Yesterday afternoon in Central Park I was crossing the North Meadow with birding friend Tom Fiore when we saw a police helicopter coming down very low. We were approaching the Reservoir, and Tom wondered, half jokingly, whether someone might have fallen in. Sure enough, today’s Post has the story of two young women from Canada who decided to take an unauthorized swim. The new fence was installed over the winter. It’s modeled after the original design, which was replaced years ago by a high cyclone fence. The new/old barrier offers much better views of the skyline, not to mention the birds on the water. I sometimes find the “improvements” in the Park to be dubious, but this one is much appreciated. One hopes they won’t add razor wire after this, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see some “no swimming under penalty of law” signs go up.
Speaking of the Reservoir, it was the site of an exciting birding moment on Sunday, when I discovered a Tundra Swan, a great rarity for the Park. You can read my report by scrolling down on this page. The birding was terrific over the weekend, but on Monday more birds seemed to have moved on than had come in. I’d have done better to take the day off; three days in a row is enough to fry me, and it’s not even May yet, when migration reaches its height. Regardless, these have been beautiful days. The warm weather has got the flowers blooming and the leaf buds bursting. It really looks like Spring. Those who complain of a too-swift transition from winter to summer would be well advised to get out there now.
alex, did you see this one?
"Two lovers, naked as jaybirds and apparently as crazy as looneybirds, climbed a tree in Central Park yesterday - and put on a bizarre four-hour show that drew cops and hundreds of gawkers."
today charlie suisman's MUG was dedicated to trees.
Yeah, I saw that. The story anyway, not the event, thankfully, though I have seen plenty of things in the Park I’d just as soon not have. Of course the tabloids treat this as a “fun” story, but there’s something deeper in terms of what sort of behavior is elicited when we set up a “nature zone” distinct from the city. I’ve touched on this theme a number of times on my page, and maybe will again tomorrow. Meanwhile, a few of our fully clothed (if not fully grown) Tree people actually took me up on my standing invite and did a little early Maying today. They were rewarded with a more pleasant sight, and one rarely seen in the Park: spectacular views of that cryptic heron, the American Bitttern, pretending to be a marsh reed in the Loch. We didn’t hear its song, but you can’t have everything. With the Summer Tanager, that was two life birds today, and two birding days in a row, and I’ve got to go out again tomorrow, if only because it’s May Day. After that maybe I’ll catch up with this Tree.
Dude. I've seen two bitterns in my life (which is not looong, but long enough) and I remember them both very very well. nice one.
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Speaking of the Reservoir, it was the site of an exciting birding moment on Sunday, when I discovered a Tundra Swan, a great rarity for the Park. You can read my report by scrolling down on this page. The birding was terrific over the weekend, but on Monday more birds seemed to have moved on than had come in. I’d have done better to take the day off; three days in a row is enough to fry me, and it’s not even May yet, when migration reaches its height. Regardless, these have been beautiful days. The warm weather has got the flowers blooming and the leaf buds bursting. It really looks like Spring. Those who complain of a too-swift transition from winter to summer would be well advised to get out there now.
- alex 4-21-2004 4:03 am
alex, did you see this one?
"Two lovers, naked as jaybirds and apparently as crazy as looneybirds, climbed a tree in Central Park yesterday - and put on a bizarre four-hour show that drew cops and hundreds of gawkers."
- selma 5-01-2004 12:04 am [add a comment]
today charlie suisman's MUG was dedicated to trees.
- selma 5-01-2004 12:07 am [add a comment]
Yeah, I saw that. The story anyway, not the event, thankfully, though I have seen plenty of things in the Park I’d just as soon not have. Of course the tabloids treat this as a “fun” story, but there’s something deeper in terms of what sort of behavior is elicited when we set up a “nature zone” distinct from the city. I’ve touched on this theme a number of times on my page, and maybe will again tomorrow. Meanwhile, a few of our fully clothed (if not fully grown) Tree people actually took me up on my standing invite and did a little early Maying today. They were rewarded with a more pleasant sight, and one rarely seen in the Park: spectacular views of that cryptic heron, the American Bitttern, pretending to be a marsh reed in the Loch. We didn’t hear its song, but you can’t have everything. With the Summer Tanager, that was two life birds today, and two birding days in a row, and I’ve got to go out again tomorrow, if only because it’s May Day. After that maybe I’ll catch up with this Tree.
- alex 5-01-2004 5:26 am [add a comment]
Dude. I've seen two bitterns in my life (which is not looong, but long enough) and I remember them both very very well. nice one.
- sally mckay 5-01-2004 8:35 am [add a comment]
- sally mckay 5-02-2004 4:37 am [add a comment]