Spring Migration and a rare opportunity

PALM WARBLER -- Maintenance Meadow -- April 6, 2011

Photo by MURRAY HEAD

CHIPPING SPARROW -- Evodia Field-- April 6, 2011

Photo by MURRAY HEAD

Yesterday at 7 a.m. a group of birders convened on the park's west side for the first of eight Spring Migration Bird Walks . All will be conducted by Steve Quinn of the American Museum of Natural History. Most of us [if not all] had been attending these walks for many many years, and so it was a bit of a reunion. And a wonderful kick-off for the spring season. Not only did we see the two lovely red heads pictured above, but also a Pine Warbler, a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, an Eastern Phoebe. a Barn Swallow, both Ruby and Golden-crowned Kinglets, Fox, Song, Swamp and White-throated Sparrows, a Red-winged Blackbird and a partridge in a pear tree. [Just checking to see if you're alert...]

PS-- Though the Tuesday morning walks have been filled to capacity since January, this year for the first time Steve Quinn [a wonderful, inspiring leader] has been able to offer an additional walk. This will be held on FRIDAYs , also from 7-9 a.m. . A EARE OPPORTUNITY. You can call 212-769-5200 to see if there are still openings. As of yesterday there were still quite a few.

They're not fooling around

Photo courtesy of PaleMale.com -- April 1, 2011

The photo tells it all: though yesterday was April Fools Day, the Fifth Avenue Hawks continued to demonstrate the seriousness of their relationship. The pair's romantic activities during the last few days can't help but raise great expectations for am exciting hawkwatching season this year.

Note about nomenclature: We've heard a number of names for Pale Male's mate bandied around this year -- Pale Beauty, Ginger among them. Now that His Guyness [in Charles Kennedy's words] seems to have settled down with one reigning female, in deference to the PaleMale.com website I'll use that site's chosen name, Lima, from now on. [The name apparently refers to the ordinal number 5 in Indonesian, not to the edible bean].