The Audubon Mural Project (Friday's Facts)

The Audubon Mural Project is a collaboration between the National Audubon Society and the NYC gallery known as "Gitler &_____" to create murals of climate-threatened birds throughout John James Audubon's old Harlem‐based neighborhood in New York City.

The project is inspired by the legacy of the great American bird artist and pioneering ornithologist and is energized by Audubon’s groundbreaking report "Survival By Degrees."

Audubon's scientists have found that climate change will threaten at least half of all North American birds with extinction, and that no bird will escape the impacts of climate-change-related hazards like increased wildfire and sea-level rise. The project commissions artists to paint murals to call attention to this problem, and it has been widely covered in the media.

The pictures atop this entry feature details from a mural located near 157th street in Manhattan.

Here's Tuesday's Truths WK 57: The Tribute In Light Endangers Birds Migrating

It's the fifty-fifth week of my Tuesday's Truths series!

Today is also the somber day after the sixteenth anniversary of the September Eleventh Terrorists attacks, which occurred on September 11, 2001. Therefore I am dedicating this entry to a harsh fact regarding The Tribute In Light, which shines all night long on the anniversary of the September Eleventh Terrorists attacks. A photograph of The Tribute In Light (from a web-page associated with NPR), can be seen atop this entry.

This installation is the work of "artists Paul Myoda and Julian LaVerdiere (who on the night of the attacks) watched from Brooklyn as an ashy and gaseous cloud formed over the remnants of the World Trade Center. The lights that illuminated Ground Zero during rescue efforts set this plume of smoke aglow, and through it, both men felt they could still see the buildings. This mirage gave them an idea, which they eventually turned into 'Tribute in Light,' an ephemeral memorial that has served as a vigil for victims on the anniversary of the attacks every year since."

This year, according to an article published by People (where the quotation above is also from), "The installation’s collection of 88 beams will illuminate the night sky above Lower Manhattan on Monday night, creating two pillars of light that will stretch four-miles-high. The display has become one of the most recognized and unique public art installations in the world since its unveiling on March 11, 2002...

... 'When the lights appeared for the first time, it was one of the most peaceful and silent events I had ever witnessed,' Myoda says. 'Until that night, I don’t recall ever being in New York and hearing so little. When the lights were on, everything seemed to stop. It was incredibly quiet.'

As one construction worker told the artists, after six months of looking into a pit, 'people could start looking up again. '

'That night was the first time that it seemed like everybody could gaze into the infinite, and not into an abyss,' LaVerdiere says.

Since then, the installation has been put into operation every evening of September 11, and turned off just before dawn the following morning."

I've seen the Tribute In Light, and it is a sight to behold, but, unfortunately, this installation has been traumatic for migratory birds. In 2015, Quartz reported that "New York’s Tribute in Light to 9/11 is stunning to both people and birds."

The aforementioned article states the "beautiful 9/11 memorial, the Tribute in Light, had to be turned off and on multiple times last night to make sure migratory birds in the area didn’t lose their way, Gothamist reports."

Mandarin Mania Continues (Saturday's Sequel)

MY PHOTOS OF THE MANDARIN ARE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE VIA FAA

MY PHOTOS OF THE MANDARIN ARE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE VIA FAA

MY PHOTOS OF THE MANDARIN ARE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE VIA FAA

In one of yesterday's entries here on Blogger, I featured a few of my photographs of the "famous" Mandarin duck who has been spending a lot of time by himself in Central Park (CP) since October of 2018. Because it was Single Awareness Day, I spoke about this duck's "willingness" to not have a mate/partner/significant other. After publishing that post, I was able to take a walk in CP.

Much to my joy, I came upon the Mandarin again (he was in The Pond near 59th/60th) and I was able to take more photos of him that highlight his other physical attributes. A few of my images are featured atop this entry.

Last Minute News re N'tl Library WK 2018

National Library Week is coming to an end. The event began last Sunday (April 8th) with the theme, "Libraries Lead," and in honor of #NationalLibraryWeek, the ALA (American Library Association) let libraries know that this past week was the perfect opportunity for them "to encourage their community to tell their stories." 

They had me at American Oystercatcher!

This past August I received some information from Audubon Society NYC, and it included the image seen atop this blog entry. The correspondence included a narrative stating the following:

Join NYC Audubon, Sadhana: Coalition of Progressive Hindus, Wild Bird Fund and the Linnaean Society of New York at North Channel Bridge to take part in a multi-state effort to improve coastline habitat. The North Channel Bridge area, used by species like the American oystercatcher, is also a stone's throw away from the Harbor Heron Island and the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. Help us clear the beach and raise awareness of the importance of coastal areas to birdlife. Limited transportation from Manhattan available.

The North Channel Bridge Beach Cleanup is part of an annual international effort coordinated in NYS by the American Littoral Society (http://www.littoralsociety.org). It is a global volunteer effort to cleanup beaches for the marine life, shore birds, wildlife, and you- the beachgoer. Anyone can participate and it is a great way to give back and spend time outdoors. No other program in New York does more to improve the coastal environment than the International Coastal Cleanup.

Wear: comfortable clothes and close-toed shoes.

I was very excited to receive this news and grateful about the prospect of taking part in an activity to help shorebirds, however, the last sentence, Wear: comfortable clothes and close-toed shoes, has me somewhat unnerved. This is because I have been wearing a boot cast for five weeks, and as you may know, those "shoes" are not close-toed, as evidenced below.

The image you see features yours truly wearing a boot cast that had some bling. This bling was given to me as a belated birthday gift by a chaplain who also took the picture. It really made my cast look elegant and it made me feel I was far along in my recovery.

The Great American Total Solar Eclipse (coming 8-21-2017) MAY Be Hard on Wildlife

There has been a lot of media coverage regarding the forth coming total eclipse due to occur on August 21st 2017. A web page for Space.com states "On Aug. 21, 2017, America will fall under the path of a total solar eclipse. The so-called Great American Total Solar Eclipse will darken skies all the way from Oregon to South Carolina, along a stretch of land about 70 miles (113 kilometers) wide. People who descend upon this "path of totality" for the big event are in for an unforgettable experience."

The aforementioned resource reminds its readers that "During totality, when the sun's disk is completely covered by the moon, it is safe to view the eclipse with the naked eye. But skywatchers should NEVER look at a partial solar eclipse without proper eye protection. Looking directly at the sun, even when it is partially covered by the moon, can cause serious eye damage or blindness."

A great deal of information can be found within this resource and if you'd like to reference it, please click here. Meanwhile, for those of you who live in the NYC area, like yours truly, another source which provides interesting facts about our viewing The Great American Total Solar Eclipse can be referred to by clicking here.

I've heard that places selling special eye-glasses for viewing this eclipse are sold out and much of the news coverage has been focused on this fact as well as on ways that one can make a pin-hole device to view it safely.

I'm not that handy at DYI-construction, so I won't be doing that. My concern has been focused on the impact that The Great American Total Solar Eclipse will have on wildlife. There are a number of good resources for learning about this.

One is put out by Audubon.org which states,"The biggest change people might notice during the eclipse is audible, not visible. Birds will likely act like the sun is setting for the night, says Scott McWilliams, a wildlife ecology professor at the University of Rhode Island—and may quiet their voices to match."

They go on to say, "Most songbirds will treat it as nightfall, as long as they’re in the 100 percent in the eclipse pathway,” McWilliams says. 'Diurnal songbirds will become quiet; noctural birds the opposite. Thus, for the most part, silence will follow the darkness.' After the sun peeks out again, the chorus will resume as if it’s a brand-new morning. But because it's August, not spring, don't expect many species to burst into dawn songs. Keep an ear out for Red-Eyed Vireos, Northern Cardinals, and other birds prone to late summer crooning, along with non-avians like common true katydids, frogs, and toads."

Of all the creatures listed in Audubon's web-article, Northern cardinals are the ones whose behavior I will try and notice; for both male and female cardinals usually visit my rooftop garden a few times a day. The following set of photos feature a male cardinal enjoying my whole wreath-style peanut bird feeder.

And the next set of images feature a female cardinal spending her time in one of my trees, which is an Acer palmatum ('Shisitatsu' Sawa).

In any event, another good source of information re wildlife and the forthcoming eclipse comes from an issue of USA Today. They state that "While humans will gaze at the spectacle in awe, some animals will be downright befuddled for a couple hours as the day slowly darkens — even in places that only get a partial eclipse. Early reports of wacky animal behavior during eclipses involve birds. Perhaps the earliest is from a total eclipse in 1544 when “birds ceased singing," while another report from a 1560 eclipse claimed 'birds fell to the ground,' according to Science News."  

Moreover, The New York Times, also has an interesting article (where I got the image atop this entry) on the impact eclipses have on wildlife.

There you have it dear reader, a number of things to consider in your preparation for the forth coming  (8-21-2017) eclipse, which has been dubbed The Great American Total Solar Eclipse.

Sunday's Sequel (Re 9/16's Costal Cleanup)

The Canadian geese since in the photographs atop this entry were ones I encountered yesterday, September the sixteenth, when I participated in an event sponsored by Audubon Society NYC, which involved costal clean-up.

In fact, costal clean-up was an event that took place across the entire globe on this day. According to a web-page, "Coastal Cleanup Day was established by the Ocean Conservancy, an organization that work to help protect the ocean from the challenges it faces every year. They serve as a voice for the ocean, speaking of the issues that aren’t often represented through social networking, publicized updates, and challenges like asking your waitress to skip the straw for your drink. Efforts like that work towards a trash free ocean.

Trash in the water impacts the world on many levels, including harming wildlife, humans, and impacting the livelihood of those who work on the ocean. It causes economic damage by affecting tourism and recreation and the money they bring into those communities that are the ocean shore. The Ocean Conservatory knows that solving these issues requires bold initiatives and eliminating the sources of the trash that damages the ocean.

Empowering people to take an active role in the preservation and cleaning up of the ocean are important parts of helping conservation of the ocean. By spreading tips and techniques to help reduce trash they help people everywhere aid the cleanup of our oceans."

My participation led me (via a bus) to The North Channel Bridge area in NYC, where along with a number of other volunteers (some of who can be seen in the image following picture,

which was taken by Danielle Sherman of Audubon Society NYC after we had completed three hours of attempting to clear the beach of items on a form-style check list (as well as items not listed on that form).

A Red-Tailed Hawk in my Courtyard (Thursday's Testimony)

THIS RED-TAILED HAWK IS FEATURED IN VOL 3

A woman who lives in the building that is adjacent to the one in which I live, has called me on a few occasions to alert me to the fact that a hawk is alighting on the branches of a nearby Ailanthus Tree and is staring at my rooftop garden. Her assumption has always been that the hawk is doing this because he/she "knows I feed the birds who visit my place."

Yesterday was the first time that I happen to notice the awesome creature. He/she is featured in the photograph atop this entry where, indeed, he/she does appear to be staring down at my garden.

Tuesday's Truths WK 73: Possible Book Review!

The NYC Audubon Society, is on my mind today because this past Friday, at their request, I left a copy of the hardcover version of Words In Our Beak Volume One at their office which is located on Twenty-Third Street in Manhatttan.

SEE PRES RELEASE

The person who contacted me from this office said that he would make sure that my book got in the hands of the folks who review books for them, which truly excited me! Hence, I'm featuring an image  (atop this entry) of an open door that leads to their office.

I suppose I shouldn't get my hopes up about this "open door" because a few people have offered to review Words In Our Beak Volume One, and never did anything about it! This includes a wildlife Blogger who requested I send her a complimentary copy (of the softcover version which is not pictured here), and a family member who purchased her own copy.

Be that as it may, hopefully, the person who contacted me from NYC Audubon will follow through, and, as of now re this particular Tuesday's Truths series, I do have the possibility of having my book, Words In Our Beak Volume One, being reviewed by them.

Here's Tuesday's Truths for the 71st Week: This is The Year of the Bird

In honor of the sixteenth day, of the one-hundredth anniversary of The Migratory Bird Act, I am posting a reminder: This calendar year of 2018 has been designated as The Year of the Bird.

The collage atop this entry depicts the fact that The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is partnering with organizations that include National Geographic, National Audubon Society, Bird Life International, and, is "asking people to pledge to do one thing per month to help birds."

 A web-page for National Geographic, includes a quote attributed to Thomas E. Lovejoy, which states,“If you take care of the birds, you take care of most of the big environmental problems in the world.”

Readers of this blog surely know, I enjoy any opportunity to take care of birds, which I mostly do for the array of types who have visited my urban garden.

Welcoming a New Visitor: Rose-Breasted Grosbeak

A few days ago, April 18th 2013, I heard a wonderful voice singing in my garden, and as it happens, the voice belongs to the handsome guy featured in the image above today's blog entry. This little fellow is a rose-breasted grosbeak; although I did not know that at the time, and at first I mistook him for a hairy woodpecker because that type of bird has been an occasional visitor to my garden (which I've discussed in my other on-line venues, including a post here on Blogger which you may refer to by clicking on this link).

In any event, I was so awestruck to see this creature that I immediately posted a photo-op (different from the one seen here) on TLLG's Pinterest Boards as well as on TLLG's Facebook Page, where one of my followers, Evelyn E, someone I've never met, pointed out to me that this uncanny little fellow may not be the hairy woodpecker as I had initially thought.

Monday's Memo: How to Make a Bird Feeder

I received this how to make a bird feeder (from a pumpkin) via an email from The National Audubon Society, but I confess I'm not very handy; so I won't do it, unless someone can help me! Et tu, dear reader? Would you make something like this?

For your information, the birds featured in this video are Evening Grosbeaks. Volume three of my book series, Words In Our Beak, features a male Rose-Breasted Grosbeak named Wilson. He can be seen in the next picture.

WILSON'S STORY IS IN VOL 3

FALL 2018 ADDENDUM: 

Hardcover versions of volume one, two and three can now be found wherever books are sold.

MY BOOK SERIES

Please click here to go to my blog post that provides details as to where you can get these books. Additionally,  I have rendered some images from these books into other formats and they are available via Fine Art America (FAA). Some of my other photographs (Black & White Collection, Kaleidoscopic Images and the famous Mandarin duck who visited NYC) can also be found on my FAA pages.

ADDENDUM SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER 2021:

When the third volume of the hard-cover version of Words In Our Beak was released, I withdrew from promoting my former versions of Words In Our Beak. 

The very first one is an iBook and went into Apple's book store in 2015.

This was followed by an ePub version...

..that is available on Amazon and was also published in 2015.

Subsequently, Words In Our Beak's digital versions were published as a soft-cover book (with slight variations) by MagCloud in 2017.

Its press release can be read by clicking here.  [The press release does note my Kindle version of the digital Words In Our Beak, but I withdrew it from Amazon a few years ago and at this time, I do not intend to make it live again.]

Now with the release of BIRD TALES....

... I've been advised to make mention of my early versions of volume one of Words In Our Beak, they do vary ever so slightly in content from the hard-cover version of volume one. 

As of this addendum, I do not intend to create digital or soft-cover versions of Words In Our Beak Volume Two or Words In Our Beak Volume Three.

Saturday's Sequel: I've met my 14th bird!

This past Saturday while walking in Central Park and being memorized by the antics of a cinnamon colored squirrel (which I wrote about in Monday's post here in Blogger) I also encountered a bird type unfamiliar to me, making this my fourteenth new acquaintance in this Year of the Bird. I have since learned the creature who I noticed is a Song Sparrow and the little one can be seen in the image atop this entry where he/she is ignoring the fact that a fence had a padlock (although there seemed to be no reason for the lock — it wasn't securing anything).

Thursday's Testimony: Plastics are NOT for the birds (or for any other living creature)...

The comic strip atop this entry was in my inbox today and upon seeing it, I was instantly reminded of a couple of seagulls whom I've seen "collecting plastics" on Long Beach. A couple of my images featuring this disturbing scenario are posted directly below.

It never ceases to amaze me how people litter (for surely no other creature is leaving plastics behind).

Friday's Follow-up to my 9-12-2017 Post

Atop this blog entry is an image that I saw on an FB Page of someone that I knew (and haven't  seen since) in high school. The photograph instantly made me think of a recent entry that I made on TLLG's FB Page regarding NYC's Tribute In Light, which pays homage to the victims of the September 11th terrorists attacks on the World Trade  Center.

Last year in an entry here on Blogger, I wrote about the danger this tribute poses to migrating birds.

At this time, I'm so grateful to learn that NYC Audubon has made great progress in their efforts to minimize — if not eliminate — the danger this solemn, well-intended, tribute causes migrating birds.

The Wild Bird Fund's Open House is Today (AND It's also being held tomorrow!)

The photograph which is atop this posting is of The Wild Bird Fund's (WBF) storefront, which is located on the UWS of NYC; specifically at 565 Columbus Ave. This image is featured in an announcement that I received from them re an event that they are holding today as well as tomorrow.

New Arrivals: The Coccinellidae novemnotatas aka THE LADYBUGS

Last week, at this very time, I was preparing for a hurricane who has ben named Hurricane Irene, which I discussed in this past Saturday's post, and in the conclusion of that entry, I reported that, in regards to Irene, I'd return to blogging with "hopefully little damage to report."

Thankfully, that was the case, as I've already indicated earlier this week. I am very grateful to God — though I don't express it nearly as much as I should. In fact, since I sleep on a foam pad — which is directly atop of my floor, I often don't kneel when I say prayers before going to sleep, although I did (as is the standard) kneel at mass yesterday, with thanksgiving that, in terms of Irene, I was unscathed; especially given the damage which Hurricane Irene did cause for many people, including those who live  on or near the Jersey Shore, a place, where I took the photograph (posted above) in late July, of a shore town's resident's garden fence with the affirmation, God Answers Knee-Mail. 

Since the place where I took this photograph is very near the ocean, I hope the folks who own the property as well as their surrounding neighbors did not sustain too much damage, but, whatever the case turned out to be, I am fairly certain they relied on their knee-mail to God to see them through the situation.

And speaking of God; are you, dear reader, familiar with the adage, If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans" ?

Well, what has happened, dear reader, is that I've recently discovered this very same  thing that happens with a muse. If you want to amuse your muse, tell him/her what you intend to write about. 

For as you may recall, dear reader, last Saturday I confessed that I had planed to write about my "journey towards elegant garden lighting", but my preparation for Irene took precedence. I did promise to return to my garden lighting epiphany today, but I admit that (because I have now been writing this entry in my head for over a week) my insights do not seem as poignant as they did last week, and I am tempted to renege on my promise; not out of an unwillingness to fulfill a task — but out of a bit of pride — that I may not sound as prolific in cyberspace as I do in my head, when it comes to the insights which I thought the new lighting system in my urban garden had taught me.

"My September Baccalaureate": Journey Towards Elegant Lighting

Last week, at this very time, I was preparing for a hurricane who has ben named Hurricane Irene, which I discussed in this past Saturday's post, and in the conclusion of that entry, I reported that, in regards to Irene, I'd return to blogging with "hopefully little damage to report."

Thankfully, that was the case, as I've already indicated earlier this week. I am very grateful to God — though I don't express it nearly as much as I should. In fact, since I sleep on a foam pad — which is directly atop of my floor, I often don't kneel when I say prayers before going to sleep, although I did (as is the standard) kneel at mass yesterday, with thanksgiving that, in terms of Irene, I was unscathed; especially given the damage which Hurricane Irene did cause for many people, including those who live  on or near the Jersey Shore, a place, where I took the photograph (posted above) in late July, of a shore town's resident's garden fence with the affirmation, God Answers Knee-Mail. 

Since the place where I took this photograph is very near the ocean, I hope the folks who own the property as well as their surrounding neighbors did not sustain too much damage, but, whatever the case turned out to be, I am fairly certain they relied on their knee-mail to God to see them through the situation.

And speaking of God; are you, dear reader, familiar with the adage, If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans" ?

Well, what has happened, dear reader, is that I've recently discovered this very same  thing that happens with a muse. If you want to amuse your muse, tell him/her what you intend to write about. 

For as you may recall, dear reader, last Saturday I confessed that I had planed to write about my "journey towards elegant garden lighting", but my preparation for Irene took precedence. I did promise to return to my garden lighting epiphany today, but I admit that (because I have now been writing this entry in my head for over a week) my insights do not seem as poignant as they did last week, and I am tempted to renege on my promise; not out of an unwillingness to fulfill a task — but out of a bit of pride — that I may not sound as prolific in cyberspace as I do in my head, when it comes to the insights which I thought the new lighting system in my urban garden had taught me.

A Lone Praying Mantis Visits My Garden!

The praying mantis seen in the images atop this blog entry, where he/she is moving gracefully — but with a sense of purpose — across the table that's in my rooftop garden, were taken by Juan V when he came to my place yesterday.

This Particular Friday's "FANTASTICK" Fact: "Deep in December it's nice to remember The fire of September that made you mellow."

Before the official onset of summer 2017, which was Wednesday, June 21, 2017, I told myself that I would make sure that I went to the beach once a week. There are many beaches near Manhattan and all of them are normally accessible by public transportation.

However, this summer getting to any beach via public transportation was impossible due to major construction on all railroad and subway stations. I wrote about the scenario in a previous post here on Blogger which you may refer to by clicking here.

I had also hoped to work around that transportation problem by tandem cycling to The Rockaways (a beach off the Atlantic Ocean) in the borough of Queens, but our plans were cancelled due to heavy rain.

And now September is here and I have not been to the beach. This fact brings the Dr. Seuss quote seen in the image atop this entry to my mind.

I do realize that one can still go to the beach in the fall. In fact, in bygone years, I cycled with my captain to the beach at Coney Island (in Brooklyn) during the month of October.