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Posts Tagged ‘Central Park’

Mother Nature is two-faced, there’s no question about it. I’m still wearing winter coats and scarves on my way to work, I’m putting the heat on in the den at night. On Sunday, my friend Susan sent me a photo of the falling snow in her backyard and my friend Kim posted the all too familiar picture of the stabbed snowman because in upstate New York where she lives, they got almost a foot of snow.

Even though the temperature keeps fluctuating, there are other greater rituals in place. Regardless of snow or wind or ice, the daffodils send up their bright shoots, the crocuses blossom and many of the birds who wintered elsewhere come home. These photos were taken in Central Park this past weekend.

All photos courtesy of Murray Head

Behold the magnificent Blue Heron captured in flight!

Blue Heron

Blue Heron

There’s no more snow in the park BUT we do have Snow Drops!  Aren’t they pretty?

Spring Snow Drops

Spring Snow Drops

Even though Cardinals hang around all year, they are so beautiful and regal, how could I not include him in this array of seasonal color?

Regal Red Cardinal

Regal Red Cardinal

A splash of sunshine in your garden. 

A Bit of Sunshine

A Bit of Sunshine

I love it when I hear the first Red Wing Blackbird arrive at our feeder.  They have a very distinct and melodic trill.

Love His Epaulets

Love His Epaulets

The first purple crocus each year reminds me that Spring is truly on my doorstep.

Hello Spring!

Hello Spring!

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Last weekend we had some really welcome weather.  While it was not all that warm or spring-like, it was sunny and not terribly windy.  Ask anyone who lives on the East Coast north of Virginia and they will tell you this has been one hell of a winter.  And it’s not over yet…BUT let’s revisit last Saturday because as I said the weather was just ducky and to bear witness to that I have some really great duck photos for this FAB FOTO FRIDAY.

It was day for serene swim by oneself

A bunch of friends chatting it up

Catching Up

Catching Up

There’s always one show off in the crowd

"How do you like it"?

“How do you like it”?

As soon as the weather warms up, young male duck’s fancy turns to mating??

"I'm The Top Duck Around Here"

“I’m The Top Duck Around Here”

The weather was pleasant but not everyone was feeling pleasant

"What Do You Think You're Doing?"

“What Do You Think You’re Doing?”

Some of the ducks were excited not to have deal with the ice when looking for dinner

A Family That Eats Together Stays Together

A Family That Eats Together Stays Together

This DUCK DUO photo and all the other feathered friends pictures are courtesy of Murray Head

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I had a difficult time coming up with a title for this post.  I wanted to use these photos while we still had fresh snow on the ground (although I’m sure we’ll have snow for a while just not so fresh).  Murray took these photos and the red just popped out against the snowy white canvas of  Central Park.  As I said yesterday, EVERYONE comes to play in the  snow in the Park.  

First and in my opinion best of all is the sight of a brilliant red Cardinal perched on a snowy branch.  These birds are beautiful at any time of the year but in the winter their bright and perky looks stand out in the bleak winter.

He Just Sits

He Just Sits

A Spot of Red

A Spot of Red

A Little Tipsy

A Little Tipsy

A Wood Duck in Winter

A Mandarin Duck in Winter

What to do? Build a Snowman!

What to do? Build a Snowman!

New Boots

New Boots

Royalty

Royalty

Standing Out in a Crowd

Standing Out in a Crowd

Is my face red from the cold?

Is my face red from the cold?

Red Tags, Blue Eyes

Red Tags, Blue Eyes

To the Rescue

To the Rescue

Ready to Rescue

Ready to Rescue

Left Behind

Waiting Patiently

All photos courtesy of Murray Head

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Everyone goes to Central Park when it snows!  The scenery is magnificent, the hushed quiet, serene. the hills entice the kids and their saucers.  The dogs romp in the snow, we build snowmen, we cross-country ski, we bird watch, and we have snow ball fights.  BUT none of us have the sheer joy that comes only from being a Snow Leopard cub living in the Central Park Zoo.  Share their delight!

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Can I Play Too?

Can I Play Too?

All photos courtesy of Murray Head

 

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We’ve had so much snow lately that it’s yesterday’s news every other day!  And in the City, the snow rapidly melts into a dirty slush or turns into frozen walls around the parked cars.  Well that’s what you see when you walk the streets on your way to work.

BUT if you were to go into Central Park, you would see snow scenes whose beauty rivals Anywhere USA. Murray was in the park capturing these lovely scenes and was gracious enough to share them with us.  I told him how often my post on the 19″ snowfall in Central Park is viewed, it’s amazing really.  I hope you enjoy these as much.

Central Park Snow

Central Park Snow

Bethesda Fountain

Bethesda Fountain

Untouched

Untouched

Ice Angel

Ice Angel

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Undeterred

Undeterred

Solitude

Solitude

All photos courtesy of Murray Head

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Always a place where bigger is better and more is nicer, Manhattan extends Halloween far beyond the usual Cabbage Night or Mischief Night and the actual Eve of All Hallows.  Almost everyone I have ever mentioned Cabbage night to in New York City has not known what I was talking about.  Do you?  Traditionally the night before Halloween, parents stayed home and tried to keep older kids in the house because  that was night that mailboxes were filled with  shaving cream , trees were wrapped with toilet paper and soap was used to scrawl messages on car windows.  And here you thought the kids in suburbia were so good!

Anyway, in the City, Halloween fun began last weekend.  There was a “kids happening” in Central Park where kids of all ages and sizes were present to participate in the many events.  There was also that hot hot Halloween display at the Band Shell in the park; see previous post; “It Was A Hot Time In The Old Town Tonight” OR Was It Central Park?

Murray was in the park taking photos of all and here are some of the Big and Little, Masks and Make-up

BIG Guy - Make-up

BIG Guy – Make-up

Little Guy - Make-up

Little Guy – Make-up

Big Pumpkin Man

BIG White Face Pumpkin 

Little White Face Zombie

Little White Face Zombie

Pumpkin Dog - No Mask No Make-up!

Pumpkin Dog – No Mask No Make-up!

Hot Dog-No Mask No Make-up

Hot Dog-No Mask No Make-up

BIG Zombie - Make-up?

BIG Zombie – Make-up?

Little Zombie - Mask!

Little Zombie – Mask!

Headless Horseman No Make-up No Mask

Headless Horseman
No Make-Up No Mask

All photos courtesy of Murray Head

So there you have a glimpse into the beginning of Halloween Week!

 

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Wow things were really heating up in Central Park this week.  Look what was going on at the Band Shell in the park.  Costumed performers were really playing with fire!

HOT Javelin Thrower

HOT Javelin Thrower

Balancing The Burn

Balancing The Burn

One Hot Hula Hoop

One Hot Hula Hoop

Face Afire

Face Afire

Climbing The Walls

Climbing the Walls

All photos courtesy of Murray Head

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They live among us and yet how often have you seen a hawk?  I mean other than circling high above in the sky when you’re driving or soaring on a wind current?  No, I mean a real live close-up view of a Red Tail Hawk.  Most everyone thinks New York City is just a teeming mass of people hurrying from one place to another, ginormous stone and granite buildings, miles of sidewalks, chugging buses and speeding taxis….and of course the Empire State building and Times Square.

Of course there is more to our city than that, so much more I should actually start another blog just about NYC.  But until then, let me remind you about Central Park.  Purposefully planned by the city commissioner and executed by the world class team of Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, Central Park is a verdant oasis in the middle of the high rise landscape of Manhattan.

And it is here, in Central Park, where much wildlife abounds;  One of my favorite denizens are the Red Tail Hawks.  The life and times of Pale Male and his famous mate Lola and the removal of their nest from a Fifth Ave Co-op and the uproar and scandal that ensued have been well-documented in the newspapers and in film.  Well, Pale Male may have lived on Fifth Avenue but he surely ate in Central Park.

Here are some wonderful photos taken by Murray Head of a young Red Tail Hawk who went out looking for his lunch.  

Off To Find Something To Eat

Off To Find Something To Eat

First, A Canape

First, A Canapé

Mmmm Tasty Little Morsel

Mmmm Tasty Little Morsel

They Live Among Us

They Live Among Us

What's This?

What’s This?

Oh Boy, Look What I Got!

Oh Boy, Look What I Got!  I Think He’s Smiling!!!

A Beautiful Young Red Tail Hawk

A Beautiful Young Red Tail Hawk

All Photos Courtesy of Murray Head

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Just like the TV station, USA, New York City could have the same slogan, “Characters Welcome”.  If ever there was one place in the world where anything and anyone and everyone and everything goes – this is it.  Everybody does their own thing here, whether they be human, animal or even plant.  The fact that all of this diversity and individuality and sometimes quirkiness is contained in the 22.7 square miles that Manhattan is made of, only serves to intensify the total impact.  Here are a just a few of the characters spotted in The City yesterday!

Siesta in the Park

Siesta in the Park

New Construction Underway

New Construction Underway

Fashion Forward

Fashion Forward

"What's that you say"?

“What’s that you say”?

One Must Always Dress For Croquet

One Must Always Dress For Croquet

A Regiment Of Turtles

A Regiment Of Turtles

Decked Out In Spring Colors

Decked Out In Spring Colors

"Up To My Knees In ...."

“Up To My Knees In ….”

"Goin' My Way"?

“Goin’ My Way”?

"w..ooops"

“w..ooops”

All photos courtesy of Murray Head

 

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You just never know who you’re going to run into when you walk through Central Park.  On this day, there was a colorful assortment of feathered and furry friends.  The camera caught a few of them in going about their daily tasks.  Mmmm do they actually have chores?

Love that Grackle on the Left

Love that Grackle on the Left

"Who goes there"?

“Who goes there”?

Ole!

Ole!

A Black Squirrel making off with a peanut!

A Black Squirrel making off with a peanut!

Not A Happy Duck

Not A Happy Duck

Is Big Bird Lost?

Is Big Bird Lost?

Going Eye to Eye With A Red Tail Hawk

Going Eye to Eye With A Red Tail Hawk

A Tufted Titmouse

A Tufted Titmouse

Red Bellied Woodpecker Actually has a Red Head

Red Bellied Woodpecker Actually has a Red Head

"Am I Having Fun Yet"?

“Am I Having Fun Yet”?

"Coming ashore"

“Coming ashore”

All photos courtesy of Murray Head

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