Stealing the Show

“The male Mandarin duck, native to East Asia, should not be in the middle of Manhattan. And yet, against all odds, he is here. And he is dazzling,” writes Julia Jacobs of the New York Times. This bird, photographed in Central Park today, is a real show-stealer. No one seems quite sure how it arrived but it seems happy to pose for all of us awe-struck onlookers.A Cedar Waxwing eats ripe berries from a Crabapple tree in the park today.Unlike the Mandarin, Wood ducks are native to the United States. They are one of the most stunningly pretty of all waterfowl. Males are iridescent chestnut and green, with ornate patterns on nearly every feather. This one was also at Central Park today – not far from that number one attention-getter.

“Seeing the birds is like touching the hand of God. This is the Church of Many Feathers.” – John Builello

Desiderata

Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence – Max Ehrmann

A Delicate Dance

Two female Ruby-throated Hummingbirds perform a delicate dance among wildflowers.

A Rock Pigeon, not so delicately, shakes water from his feathers while his mate appears less than pleased by his behavior.

“… to feel the sun on my back and the wind on my face. I find my peace, my solitude, in the time I am alone in nature.” – Terry Tempest Williams – Refuge

Quiet Miracles

“Take time to celebrate the quiet miracles that seek no attention.” – John O’Donohue

Rainy Day Bird

“No one knows what they are saying in their small voices, but one might well guess it’s a kind of happiness. Even though all the world offers them is a field of seeds. Sometimes it only takes that much.” – from Goldfinches by Mary Oliver

 

I’m All Ears

“Open your ears to the voices of nature, and you shall hear them, in concert, inviting you to the love of God.” – Venerable Louis of Granada (in contemporary English)

Cool Takeoff

A Rock Pigeon takes flight from the cool waters of a creek that leads to the Hudson River in Dobbs Ferry, New York. One way pigeons can find their way home from great distances is by sensing the earth’s magnetic fields.

The Poet Within

“Poetry gives us access to those reasons of the heart which reason cannot fathom. Only the poet within each of us has eyes for the inherent sacredness of nature.”  – David Steindl-Rast Essential Writings

Togetherness

“God’s dream is that you and I and all of us will realize that we are family, that we are made for togetherness, for goodness and for compassion.” – Desmond Tutu