Turkey Trotting in Central Park

It's definitely not Thanksgiving, but I am so thankful to have seen a wild turkey in Central Park on Saturday. Apparently the bird started up north, and was working his way down the park by the time I saw him in the afternoon just east of the Falconer statue. We immediately called him Franklin, in honor of Ben Franklin, who I understand wanted this bird to be our national bird. Frankie, in case he was actually a she, but from photos on Audubon, pretty sure it's a he!

Wild turkey in Central Park, April 22, 2017

This bird will probably find lots of food in the park (I heard he was foraging closer to Columbus Circle on Sunday). Apparently these big birds eat almost anything (hope he stays off the French fries and pizza, though). I do hope Franklin stays safe and out of the way of traffic. Of course, I did a Filming the Feather video, which I set to music by Max Bruch, performed by Ben Redwine and obtained from MusOpen.org, a royalty-free music source. Enjoy it here:

This is not the first wild turkey I've seen in New York City. In 2013, before I started the Filming the Feather series, I filmed BigBird at the Staten Island Ferry terminal in Lower Manhattan. I found out later her name was Zelda, and was a popular resident at the south end of Manhattan. Zelda was later run over by a car, but I was so happy to have made her acquaintance.

Of course, I took pictures!

Franklin, a wild turkey near the Falconer's statue, Central Park, April 22, 2017

April Showers, April Flowers

New York is blooming these days. I went to Brooklyn Botanic Garden on Friday, and will soon post a video and lots of purty cherry blossoms from that visit. Saturday was a rainy day, so I spent a brief time in Central Park, part of the day watching a visiting wild turkey, and part of the day at Shakespeare Garden looking at the tulips, daffodils and other blooms.

Tulip, Shakespeare Garden, Central Park, April 22, 2017

The short Contemplate This! video does not include all of the gorgeous petals I saw on Saturday, but has quite a few of them, all set to Antonio Vivaldi's Spring (3rd movement), from the Four Seasons, performed by John Harrison and obtained from MusOpen.org, a royalty-free music source.

Despite the rain and dark lighting, I did manage to take some photos I really like.

Pink dogwood, Shakespeare Garden, April 22, 2017

Fritillaria, Shakespeare Garden, April 22, 2017

I didn't make it to the March for Science on April 22 — a cause I really believe in — no excuse, really, except that I was tired from a long day Friday in Brooklyn and a long night at the Metropolitan Opera for Der Rosenkavalier. I stood for the first two acts, and felt both hours of it in my back and legs, but a lovely woman gave me a seat for the last act, and I was so grateful. It was wonderful to hear and see Renée Fleming in the opera again (I saw her in the Strauss opera in Paris years ago). She owns the role.

I have put up a video showing the Tompkins Square red-tailed hawks and Pale Male and Octavia, the Fifth Avenue hawks. I will post here soon, too. A lot of editing to do, and a lot of pictures to take. Who thought retirement would wear me out so much!

Fred and Ginger, Still Trying

The red-tailed hawk pair that hangs out between 72nd Street and 96th Street on the west side of Central Park — known to many hawk watchers as Fred and Ginger — have been trying to breed for several years, but have been unsuccessful. A nest they tried to build on a building on Central Park West around 92nd Street was taken down by a maintenance worker about four years ago, and another nest they tried to build on the Beresford building failed to produce eyasses. Last year, the pair tried to brood on the San Remo building, but Ginger's egg rolled off the ledge.

Ginger and Fred in the Ramble, April 17, 2017

This year the pair built a partial nest on West 81st Street, and last week Ginger spent a day on those branches, raising hopes that the pair was finally brooding. But apparently it was a false alarm, because both hawks have been hunting and eating in the Ramble recently, and not sitting on the nest.

Yesterday (April 17), Ginger was spotted in the Ramble in the afternoon eating a meal, probably brought to her by Fred. After she finished her dinner, Fred came to her branch, and the pair mated again. I document nature, so here's the video.

It may be too late for a successful nest, but these two hawks are such a joy to watch that we are encouraged that they keep trying. These shots are of the pair, and then Ginger as she eats and then preens after mating.