The Consequence of Reporting on Sturnus vulgaris (European starlings)

On Sunday, March 16th 2014, the day before a number of folks were due to celebrate the Saint Patrick's Day holiday, I realized another holiday was taking place. The holiday I am referring to is the 124th anniversary of the arrival of the bird type known as Sturnus vulgaris (European starlings) in New York City, the city where I live and have an urban garden that this bird type is now visiting. It appears they truly enjoy noshing here as evidenced by the photos above.

Starlings came to NYC 129 years ago today.

STARLINGS ARE FEATURED IN VOL 3

STARLINGS ARE FEATURED IN VOL 3

STARLINGS ARE FEATURED IN VOL 3

STARLINGS ARE FEATURED IN VOL 3

Today marks the 129th anniversary of the arrival of Sturnus vulgaris AKA European starlings in NYC. A few photographs of "solo"  starlings visiting my garden at various times over the years are posted atop this entry.

Remembering William Shakespeare

When I spoke by phone to my dear friend, VB,  I mentioned to him that we have had a lot of heavy rains this month which I found to disprove the adage,“April showers bring May flowers,” as our showers are taking nearly away chances of May flowers.

He responded by quoting a line from Sonnet 18 by William Shakespeare (who died on this day in 1564): “Rough Winds do shake the darling buds of May.”

Another Chance to Celebrate World Book Day! (Monday's Memo)

This past March 1st, a Twitter trend was that it was #WorldBookDay, but I've just learned that today,  April 23, 2018 is also World Book Day!

I received the notification from my web-designer, Chris Deatherage, who also edited and formatted both volumes in the Words In Our Beak book series, seen in the image below.

VOLUMES ONE AND TWO

And with the notification, Chris included the image atop this entry (as you may recall he has created business cards and press releases for both books).

Because I knew that World Book Day had been celebrated this past March, I checked out his news tip, and sure enough, on this day of April 23rd, folks will once again celebrate this unofficial holiday!

Throwback Thursday: Mr. Eugene Schieffelin (He was for the birds, especially starlings.)

The photograph atop today's entry was taken during this past Tuesday's nor'Easter; a "bombogenesis," winter storm named STELLA. It's a picture featuring a representative of one of the dozens upon dozens of dozens of European starlings who spent the entire day in my rooftop garden, eating and squawking (not sedate like the one seen here) while the blizzard raged on (as evidenced in the following images).

This bird type that I'm speaking of is a member of the Sturnus vulgaris family whom are also known by the common name of European starling. Evidently this variety of bird was brought to NYC from England by Eugene Schieffelin in March of 1890, and he subsequently released them in Central Park. 

I first learned of Eugene Schieffelin's antics in March of 2014 and wrote about the news-worthy topic on TLLG's Facebook Page. I also wrote about it on hometalk, with a follow-up entry here on Blogger. 

Now, in preparation for today's throwback Thursday post, I've read other interesting information re Eugene Schieffelin's "responsibility" in bringing starlings across the pond, as well as interesting facts re this ubiquitous bird type, all of which I'm sharing in this entry.

Theatrics by Mother Nature

The photo atop this entry is a view of The Delacorte Theatre (located in Central Park) and is a copy of an image on one of the Public Theater's  web-pages. The Public Theatre is the company who oversees productions at the Delacorte. "Since 1962, over 5 million people have gathered inside the Delacorte to experience world class Shakespeare and other productions at no-cost. The mission of The Public and Free Shakespeare in the Park has remained constant."

European starlings contine to enjoy my garden. (Saturday's Sentiment)

European starlings the bird type featured in the image atop this entry (visiting my roof extension garden) were brought to NYC from England 131 years and one month ago yesterday (3-16-1890).

Exits and Entrances Reprised from 2011 (Tuesday's Truths WK 124)

A copy of the Mutts comic strip that's posted atop this entry was in my In Box this morning causing me to recall a joke that I heard a few years ago:

Q: If an April shower brought a May flower; what did the May Flower bring? 
A: Pilgrims!

But if truth be told, imho, April showers take away May flowers and I've mentioned my observation re this occurrence in prior posts here on Blogger. Welcome to the 124th segment of my Tuesday's Truths series...

NYC has been receiving heavy rains for several days now and many of the tulips in my garden that I wrote about in this past Tuesday's blog post (where I included photographs of them) have lost their petals.

Tuesday's Truths WK 6: Least Sandpipers Are Known As PEEPS!

This is the sixth week of my Tuesday's Truths series, and three weeks ago, on August 2nd 2016, I described a truism of seagulls, the bird type pictured atop this entry. The seagulls I featured in that entry were ones I had met at the Atlantic Ocean when I was in Long Beach New York. The picture included here, was also taken at the Atlantic Ocean, but I met this guy/gal bird at Sea Side Heights in New Jersey. This beach is located within a New Jersey State Park. Friends had taken me there in honor of my birthday. Beaches in State Parks tend to be quieter as well as cleaner, and this beach was no exception. Still this bird managed to get a hold of a plastic lid and I certainly hope it didn't cause him/her health issues.

A seagull looked on as his/her comrade held the plastic lid in his/her beak. I left them to their own devices and strolled along the shoreline in search of sandpipers. It has been a long time since I've seen this sweet bird type at any beach, and I was happy to learn that sandpipers liked to gather in the Sea Side Heights area. And much to my delight I encountered throngs of this adorable bird type.

Pigeons, and sparrows, and, starlings! OH MY!

The other week, on Wednesday, August 16th 2017, I went to a wake which was held at the Papavero Funeral Home in Queens. The solemn event was in honor of the beloved Angela Mussa, who is the woman in the undated photograph atop this entry. I never met this lovely woman, who died at age ninety-three in her daughter's (Dr. Carla Mussa DDS) arms, however, I had met her daughter on a few occasions at parties that were held by our mutual friend, TT.

When TT told me Carla's mother had died, and that she was planning on attending the wake, I offered to accompany her to support Carla. I knew Carla was an only child, and that any extended family lived in Italy, therefore, I thought attendance might be sparse.

In any event, at the wake a slide show featuring photographs from various stages of Angela Mussa's life was playing, and the picture featured here is one of the images which was included.

Grainy as the image is, if you knew Angela Mussa was born and raised in Italy, you might be able to tell that it was taken in Italy, and that she is feeding pigeons. 

Tuesday's Truths, the seventy-fifth week. Tomorrow is Saint Valentine's Day (ETC)

Cupid (the figurine seen in the image atop this entry) joins me today in welcoming you, dear reader, to the seventy-fifth week of my Tuesday's Truths series. He wants to make sure that we heed the certain words (posted directly below) uttered by Ophelia in Shakespeare's Hamlet.

To-morrow is Saint Valentine's day, 

All in the morning betime, 

And I maid at your window, 

To be your Valentine. 

Then up he rose, and donn'd his clothes, 

And dupped the chamber-door; 

Let in a maid, that out a maid 

Never departed more.

For indeed, tomorrow is Saint Valentines Day! This year it coincides with Ash Wednesday, which means today is Shrove Tuesday.

Therefore, because Valentines Day is on Ash Wednesday (marking the onset  of Lent), you may not want to give your special someone chocolates, or champagne, but, you probably want to give the person who is near and dear to you a special gift! May Cupid and I suggest giving him/her a version of the book, Words In Our Beak Volume One.

"WORDS IN OUR BEAK" MAKES A GREAT GIFT ANYTIME

Here's the info on how to buy all the versions:

HARDCOVER:
Book Seller Info: http://bit.ly/2AFZDCz
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2zxVujM
Barnes & Noble On-Line: http://bit.ly/2AAnB26
book culture On Columbus: http://bit.ly/2FsC1Uf

SOFTCOVER:
Magcloud: http://bit.ly/2nrBJDj

DIGITAL (TWO OPTIONS):
ePub: http://amzn.to/2kzWGw0
iBook: http://apple.co/2nHZMBq

FALL 2018 ADDENDUM: 

The digital versions of Volume One within the Words In Our Beak book series that are mentioned in this entry may only remain available for a limited time, but hardcover versions of Volume One, Two and Three can now be found wherever books are sold.

Moreover, I no longer actively produce event program covers, invitations and the types of greeting cards described here or on my website but arrangements might be able to be made under certain circumstances. My focus is on the Words In Our Beak book series, pictured below...

WORDS IN OUR BEAK BOOK SERIES

...whose stories are told from the point of view of Cam, a female cardinal, whose photo is on the cover of each book. Words In Our Beak’s goal is to open readers to a simple understanding of the winged world and their environment. Set in my rooftop garden in NYC,  Words In Our Beak is directed to children and adults who are curious about birds, and want to learn about them from a unique perspective. The books include hundreds of images of flora and fauna, links to movies, as well as to informative narratives that have been created by the author.

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.

SUMMER 2020 ADDENDUM: 

                             

"Never say never," the saying goes, and I suppose that applies to saying, "I no longer....," which I did in my 2018 addendum and now I'm here to announce at the advice of Chris Deatherage, my book series formatter, who is also my web-master (for patriciayoungquist.com) I now have some versions of the greeting cards that are referenced in this blog post available via FAA, please click here to view them.

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.  

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.

Light thickens, and the crow . . .

. . . Makes wings to th' rocky wood.

Good things of day begin to drop and drowze;

Whiles night's black agents to their prey do rouse.

Thou marvel'st at my words; but hold thee still.

Things bad begun make strong themselves by ill.

So, prithee, go with me."

Claudia, the crow, pictured at the top of today's blog entry has recently joined my indoor succulent garden, and I overheard her reciting a speech from William Shakespeare's, Macbeth. The speech she was delivering comes from Act Three, Scene Two and is posted here (above) in orange text.

Antics in my Indoor Succulent Garden (MOSTLY) #1

Today is Post One re my effort to distribute my blog content across the board as I discussed in yesterday's post here on Blogger. My focus in my other blogging venues (tumblr and hometalk) — with a slightly different take in each one —  was on the comings and goings in my succulent garden as they pertain to Thanksgiving; which is in ten days time including today (November 19th 2013). Because of this fact re the holiday, a few guests have begun to arrive in my succulent garden and their photo-ops can be seen within this entry.

The character at the top of this post calls herself Madam Falling Leaf, and she is especially close to my heart since I call myself TLLG, an abbreviation for The Last Leaf Gardener, a name based on the O'Henry story, The Last Leaf.

Remembering Eugene Schieffelin ETC

The photograph atop this entry is of a statute in Central Park that is in very close proximity to Delacorte Clock — named after philanthropist George T. Delacorte.

According to a web-page, it "is one of the most beloved monuments in the parks of New York City, this musical clock hovers above the arcade between the Wildlife Center and the Children's Zoo."

The aforementioned page goes on to say that "Delacorte conceived of the clock as a modern version of belfries in churches and city halls dating back to the Middle Ages....

... and designer Fernando Texidor collaborated with architect Edward Coe Embury (son of the 1934 zoo’s designer, Aymar Embury II) to create a brick arcaded bridge between the Monkey House (now the Zoo School) and the main Central Park Zoo quadrangle to house the clock and its animal sculpture carousel. Italian sculptor Andrea Spadini (1912–1983) crafted the whimsical bronze sculptures, which depict a penguin, kangaroo, bear, elephant, goat, and hippo parading with a variety of musical instruments as well as two monkeys with mallets that strike the bell."

This page also explains that "Each day between eight in the morning and six in the evening, the clock--now digitally programmed--plays one of thirty-two nursery rhyme tunes on the hour. On the half-hour, the mechanical performance is a bit shorter. The animals rotate on a track around the clock and each also turns on an axis."

I came upon it the clock this afternoon when walking with a friend. I've seen it on many occasions as but in all my years of living in NYC, I've rarely arrived at the clock just as it is about to "perform."

Certain Squirrels in NYC's Central Park (Tuesday's Truths WK 122)

There is a special looking squirrel (at least to me) who seems to be a loner spending time on the grassy area on the northwest side of Oak Bridge in Central Park; as seen in the photo atop this entry and in the pictures directly below.

As of this entry, I have not learned the exact ID for him/her but here is what the Squirrel Census Commander has to say about it:

"Most likely this specimen is an eastern gray who's color phase is between a cinnamon and black. While I've never seen one exactly like this I'm sure it's possible."

If I find out more re this creature, I will put an addendum in this entry. Meanwhile, a few yards north of this area, near The Shakespeare Gardens (which are in the vicinity of the Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre)...

Honoring September's Morning Glory Flower (with a Memory of Barbara Brine)

The photographs atop this entry (and directly below) feature Morning Glories who climb up a metal fence in an area of Central Park located on the northern edge of Sheep's Meadow (mid-Park at 69th Street just north of Sheep Meadow) known as Nell Singer Lilac Walk. I saw them a little over a few weeks ago when taking a walk with CF.

A web-page for the Official Website of Central Park describes the Nell Singer area by saying it "boasts many varieties of its signature fragrant flower from around the world. Artfully composed he walk was designed for the greatest visual effect. Come spring, it's a wonderland of white, pink, and purple blossoms. Twenty years later, Conservancy gardeners undertook the major task of replanting the beds. Today, the little path along the meadow is a spring highlight for Park lovers."

I'm surprised this web source does not state that Morning Glory's grow up the fence (enclosing Sheep's Meadow), for as you can see this vine's flowers are spectacular.

With this month of September coming to an end the day after end tomorrow, I thought I should take the opportunity to publish this non-scheduled day entry in order to give a shout out to this flower type since she, along with the Asters (the flower variety seen in the pictures below that were taken within Shakespeare Gardens in Central Park), are considered to be the birth flower of the month of September.

According to a web-page for The Old Farmer's Almanac, "Asters are mainly symbols of powerful love. Perhaps because of their positive symbolism, according to folklore they were once burned to ward off serpents."

Re the Morning Glory, the aforementioned page has this to say: "Morning glories are simple symbols of affection. Those who rise early may be able to watch their lovely blooms open. Morning glory flowers generally curl closed later in the day, hence their name!"

Their beauty was not lost on my dearly departed friend, Barbara Brine, who was born on October 19th in 1934. Her obituary states, "Barbara Theresa Brine (Bebe) was born in Boston, Massachusetts on October 19, 1934, lived most of her adult life on Manhattan's Upper West Side, and died on August 22, 2014 in Centerville, Massachusetts..."

Bees & Butterflies have similar behaviors. (Tuesday's Truths WK 134)

Welcome to my one hundred and thirty fourth segment of Tuesday's Truths which is inspired by my observing a bee and a Red Admiral Butterfly. I came upon both of these insects dining together atop an echinacea flower which grows near Shakespeare Gardens in Central Park (as seen in the image atop this entry).

I've often seen bees alighting on flowers and I've often seen butterflies engaging in this activity but up until this past Friday, I'd never seen them engaging in this behavior at the same time, which prompted me to do some research.

My "Shakespearean" Urban Terrace Garden Flowers: "They have their exits and their entrances . . . "

It's May 31st which means this "merry merry month" of May (as I referred to it just thirty days ago) is coming to a close, and so are my tulips,

Ophelia's (and a Northern Cardinal's) Note: "To-morrow is Saint Valentine's day"

CARDINALS ARE FEATURED IN MY BOOKS

I observed a pair of Northern cardinals this past weekend when I was walking through The Ramble in Central Park. Now, as I look at one of the pictures of them, I let my mind wander as to what they might be telling each other. Perhaps because tomorrow is Valentine's Day, I thought of Ophelia's (from Shakespeare's Hamlet) quote upon studying the expression on the female's (bird at the top of this photo).

"To-morrow is Saint Valentine's day, 

All in the morning betime, 

And I maid at your window, 

To be your Valentine. 

Then up he rose, and donn'd his clothes, 

And dupped the chamber-door; 

Let in a maid, that out a maid 

Never departed more."

I think you must admit, dear reader, that this female bird's non-verbal communication could be interpreted as a reminder/warning/hint for her mate to do something.