Tuesday's parting shots

Photos by Steven 

Bird watchers have enjoyed keeping tabs on a Blue Grosbeak in the neighborhood this past week...

Per All About Birds:

A large, vibrantly blue bunting with an enormous silver bill and chestnut wingbars, the male Blue Grosbeak sings a rich, warbling song from trees and roadside wires. 

This Blue Grosbeak is a little outside his usual hang-out zone (New Jersey is usually as close as they get)...

Flaco continues East Village tour

Reporting by Stacie Joy 

The Flaco watch continues. 

The Eurasian eagle-owl was first spotted far away from his Central Park home on Monday in the East Village. 

And the sightings continue. 

The images here are by @Vinweasel_, who reports he was tracking Flaco via other photographers, and networking together. He photographed the owl at an undisclosed local location with his Sony A7iii with a 70-200 2.8 lens and a monopod.

And at seeing the great Eurasian eagle-owl? 

"I was stoked like a 10-year-old at an amusement park!"

Wednesday's parting shot

Photo by Stacie Joy 

Today in outdoor dining on Avenue B...

In case you give a hoot!

As a follow-up to our post the other day about the artificial saw-whet owl sitting on the walk sign outside Saifee Hardware on First Avenue and Seventh Street... a reader points out a variety of faux owls available at the hardware store... 

The (fake) saw-whet owl of 1st Avenue

Photos by Steven 

If you're passing the SE corner of First Avenue and Seventh Street near Saifee Hardware, you may notice something perched above the walk sign. It's a saw-whet owl...

... and it's not real. (It fooled at least one reader who shared photos asking what kind of bird it is.)

As you know, artificial saw-whet owls are perfect for commercial displays, fall decor ... and provide a symbolic meaning of being protective and insightful.

Kestrel maneuvers to rescue this fledging along Avenue B

Late last week, some residents discovered a kestrel stranded in a storefront on Avenue B between Sixth Street and Seventh Street. She was unable to get too far off the ground. (Thanks to Ali for the above pic!)

Ranger Rob (aka Rob Mastrianni, a Manhattan Ranger supervisor), who has a long history of East Village bird rescues (here and here, among many others), was called to the scene.

"She fledged a bit early and her tail and wing feathers weren't fully grown out," he told me. (He has an Instagram post on it here.)

The young kestrel is now in the capable hands of Bobby and Cathy Horvath at the Long Island-based Wildlife in Need of Rescue and Rehabilitation (WINORR). Once the kestrel has developed her flying skills, Ranger Rob will release the bird back safely into the 6th Street and Avenue B Community Garden.

He said that a kestrel family lives along here ... in fact, he released two fledglings here last year.

This unique bird made a migration pit stop on 7th Street the other day

This American Bittern made a migratory pit stop behind a building on Seventh Street between Avenue A and First Avenue ... which is where Elizabeth Cunningham spotted the brown heron hanging out in the nasturtiums ...







The bird arrived on Friday morning around 11 and left by 8 a.m. yesterday. During the bird's nearly 24 hours here, she spoke with the Wild Bird Fund, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and two wildlife rehabilitators in the city.

Here's her report:

Although rarely spotted — especially around here — I was informed it's common for them to make 24-hour stops along their way south. He didn't appear injured and the ornithology personnel told me he'd be fine overnight despite the cold snap. He settled into a bush for the night and is now presumably back on track toward warmer climes.

Mid-afternoon red-bellied woodpecker break

Steven spotted this red-bellied woodpecker (not in costume) in Tompkins Square Park yesterday...

Bird watch: A nesting American robin on 3rd Street and Avenue B

An American robin recently built a nest on the fire escape outside David Browning's window on Third Street near Avenue B ... and this past weekend, two of the eggs hatched.

David shared these photos that he took during the last few days...









"I feel lucky these robins picked my fire escape for their nest," said Browning, who has lived in the building for 16 years. "It’s really awesome to watch unfold."

East Village bird count

[A Yellow-bellied Sapsucker spotted in the East Village]

A group of East Village residents recently took part in a bird count in the neighborhood. Here’s their story via EVG reader Patrick:

We were inspired by annual bird counts that have occurred for more than a century in New York and, now, all over the world. We gathered in Tompkins Square Park and then spread out to cover the community gardens and other areas of the East Village.

Overall we counted 1,567 individual birds, representing 16 different species. Highlights included a Peregrine Falcon on Meltzer Tower, two Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers in Tompkins Square Park, and an American Kestrel perched on a building at the corner of Seventh Street and Avenue A. We also saw Christo, the resident male red-tailed Hawk in Tompkins Square Park, along with “Nora,” the new visitor, and another juvenile hawk.

Thanks to everyone who participated: Steven, Donald, Florence, Dennis, Cheyenne, Laura, Jeff, Greg and Elias!

East Village launch pad

Photo today by Grant Shaffer...

Inflight entertainment

Photo on Seventh Street and Avenue A by Colin Clark via Instagram...

Saturday's parting shot

Spotted on Ninth Street between Avenue B and Avenue C. Photo by Bobby Williams...

Noted

Probably too late to suggest putting plastic up on the walls and roof to conserve energy.

Discarded birdcage photo on Seventh Street by Derek Berg.

Sunday's parting shot

Photo this evening on Szold Place by Bobby Williams...

Today in yellow-bellied Sapsucker sightings in Tompkins Square Park

So that's what was causing that incessant drumming today (jk!) ... photo by Bobby Williams

Thursday's parting shot

A view atop St. Nicholas of Myra Orthodox Church on Avenue A at 10th Street via Steven...

Up with the crows

Bird watching on East 10th Street this morning... photo by Bobby Williams

When the birds of Tompkins Square Park sound like whales

EVG regular Grant Shaffer picked up on the birds communicating with one another today... and slowed it down...

Cautionary nesting instincts

Perhaps not as exciting as red-tail hawks or night herons or seagulls or people dressed like chickens or.. what were we talking about?

Oh, birds.

@SquareMusings shared this photo from Avenue D and East Eighth Street, where a nest remains strategically placed in the yellow (speed up? slow down?) slot…