“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
Author: Tom Warren
Royal Tern
Certainly left off the guest list for the royal wedding but dignified nonetheless, this Royal Tern performs a majestic landing alongside the Hudson River in Dobbs Ferry, New York.
“Each in our own way, we need to return to our ancient heritage as guardians of the Earth, so that we may once again be present here, holding the Earth with our hearts and souls as well as in our minds and hands.” – Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee – Spiritual Ecology
Nature’s Delicate Balance
Every living thing is delicately balanced to live in a special place and in a special way. It is imperative that we protect this delicate balance in nature. We need to care for our common home. 
The Veery, Green Heron, Yellow Warbler and Common Yellowthroat are among the many birds that gather, in spring, at two of my favorite places; Rockefeller State Park and Halsey Pond in New York.
Winged and Winsome
A Barn Swallow casts a distinctive shadow on the surface of the water as it glides over Halsey Pond, while searching for insects.
The vivid orange of the Baltimore Oriole is one of the most beautiful colors in nature.
The Blue Jay is an attractive bird, despite some of its behavior issues.
The Eastern Towhee features a pleasing combination of white, reddish-brown and black.
Warblers on the Move
Always in motion, these tiny, long distance travelers are strikingly beautiful – if you can get a good look. 
Sometimes there is just a flash of yellow visible before they move on to the next tree. This is the Yellow-rumped Warbler.
Often times they can be heard before they are seen. The Yellow Warbler sings a song of spring.
There’s nothing common-looking about the Common Yellowthroat.
This Black-and-white Warbler and the birds above were photographed at Halsey Pond in Irvington, NY.
The Graceful Pelican
Brown Pelicans are a fairly common and very welcome sight along the Florida coast.
This is a feel-good story. Once on the brink of extinction, due to pesticide pollution, the Pelicans have now made an excellent recovery and can now be seen, often in groups, gracefully gliding above the ocean.
Pelicans feed on fish by plunge-diving from high in the air. The force of their impact stuns small fish that are then scooped up.
Blue Hour, Florida
The “blue hour” is the time of day shortly before sunrise and shortly after sunset. The sky can take on a beautiful, deep blue, as seen in this photo, taken in Hollywood, Florida.
After sunrise, I went over to the Anne Kolb Nature Center where this Cape May Warbler flew in and was lit by the morning sun. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen this species before so it’s considered a “life bird” and now I can add it to my “life list.”
Burrowing Owls are quite small and live in little holes in the ground. This male is keeping a watchful eye out for intruders at the Orangebrook Golf and Country Club, also in Hollywood. Although this particular bird is accustomed to people (golfers), I made sure I kept a good distance away, used a long lens, and only stayed briefly, so as not to be disruptive.
Saturday’s Birds – Central Park
A White-throated Sparrow enjoys a bath in a section of Central Park called The Ramble.
Another Sparrow finds a cozy (and camouflaged) hiding place in a sycamore tree.
It was a good day for nest-building for this Blue Jay.
Eastern Phoebe
One of the earliest returning migrants in spring, the Eastern Phoebe is a loner, rarely coming in contact with other phoebes. Even members of a mated pair do not spend much time together. This one was photographed in Irvington, New York.
