Look! A bird!

[apl68]

Had a very nice view of one of our big egrets on my morning walk.  I haven't seen any grey herons at the park lately, though.

Lately I've been reaching the far end of the pond a little after dawn.  I'll sit on a bench for a few minutes and watch the sky grow lighter.  As I do so, I hear birds start to wake up and sing.  There's also something that begins stirring in the brush behind the bench around that same time.  At times it sounds almost like human footsteps back there, but I know that they surely aren't.  I suspect it's probably just a little bird stirring around.  The relative quiet makes it sound louder and bigger than it really is.  Whatever it is, it starts stirring at about the same time each morning.

[mamselle]

Lovely image.

Thank you for that.

M.

[nebo113]

apl68.....  I was totally unaware of a grey heron until your post.  How were you able to distinguish it?  I must pay more attention.

[apl68]

apl68.....  I was totally unaware of a grey heron until your post.  How were you able to distinguish it?  I must pay more attention.

Technically they'd be great blue herons--actual grey herons live in the Old World.  "Blue" herons have different coloring schemes.  The ones I see tend to look more grey than blue, so I incorrectly call them grey herons.

The egrets I'm talking about are great egrets--the big kind.  We also see smaller egrets around here.  They tend to be seen in cow pastures, so they're often called "cowbirds." 

[FishProf]

The egrets I'm talking about are great egrets--the big kind.  We also see smaller egrets around here.  They tend to be seen in cow pastures, so they're often called "cowbirds."

Not to be confused with actual cowbirds

[apl68]

The egrets I'm talking about are great egrets--the big kind.  We also see smaller egrets around here.  They tend to be seen in cow pastures, so they're often called "cowbirds."

Not to be confused with actual cowbirds

No, definitely not!

[nebo113]

apl68.....  I was totally unaware of a grey heron until your post.  How were you able to distinguish it?  I must pay more attention.

Technically they'd be great blue herons--actual grey herons live in the Old World.  "Blue" herons have different coloring schemes.  The ones I see tend to look more grey than blue, so I incorrectly call them grey herons.

The egrets I'm talking about are great egrets--the big kind.  We also see smaller egrets around here.  They tend to be seen in cow pastures, so they're often called "cowbirds."

Perhaps we need an old world bird watching excursion!

[nebo113]

Myrtle warblers seem to be moving through.  I will probably meet up with them in winter quarters.

[Puget]

Can't remember if I previously posted about this, but we have a pair of Quaker parrots that moved into the neighborhood this summer and seem to have made our block their permanent home. We think they are ferrel (maybe got blown off course from a colony south of here?) rather than escaped pets-- they have no leg bands, act like wild birds, and certainly have no interest in being caught by humans (though they do eat at feeders). It is just sort of surreal to have these birds that I think of as tropical/pets just flying around with the regular backyard birds. And they are LOUD! Holy smokes, I can't imagine someone voluntarily living with those guys inside their house.

[nebo113]

Can't remember if I previously posted about this, but we have a pair of Quaker parrots that moved into the neighborhood this summer and seem to have made our block their permanent home. We think they are ferrel (maybe got blown off course from a colony south of here?) rather than escaped pets-- they have no leg bands, act like wild birds, and certainly have no interest in being caught by humans (though they do eat at feeders). It is just sort of surreal to have these birds that I think of as tropical/pets just flying around with the regular backyard birds. And they are LOUD! Holy smokes, I can't imagine someone voluntarily living with those guys inside their house.

Do the females wear white bonnets?

[Langue_doc]

Can't remember if I previously posted about this, but we have a pair of Quaker parrots that moved into the neighborhood this summer and seem to have made our block their permanent home. We think they are ferrel (maybe got blown off course from a colony south of here?) rather than escaped pets-- they have no leg bands, act like wild birds, and certainly have no interest in being caught by humans (though they do eat at feeders). It is just sort of surreal to have these birds that I think of as tropical/pets just flying around with the regular backyard birds. And they are LOUD! Holy smokes, I can't imagine someone voluntarily living with those guys inside their house.

These are the monk parakeets that have taken over some of the streets and also the main entrance to Greenwood Cemetery. https://www.exp1.com/blog/untold-nyc-history-brooklyn-parrots/ Their nests are like high-rise apartment buildings along some of the streets. According to local legend, they are escapees from a shipment:

Urban legend has it (now documented) that c.1967 a large, live shipment of monk parakeets left their native South American home in route to the pet shops of lower Manhattan. Shortly after landing at JFK airport the large crates fell and broke releasing the parakeets who took off in all directions.

[Puget]

Can't remember if I previously posted about this, but we have a pair of Quaker parrots that moved into the neighborhood this summer and seem to have made our block their permanent home. We think they are ferrel (maybe got blown off course from a colony south of here?) rather than escaped pets-- they have no leg bands, act like wild birds, and certainly have no interest in being caught by humans (though they do eat at feeders). It is just sort of surreal to have these birds that I think of as tropical/pets just flying around with the regular backyard birds. And they are LOUD! Holy smokes, I can't imagine someone voluntarily living with those guys inside their house.

These are the monk parakeets that have taken over some of the streets and also the main entrance to Greenwood Cemetery. https://www.exp1.com/blog/untold-nyc-history-brooklyn-parrots/ Their nests are like high-rise apartment buildings along some of the streets. According to local legend, they are escapees from a shipment:

Urban legend has it (now documented) that c.1967 a large, live shipment of monk parakeets left their native South American home in route to the pet shops of lower Manhattan. Shortly after landing at JFK airport the large crates fell and broke releasing the parakeets who took off in all directions.

Yes, apparently the names Quaker parrots and monk parakeets are used interchangeably (or maybe there is regional variation?). Since they've arrived I've learned about the colonies all over the US (the SF ones are famous of course). I am quite a bit north of NYC, but they hav apparently been spotted in smaller numbers closer to here. So far we've only got the 2. We'll see how they fare this winter.

[cathwen]

Reportedly, there are monk parakeets inhabiting my area of southern New England, although I have never seen one.

Two days ago I saw my first juncos of the season!  Can the white-throated sparrows be far behind?

[Langue_doc]

Yes, apparently the names Quaker parrots and monk parakeets are used interchangeably (or maybe there is regional variation?). Since they've arrived I've learned about the colonies all over the US (the SF ones are famous of course). I am quite a bit north of NYC, but they hav apparently been spotted in smaller numbers closer to here. So far we've only got the 2. We'll see how they fare this winter.

Apparently, ours are seeking greener and less urban pastures. This morning, I saw a couple rebuilding their nests atop one of the spires in Greenwood Cemetery. If you haven't been there, do think of a trip there as you can park anywhere inside the premises. Ask the security guard at one of the entrances for a map.

Two days ago I saw my first juncos of the season!  Can the white-throated sparrows be far behind?

We've (in NYC) been seeing both for several weeks now--as a matter of fact, I saw both this morning. I've been meaning to post a list of the interesting birds I've seen on the bird walks from mid-September through October. I'll do so once I've reviewed all my lists.

[Langue_doc]

Saw several pileated woodpeckers https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pileated_Woodpecker/overview in the nature preserve this morning. They are quite loud, not only with their pecking, but also because the pecking dislodges bits and pieces of the tree which fall down quite noisily.