Not Too Shabby!

With all of my post Hurricane work done, i.e. yard clean up, tree chopping & helping the neighbors, it was time to take a walk to check out my local patch. The nearest wooded area near my house is Grekowski Park or as Townies know it, Bissett's Pond. It was named after a lifelong resident and first Mayor of the Borough of South River, James Bissett. If you are a Ham Radio Operator, you know what I'm talking about. For a small patch of woods (58.6 Acres, 38.9 acres are preserved Middlesex County Open Space) it usually has something interesting to find. Of course the eyesore of a baseball field they built sometimes distracts from the fun. I wonder how many Box Turtles were displaced during the construction of it?

Usually one can find at this time of year, White-throated Sparrows, Dark Eyed Juncos, Tufted Titmouse & Song Sparrows going about their business in the mixed woods. These being the most noticeable bird species other than Canada Goose & Mallard. While watching a flock of Junco's, I hear a Alarm Squeak from a Titmouse. Only to look up and see a Hawk flying overhead at about 12 feet of the ground. And not just any hawk but a Red-shouldered Hawk! I can recognize that rufous anytime, most likely because I only see it once in awhile & think is was female based on size. She can to rest on a large branch about 25 feet away with prey in the talons (smaller than a Chipmunk maybe some type of Vole). I made a move to line up a photo, but she moved up to a higher branch. Trying to be extra quite and sneaking trough some dead Goldenrod, I stepped on a branch and spooked her off.

Done with lunch

After letting the trees hear my sailor trained language skills, I headed off to check the banks of the South River. As luck would have it, she didn't fly that far off, managed to pop a few shoots off, then I let her be.

Eyes are some what too soft.

Birding Olympics or I Almost Had A Grabber

While talking to my neighbor & refilling the bird feeder, I caught a glimpse of a bird swooping by. Just thinking it was the neighborhood Cooper's Hawk, which by the way really enjoys the bird feeder buffet that local yards offer up. The neighbor said "What was that?", I looked to check that it was the Cooper's, but suddenly realized that it looked different & did not have its usual flight. It lands on top of a telephone pole across the way.

Grabbing the bins and walking down to the corner, I spotted it sitting two poles down, after some focusing the black mask of a Peregrine Falcon appears. At this point my heart starts to pump a little faster, never seen one around here, the next thing that comes to my head is "Where's the camera?"

I must of look like a maniac running back a half block in full sprint, into the house, up a full flight of stairs, then back down and out the door. My neighbor is still at the corner talking with some people, I then dash across the street, right in front of a Police Car, which didn't stop mind you. Approaching the pole, I fire off a burst from the camera like I'm working the trigger of a M-60. The Falcon seems a little distracted, so I shorten my distance, then notice a freshly dead Ring-billed Gull laying in the street. Was this its dinner? Anyway Mr. Falco decides that he wants no more attention and takes to the wing.

All this happens in under 15 minutes, my neighbor then looks at me and says, "You look out of breathe!", I then notice that I'm sucking wind & my pulse is racing. I thought I was a goner.

A Chance Sighting

Finally got out of the house for some personal fun yesterday, just when I was heading back, this Red Shouldered Hawk zipped pass me. It was preoccupied with scanning the swamp and allowed me to get somewhat close. Pretty rare to see one here in New Jersey or so I'm told.