Urban Wildlife

Over 6,000 birds in Central Park alone, that's a lot of feathered friends!

well, it's a very big park..
I didn't go this year to help out but hopefully I will make the next wild life count, which is usually held in the summer and counts all kinds of wildlife. (not including the bums asleep on the benches. LOL)

Summer will be nicer for wildlife counting, not only is the weather better but the wildlife more numerous and varied.

Had a real Wild Kingdom event way out back in my yard yesterday morning. Looking out the kitchen window I saw a huge bird air-dancing around, one wing sweeping full like a giant fan before he settled and stood, all tense, leg feathers fully fluffed. I then realized there was a greyish fox about 10 feet away, but on the far side of my back fence. He was jumping and pacing and totally focused on the bird. Then the bird rose and dipped, picked something up from the ground, and flew across into a tree in my neighbor's yard with something in his talons, a grey hairy tail bobbing beneath him. I lost sight of him once he got into the trees. I kept watching, and the fox, clearly agitated, continued to pace and "paws up" the fence, looking for a way in. But, like a dog fenced in, he was fenced out. He eventally gave up and, I swear, stalked off in a huff.

It all happened so fast I was pretty stunned, but I now think the fox caught a squirrel and the hawk decided to steal the meal. When the hawk interfered he got a good snap from the fox, which explains his ariel dance and the fanning wing (which, call me crazy, totally evoked "owww, dammit!!" at the moment I saw it). Meantime, the wounded squirrel made beeline through the fence into my yard where the bird, after he shook off his battle ouch, picked it up and had lunch in the tree and the fox had to start over.

Marlin Perkins would have loved it, I know, but frankly, I'd rather not see such things. Uf.

WOW!!! A grey fox. How fun. I bet he was hacked that he
lost his meal. Suzzz, I understand that can be an ULP!!!! moment

Your assessment of the situation and how it unfolded sounds about right to me. I know that fox was steamed about the hawk stealing his meal. I can't blame him either. Never saw a gray fox before..........maybe that's the color they call silver?

Some sad news from the NYC Red tail hawk world.
It seems that Lola, Pale Male's mate, has disappeared, adn is presumed dead. Pale Male has been hanging with a new female red tail Hawk. The last few years, even though they nested, Pale maile and Lola did not have any chicks. this was after the inceident where they lost their nest, but due to public outcry it was restored.

You know the saying "Nature, red in tooth and claw" I hate thinking about it, but it's true. They struggle in a way we don't. But they forget and move on in a way we can't. I sometimes wonder who has the best deal.

the squirrel ordeal reminds me of the time the neighbor lady was away on vacation. she HATES animals so much that they seem to just dance around her lawn...even if it means going up on the electric wires.
well, one day i was walking past and there was one of the two feral cats...the smaller black cat running across the yard with a HUGE squirrel in its mouth. the squirrel was almost as big as the cat!

OhMy, that squirrel was probably an older male to be that big. Poor thing...........but kitties gotta eat too and I bet that cat was thinking he'd caught the motherlode.

I was entertained recently by one of the feral kitties trying to catch a squirrel, running it back and forth until it feinted and took up into a tree. poor kitty lost his lunch

That kitty no doubt learned from the experience and will someday catch that squirrel, or one of it's dumber relatives. Bet it was quite a sight though, wasn't it?

The other day there was a news report about a fox attacking people in Wayne NJ, . Watch out, Jeane!

http://www.myfoxny.com/dpp/news/local_news/new_jersey/aggressive-fox-attacks-children-in-wayne-20110224-akd

That's not good foxes are usually nocturnal and avoid
humans.

If that fox was cornered and scared witless it would attack anything or anyone trying to get away. If it wasn't cornered it might have rabies to make it act like that. I've seen foxes in the daytime, but they keep to the shadows and are very shy around people.

I could see but not hear the video. If that was the dog the fox attacked then it's either rabies or scared to the point of fighting to get away. No fox that has an escape route open to it would take on a dog twice it's size.

I saw the first robin of spring Saturday afternoon and Mr. House Wren came back yesterday to check out the birdhouses. (yes, it's the same male wren as last year!) I just hope this years' Mrs. Wren decides my birdhouse is good enough for her family.

We have our big flock of gold finches who pass through on their way north. Only a few stay behind for summer. The wrens are nesting and the hawks are making suspicious dances. I think we will have baby hawks soon. I also saw a couple of early fawns out with their moms.

Not sure but I think I spotted some not so colorful goldfinches here this morning. Males not quite in breeding colors?

In the spring, the goldfinches are a light grey, and they molt and change into their lovely gold feathers as the weather gets warmer. I need to put out some thistle seed--it will be goldfinch time here soon.

Won't be all that long before the hummers are back too. I've been seeing lots of chickadees lately, and tons of robins.

our monk parrots seem to be doing well.


http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/brooklyn/2011/03/18/2011-03-18_our_most_colorful_immigrants.html

Those are pretty birds.

a couple of years ago one of them actually strayed on to my block. At first I thought it got lost from someone's home, then I found out about the colonies. The Brooklyn College colony is not to far from where I live.

I completely forgot to check on the 55 water Street falcons this year!!!
Jubilee and Rocky are the current residents and Jubilee has laid 2 eggs as of march 17.
Unfortunately I cannot access the webcam

I forgot to put in the website for the falcons

http://falcons.55water.com/

4 eggs laid now at the falcon's nest on Water astreet. too bad I can't access the falcon cam