10/8, Central Park North

Again over to the north end of Central Park to look for hawks, and also any other wildlife which might be about.

I began with the ducks on the Pool, as I'd noticed from yesterday's photos that one tree showing autumn color made for good reflections. Got a few nice photos, such as the one at right, but the ducks were mostly hanging around the dark end of the Pool (at this time of year, shadows claim most of the Pool by 5:00), I didn't hand about too long.

Over to the Wildflower Meadow by way of the Loch, there wasn't much of interest aside from a short bit of jay jeering that of course made me wonder if a hawk was about. The meadow seemed fairly quiet, with fewer birds flitting than on Saturday. At 5:15 I looked up to see something big and slow fly over, heading south. Ah, a hawk! But unfortunately for me it was heading toward Sparrow Rock, which meant I had to take an indirect route to get around a fence and bushes. By the time I made it to the north end of the North Meadow, the hawk (well, I was 75% sure it was a hawk) had disappeared from sight. Perhaps it was hiding in a tree overhead, or perhaps it had continued south along the line of the east loop.

In consolation there were several monarch butterflies flitting about. It was almost too easy to get some nice photos of them. If one took off before you could snap off a few shot, there was always another one nearby.

Back over at the Wildflower Meadow just after 5:30, I found several birders tucked away out of sight where they could view the blue grosbeak. Cal Vornberger was among them; he already has some Saturday photos of the grosbeak up in his gallery and will presumably have some from today up in a day or two. Unfortunately, due to the shade and some motion blur, none of the pix I took of the grosbeak came out well enough to show.

Exit from the park began at 5:45, passing over Green Hill and down past Lasker Rink and the Meer. There was a passel of robins about atop Green Hill, but the brightest red item to be spotted there was the crest of a woodpecker. But he was shy, disappearing around a tree almost before I could lift my camera.

There was no sign of hawks along 110th Street tonight.