FALL MIGRATION-2011 IN CENTRAL PARK

I would like to be in Central Park these days.  The Fall, as well as Spring Migration, is so wonderful there, mainly because New York City, and Central Park in particular...are "smack in the center of the so called Atlantic Flyway".. Enjoy Jennifer Dudley's film from last Fall, hoping for my friends Deb Allen, "Birding Bob De Candido" and others this is also a great Fall Migration.
 

Central Park Fall Migration from Jennifer Dudley on Vimeo.

BEYOND EXPECTATION-film by Lindela Mjexicana

This beautiful film by Lindela Mjexicana brings to happy memory the three years when we ran a most wonderful SUMMER DAY CAMP in the South Bronx through Immaculate Conception Parish.  With the organizational skills of Mr. Oscar Cruz, the dedicated help of many local counsellors, kitchen people and Immaculate Conception School we created a wonderful two weeks for children in the South Bronx.  We used Central Park quite a lot.  But we also visited Nature sites up in the Lower Hudson Valley near Bear Mountain, Harriman State Park.  It was a great adventure for inner city children that did not have access too often to parks and the wonders of nature.  Even places like Pelham Bay, with its crabs and wetlands or the Bronx Botanical Gardens and Bronx Zoo were part of what we, like Lindela provided for her children.  Enjoy this!

 

BEYOND EXPECTATION from Butterfly Films on Vimeo.

EARTH BY MICHAEL KÖNIG FROM THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION

Earth

by Michael König Plus shot 9 months ago. These are time lapse sequences of photographs taken by the crew of expeditions 28 & 29 onboard the International Space Station from August to October, 2011, who to my knowledge shot these pictures at an altitude of around 350 km. All credit goes to them.HD, refurbished, smoothed, retimed, denoised, deflickered, cut, etc. All in all I tried to keep the looks of the material as original as possible, avoided adjusting the colors and the like, since in my opinion the original footage itself already has an almost surreal and aestethical visual nature. Music: Jan Jelinek | Do Dekor, faitiche back2001
w+p by Jan Jelinek, published by scape Publishing / Universal
janjelinek.com | faitiche.de Image Courtesy of the Image Science & Analysis Laboratory,
NASA Johnson Space Center, The Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth
eol.jsc.nasa.gov Editing: Michael König | koenigm.com
Shooting locations in order of appearance:
1. Aurora Borealis Pass over the United States at Night
2. Aurora Borealis and eastern United States at Night
3. Aurora Australis from Madagascar to southwest of Australia
4. Aurora Australis south of Australia
5. Northwest coast of United States to Central South America at Night
6. Aurora Australis from the Southern to the Northern Pacific Ocean
7. Halfway around the World
8. Night Pass over Central Africa and the Middle East
9. Evening Pass over the Sahara Desert and the Middle East
10. Pass over Canada and Central United States at Night
11. Pass over Southern California to Hudson Bay
12. Islands in the Philippine Sea at Night
13. Pass over Eastern Asia to Philippine Sea and Guam
14. Views of the Mideast at Night
15. Night Pass over Mediterranean Sea
16. Aurora Borealis and the United States at Night
17. Aurora Australis over Indian Ocean
18. Eastern Europe to Southeastern Asia at Night


Earth from Michael König on Vimeo.

LUCY LIU'S FILM...REDLIGHT

I have been quite remiss in continuing to post nature photos on this blog. When I came to Esopus in 2008 it was, and still IS the focus. But gradually I have realized that what is and WHAT ISN'T happening....not just with birds and wildlife...but in HUMAN NATURE are important themes for this blog..
SO...I invite you to see a promo for Lucy Liu's new film, REDLIGHT which shows the horror, pathos and outright shameless treatment of girls enslaved into prostitution in CAMBODIA. Please ponder it!
TOM DEELY
THE HUDSON RIVER BIRDER

REDLIGHT Trailer from jillian selsky on Vimeo.

FOR JAYNE CHRISTINE ON YOUR BIRTHDAY

I don't think that these are as cute as TRACE. But on your birthday I hope they bring "Happy Memories".
LOVE
UNCLE TOM

Koala Bears from Poh Chee Khun on Vimeo.

ONE OF MY "UNSEEN BIRDS"--COMMON YELLOWTHROAT

Common Yellowthroat from Harold Stiver on Vimeo.

MY FRIENDS THE HOUSE WRENS

I really have not been too faithful to my blog. Well, the fact is that, even though I call myself THE HUDSON RIVER BIRDER, I have really not been spending too much time birding. Oh, I HEAR plenty of birds! But to tell you the truth, even though I HEARD and IDENTIFIED them, I could not SEE them. Well, part of the lesson here was...KNOW WHERE TO LOOK. I was looking up in the Douglas Firs which abound in this Gatehouse where I now live in Esopus, NY. But the Wrens were actually entering and leaving the little Birdhouse Fr. Tom, Gene and I placed in front of our six tomatoe plants. Then, all of a sudden, THERE THEY WERE, scooting in and out of that old worn birdhouse. (The birdhouse had been built by our former secretary, Theresa.} For years it was mainly a well used home for House Sparrows when it was near the flagpole next to what used to be Mt. St. Alphonsus. Now the House Wrens angrily force out any bold House Sparrow that tries to take over (as many have tried to!!). I set up my powerful scope on the porch of my house right on 9 W here in Esopus and watch pretty much what the above Wren does with his "Daily Song". Enjoy the wrens.

LIFE OF THE FLOWERS (2:27 secs)

Continuing my work as an Embedder, I share with you all this beautiful video, THE LIFE OF THE FLOWERS.  Time Lapse photography in recent years has really become quite skilled and interesting.  One can see a place change from early morning till the dead of night as the light grows either stronger or weaker.  I think there is a "message" for us all in this.  Because when we begin each day and we think about what we want to do, what God "might be urging us to do" we might do a bit of "time lapse" look at our own lives as they went from the darker moments of confusion, discouragement, selfishness etc etc to the "brighter moments" of love, compassion, generosity, joy, Hope etc etc..  Enjoy THE LIFE OF THE FLOWERS.

WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD

As I have said before, I have become, not so much a blogger as i have become an...Embedder!!  When I began this blog I wanted to present lots of "my own pictures and videos" of the flora and fauna, of the beauties of nature as well as the particular interesting history of the Esopus area of the Hudson Valley.  But my work, my talents...I have learned, do not allow me to always do this.  For this reason I have turned to places like VIMEO and, in today's case, to Richard Attenborough, to show some of the truly WONDERFUL nature videos.  In this one Mr. Attenborough recites the lines of WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD as we see some our world's truly wonderful signs ofGod's presence in our very own wonderful world.  ENJOY!!  (Many of my friends send me these videos.  In this case I thank my dear brother Daniel, for sending this to me)

CATHEDRAL OF "HOLY FAMILY" OF GAUDI IN BARCELONA

BIRDER AND BROTHERS IN SPAIN

WINDOW IN GAUDI'S CATHEDRAL OF THE HOLY FAMILY IN BARCELONA-SPAIN

 

OSPREY---THE EXCELLENT FISHER

I think I am becoming, not a Blogger, but an...Embedder.  I don't know if that is the way it is spelt.  I took some great pictures at Franny Reese Park in Poughkeepsie NY last rainy, misty Sunday.  I will share some of them in a day or so.  But this great slow motion video of an osprey hunting is just so superb.  My friend Kevin MacDonald sent me it. It is just great.

THE REASON FOR EXISTENCE--A VIDEO

Today is my brother Dan's birthday. I sent him this beautiful nature video from VIMEO. So I hope you all enjoy it too.

ON MY FATHER'S SIDE--A VIDEO

As the White Throated Sparrows come back North, (the "Canada, Canada" call was immistakeable this morning), as well as the Chipping Sparrows that just love every corner of what is now THE MOUNT COMMUNITY, I post this nice Country Western song, "On My Father's Side" that dramatizes the 12 year old Jesus on his first ("of many") family journies to the Temple in Jerusalem.  This morning, as we see Thomas "finally believing" that Jesus had truly risen I see that, not just Thomas but ALL of us have to not just ASK.  We need to "go right out there" and FIND the marks of the wounds of Christ which are many in our world.  Thomas would ask us to "put our own hands into the wounds of Christ", but believing that each and all of us in the BODY OF THE TRULY RISEN CHRIST have the love, compassion and very power of God to heal, to alleviate and to pour the oil of our love into the many wounds of Christ in today's world.  This week is dedicated to Migrant Peoples.  Cardinal Mahoney of Los Angeles said yesterday in an interview that the first immigrants in the history of the world were Adam and Eve expelled from the Garden of Paradise...but invited to "find their way back to paradise" through hard work, pain.  In other worlds ...through FAMILY LIFE.  Enjoy this video.

A "SPRING ROBIN VIDEO" FROM FRED MARGULIES

My friend, Ronnie just sent me this quite fascinating video done on VIMEO by Fred Margulies, who, by the way, lives just a "bit" upstate in Margaretville, NY.  This video is one of Fred's many.  He does videos on social issues of the community.  And I am sure that, since the desvasting rains caused flooding and quite horrifice damate in that area of Margaretville, that Fred has used his skill to help and martial help for the community.  MEANWHILE, this video which he did a few years ago, starts with four beautiful "Easter eggs" in a robin's nest.  It is quite a commentary of what I'd call the "Full nest...and then the empty nest" that all parents love, serve and create.  ENJOY!!  And thanks, Ronnie, for this great video.  (I am not recently a "consistent blogger", but when something from the Hudson River like Fred's great video, well I just have to get working)



Robins: 4 Eggs, 4 Weeks from Fred Margulies on Vimeo.

REMEMBER FALL AT THE MOUNT

My brother Dan, who has come to love THE MOUNT as many of us, has an interesting album of pictures of it.  These are two of them for which I am most grateful

FALL IN THE MOUNT NORTH ENTRANCE

FALL SKY AT "THE MOUNT"

IT'S NOT ON THE TEST

Today I was going through my personal diaries which I began in 2007.  I found a phrase, I loved that song, IT'S NOT ON THE TEST by Tom Chapin.  I had no recollection of the song.  So I found it on YOUTUBE and share it with you.  Not to ruin the song for you, just let me say that the song is about all the so called "unimportant items" that back in 2007 were being taken out of school teaching, things like music, drama and, as the song says so powerfully.....rational discourseg.  With the great failure of diplomacy today, wars in Afhanistan, Iraq, and now Syria as well as the growing threat of a confrontation between Israel, Iran and the United States it is so very clear that songster Chapin certainly "knew what he was singing about". The video for the song, "Not on the Test," that Tom Chapin wrote with John Forster expresses their disappointment in the lack of arts education in public schools. SO LISTEN, ENJOY, UNDERSTAND....AND PRAY FOR THE RETURN OF RATIONAL THINKING TO THE WORLD...(and...be honest now!!!! if necessary...TO YOURSELF.

"FOR ALL WHO LOVE THE SEA" VIDEO ON CANARY ISLANDS UNDERWATER LIFE

Besides enjoying my missionary work with Hispanics here in North Carolina (town of Ashville) I still love to embed here some of the finest nature footage that I find on VIMEO.  This beautiful, graceful and fascinating under and "over" water film is by Raffa Herrero Massieu.  It was shot by Raffa last year, 2011 in the Canary Islands.

Another world from Rafa Herrero Massieu on Vimeo.

A WALK IN CANDLER, NC

Here in Candler, NC which is North Carolina mountain I took a walk along Asbury Road, then up to Holecomb Road to Mountainside Trail which is a steep road that goes up about five hundred feet with properties up and off each side.  There are beautiful Hereford cattle, black sheep as well as white ones and one or so horses.  It was a cold afternoon after celebrating Mass in English (Fr. Alex) and Spanish (myself, this "Birder").  Our soup and roll supper and social and preaching and night adoration and Rosary did not begin until 6 pm. So I had a nice two hours to discover the bright blue and sunny winter terrain of this northwest North Carolina town of Ashville/Candler. Here are some of the sights I captured.

.....And then some fine people from St. Joan of Arc Parish were with us as we preached the Word of God..My emphasis was "LENT...A TIME FOR PEOPLE TO ENTER, RETURN TO..AND BECOME STRONG IN THE BODY OF CHRUST.

BILINGUAL PRE LENT MISSION IN ASHVILLE NC WITH FR. ALEX

I am now in St. Joan of Arc Parish in Chandler NC which is quite close to W. Ashville NC.  Fr. Alex Ortiz my Redemptorist confrere and  I are giving a Pre Lent Retreat until this Thursday, Feb 16th.  There was high wind and snow yesterday.  Here is a shot of the Chandler sunrise with the bright sun coming through a huge, I think White Pine or maybe it's a Loblolly...Let me know.