What a differnce a week makes!

One week ago on May 23rd 2021, the “real feel” temperatures climbed into the 90's and in my last Tuesday's Truths segment, I mentioned how these conditions are very hard on our avian community. 

Today — one week later — the temperature is no where near those which occurred in that mini heat wave. They have been hovering at 52 degrees with real feel temps around 44 degrees, accompanied by a third day of steady, heavy rainfalls (which can be seen in the photograph atop this entry featuring a partial view of my rain-soaked garden.

Play ball or play blueberry? (Robins might make a good maccot for baseball.)

The media is reporting baseball season will soon be upon us and that with the enforcement of social distancing (a precaution still taking place to prevent the spread of the coronavirus), those who enjoy the sport will be able to attend games (you won’t see me there). 

From the looks of the picture (atop this entry), a certain American robin visiting my garden might make a good mascot as he appears to know how to  catch "fly blueberries,”  and that skill could be an inspiration to players to catch fly balls. 

In any event, American robins enjoy eating blueberries as well as indulging in other behaviors.

Mockingbirds and starlings have common behaviors! Tuesday's Truths WK 208

For this 208th segement of my Tuesday's Truths series, I'd like to tell you a behavior that the bird types (European starlings and Northern mockingbirds) featured in the photos atop this entry have in common.

American Robins Bring Joy to Others (Wednesday's Wisdom)

AMERICAN ROBINS HAVE A STORY IN VOLUME THREE

AMERICAN ROBINS HAVE A STORY IN VOLUME THREE

AMERICAN ROBINS HAVE A STORY IN VOLUME THREE

As I mentioned in a recent entry here on blogger, "Young American Robins initially have speckled plumage and no red breast, but as their post-juvenile molt progresses, the orange-red feathering of the breast starts to appear, as well as their pale belly." 

The one who is featured in the image atop this entry seems to be in that phase of his/her life. in this picture he/she is alighting upon the string lights which hang over my rooftop garden.

Some Characteristics of Young Robins

ROBINS HAVE A STORY IN VOLUME THREE

ROBINS HAVE A STORY IN VOLUME THREE

This past Friday here on Blogger, I published an entry re a fact about young Northern cardinals, as one (much to my delight) has been visiting my rooftop garden.

However, that adorable creature is not the only young bird who is spending time in my place. A number of young American robins have also spent a lot of time here and one of them is featured in the picture atop this entry.

Young Robins initially have speckled plumage and no red breast, but as their post-juvenile molt progresses, the orange-red feathering of the breast starts to appear, as well as their pale belly.

It's February!

As you may recall last year on February's first day, I mentioned (here on Blogger) that this month is known as National Bird Feeding Month. Holiday Insights (HI) points out the reason for this, "Mid winter is a tough time for backyard birds. Snow often covers their food source, while at the same time food supplies are dwindling. A reliable high energy supply of bird seed is essential, to provide the energy your backyard birds need to survive the long lasting extreme cold in February."

The photograph atop this entry where house sparrows are eating from a feeder in my garden was taken three years ago in February of 2017. As you can see HI is correct in pointing out that weather conditions in February (in certain parts of the world) can result in food sources being covered — even feeders!

April 2019 is here...

... and in NYC it arrived with temperatures in the low thirties, prompting folks on the street to make reference to the weather being an April Fool's Day prank.

April is a month that T.S. Eliot proclaimed was the cruelest, that is part of a quotation (posted above) from The Wasteland, which is one I've referenced in prior entries here on Blogger; but today I came upon an interpretation of these words that really spoke to me and I hope they do the same for you, dear reader.

In an article for Node in the Global Mind, Chris Day responds to the question, What did T.S. Eliot mean when he said that April is the cruelest month (in his poem, The Waste Land)? Day states the following:

"Let's look at the first seven lines of the first stanza:

APRIL is the cruellest month, breeding
Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing
Memory and desire, stirring
Dull roots with spring rain.
Winter kept us warm, covering
Earth in forgetful snow, feeding
A little life with dried tubers.

In the northern hemisphere, April is clasically associated with spring. This is classic Eliot topsy-turviness. April is cruel? How can April be cruel? It's spring; with flowers and mild weather and sex and love in the air. 

He's giving us an insight into a mind that doesn't revel in these things as might be expected. 'breeding/Lilacs out of the dead land' is a very heavy, depressed way to describe the blooming of flowers. He sees the same things as everyone else, but there is no joy there. 'mixing/Memory and desire, stirring/Dull roots with spring rain;' a sense of loss and longing, of being rooted in the past, and spring re-awakening memories of things that have passed. 

By comparison; 'Winter kept us warm' 'forgetful snow;' these things suggest a state of comfortable emotional hibernation.

An old literature teacher once put it thus; when your arm is numb, you don't feel it. But when the blood flows again, and the pins and needles come, suddenly you know about it. It's not (emotional) numbness that hurts; it's the return of feeling.

Anyone who has dealt with long-term depression can probably feel the connection to what Eliot is describing here, and it does a fantastic job of leading in to the rest of the poem, which deals excrutiatingly with depression and memory. 

In summary; April is the cruelest month because the life and color of spring throws one's depression into stark relief and forces painful memories to surface."

Day's interpretation of the first seven lines of Eliot's stanza rings true for me on a very personal level they remind me of  a poem by Emily Dickinson, which is about her first encounter with a robin in any given new year.

It's Berry Time In The City

This past Thursday I went to the greenmarket at Tucker Square, and a representative for GrowNYC, the organization that oversees the greenmarkets throughout the city, took the second photograph atop today's blog entry. I was so caught up in complimenting him on his sign, that I forgot to ask his name so that I could give him a photo credit. Because I go to that market on a regular basis. 

I hope to see him again and then give him a nod (in cyber space) for taking this image for me. In any event, while I was there, I told him (as well as a grower that happened to be standing nearby), how much pleasure I got in providing berries for the American Robins who have been visiting my urban (rooftop) garden — which is something I wrote about this in a recent blog post, "Serving The Frugivores."   

The grower begged to differ about deriving pleasure in seeing birds eat blueberries. She explained that she goes to great lengths to prevent birds from having access to her blueberries.

A bit of serendipity for the NYC birds that visit my rooftop garden: The grower covers her blueberries with nets to keep the birds away, then she brings her blueberries to the city, where I buy them, and use them to feed the bird types that she tries to keep away!

Father's Day is FOR THE BIRDS!

This past Monday, June 13th, six days before today's holiday of Father's Day, I heard a sound in my garden. I still don't have my replacement glasses (which I need as my accident last month resulted in them being ruined as you can see from the image above), so I relied on my Canon 70D's long lens to see what was causing the unusual noise. The conditions were not optimal for photographing. It was in the wee (and still dark) hours of the morning. Also I was inside my place looking out through a broken window. 

Still, I followed the noise from the vantage point of being behind a camera, then realized a baby bird or very young fledging, was alongside the American Robin who has been visiting my urban garden which is in close proximity to NYC's Central Park. I was thrilled for I've never seen such a young robin! However, both of these birds were hiding behind one of my clay pots, and with that, as well as the conditions I've just described, the images I did get are unclear, but I'm posting them anyway (below).

AMERICAN ROBINS

AMERICAN ROBINS

For as I mentioned in a recent post here on Blogger, when photo-ops do not turn out as I would like, I try to console myself with the wisdom that E.B. White spoke of in his essay, "Remembrance is Sufficient."

Serving The Frugivores

According to Holiday Insights, the month of June is set aside for a few national observations: National Accordion Awareness Month, National Adopt a Cat Month, and National Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Month. In an effort to pay homage to the latter, I've been offering fresh blueberries to the birds that visit my urban garden in NYC.

And as you can see from the pictures posted above (which were taken in my garden), a lone American Robin and a Northern Mockingbird have been enjoying my hospitality.

Fun Flag Day Facts (In Honor of #FlagDay)

Yesterday, June 13th, some friends let me accompany them on their trip to a monastery in Ossining New York. This is where I took the picture of this American flag that I'm posting in honor of today's holiday: #FlagDay 2016. 

And in the very early morning of this Flag Day, I was honored by a visit from a creature who came to my urban (NYC) rooftop garden. This was somewhat appropriate for the holiday, for the visitor I'm referring to is an American Robin (pictured below).

ROBINS ARE FEATURED IN VOL 3

But he doesn't wait for Flag Day to be patriotic!