A Blue Grosbeak Dines on Bees

Birders were abuzz when a blue grosbeak (Passerina caerulea) was reported in early May at the beehives in Battery Park (at the southern tip of Manhattan). I visited the BeeVillage on May 10 and 11 and was able to get some video for a Filming the Feathers entry. The bird made many appearances, but always jumped around and flitted under and around the beehives. Only three photos came out, and you have them here (including one on the video).

Blue grosbeak, Battery Park, May 11, 2017

The video is set to one of the London Trios of Franz Joseph Haydn. The bird was very, very active, and very, very difficult to film! I left the video a bit jumpy to show the skittishness of this little guy.

Blue grosbeak, Battery Park, May 11, 2017

BeeVillage, Battery Park, Lower Manhattan, May 2017

Ode to Autumn

The flowers have been blooming brightly in September and October, and the leaves have been turning colors and falling off the trees. How to express the joy of walking through the parks of New York City and gazing upon those brilliant colors? Ah! Create a video ode to the blooms and falling leaves. 

Laupot Bridge, Central Park, Oct. 21, 2016

You may recall a recent video, Autumn in Brooklyn's Garden. That gave a taste of some of the fall colors from one day at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. But The Falling Leaves, below, is a banquet! This visual feast is set to the first and third movements of Vivaldi's Four Seasons: Autumn, performed by John Harrison.

Here are some of the autumn photos, many included in the video. You can find more photos on the Flowers and Foliage page.