The Feast of The Annunciation (Monday's Meditation)

NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRDS HAVE A STORY IN VOL 3

I'm in the process of preparing a submission for an exciting project, so I've been going through hundreds of my photographs featuring birds who visit my garden as well as my images of avian creatures who visit nearby parks (Central plus Riverside) and who spend their time on the shoreline of the Atlantic Ocean.

BUT I have a confession to make, trusting my choices of pictures and words to include in my proposal is mind boggling. Unfortunately, I've been turning to many people for their opinions because  I have somehow convinced myself that the thoughts of others are more worthy than mine. In this sense, I've been like a mockingbird,* the bird type seen in the picture atop this entry with his/her beak open ever so slightly.

My First Pine Cone!

The photograph atop this entry as well as the ones directly below were taken by JV (Juan V) after he spotted a pinecone on the  Japanese Larch (Larix Kaempferi) which is located in the northeast corner of my rooftop garden.

I've never seen a pine cone when it was in the early stages of life and was so fascinated by Juan's discovery that I did a bit of research to learn more about them, which is my wisdom for Wednesday.

According to an article by Natalie Andrews, "Pine trees, also known as “conifers,” have cones instead of flowers. These cones serve as a pine tree’s source of seed. Conifers also produce separate male and female cones for seed development. In general, the development of a pine cone takes around two years and fertilization happens in the spring. Both male and female cones start like tiny pink-lilac bristles.They turn green as they develop, but their scales stay tucked together until maturity. When fully mature, female cones look like typical pine cones, with hard brown woody scales spread apart. They form at the foot of new shoots below the terminal bud and take about two years to mature and produce seeds. Each female pine cone has about 200 seeds, depending on the pine's species... " (You can read the rest of Andrews article by clicking here).

As for my Japanese Larch, I got it in 2005 or 2006 or was it 2004? Not so sure when I first planted that tree in a container that she eventually outgrew!

Wednesday's Wisdom: Outdoor Xmas Trees... are for the birds!

MY GARDEN IS THE SETTING FOR "WORDS IN OUR BEAK"

The photograph atop this entry features a Christmas tree that I had in my urban garden (which is on a rooftop in NYC) in 2015. I am thinking of putting up a tree for the 2016 Christmas season next week. I have not done my garden winterizing for the 2016-2017 season, and that annual task is a prerequisite for putting up any holiday decor. This chore involves wrapping all my containers in bubble wrap, as well as burlap (from on-line fabrics), and then tying them with jute, before placing them in the southeastern corner of my garden (to protect them for the season).

If you look closely at this image you will see an orange arrow (near to by signature) in the lower right corner. The arrow indicates the area where most of my winterized containers of flora are placed for a given season.

And if you look closely at my Christmas tree (topped with a star), you will notice that I have quite a number of ornaments on it which happen to be bird feeders (mostly suet basket varieties).

My Christmas trees have become a place for an array of types of fauna (including a Harper, a Northern Mockingbird), to get food and keep warm.

It's March!

Well, here we are already in the third month for the year 2019, proving time does fly rather one is having fun or not! I hope someone remembers to wake Mooch (who can be seen in the Mutts comic strip posted atop this entry). But, maybe Mooch needs to sleep a bit more... after all, his pillow looks pretty comfortable and plus the weather might not be so great just yet.

As you undoubtedly know the beginning of March is associated with an idiom: "If March comes in like a lion, and goes out like a lamb and if it comes in like a lion, it goes out like a lamb."

Evidently this is because "March straddles winter and spring in the northern hemisphere, it tends to have very harsh, unpleasant weather in the beginning but typically has milder, more palatable weather by the end." 

Here in NYC, March is beginning with moderate snowfall as seen in the picture below of my rooftop garden taken in the morning.

THE STORIES IN MY BOOKS TAKE PLACE IN MY GARDEN

In any event, according to a number of sources (including Holiday Insights AKA HI), the month of March in the United States is known as Irish American Month, Music in Our Schools Month, National Celery Month, National Craft Month National Frozen Food Month, National Irish American Heritage Month (designated by Congress in 1995), National Nutrition Month, National Peanut Month, National Women's History Month, Red Cross Month and Social Workers Month.

Finding Joy During the Coronavirus Pandemic (Tuesday's Truths WK 169)

A #ClapBecauseWeCare Participant

Last night was the fifth night of the 7PM clapping/cheering nightly event (that has been dubbed #ClapBecauseWeCare) in NYC that is taking place to honor first responders and health care workers who are keeping New Yorkers as safe as possible during the coronavirus pandemic.

Many people participated but I only took one picture (featured atop this entry) as I can't clap and take pictures at the same time.

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.

In Honor of Mockingbirds & N'tl Poetry Month (which is always April)

This morning a Northern mockingbird, who seemed to be undeterred by the April showers we are having in NYC, paid a visit to my rooftop garden, and alighted upon my Prickly Pear cactus, as seen in the images posted directly above.

The Prickly Pear seems an odd choice as a place to perch, given its sharp needles, but my advice was not solicited by the visiting mockingbird!

Wednesday's Wisdom: Let them eat suet!

NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRDS ARE FEATURED IN VOL 3

NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRDS ARE FEATURED IN VOL 3

NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRDS ARE FEATURED IN VOL 3

NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRDS ARE FEATURED IN VOL 3

An article by Drs. Foster & Smith Educational Staff, states "suet was once something we stocked our backyard feeders with only in the winter months. Present day suet use is much broader - and more beneficial to birds. In spring, it meets the increased energy demands of nesting birds. In the summer months, it provides a good substitute for insect-eating birds, especially in years when insects are not very plentiful. In fall, suet helps wild birds store fat to prepare for migration or the coming winter. And of course, in winter, suet replenishes depleted stores of energy and nutrients, to help birds survive the long, cold months."

Over the past few years, a number of wild birds have come to my rooftop garden for suet, including members of the Northern mockingbird community, as evidenced in the photographs 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.

Honoring George Washington's Actual B'day

Last Monday, February 17th, our nation celebrated Presidents' Day. It is a holiday that is celebrated here on the third Monday in February. The holiday of President's Day was originally established in 1885 in honor of President George Washington, and was traditionally celebrated on February twenty-second, the actual birthday date of George Washington, which is today.

According to history.com, "the holiday became popularly known as President's Day after it was moved as part of 1971's Uniform Holiday Act, an attempt to create more three day weekends for the nation's workers." Be that as it may, as I've just stated, George Washington was born on February the twenty-second.

On another note, George Washington has been linked to the creation of our American flag, and that is the reason I'm including a photo-ops of the United Staes's flag within this blog entry.

Another Surprise Visit Tuesday's Truths WK 167

MOCKINGBIRDS ARE FEATURED IN VOLUME THREE

Yesterday as part of due diligence re the authorities request for folks to stay in as much as possible in order to minimize the amount of people outside during this frightening Coronavirus spread, I was rewarded for my efforts as my garden was visited by a few bird varieties whom I could observe from my windows.

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.

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.

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.

It's the 3rd Anniversary of Harper Lee's Death

IMAGE CREDIT

I posted something early this morning for my Tuesday's Truths series, but don't want the day to pass without paying homage to Harper Lee on this third anniversary of her death. The photo atop my entry is from one of her obituaries. Rarely is the time I encounter blue jays or mockingbirds and not think of her novel, To Kill A Mockingbird. 

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).

The Fourth Day of Christmas 2018

IMAGE CREDIT

It's The Fourth Day of Christmas, the day (according to a song) when someone's true love gave to them four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree.

Re calling birds, I referenced them on FB a couple of days before Christmas when I mentioned the issues I was having with my landline due to Verizon's cable out age.

I'm still having that issue and it looks like I will until January 23rd 2019, but as of yesterday I can join the calling birds in terms of using a phone in my home.  I now have a temporary one for making calls. Time will tell if I can receive calls on it, but people can leave a message on my voice mail which is not affected by the cable outage, and I'll return their call on my temporary phone.

In terms of four calling birds mentioned in the aforementioned song, I've come upon a blog post (in The History Of Ornithology) where the author (Bob Montgomerie) states, "The CALLING BIRDS of day 4 are the most interesting to me as the original said ‘colly birds’ and subsequent variants said the birds were ‘canary’, ‘collie’, ‘colley’, ‘colour’d’, ‘curley’, ‘coloured’, ‘corley’, and finally ‘calling’ by Austin in 1909 published with his new tune. I am surprised no one ever suggested ‘collared’. The original ‘colly bird’ was the European Blackbird (Turdus merula) as ‘colly’ meant ‘black’ as in ‘coaly’, and is why border collies bear that name. The subsequent versions are undoubtedly the result of mis-hearings and misinterpretations."

Another web reference to the meaning of four calling birds states, "The 'four calling birds' that we sing about today were, at different times, 'four canary birds' and 'our mockingbirds,' and before that they show up as 'colly birds' or 'collie birds,' which is the archaic term for blackbirds. There were however, for some reason, always four of them."

I never heard of mockingbirds being associated with the song so that may or may not be fake news!

Be that as it may, here's one more "blurb" that I came upon re the four calling birds mentioned in the song. A Catholic-based web-page states, "The four calling birds are associated with both the four evangelists and their gospels–   Saints Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John; and the four major prophets– Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel."

And that's it for today dear reader, after all, there's only so much one can, or should say, re four calling birds!

N'tl Peanut Day 2019

BLUEJAYS ARE FEATURED IN "WORDS IN OUR BEAK"

BLUEJAYS ARE FEATURED IN "WORDS IN OUR BEAK"

In addition to it being Friday the Thirteenth, its National Peanut Day, a this national holiday that blue jays would probably like to celebrate everyday, as you might surmise from the photos atop this entry.

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.

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?