KAYAKING THE HUDSON RIVER

As you may or may not know the Hudson River is what is known as a "tidal estuary". It is like a tongue of the sea that stretches up towards Albany as the tide rises. Then it retracts towards New York City as the tide lowers. The other day I went kayaking for the first time ever. I went with Mike Sweeney who is on our Mount Retreat Team, is our Music Minister and is a fine young man and musician. I was surprised how easy it was for me, especially as last Monday (May 18th) was quite cold and windy. But the tide was falling from from Kingston towards Hyde Park (right across from The Mount), and so we went "against it" up towards the Esopus Meadows Lighthouse. That way it would be "smooth sailing" to come back to our dock. Our biggest treat was seeing an eagle not 50 feet from us, just on the shore. It ignored us like we were "just another part of the scenery". Unfortunately I had not brought my digital camera. Next time I will. I will keep it in a tupperware container. This way it won't get wet. And, if it falls out of the kayak it will float. It's a good thing to bring one's cellphone also placed carefully in another tupperware container.
Our grounds are literally "bursting" with Red Wing Blackbirds, Northern Mockingbirds, Chipping Sparrows, House Finches, Song Sparrows, House or Winter Wrens along with the Carolina Wrens, Baltimore Orioles, Brown Headed Cowbirds (with their "ice cube" clunking sound), . I wrote something a while back on Bird Listening. How true this is. The "invisible but audible birds" are often what I most identify: Common Yellowthroats, Hooded Warblers, Eastern Towhees, Red Eyed Vireos.... Most disappointing of all for me are the fact that I "hear but have yet to see this year my good friends the Greated Crested Flycatchers. Years ago at Huntington State Park south of Myrtle Beach a Great Crested Flycatcher was my constant companion as I wandered through that truly great birding spot. It is part of what is Brookgreen Gardens founded by the great millionaire Arthur Huntington and his artist, sculptress wife Ana Hyatt..

TRIP TO AWOSTING FALLS AT MOHONK PRESERVE

On Sunday, May 17th I spent five hours walking from the Mohonk Preserve Visitors' Center, up the East Connector Path to the Trapps Trail. It was very steep. On the East Trapps which is the great rock climbing spot on the Preserve there were many, mostly young, rock climbers. I had a real good feeling about youth as I saw them enjoying the challenge that rock climbing is. (For me it is a "road not travelled". In "another lifetime...maybe!!) The day was wonderful. Streams of spring rain poured over one of the climing areas eliminating it for the day. Between two sections called "Bitchy Virgin" and "Awolding" the ascents have been discontinued because of Peregrin Falcon nesting. I could "hear" the falcons but it was hard to see. There were the fresh reddish color of recently fallen rock in those sections....and "added" reason for calling off climbing there. What a great spring day. I "heard" many Wood Thrushes, Red-Eyed Vireos ("Here I am...There Your Are")..But THEY could probably see ME. But I could not see...THEM.
Awosting Falls with the strong flowing river which is the Awosting River I presume and forms a lake below was powerfully falling. It was a true "thunderous" roar which I much enjoyed. I hope you enjoy some of my pictures.

AWOSTING FALLS AT MOHONK PRESERVE

ROCKS OF THE MOHONK SHAWANGUNKS

MOHONK PRESERVE--TABLE AND PINE ROCK

MOHONK PRESERVE--ROAD TO AWOSTING FALLS

MOUNT LOOKING "HUDSON RIVER SOUTH"

MOUNT LOOKING HUDSON NORTH

THE MOUNT LOOKING ACROSS THE HUDSON

HUDSON RIVER CLOUDY SUNRISE

IN THE HEIGHT OF SPRING

I wrote before that I am more of a "Bird Listener" than "watcher". It is true. If one has half decent hearing, as I do, they can hear, as I did yesterday invisible Easter Towhees, House Wrens, Baltimore Orioles, Tufted Titmouses, Carolina Wrens, Common Yellowthroats. The birds that I actually "see" here at the Mount are: Bald Eagles, Red-Winged Blackbirds, Blue Jays, Chipping and Song Sparrows, Mourning Doves, Rusty Blackbirds, Carolina Wrens, Northern Mockingbirds... There are hardly any Nuthatches and Chickakees around. Oh yes, the Swifts, Tree and Barn Swallows are back. One thing that has fascinated me are the very varied Northern Cardinal calls an songs. I have gotten used to the great variety of Robin song. But I am now "getting the hang" of what I would call "Cardinalish song". If you go to the sounds easilly obtainable on the Internet (especially the Cornell Site to which there is a link at your bottom LEFT) you will find a good "sample" of bird songs and calls. But there is an infinite variety. (The truth seems to be that birds are learning different ways of expressing themselves just like us human beings). At least that is the way I see it. Right above you have a picture of a beautiful cloud-filled Hudson River sunrise. And here a "Mom Eagle" caring for her two invisible eagletts.

FERRY FEEDING THE LAUGHING GULLS AT OCRACOKE ISLAND

WARBLER FOOD (POKEWEED) AT PEA ISLAND

ELIZABETHAN GARDEN--MANTEO, NC

HUDSON RIVER "BIRD LISTENER"

I have been in Kitty Hawk/ Cape Hatteras and Ocracoke Island the last week. Spring Migration is very strong here. There is a Kitty Hawk Woods Trail that goes up The Woods Road and breaks across Twifford Road crossing W. Kitty Hawk Road and heading towards Kitty Hawk Landing. Here there are many small inlets that are part of the waterways flowing out of Currituck Sound where the huge bridge crosses into Kitty Hawk.

The reason I title this blog BIRD LISTENING is that I have heard so many birds: Hooded Warblers, at least one Kentuck Warbler, hundreds of Carolina Wrens, Great Crested Flycatchers, Eastern Towhees, Ovenbirds, House Finches, Pilated Woodpeckers, Flickers, ....etc. But the ones I constantly see are the Boat Tailed and Common Grackels, Robins, Red-Winged Blackbirds. (Down at Pea Island Wildlife Refuge I saw a Blackburnian Warbler that is quite rare to see in that spot. I also saw a Blue Bunting skipping along the beach there. Bird Listening is the way to go. How frustrated I would be if I actually had to see the bird I am identifying.

THE TREE SWALLOWS AND TOWHEES ARE BACK

It is GOOD FRIDAY. And indeed a good Friday it is, as Jewish people have celebrated Passover and Christians are in the midst of celebrating Christ's Paschal Mystery....

SPRING....is a Mystery of Life. The Tree Swallows, Towhees, Chipping and Song Sparrows, Phoebees, Robins galore, Bluebirds galore, nestings Eagles, Red Winged Blackbirds "screaming up a storm" this morning as well as the White Breasted Nuthatches, Chickadees and Tufted Titmouses that have "stayed with us". Today was really the first time this spring I've "heard" (FIRST), then "seen" the Chipping Sparrows. The Song Sparrows are really not singing that much. (I guess they have "nesting work" to do first!)

I have seen Herons which I am "pretty sure" are Great Blues on two of our ponds. What gracious flight they have!

HAPPY EASTER ALL!

YES, I THINK THAT WILLOWS....REALLY WEEP

I think that Weeping Willows really weep. I am serious. Today, a misty, foggy day here at Esopus I walked over to the former Pell Farm. There is a beautiful Willow there. It was the "greenest thing around". And, as I looked closely at the long greening branches reaching almost to the ground, I could see that indeed it is true. "They were really weeping!" At least that is the effect that the small, clinging rain drops gave me to imagine. They were like "God's own glad spring tears" that give life, not, of course, just to Weeping Willows, but to the Crocus, the Forsythia and other "early spring bloomers".

And I thought, For whom and for what are they weeping? The answer would have rather been, For whom and for what are the willows NOT weeping" this spring. Many things: wars, injustices, hatreds, oppressions came to mind. But, being a Hudson River Birder as I am and a former Central Park Birder as I was, I said a silent prayer for ALL my birding friends in Central Park. Some of them don't agree with everything the others do and say. They ALL love the park, the birds, the owls, the hawks, the herons and the now arriving warblers. But some of them don't agree with feeding birds; others do. Some don't think that the owls or even the nesting birds should be "called" or even "searche for" after hours....

Well, I just hope that, as each day goes by, we give Willows and everyone else....."less reasons to weep"
Another PASSOVER approaches. Another EASTER approaches. Let's have More Alleluyas and Shaloms and ....less weeping.

BUDDING WEEPING WILLOWS

DID HE TAKE MY CAR KEYS?

I don't like to be accusing people....or criatures!! But let me explain something, and you can maybe help me be a less aggressive judge. I think this crow might have taken my car keys. Let me explain. I came up here to Saratoga Springs yesterday around 2pm. I had some time before I celebrated the 7:30pm Sunday Evening Mass at our parish of St. Clements which is right next to St. John Neumann Residence where our sick and elderly priests and brothers live. Well, I took an hour walk up Lake Ave, over Salem St, up Fifth St., did a loop and then went down Caroline St. all the way (I think!!) to either Madison or Court. When I got back my keys were gone. Well I have walked about three hours trying to retrace my steps. And nothing. THE SUSPECTS: 1.Grey squirrels?? 2. Human Beings?? ........But then I looked up into the sky. There they were, squadrons of them: Amerian Crows mostly. But there were many Fish Crows too, with their "namby, pamby" apparently "innocent" baby talk. Well they weren't fooling me!! I even shouted up to them. If any of you has my keys, please bring them back!! I really won't hold it against you. I know how curious you are. Being a bird watcher,as you know I too am curious. But please!!! I've got to get back to Esopus. I am the THE HUDSON RIVER BIRDER.

QUESTION: HAS THIS HUDSON RIVER BIRDER BEEN HARSH IN SUSPECTING THE CROWS?

"WE HAVE GROWN OLD TOGETHER, MOUNT!"

If my picture below is not a Balsam Fir I will immediately edit this tomorrow. It is not as old, of course, as The Mount. (I'd say it is at least 80 years old, so it began to grow up and cast its shadow on our seminary building in about its 20th year of its life here looking upon the Hudson). There are many of these firs in the grotto facing the WEST side of the building which divides the Redemptoristine Convent of Our Lady of Perpetual Help from our retreat house building. I would say there are more than 300 of these tall, sturdy, friendly and "protecting" trees here on our land.

Some nights we have owls up high hooting on their branches. The other night I went down to what we used to call Siloe, a small reflecting pond and prayer garden very close to the Hudson. Owls like the seclusion and the "rodent plenitude" of those spots. This one night, however, as I approached the Fir Grove at Siloe I could hear what definitely sounded like a pack of coyotes that were either attacking one of our deer or eating one of them and, maybe, looking for.....another interesting snack!!! Back up the hill I went quite quickly and into my home that the Friendly Fir pictured below shadows and "protects".

PS- Thanks to my friend, Fr. John Olenick C.Ss.R. who forwarded me the link to the article on depletion of migratory birds in the March 21st post below. THANKS FR. JOHN!!