Bird Country

Regular readers of this site are aware of the spots of country I have featured, particularly the numerous community gardens. I, like many other New Yorkers, look for pieces and reminders of the country for any number of reasons - evidence of seasonal change is one of them. It is easy to go through seasons in the city with little to mark them except temperature and changing light. But to witness the other changes nature has to offer - leaves turning color, migratory birds, etc. - requires more work and looking in special places like gardens and parks. In seeking out the natural in the city, one frequently discovers surprises like grapes growing on vines in the center of the Village, red-tailed hawks eating their prey, butterflies, waterfalls, spectacular sunsets (click here for Manhattanhenge), a Time Landscape, a microclimate in Garden at Saint Lukes, turtles, squirrels and birds. New York City is actually one of the most important bird areas on the East coast - it lies along the Atlantic Flyway and draws numerous species from places as far away as Patagonia and Greenland each spring and fall, which is why Central Park is a great area for bird watching. This birdhouse was in the LaGuardia Corner Gardens in a tree laden with apples (I have picked many here when it is open). I can see a new city festival - New York Is Bird Country ...