A Roadrunner in Arizona

I spent a week at the end of April/beginning of May in Arizona. While in Camp Verde, I got to see my first greater roadrunner on May 3, the last day of my trip, in the backyard of my hostess's house. It was a thrilling sight. I took a little bit of video and as many photos as I could in the short time the bird visited.

Before I saw the roadrunner, one of the cats I shared the house with was playing with a little snake. I took some video of that. When the cat moved away, in came the roadrunner to grab the stunned little snake.

I grew up watching Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner cartoons. This was my first chance to see a roadrunner. I didn't see a coyote, or any Acme logos anywhere. Maybe next time.

I did a short film of the roadrunner, which I've added to the Filming the Feathers collection of Silly Videos by Susan Kirby. I set it to music by Debussy. It's very short!

These photos are in the video, but I like putting them here as well.

Suppertime at the 116

There are a pair of red-tailed hawks that established a nest this year at 116th Street and Riverside Park. They have two eyasses, and I've been watching them from nesting time to now. On May 29, we got to see Mama bring in a squirrel (we think dropped off by Pops) and feed the kids. The video is very long, but so much fun to see the kids. Skip around if you get bored (the Vivaldi music is always good to hear).

I also went to see the hawks at St. John the Divine, Pale Male's nest and the 72nd Street fledgling. I'm including those pictures here, too. You can see Octavia and the two eyasses on the nest looking at Pale Male, who is on a nearby rooftop. Then you'll see the 72nd Street Mama on a building on West End below her fledgling, who is about 15 floors above on the balcony railing. Apparently the father has been missing, presumed dead, and the other eyass died as well in that family.

Good times and bad for the red-tailed hawks in New York City this year.

Tompkins Square Park: A Nest With a View

Christo and Dora, the Tompkins Square Park red-tailed hawks, have three little babies high above the park in a tree close to Avenue B. I visited them yesterday, with great photos. A video celebrating the nest is below. It covers visits on April 25, May 5, May 22 and May 28. In the photos below, Christo is in the first photo, Dora is mantling the kids from the sun, then goes to church.

A note: Laura Goggin has a terrific blog about this hawk family.