Gourmet Dining at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge

On the day after Montana elected a representative who was arrested for body-slamming a journalist and believes that retirement is inconsistent with biblical teachings because Noah built the ark at age 600, I feel the definite need for some laughter right now or I'll cry my eyes out.

Kanga, a gray squirrel dining on the gourmet offerings at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, May 24

During our trip to Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge on Wednesday, we saw this very fat eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) climbing in and out of a trashcan near the picnic tables in front of the visitor center. She made us laugh — there were times she looked very kangaroo-like, and times very rat-like. (I debated whether to call her Roo or Kanga, and settled on Kanga.) She didn't seem to see any reason to stop eating, but then again, she may have been eating for more than one!

By the way, my beloved Canon PowerShot SX50 HS broke on Tuesday, and was taken to a repair shop. I bought an open-box Sony DSC-HX400V to get me through the withdrawal, and these video and photos were taken on the Sony. It will take some getting used to (the repair shop couldn't repair my Canon, so the Sony will be my main camera until I pull enough money together to send the SX50 to Canon in the hope my baby can be fixed).

I intend to continue to enjoy watching animals like Kanga as they do what smart, creative animals do, and try to stop shaking my head in disbelief at the people who continue to vote for violent, deluded sociopaths to represent them in our government.

Barn Swallows, Aerial Darters in Cobalt Blue

Barn swallows (Hirundo rustica) are beautiful aerial darters, skimming low over water and fields, rarely stopping long enough for a photographer to spend any time filming them. I love to watch these cobalt blue birds at the Reservoir in Central Park in the spring, but they don't stop long enough for me to film them. But in 2015 we had barn swallows resting on a snag (no longer there) near the Point on the Lake in Central Park, and in 2017 I've had two stop long enough for me to film on Governors Island. I'll take any view of these blue birds whenever I can! I'll head to Governors Island again soon to try to see more barn swallows, but I wanted to share what I've seen of these birds first!

Barn swallow at the Point, Central Park, May 6, 2015

The Filming the Feathers video has some of the original sounds heard in May 2015 at the Point on a snag over the Lake, plus music by Béla Bartók (Romanian folk dances, arranged for recorders and performed by Papalin). I slowed down the video of the swallows darting over the water at Governors Island.

Barn swallow, Governors Island, May 12, 2017

These photos are from May 6 and 8, 2015, at the Point, Central Park.

A Blue Grosbeak Dines on Bees

Birders were abuzz when a blue grosbeak (Passerina caerulea) was reported in early May at the beehives in Battery Park (at the southern tip of Manhattan). I visited the BeeVillage on May 10 and 11 and was able to get some video for a Filming the Feathers entry. The bird made many appearances, but always jumped around and flitted under and around the beehives. Only three photos came out, and you have them here (including one on the video).

Blue grosbeak, Battery Park, May 11, 2017

The video is set to one of the London Trios of Franz Joseph Haydn. The bird was very, very active, and very, very difficult to film! I left the video a bit jumpy to show the skittishness of this little guy.

Blue grosbeak, Battery Park, May 11, 2017

BeeVillage, Battery Park, Lower Manhattan, May 2017