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."

THE SILENT TREATMENT: American Robins ARE Hoppin' & A Bobbin' BUT...

AMERICAN ROBIN

AMERICAN ROBIN

AMERICAN ROBIN

AMERICAN ROBIN

AMERICAN ROBIN

AMERICAN ROBIN

The photographs atop this blog entry are of an American Robin that I came upon when I was walking in Central Park. I've seen a number of members of this bird type during my walks in Central Park, which is a fact I mentioned here on Blogger. I've also seen them when I've cycled (on a tandem) to The Little Red Lighthouse, but on those occasions it is usually too dark to take a decent photograph of this (or any) bird type.

When I first started noticing the presence of robins in both Central Park and near The Little Red Lighthouse, I nearly had a long term case of ohrwurms caused by my recalling the song "Rocking Robin."

Ohrwurms, as you may know, is the term given to the "condition" of having a song stuck in your head and seeing robins on a daily basis as I walked through Central Park, certainly prompted me to sing,"He rocks in the tree tops all day long .... Hoppin' and a-boppin' and singing his song. All the little birdies on Jaybird street, love to hear the robin go tweet, tweet, tweet... Rockin' robin, rock, rock, Rockin' robin, rock rock...." 

But in reality the robins I saw in Central Park or near The Little Red Lighthouse were not "rockin' in the treetops," but they were "hoppin' and a-boppin" across the ground. And I never heard any of those robin go "tweet, tweet, tweet!" They have all been silent.

The 2 WK (almost) Anniversary of STELLA

American robin

As of today, March the 27th 2017,  it will be one week since the "bombogenesis" nor'easter (snowstorm) named, Stella, did her (ahem) "magic" in many parts of the northeastern part of the United States. The snow which fell during her time in NYC, where I live and have my rooftop garden, was not our first snowfall for March of 2017.

The picture atop this entry, which was taken in my place, shows an American robin alighting upon the branches of my kiwi vines, during a snowfall that occurred here on a little over three weeks ago on the10th of March. Some folks in NYC found it unnerving because during the month of February, we had some very warm days, which followed our groundhog's prediction of an early spring.

However, that aforementioned snowfall during the month of March, when an early spring had been predicted, was not a first for NYC.

In his mini-essay, TOMORROW SNOW,  (which was published on March the 20th in 1948), E.B. White discussed this phenomenon.

Because I grew up in Illinois, I'm no stranger to snow occurring during the month of March. And, I do recall some severe snow storms happening in this month. However, I never got to observe the antics of wild birds as I did during Stella. I've written about it in my recent entries here on Blogger, which I posted on March 14th, March 15th, March 16th, and, March 18th.

Today I'd like to share something new that I learned re the small songbirds (who are also called perching birds or passerines): "They have very little feeling in their feet because their feet have few nerves and blood vessels. This adaptation allows songbirds to land on cold perches such as wires when the weather is frosty." 

During Stella, I certainly observed a number of small songbirds (including an American robin), who seemed to cope well in terms of having their tootsies tolerating the elements.

American robin

American robin

This continued to be the case five days after most of the snow from Stella had melted, but stubborn patches of frozen-snow remained.

American robin

“Deep in their roots, all flowers keep the light.”

TULIPS

Earlier in the week, upon my hearing the news of the terrorist's attacks in Belgium, I thought of CB, a woman in my hood who died in February of 2014. Among others, CB was survived by her sister who, as far as I know, still lives in Belgium. I've only met CB's sister, once, and the occasion was at the luncheon which was held after CB's funeral mass.

As for CB, I initially met her in the 1980's when I was doing some volunteer work for SL, a widow of the man who had headed The William Morris Agency. SL lived in the luxury building, where CB and her husband had a penthouse apartment overlooking Central Park. There is an entrance to Central Park directly across that building, and it one that I’ve used numerous times over my many years in New York City.

And it is at that entrance one can see a tribute to Theodore Roethke, the American poet who lived between the years of 1908 and 1963. Many poets were influenced by his teachings and/or writings including the poet, Sylvia Plath.

Wednesday's Wisdom: Writer's Block Insights

Today, is the eighty-seventh anniversary for The New Yorker publishing UNWRITTEN, a mini essay by E.B. White. I've posted a copy of it atop this blog entry, and it is a piece of writing that you may recognize from prior entries here on Blogger, as I have referred to this in a few posts; but never on the anniversary of the publication.

If you follow any of my cyber-venues, then you probably have realized that E.B. White's writings are something I truly appreciate. This essay speaks to me in terms of my unwillingness to write about things "that stand out clear as pictures in (my) head." 

For me, some of those pictures in my head are the actions of an American robin visiting my rooftop garden who looked as if he was doing the hokey-pokey (as evidenced in the photos below).

And I even researched the hokey-pokey where I discovered the following image (on Mental Floss);

But even though I saw another American robin in Central Park, who looked to be doing the hokey- pokey (as evidenced in the next picture),

I kept my robin-doing-the-hokey-pokey observation in my head and did not share it via writing. I'm not sure if this was because I thought doing so would "prove to be embarrassing," as White suggests (in the essay atop this entry) to be a reason for an idea to remain in one's head and go unwritten, or if it's because I felt who cares about my equating a bird's movements with the hokey-pokey.

Pearl, a lovely American Robin

The bird in the photograph above goes by the name of Pearl. In this picture, she can be seen in her home which is on the grounds of The Raptor Trust in New Jersey. The Raptor Trust, as you may know, either from your own experience, or from my posts here on Blogger,  is a bird rehab facility in New Jersey. I learned about the organization through The Wild Bird Fund, a bird rehab facility in NYC.

Pearl belongs to the bird type known as the American Robin (AKA Turdus migratorius). I was introduced to her this past Friday when a dear gentleman, FR, drove our mutual friend, DD-S, as well as his dog, Uli, and me from NYC to Millington New Jersey; where The Raptor Trust is located. I had the distinct honor of sharing the backseat with FR's chow chow, Uli (a nickname for Ulysses).

He is a dog you may recognize as I featured him in a post here on Blogger this past August, in honor of National Dog Day. Uli was a great travel companion and didn't bark about the fact that his animal type is not allowed within the grounds of The Raptor Trust. The reasons for their rule are obvious, even Uli understands!

Recalling an Event from June 4th 2016 (Throwback Thursday)

ROBINS ARE FEATURED IN VOL 3

Yesterday for the first time in this new year, a lone American robin came to visit my rooftop garden and he can be seen in the picture atop this entry.

Musings Re the song "Baby, It's Cold Outside!"

ROBINS ARE FEATURED IN VOL 3

Yesterday, an American Robin spent a good amount of time in the urban garden that I have on my roof extension here in NYC. He/she can be seen in the image atop this posting. I think him/her is the same American Robin (who visited me this past Friday), that I wrote about in an entry which I published on that day. As you can see the creature is very puffed up! Puffing up, as you may know, dear reader, is a "task" birds perform for many reasons, including to keep warm!

Let them eat grapes (Champagne grapes)!

IMAGE CREDIT

The photograph of Champagne grapes, also known as Black Corinth or Zante Currant, which is atop this entry comes  from a web-page within naturesproduce.com. Their page states this fruit is "a variety of grape that is grown in clusters that produce very small diameter grapes. It is a seedless grape that provides a very sweet flavor for salads, appetizers or as a snack with cheese. The stem, which is also very tiny and tender, is often consumed with the grape rather than attempting to detach the small connector from the main stem. This grape is very small, sweet and crisp. Wonderful as a garnish on cheese trays and a nice touch for fruit baskets."

While all of this may be true, I have found that this food is for the birds, especially those who happen to be an American robin.

Tuesday's Truths WK 60: American Robin's Eye Placement

Hello, and welcome to the fifty-eighth week of my Tuesday's Truths series, which is being dedicated to the American robin's eye placement.

Here's the deal, a few days ago, to avoid Central Park's congestion (the powers that be were setting up barricades for a huge event), I made my way west to Riverside Park (RSP) so that I could go down by the Hudson River side.

As I passed through RSP, I was delighted to encounter a lone American robin (seen in the image atop this entry), especially since this bird type has not been to my rooftop garden for a number of days.

On E.B. White's "DRESSING UP"

The same afternoon that I encountered a Savannah sparrow (seen in the first image atop this entry) in Central Park, I came upon an American robin playing with a piece of string (as seen in the second image above). My seeing the robin doing this prompted me to think of an essay by E.B. White which I've posted below.

As you can see the essay was published seventy-one years ago today on April 20th, 1946. And like the sparrow who was playing with a small length of confetti, in White's essay, the American robin that I came upon spent a bit of time with the piece of string (another photo can be seen below).

But also like White's sparrow, this American robin, became bored. Indeed as White surmised, "It is a wearisome thing to be overdressed  in the early morning." Only in this case, the time frame was not early morning, but mid to late afternoon. The sun was hot which is another circumstance when being overdressed is "wearisome."

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.

A View From The Triplets's Bridge

THESE BIRD TYPES ARE FEATURED IN "WORDS IN OUR BEAK"

I had some very sweet moments witnessing a House sparrow eavesdropping on a convo between an adult and fledgeling American robin who were spending time in a brook that runs under The Triplets Bridge in Central Park (as seen in the image directly above).

Very near to this scene, a family of House sparrows were bonding...

SPARROWS ARE FEATURED IN "WORDS IN OUR BEAK"

... and another American robin seemed to be enjoying his/her reflection while taking a drink, evidenced in the following pictures.

ROBINS ARE FEATURED IN VOLUME 3

ROBINS ARE FEATURED IN VOLUME 3

The American robin bird variety was not the only one enjoying the brook's water, a lone blue jay fledging was making discoveries as you can see in the next series of photos.

BLUE JAYS ARE FEATURED IN "WORDS IN OUR BEAK"

BLUE JAYS ARE FEATURED IN "WORDS IN OUR BEAK"

BLUE JAYS ARE FEATURED IN "WORDS IN OUR BEAK"

BLUE JAYS ARE FEATURED IN "WORDS IN OUR BEAK"

Additionally, a lone Mourning dove as well as a pair of European starlings took advantage of this lovely spot, as you might surmise from the two photographs posted below.

THESE BIRD TYPES ARE FEATURED IN "WORDS IN OUR BEAK"

THESE BIRD TYPES ARE FEATURED IN "WORDS IN OUR BEAK"

By the way,  all of these this bird types are featured in my book series, Words In Our Beak.

THE WORDS IN OUR BEAK BOOK SERIES

A Lesson to Learn From Birds

THESE BIRD TYPES ARE FEATURED IN WIOB

THESE BIRD TYPES ARE FEATURED IN WIOB

I had two non-social distancing birds (a House sparrow and an American robin) stop by my garden the other day which surprised me as I have always heard these types of birds did not get along, so I did some research posing the question, "Do robins and sparrows get along?"

Here is what I found out: from a variety of sources. Despite their differences, sparrows and robins manage to get along pretty well. They can hang out in the same tree, they can even sit on the same branch, but the unwritten rule is to stay out of each others nest.

Not a bad thing for us humans to do during these tumultuous times of the cornavirus pandmeic and unrest due to issues associated with our 2020 preidential election in the United States.

On anothern note, dear reader, both of these bird types are featured in my three volume book series, Words In Our Beak.

MY BOOK SERIES

Significance of a Robin's Red Breast

DIFFERENT ROBINS ARE FEATURED IN VOLUME 3 

The robin-themed song, Rockin' Robin, is on my mind because I recently encountered a "rockin' robin" when I was in The Ramble portion of Central Park and came upon a lone American Robin who was not rockin' in the treetops but rather was rockin' on the ground as seen in the picture atop this entry....