The Kingfisher & I

We've seen kingfishers before, but this was the first time at Prospect Park.  This male was perched picturesquely near the Audubon Center.

Belted Kingfisher at the Boat House

Belted Kingfisher Hunting

Kingfishers perch on low branches overlooking ponds or lakes, using their keen eyesight to spot prey.  When they're ready to strike they hover about 2 feet over the water, rapidly flapping their wings like a hummingbird, and then BAM! Into the water.

 Belted Kingfisher in Profile

Fierce mohawk? Check. Dagger-like beak? Check. Disproportionately large head.  Check! Kingfishers never cease to amaze.  This is a male; the females have a rust colored ring around their breast.  This is one of the few occasions I can think of where the female is more colorful than the male. 

 Carolina Wren

If there was a radio station solely dedicated to bird songs, this guy would have a top 40 hit.  What pipes! We first heard the siren call of the Carolina Wren at the boat house, and once we tracked it down we couldn't believe it was coming from such a tiny bird. 

White-breasted Nuthatch

Every picture in the history of White-breasted Nuthatch pictures must look like this. Nuthatches are a "tree-clinging" type of bird (much like a woodpecker), and they scale the trees looking for small bugs, stopping ever few seconds to strike a pose.

Red-bellied Woodpecker

I always love to spot a red-bellied when we're at Prospect Park....this is the only place I've seen them come to think of it.

Early Winter Prospecting

These shots are from a trip to Prospect Park on an unseasonably warm day in mid November.  

Golden-Crowned Kinglet

Dark-eyed Junco

First time spotted for us.  I think we were so excited we were unable to focus the camera.  New goal for 2012: take a better picture of the Dark-eyed Junco.

American Coot

American Coot's are common on ponds and you'll see them all winter in NYC.  They've got the freakiest little webbed feet.

Mallard

Double Double-creasted Cormorants

Song Sparrow

I like looking at birds in the winter because they get all puffed up like this song sparrow.

Unidentified (Song Sparrow?)

Red-Bellied Woodpecker

On the northeast corner of the park there's a small path that's kind of trashy (literally) but it's not very well trodden and we've seen this woodpecker there several times.  This time happened to be just as the sun was setting so the light was really orange and beautiful.  "Red-belly" is a bit of a misnomer, as this type of woodpecker has a conspicuous red head and very slightly red belly (but you can rarely see it). "Red-headed Woodpecker" was already taken.   

Juvenille Possum

When we were having the Red-bellied sunset showdown some passers by pointed out this possum just off the path.  We thought he was dead at first!  That's just what he wanted us to think...