Bird. Watching.

These recent avian visitors to my rooftop garden (pictured above) have been one reason I believe this animal type is behind the term "bird watching." The bird varieties included within the images here (along with many other bird types) are featured my books.

I'm back after yet another hiatus...

Once again I have had circumstances that have taken me away from being present here on Blogger as well as from moving forward with my "Imperfect Strangers" book project.

I feel akin to Mooch, the cat featured in the Mutts comic strip atop this entry and I must confess, the longer I'm away from my book project, the more confidence I lose re any value it might have. 

But I've received an encouraging "note" (email) from an advocate for those who suffer from NF.

It stated:

"Your struggle is real, Patricia. 

Youngsters nowadays are SO lucky to find there's information (re NF), care and acceptance of their differences, at least in safe circles.

You got a very opposite message.

Remind yourself of the courage and strength of character it took to make a new home in New York.

It wasn't the end of ridicule or discrimination, but your determination to educate the uninformed has been a real inspiration.

I'll admit that it seems cosmically unfair that you've been assaulted by so many complications - both painful and cosmetically distressing - at this point in your life.

Why you should be so afflicted I cannot understand.

All I can suggest is to set small goals for yourself each day. 

Celebrate small accomplishments.

Thank each bird who graces your garden. 

You're a good person with a kind soul. 

That's huge.

RM"

I'm not so sure RM is correct in calling me a person with "a kind soul," I can get pretty short tempered, but this is not the time or place for self-deprecation, so onward I shall go with my return to this blog.

Earth Day 2021

Earl and Mooch (from Patrick McDonnell's Mutts comic strip) as well as the prolific Mehmet Murat İldan sre spot on, for indeed "Wherever there are birds, there is hope."

For as discouraged as I might feel from time to time, whenever I see birds (such as the ones featured in the next sequence of photographs) in nearby Central Park, I feel more hopeful about most circumstances.

I also feel more hopeful about most circumstances when avian creatures spend time in the courtyard trees.

Friday's Fact: Rainfall still doesn't deter birds from visiting my garden.

 

The first half of this month has certainly lived up to the adage re April having showers, however this year they could be taking away May flowers, as the rain has been more like torrents than showers. Flowers are falling off their stems as a result and flowering trees are dropping their blooms. Such heavy precipitation often begs the question, Where do birds go when it rains?

A number of interesting articles have been published about this, including one by Chipper Birds. As for me, I often know where they go because a number of songbirds spend their rainy days in my garden. This is something I mentioned in a recent post here on Blogger which includes a male cardinal visiting my place during a rainfall.

During yesterday’s heavy rain several species spent time in my place, including a Northern mockingbird and an American robin (the bird types featured in the photographs atop this entry).

When do my pictures say the words or when do my words paint a picture?

It is such an honor to have mockingbirds visit my garden (which one is doing in the image atop this entry), but today for my Wednesday Wisdom segment, I can't find the words to describe the feelings such visitors provoke in me.

Therefore, I will use the words that Henry David Thoreau used to describe when another bird type (a sparrow) how he felt visited his garden.

Here is what he said: “I once had a sparrow alight upon my shoulder for a moment, while I was hoeing in a village garden, and I felt that I was more distinguished by that circumstance than I should have been by any epaulet I could have worn.”

This quotation has been referenced in a number of my blog posts including one published on an anniversary of one of Thoreau's birthdays (July 12th 2017).

Usually I'm not one who is at a loss for words, which is a good thing since I'm a writer but today, when it comes to describing the feeling I had the other day upon seeing a lone mockingbird in my garden, I don't have much to say. 

Perhaps I'm thinking that my words about this have all been said by me (in prior posts) or have been said by writers whom admire.

Another possibly for lack of words might be due to the fact that I've taken a picture of what  I saw and it might suffice due to it being one of those picture says a thousands words things.

According to a web-page, "the idea that a picture can convey what might take many words to express was voiced by a character in Ivan S. Turgenev's novel Fathers and Sons, 1862: 'The drawing shows me at one glance what might be spread over ten pages in a book.'"

April Downpours Did Not Deter Visiting Birds (YAY)!

Today's April showers were more like downpours and lasted from early morning throughout the night. Fortunately they not deter a number of birds from visiting my garden, including a Northern mockingbird, the avian creature featured in the photos atop this entry.

Northern mocking birds are flashers! (Tuesday's Truths WK 209)

In last week's (3-23-2-21) segement of my Tuesday's Truths series, I pointed out that the avian creatures known as Northern mockingbirds (one is featured in the photos atop this entry) shared a similar behavior as the bird type known as European starlings, which is their uncanny ability to excel in mimicry.

For this week's segement, I am calling attention to a "quirky" behavior that Northern mockingbirds can be found doing from an early age: They are flashers!

There are various theories about why mockingbirds flash their wings -– to startle insects, ward off predators, attract a mate. So far, there is no scientific consensus on why they do this. But I do know why this bird type does other things and what they can teach us about finding our voice!

I've included one of them, named Harper, in my the third volume of my hard-cover book series, Words In Our Beak. This bird type is referenced in all the books but Harper has her own chapter in volume three, where I include a number of facts as well as photo-ops about mockingbirds.

MY BOOK SERIES

The goal of these books is to open readers to a simple understanding of the winged world and their environment. Set in a rooftop urban garden (mine) in New York City, my story is told in the voice of Cam, a female cardinal, who visits it. 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 make a perfect gift for someone who may be in quarantine or lockdown due to consequences of the coronavirus because the stories in them can bring the outdoors into the homes of those who cannot go out and about.

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.

Friday's Fact: Mockingbirds can recognize a human's face.

In a recent post here on Blogger, I mentioned that birds are quite the watchers. As a follow up to that entry, I'd like to add this fact: 

According to a study about mockingbirds, "As they build nests, raise young and feed on insects, they keenly observe and remember everything that comes near their territory... 'Mockingbirds can recognize a human after only 60 seconds of contact,' Levey said. 'I would challenge most humans to do the same.'"

The photo-ops atop this entry of a Northern mockingbird (taken in my garden) do seem to suggest that this bird type does recognize me.

I am always intrigued when this avian variety visits my place and I've included a number of photo-ops and facts about them within my book series, Words In Our Beak.

 

This bird type is referenced in all the books and have their own chapter in volume three.

MY BOOK SERIES

The goal of these books is to open readers to a simple understanding of the winged world and their environment. Set in a rooftop urban garden (mine) in New York City, my story is told in the voice of Cam, a female cardinal, who visits it. 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 make a perfect gift for someone who may be in quarantine or lockdown due to consequences of the coronavirus because the stories in them can bring the outdoors into the homes of those who cannot go out and about.

Cinco de Marcho 2021

Happy Cinco de Marcho! A number of bird types stopped by my garden to celebrate the day including a pair of House finches and a lone Northern mockingbird, they can be seen (respectively in the next two pictures).

Other  birds also spent time here today.

March 2021 is here!

March 2021 didn't come in like a roaring lion or a docile lamb, at least in my garden, but it did come in with a visit from a Northern mockingbird which I always appreciate.

The 5th Anniversary of Harper Lee's Passing

The author, Harper Lee, known mostly for her novel, "To Kill A Mockingbird," died five years ago today (2-19-2016). In honor of her memory I'm sharing three photo-ops (atop this posting) of a Northern mockingbird who hung out with a Mourning dove in my garden during yesterday's snowstorm.

2021's Ground Hog Day + NYC's 1st Nor'easter for this Year (Tuesday's Truths WK 203)

Results are in! A couple of hours prior to this seemingly pensive Blue jay (seen in the picture directly above) alighting on the branches of the smoke bush that I have in my garden, NYC's spokes-groundhog predicted an early spring. However, Phil, the spokes-groundhog for nearby Pennsylvania predicts six more weeks of winter.

Squirrel Appreciation Day 2021

Today, January 21st, is the annual day to celebrate Squirrel Apppreciation Day. I've written about this holiday within a number of venues including entires on this blog.

These animals can provide a lot of entertainment when you observe them as I've done in both Central Park and Riverside Park over the years when I've encountered various types including Cinnamon Variant squirrels, Black squirrels and Eastern gray squirrels.

On July 8th 2020, shortly after NYC started to begin easing up on lockdown restrictions (many of which were subsequently put back in place) which had been in effect since March due  to the devastating consequences of the coronavirus pandemic, I had the chance to watch squirrels from my window for they began to visit the Ailanthus Trees in my buildings courtyard and as you might surmise from the photo-ops atop this entry, their antics gave me many reaons to smile during those isolating times.

Who-dun-it?

MY GARDEN IS THE SETTING FOR MY BOOK SERIES

This past Monday (8-10-2020) when I arrived home after my follow-up appointment with the surgeon (re the procedure I had on 8-4 -2020), I discovered a portion of the string lights which provide a canopy over my garden, had come down and I knew it wasn't storm related....so my question was Who-dun-it?

Some Feline Bird Watchers Have Lots to See!

There is a lot of bird watching to be be had from the vantage point of my rooftop garden but also from the vantage point of those whose apartment windows face our courtyard. No one knows this better than Snooze, the cat seen in the image at atop this entry.

Currently she lives in the building directly east of me and her window faces my garden as well a courtyard (Sadly Snooze is moving in a few days but I do have stories about her on my blog.)

At this time, Snooze is not the only one who spends her hours watching the avian creatures in our midst, there is another cat who lives in a building directly north of us (just across the courtyard).

An Update Re My Crabapple Tree ETC

MY GARDEN IS THE SETTING FOR "WIOB"

So thankful that JV was able to come over yesterday and help me with my crabapple tree that topped over during severe winds that occurred in early April, which I wrote about on Blogger at the time. The "repaired" tree can now be seen on the left hand-side of the image (featuring a partial view of my garden) atop this entry.

It's so great to report the fact that my crabapple tree is now standing upright on her own (just to the north of my bouncer).

Monday's Musings 2: Session 35 & N'tl Bird Day

A #CLAPBECAUSEWECAREPARTICIPANT

The photo-op directly above is from tonight's (May the fourth) #ClapBecauseWeCare session, where many participants announced: "May the fourth* be with you, first responders, health care professionals and essential workers. BRAVO! BRAVO!"

*"May the Fourth be with you," is the catchphrase of Star Wars Day on May 4th, the unofficial holiday celebrating the Star Wars franchise. It is a pun on a famous line from Star Wars, May the Force be with you.

Session 21 & A message re hope...

Having an unnerving time these past few days. Being sheltered in place (due to a request from government officials during this coronavirus pandemic) is finally getting to me and yesterday, I accidentally banged my head on my door. I have a huge black and blue shiner and a massive headache so I'm in need of Advil Liquid Gel as it is the only pain reliever that works for me. The stress is compounded by the fact that I can’t seem to reach the super. Maybe he is in lock down or maybe I have the wrong number.

The light is off on the third landing and one of the tenants on that floor is not around. I think the woman across from her  is here but not full time because someone put a night light in the outlet on their floor. BUT the stairs that lead from their floor to the floor where the woman who lives below me is pitch black, for there is no skylight or any source of light on their floor.

When this all started the man that lives a cross from her continued to get tons of deliveries which is standard for him but I think he has now gone away. It is very scary going down those stairs.

Someone gave me a small flashlight which I was grateful to get because mine is broken but  unfortunately it is useless in that total darkness. I have a small battery operated lantern which I’ve been using.

Thankfully I've just received a phone call from the neighbor on my floor that she will be ordering a light to place on that floor via Amazon and the landlord will reimburse her for it, BUT, Amazon will not be able to deliver it to her for several days due to their back log and restrictions.

Moreover, I will be out of toilet paper this afternoon and while it has been ordered for me it will also be several days so I will cut up one of my shirts. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

ON A LIGHTER NOTE:

Yesterday, the owner of the building directly west of me created a play area out of colorful chalk for her toddler (it can be seen in the photo atop this entry). The bright colors of the chalk and the squeals of delight from her daughter are welcoming by yours truly.

Crabapple Blossoms

MY ROOFTOP GARDEN

The other day (Tuesday, 4-7-2020) in a post on my personal Facebook (FB) Page, I mentioned that I had just remembered that April is National Poetry Month and shared a Mary Oliver, then I made a commitment to post a poem (or lines from a poem) every day (on Facebook) during this month.

Because a strong wind knocked down my crabapple tree last night (as see in the photo atop this entry photo which was also included in a posting story in my Friday evening Facebook post on my business page, I've decided today would be a good time to share the poem Crabapple Blossoms, by Carl Sandburg.