By Linda Kedenburg
Saturday March 24, 2007
Although overcast skies with a chance of showers was forecast, rows of little clouds began separating to reveal patches of blue as we drove toward the meeting place. Nine optimistic birders met at the parking lot of the botanical gardens and were greeted by a soaring Red-tailed Hawk against a Colorado-like deep blue sky. An auspicious beginning.
The grounds were alive with American Robins and Dark-eyed Juncos foraging everywhere. They gave the impression of migrating flocks that had recently arrived and were gathering energy to continue their northward migration. Nearing Twin Lakes we caught sight of a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, and then another and another. They were not concentrating on drilling their usual rows of holes in the tree trunks, but rather swooped and fluttered from tree to tree. Unusual behavior. Upon careful observation we realized that they were actually hawking insects, literally darting out and snatching them in mid-air. None of us had ever observed sapsuckers engaging in this behavior, but it seemed to be working for these birds. In the midst of a spring insect hatch it sure beats slamming your beak into a tree!
Other birds, more commonly associated with hawking behavior were also spotted. Newly arrived Phoebes perched, zipped out after prey, returned to another branch, raised and lowered their tails and darted out again. If only every bird was so easy to locate! Another, not as easy to follow, was a lone Rough-winged Swallow who made several swift, looping passes over the lake. A Yellow-rumped Warbler also foraged in this location, high in an oak tree. Nearby a Brown Creeper ascended a tree trunk, carefully inspecting the bark for hidden entomological treasures.
Scanning the lake itself, we observed a snoozing Northern Shoveller rocking in the water. The target bird for this lake was soon located- a pair of Wood Duck cruising the quiet water in their regal finery. I am very partial to the female’s white eyeliner and actually spotted it in a pair of fly-over Wood Ducks before picking up the male’s spectacular plumage. Although drop-dead gorgeous on the water, he gives a mostly dark impression in the air.
A furry dark form hunched over its breakfast on the smaller lake — a muskrat! Totally ignoring nine fascinated observers, he carefully held his prized morsel in his paws and nibbled away most industriously. The Wood Ducks swam under the bridge into this lake, giving us a second chance to admire their beauty, but the muskrat ignored them and continued his repast.
The forest trail, always fascinating with its outcroppings of huge boulders and bedrock, added Red-bellied, Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers to our morning sightings as well as a White-breasted Nuthatch. Then Rick spotted two dark lumps high in a dead hemlock. Nine pair of binoculars swung into action and we were rewarded with a picture-perfect view of a pair of Great-horned Owls. They could have been a painting or museum diorama, so still and majestic against a background of green hemlock boughs. A park regular had informed us earlier that the nest, near the Hester bridge, had been destroyed and the nestlings had not been seen since. Perhaps I am anthropomorphizing, but those owls appeared to be in mourning. The female leaned against the trunk of the tree and the male perched protectively below her. Their loss was almost palpable. (On a happier note, the Great-horned Owls in Pelham Park have a fledgling and the following day Rick and I observed the pair in Alley Pond Park feeding two nestlings).
We crossed the Hester Bridge and ate lunch along the banks of the Bronx River. The water rushing through the gorge here provided the background music to an idyllic setting. White water and rocky cliffs on an early spring day in the Bronx! Recrossing the river on the Snuff Mill Road, Donna spotted a Mourning Cloak (butterfly) beneath the bridge. It settled on a rock and warmed itself in the sun.
Returning via Azalea Way and the wetland path, we added Tufted Titmouse, Black-capped Chickadee (hoping for a handout) Song and White-throated Sparrows, Red-winged Blackbirds and Goldfinches to our list. A good turnout, both avian and human, on a beautiful early spring day.
For more information on the New York Botanical Garden please click here.