Brown Skuas are beauty, wrath and chaos. This blood soaked individual was taking a breather looking after recently fledged young, much to the relief of the Gentoo Penguin colony nearby at Godthul, South Georgia Island.
#oceanwideexpeditions #fieldguidesbirdingtours #nikon
IT’S FRIDAY!!!!!!!!
(and I’m a duck so the fact it’s going to rain all weekend has no effect on me! Hahahaha!!!!!)
#woodduck #prospectpark #urbanbirding
Northern Flickers are woodpeckers that don’t do a whole lot of wood pecking. They are ground feeding specialists searching for ants and other tasty morsels just below the surface and are beginning to migrate through our area in numbers. This female was actively feeding in Greenwood Cemetery, Brooklyn NY. #urbanbirding
If you KNO, you KNO.
Piping Plovers are making a strong showing on NYC beaches early in the season. This individual was banded with leg flag KNO in 2019 in NY. It bred at Sandy Hook and last year suffered an early nest loss there. Will it settle in at Breezy Point where it was seen earlier this week? Time will tell. Thanks to @douglasgochfeld for the history on this bird. #urbanbirding
Today is World Penguin Awareness Day! In support of these amazing creatures and the stewards who protect them, I’m creating a limited edition of 10 signed and numbered 16x20 “Chinstrap" prints for sale to benefit the South Georgia Heritage Trust. Prints cost $225 and 100% of the profits will go directly to the organization.
Four species of penguins call South Georgia Island home. Visiting the colonies here in 2024 felt like stepping onto earth on day one.
The success of these species has been hard fought though. Whaling stations established in the early 1900’s brought rats and mice to an island with no land predators. They quickly decimated ground nesting penguin and seabird populations eating their eggs and chicks.
The South Georgia Heritage Trust is one of many organizations which took part in an island wide eradication project of invasive rats and mice from 2011-2015. In 2018 the island was finally declared rodent free.
The birds responded immediately and populations are rebounding. The penguins now number in the millions.
I met members of the organization when they boarded our Oceanwide Vessel to inspect our gear, making sure we weren’t unsuspectingly bringing invasive plants or seeds ashore. All ships are inspected before landing. While we were tooth-picking grains out of our boots the Trust’s greatest asset was scouring the lower decks. Samurai (Sammy) the rodent detection dog was making sure our ship was rodent free.
These biosecurity measures are critical to the sustained success on South Georgia Island and for island nesting seabirds worldwide. Let’s help make sure they last. DM if interested or want to learn more.
The year end has me thinking of a Colbert interview where he said if you are grateful for this life, you must be grateful for all of it, even the thing you wished would not happen.
A stroke in June was not on my bingo card, but humans plan and (insert deity/celestial force here) laughs. No reason, zero underlying conditions. As one of my doctors who shares my sense of humor says, you’re just lucky.
My recovery feels miraculous some days and others I wonder if I’ll ever get back to full strength. A month of hospital and in-patient rehab followed by PT, OT and Speech Therapy have me convinced this was NOT a “stroke of genius”, I’m still as absent minded as I’ve always been.
Humor has been the currency throughout this journey. It’s a lot easier to laugh when your limbs won’t do what you want them to than it is to get frustrated. I’ve believed in the process from day one and looking at myself like a science experiment has been useful way to keep the emotions at bay when the fork couldn’t find my mouth!
My family and friends have been incredible. Whether we speak daily or once in blue moon, I have needed and appreciated you all, more than I can express. From sneaking real food into rehab, to playing Rocky theme music during exercises, carrying my gear for me when I couldn’t so I could photograph a rare bird, or just texting with words of encouragement and jokes…. for those of you who have surfed or bodysurfed- the feeling of being picked up by a wave and propelled forward is a perfect analogy for what your support has felt like.
And to Sarah, oh captain my captain. I’ve heard many people refer to you as fearless. I’ve always thought of it as a misnomer though. We all experience fear. There are simply those who despite it, act boldly, decisively and with the strength and determination to do what needs to be done. Your constant belief in me has always been a light when things seem darkest. I’m so grateful to feel that. Over the 25+ years we have known each other you have made one thing abundantly clear. When we work together we can accomplish anything. I can’t wait to see what 2026 brings!
Happy Halloween!!!! This gorgeous Varied “aka” Pumpkin Thrush was found by Asher Fusco in Prospect Park a few days ago and is still putting on a show. It’s a Pacific Northwest bird that simply likes autumn in NYC. Who can blame it?
#nikon #urbanbirding #nyc
Missed it by THAT much!!!! A hair soft, a bit of motion blur, but grateful even for the misses as I’m getting back to full strength. Blue-headed Vireo on the south side of the lake. #prospectpark #urbanbirding #autumnleaves
New York keeps pulling birds from all over the country and globe. In this week’s episode of BONKERS, a 1st state record Common Cuckoo was discovered by a golfer enjoying a late fall round on Long Island.
While they are common in parts of their breeding range (Europe and much of Asia) this is only the 4th record on the east coast of the U.S.
#alwaysbebirding #nikon #birding
Breaking rules in photography is always fun. Don’t shoot directly into the sun, they say? Hold my drink!
While this Blue Jay didn’t like the American Kestrel’s choice of perches, I sure enjoyed the view.
