Killdeer, the Shorebird Jailbirds

Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) aren't wearing striped prison uniforms because they murdered Bambi. They got their name from their excited call of kill-deer! But they do have those horizontal stripes, which make them very recognizable. These shorebirds are often seen away from the beach, in fields, lawns, golf courses and open areas. The first killdeer I saw and photographed, on Feb. 24 of this year, was playing second base on a ballfield in the North Lawn of Central Park. On May 20 and May 27 I got good looks at the killdeer on Governors Island, where they nest. Killdeer are plovers, with their large, round heads, large eyes and short bills.

Killdeer, Governors Island, May 27, 2017

I highly, highly recommend a video on YouTube by Cathy Weiner (quoteny) showing killdeer mating. It is absolutely beautiful and fascinating.

In my Filming the Feathers video, you can hear a killdeer calling, but it isn't the kill-deer! call they are known for. It is an insistent "Peep! Peep!" I put a couple of these calls at the beginning, before the Bach Brandenburg Concerto kicks in, in a version arranged for recorders and performed by Papalin.

Killdeer, Central Park North Lawn, Feb. 24, 2017

Killdeer, Governors Island, May 20, 2017

The first photo in this group was taken on May 20; the rest were taken May 27, both days on Governors Island.

More Spring Shorebirds

May has been a great month for adding shorebirds to the Filming the Feathers series of videos, as well as adding a photographic record of each bird to the Photography page. So far I've been able to show you solitary, spotted and least sandpipers, and now offer two new birds (for me): the ruddy turnstone and purple sandpipers.

Purple sandpipers, Governors Island, May 12, 2017

Ruddy turnstone, the Rockaways, May 14, 2017

A Ruddy Turnstone in the Rockaways

When I saw this bird rooting around the rocks at the Tribute Park at B 116th Street in the Rockaways, I thought he was a sandpiper. When I checked the photos later, I saw this was a bird I'd not seen before: a ruddy turnstone (Arenaria interpres). These birds are called turnstones because they use their beaks to turn over pebbles and stones to grab insects and crustaceans. The birds nest in the arctic.

Ruddy turnstone, May 14, Rockaway Tribute Park

The Filming the Feather video features Mozart's Oboe Quartet in F, K. 370, performed by Storch, Reynolds, Iglitzin and Brennand, and obtained from MusOpen.org, a royalty-free music source.

These photos were all taken on May 14 at Rockaway Tribute Park, near B 116th Street.

Purple Sandpipers on Governors Island

I was able to film purple sandpipers (Calidris maritima) on two visits to Governors Island, on May 12 and 20. (When I returned to Governors Island on May 27, I saw no sandpipers at all.) 

Purple sandpiper, Governors Island, May 20, 2017

The Filming the Feathers video shows these delightful birds pecking and resting, and getting chased by the waves. The music is by Carl Heinrich Carsten Reinecke.

Here are some of the photos I took on May 12 and 20. More can be seen on the purple sandpipers page.

Gourmet Dining at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge

On the day after Montana elected a representative who was arrested for body-slamming a journalist and believes that retirement is inconsistent with biblical teachings because Noah built the ark at age 600, I feel the definite need for some laughter right now or I'll cry my eyes out.

Kanga, a gray squirrel dining on the gourmet offerings at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, May 24

During our trip to Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge on Wednesday, we saw this very fat eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) climbing in and out of a trashcan near the picnic tables in front of the visitor center. She made us laugh — there were times she looked very kangaroo-like, and times very rat-like. (I debated whether to call her Roo or Kanga, and settled on Kanga.) She didn't seem to see any reason to stop eating, but then again, she may have been eating for more than one!

By the way, my beloved Canon PowerShot SX50 HS broke on Tuesday, and was taken to a repair shop. I bought an open-box Sony DSC-HX400V to get me through the withdrawal, and these video and photos were taken on the Sony. It will take some getting used to (the repair shop couldn't repair my Canon, so the Sony will be my main camera until I pull enough money together to send the SX50 to Canon in the hope my baby can be fixed).

I intend to continue to enjoy watching animals like Kanga as they do what smart, creative animals do, and try to stop shaking my head in disbelief at the people who continue to vote for violent, deluded sociopaths to represent them in our government.