It is easy to forget sometimes that New York City is quite a birder’s paradise. It must be the parks or maybe the location of the city on the route of many migrating birds. Just minutes ago two majestic Great White Herons flew by my window here, choosing a path low between the buildings to fly towards their fishing grounds somewhere west from here. The Hudson?, New Jersey?, River Side Park? The event was a reminder that time flows at different speeds for each one of us. They slowly plowed through the air as if it were a barely viscose liquid, while just a few meters below there was another jam of New Yorkers at the entrance of the 96th street subway station and the traffic police woman barely managed to redirect traffic at the busy intersection. It is a crisp morning today and the shadow of the American flag on the façade of the building across the street flickers nervously in the strong west wind.
(the birds might actually have been two Great Egrets, but their size and speed made me imagine they were the much larger herons. What do I know? )
There is a Checklist for Bird of New York City which probably tells it all. The Checklist.
Correction, correction, correction. Another one just flew by and this time I was much better informed. The legs were black, which makes me assume that all the birds were in fact Great Egrets. I can not believe that a great white heron is twice their size. Wild stuff.
yes I do... ; )
It is one of my favorite books when it comes to the bird artwork, yet the background stories on the animals are rather thin... so I also like a different guide... but I do not remember the name now...
: )