A Broken but Glorious World

A Cedar Waxwing gathers food for its long journey south in Purchase, NY.

A Tricolored Heron seems to have found its winter home in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina.

A Carolina Chickadee foraging for food at Huntington Beach State Park in South Carolina this past week.

“As I walked down the avenue, the late afternoon sun was turning the lovely and dying sycamore leaves into fragments of brilliant stained glass, and I said to myself, ‘This alone is worth the price of admission to our broken and glorious world.'” – Linda Larsson

Blue & Gold

An Eastern Bluebird perching on a branch of a maple tree at Bear Mountain State Park.

Doodletown Brook flows through Bear Mountain State Park.

A Northern Harrier glides over a field of tall grass in the golden light of the morning sun at Croton Point State Park.

“Please notice when you are happy, and exclaim or murmur or think at some point, ‘If this isn’t nice , I don’t know what is.'” – Kurt Vonnegut

Wonders of Fall

Mallard ducks, a House Wren and a Northern Flicker are pictured above.

“Here’s the plain truth, at least as it has been shown to me: We are never far from wonders.” – John Green (The Anthropocene Reviewed)

Cedar Waxwing

Cedar Waxwings are most often seen in flocks while searching for berries to eat, so it was unusual to find this individual in Irvington, New York, seemingly content to be on its own, while having a look around.

“Acceptance anchors us so that we might focus on the present rather than endlessly drift in a sea of wishing, dreaming and pining for anything other than what is.” – Rose Zonetti

I’m happy to be able to share that one of my photos has been selected for the “Top 100” in the 2021 Audubon Photography Awards. You can see all of the photos by clicking on the link below. My Red-bellied Woodpecker from this past winter is photo #69.

https://www.audubon.org/news/the-2021-audubon-photography-awards-top-100

Sometimes (but especially in summer)

Sometimes, if you just sit on a rock, near the river, at low tide, and wait… you can be visited by a Belted Kingfisher.

At other times, it can be helpful to get a birds-eye view of the grass and dandelions and hope that a Killdeer doesn’t fly too soon.

And sometimes, it helps to be reminded of how important it is to just step outside and remove yourself from all your cares and worries. To just be still, and listen and look at the incredible beauty that is still so alive in this world.

Black Bear, Blue Grosbeak

What began as a quest to photograph a black bear in the wild became a three-day adventure along a portion of the Eastern Seaboard this week. How exciting it was to see this black bear foraging in an open field, at dusk, at the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge in North Carolina.

Two Sanderlings displayed perfect synchronicity as they flew together before landing on a beach at the Cape Hatteras National Seashore in North Carolina.

The yellow of this Prothonotary Warbler seemed to glow in the filtered light of a bald cypress forest at First Landing State Park in Virginia.

Another true highlight was seeing a Blue Grosbeak for the first time. This male was with his mate at Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge in Virginia. An incredibly beautiful bird in a truly magnificent park.

“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and freedom.” – Victor Frankl

Higher Ground

Blackburnian and Magnolia warblers were two of the real highlight birds during my jaunt to Central Park this week.

The male Baltimore Oriole stops me in my tracks every time. This one was singing at Rockefeller State Park.

An American Redstart snags a worm at the Lenoir Preserve in Yonkers while even the Yellow Warblers are becoming a bit more difficult to find now that the leaves have fully grown.

“When you feel the earth moving, bring yourself back to the now. You’ll handle whatever shake-up the next moment brings when you get to it. In this moment, you’re still breathing. In this moment, you’ve survived. In this moment, you’re finding a way to step onto higher ground.” – Oprah Winfrey

On the Lookout

A Yellow Warbler at Rockefeller State Park and an Indigo Bunting at Teatown Lake Reservation in Ossining, in their lofty perches.

A Green Heron at Halsey Pond in Irvington, NY also seems to enjoy standing, perched up high, with a view.

An Orchard Oriole at Croton Point Park and a Prairie Warbler at Teatown Lake Reservation in Ossining, NY.

“What difference would it make to the quality of our lives if we lingered more in nature? We invite you to spend some time reconnecting to the wild and alive Earth and practice experiencing the sacredness of the first Incarnation.” – The Center for Action and Contemplation

Warbler Wednesday!

Palm Warbler, Halsey Pond, Irvington, New York.

Magnolia Warbler, Rockefeller State Park, Pocantico, New York

Ovenbird, Hillside Woods, Hastings-on-Hudson, New York

Chestnut-sided Warbler, Rockefeller State Park

Yellow Warbler, Rockefeller State Park

They know – it’s time
They know
In every feather they can feel it
They know

Every bird in the sky knows
A change is gonna come
By an’ by

Eric Bibb – Songwriter and musician – from his song “They Know”