spend the rest of the afternoon holed up in my apartment.

Looking down Avenue A from 7th Street: 

Joggers headed up Avenue A:

Looking up Avenue A from 9th Street:

Ray's Candy on Avenue A:

Another view north on Avenue A and 7th Street:

Here are a couple of videos of snow plow action on Avenue A:

Meanwhile, there were quite a few people enjoying the snow in Tompkins Square Park.

Back to Avenue A and St Mark's Place:

Looking across Avenue A at Doc Holiday's:

Looking southwest on 1st Avenue at 6th Street:

For me, the most dramatic storm was the blizzard of December 27, 2010 when then-mayor Mike Bloomberg took off for Bermuda, failed to declare a state of emergency (to bring out the snow plows), and told all of us to stop whining and "Go see a play!" That night, several MTA buses became stranded in the snow on Avenue A, and the following day was spent digging them out. Below are a couple of videos showing those efforts.

What I remember about that 2010 storm is the feeling of being left to fend for ourselves and neighbors helping neighbors. Good Samaritans brought hot coffee to the bus drivers who had to stay with their buses until they were towed. 

 

"I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers - so many caring people in this world."   

--Fred Rogers 

 

 

An afternoon with the Tompkins Square hawks

Friday afternoon, I was happy to find both Tompkins Square Red-Tailed Hawks around the park. 

This is Amelia on the cross of St Brigid's Church on Avenue B.

A short while later, she moved a block north to the roof of the Christodora building.

She was soon joined by Charlie who flew in from the left.

After checking in with Amelia, Charlie moved to the ladder on the south side of the building.

Something caught his attention and he flew over to the chimney on the north side of the building.

Eventually, Charlie came down into the park and started making his rounds.

Here, he perches in the Krishna Tree.

As I watched him, he suddenly took off after a rat.

My photos of him carrying his catch back to another tree aren't so great, so we'll just skip to when he held the rat in his talons on a branch.

The rat was a decent size, but Charlie chomped it down in just 4-5 bites. 

Was that just an appetizer? He wasted no time taking off again.

I followed him around as it looked like he might make another catch, but he seemed to be comfortable and taking his time.

In this photo, you can see his bright "eyebrow" which helps identify him. Amelia does not have this field mark. His eyes are also light and bright,

Just as the sun went down, both hawks flew out of the park, which was my sign to leave for the evening. All seems to be well in hawk world.