By now the young have dispersed, yet the Riverside Peregrines continue to lord over their territory. Cleverly concealed among the cornices, they lie in wait for anything that either offends or attracts. In this case, an osprey headed north (man these guys are everywhere)! Sunbird! What is it about that interaction between our world and theirs? Like some strange language that twins teach each other!?! (shout out to Austin Powers). And in their wake, the remains of a kill from this morning. A yellow billed cuckoo. Sleep well my friend.
"Sunset and evening star, And one clear call for me! And may there be no moaning of the bar, When I put out to sea,"
From the George Washington Bridge, I tracked a large osprey meandering over the cliffs of the Pallisades. Eventually crossing over and through the woods, I came to an overlook deep in the Park. And even though I only had my 18-250mm lens, this big girl came in so low over the trees, that my shot needed no cropping. Still I pressed on, searching for the wild heart of this jagged place. Deeper still, I came to an outcropping that offered an uninterrupted view of the entire west side of the island of manhattan, as well as its own rocky cliffs. From a hidden cave I heard what sounded like the utterings of parrots or dinosaurs. A chattering, like a child trying to learn a language. Patiently I waited...what seemed to be making it was moving around back in the woods now. As I peered over a boulder, a medium sized falcon raced toward me from the shadows. I held my ground as it broke across the cliff and swirled around me. This is what I saw. Two juvenile Merlins, inviting me to play. They call softly, wingbeats easy and sure. This is what a Merlin traveling at 50mph, 10 feet away looks like. And now the video.
Finally, as the sun began to set, two quorking ravens skimming the trees below.
I found 2 juvenile kestrels whizzing around Highbridge Park today. Here are the best shots. First this gorgeous young female. And then her orange breasted brother.
For at least 3 years there has been a feral colony of Monk Parakeets living in the upper reaches of Riverside Park. About 3 weeks ago I received a report of two men, rigging a rope around the branches of the tree, pulling it through and destroying their nest. Who or why such people act they way they do, is beyond me to understand. But I do know this: most birds are smarter than most people, and these guys escaped and just relocated. Through a combination of intuition and good sense, I relocated these awesome guys, a few blocks south, in a much more secure location. Here I found an emerging colony of at least 6 different birds amongst 3 different nests. And to the sick fucks who tried to exploit these wonderful and free animals I say this: You can kill a bird. You can kill me. And one day, they will probably even kill the internet. But you cant kill Love.
