Gosling on the lake!!!!

So, today it cooled down a little and it was a beautiful day - not too warm, a little breezy. So of course I slept in, since I haven't been getting quite as much sleep as I should in the past few days of very hot, humid weather. Luckily, my daughter and husband took the dogs to the park, and it was great. N got a picture of one of the new goslings being taken around the lake by it's parents!! What a happy looking family. Hope they stay that way.

They also saw Ed and Tony and talked to a WINS 1010 reporter about the BBQ situation. Maybe they'll be on radio. Apparently Ed and Tony want BBQing eliminated. N made the point that she really doesn't care if people BBQ, as long as they CLEAN UP AFTER THEMSELVES. What an intelligent, sensible, and possibly visionary girl.

To Anonymous, yesterday's commentator who referred to PP as a garbage dump. Well, yes it sometimes is, but a lot of people work to clean it up, and there are some very good days. Why not give it another try, just not on a 3-day weekend or a couple of days after?


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Later the same day:

We went out to Sheepshead Bay for a movie (Bridesmaids; pretty good) and a bite (at TGIF's) and saw, as we ate, on Plumb Beach Channel, a swan family with 5 or 6 cygnets!! Born two weeks ago, sailing around just outside TGIF's windows, just beautiful!!!

Ode to Fanny and spring

It was the most beautiful day imaginable in the Park today. Sun shining, blue sky, not too warm, a soft breeze on your skin that was quite perfect. We were four people and two dogs and we didn't want to leave.

We saw some baby turtles, and a huge great-grandpa. Some geese flying around - migratory or residential, I don't know, but it was gorgeous. And so many dogs!! Note: 19 crack bags on Lookout hill, but even more birders out today!

The most exciting thing, though, was a garbage truck driving around picking up the trash! In all the time I've been coming to the park, I have NEVER seen trash pickup on a Sunday until now. Thank you, Emily Lloyd, the new Parks commissioner for caring. Beautiful weekends are always a problem. So many people enjoy the park for picnics, barbeques, everything, that the trash cans are overflowing by Sat. night, and Sunday has traditionally been quite disgusting. I stopped to thank the men doing the work. Don't know how pleased they were to be working on a Sunday morning, but I thought I'd let them know that someone appreciated them.

We also were very pleased to see Fanny. Fanny is a 14-year old semi-retired service dog that belongs to Tony, the head of FIDO. She collapsed a few days ago and was in the hospital. And of course, at 14, we kind of assumed the worst. Didn't happen!! We saw her today in the Peninsula. She's out, on medication for heart disease and seems to be doing fine, albeit a little slow. She is a wonderful dog, and we were very glad to see her.

Ready for the fishing season

Here's Tony, the President of FIDO, getting ready for the upcoming season of fishing, fishing lines left on the ground, in the trees, and around the waterfowl. Net and grabber at the ready! Hopefully, we will lose no birds to hooks and line left by careless fisherpeople this year. I love that Tony cares as much about the birds as the dogs. There are FIDO people who hate the water fowl and birders who hate the dogs, and Tony can name names and tell you exactly who's who. We are united in the concept that the park is for ALL creatures.

I will do regular counts of the geese and swans, so we can keep track. Ducks and gulls as much as I can. As I said, the geese seem to be concentrated in two areas. It's awfully hard to walk around the lake these days - on part of the path you have to walk on hay bales around the Lakeside fencing. Pictures coming in the future.

Yes, I did see all 6 swans. The parents were hanging out south of what I'm calling the main beach. The main beach would be the area closest to Vanderbilt playground, full of nannies and children on nice days. To the south is an area that is a little more secluded and closer to the Park Circle entrance. I don't think the swans have nested yet. Remember, last year's clutch were born on May 21. Mute swans incubate about 35 days, which would mean it starts at April 17. But these numbers are not set in stone, and I think it needs to be a little warmer to lay eggs. As I recall from my farm years, ducks (we didn't have swans) lay an egg a day for a number of days before they start setting on them, and the weather has to be warm enough. I used to find the nest and take all the eggs but one, so the ducks would continue to lay in the same place and we'd have lovely duck egg omelets. (Pause to reminisce). Anyway, one of the cygnets does seem to be separated from the other 3. It's why I think there's one male and 3 females - one of them was always more aggressive, more inclined to spread wings, etc.

News from the FIDO front

B. reporting today, since I decided to have a late lie-in, which was quite wonderful. Anyway, he ran into Tony in the Nethermead (Tony is usually at the Peninsula). Tony had some news about the new Parks boss, Emily Lloyd, who replaces the very-close-to-the chest Tupper Thomas. He thinks Ms. Lloyd is much more straightforward, and will give answers like, "I don't know about that" and "I can't do anything about that," rather than make up things and hope you are satisfied. She decided to quit smoking since smoking became banned in the Park, which is wonderfully non-hypocritical. Full disclosure: I think I know Ms. Lloyd very slightly - I think her son and my daughter went to what was then Woodward Park School together back in the 90's.

There's also talk of a dog run, available 24/7. I assume this will be in addition to the off-leash hours, not instead of. Bad news: one of the suggested areas is the top of Lookout Hill. NO NO NO!!! It's a people area, quite and lovely and scenic. And a primo place for the serious runners to get their workout. They would not be happy to be barked at by going past a dog run. Maybe I should stop doing the crack bag count. Maybe it gives the wrong impression of Lookout Hill? I adore dogs, but that is NOT the place for a dog run. Maybe the western side of the Nethermead, at the bottom of Lookout Hill.

Love and marriage among the tires?

TWO tires in the Parade Grounds today, but over in one of the fields, not in the middle of the place. B thinks someone might be collecting them for football practice. He's seen pictures of football players practicing by leaping down a row of tires. Well, that would be a nice, useful way to recycle trash. Will update as it happens (or not).

Speaking of love: egret and duck are friends! They were hanging out on a log in the lake today, just enjoying the scenery. I thought of Owen and Mzee, the real life hippopotamus and turtle who became a very unusual pair of friends (check out the book if you don't know about it). So I wonder if the egret and the duck will really be friends, or are just sharing a convenient spot for the day. Will update.

We met a wood artiste along the Lullwater today, checking out various beautiful pieces of old trees that line the pathway. Talked with him a bit, as he pointed out the beautiful lines of the grains of the wood that revealed themselves as the downed wood aged. Such beautiful curves and lines! Amazing how many times we walk through that area, and have never stopped to see that beauty. I know that I've stopped to make those observations when we've been hiking in the Wilderness are of the Adirondacks, but not so much in Prospect Park. Note to self: must be more aware of the macrocosm in the microcosm.

Cygnets grooming themselves for a long time this morning. I got right next to them, and they were to busy to be disturbed. Chewy, however, was very disturbed and wouldn't get close. And speaking of swans, we saw Tony, who told us what really happened to the Lone Swan (aka Grandpa), last seen in the fall, on the grass, eating everything within reach. A woman named Mary Beth, a FIDO stalwart, also saw him, and saw him being attacked by some kids throwing sticks and stones at him. She went close enough to pick up the swan. VERY unusual, and a sign of ill health. She took him to a local vet, who said that Lone Swan had diseased feet and was not in good shape. The good news: Lone Swan recovered, and is now living at a Wildlife Refuge Center, and not dead as we thought. Can't believe how happy I felt hearing this news. It takes a lot of goodhearted people to care for wildlife in a city park, and I'm glad they're all out there doing it.

The Great Prospect Park Ice Break-up

There are beautiful cracks in the ice, as the open water areas are getting bigger and bigger. Lullwater is still completely frozen, but the big lake and the Boat House area are clearing. Mama and Papa swan have moved over the the Boathouse area, while the cygnets are still in the big lake, swimming about in pairs, heads frequently going under to feast in all the newly-de-iced areas, and those veggie goodies now within reach. Took me three tries to get a nice shot of a pair of cygnets. Just as I went click, a head went under. Patiently waited till it came up, just as I went click again, the other head went under.

Soccer players in the Parade Grounds again! Dressed rather warmly, but determined to declare that it is spring and they will act accordingly!

It was perfect "dog in the park" weather - a bit cold, and the ground was firm. We ran JJ and Chewie back and forth across the Nethermead about 10 times, and then a little more at the Peninsula. We saw Tony from FIDO at the Peninsula, and I got to thinking how incredibly lucky we are to have FIDO and the off-leash hours. At other places in the city, especially in Manhattan, there are dog runs the size of shoeboxes, complete with waiting lists, size limitations, interviews and testing to see if your dog would be acceptable, etc. Here in Prospect Park, we've got three gorgeous, giant areas for dogs to run free, and at reasonable times. Well, I think up to 9AM is reasonable, since my "stay up late, sleep to noon" days are long over.

Tony says it was actually Tupper Thomas who officially instigated the off-leash hours. I am not her biggest fan, but this is a good thing she did. Life would be so much simpler if we could clearly state that people were either good or evil. Damn, they're much more complicated than that. Requires thinking. Brain hurting....
Ber says he heard that the off-leash hours were started because the Park was considered very dangerous. The off-leash hours were started to bring lots of people and dogs to the park, and make it a safer place. One of those cheap and easy solutions that actually work (so rare!) Got to give people credit for good ideas.

Up to Lookout Hill again today, marginally less huffing and puffing. Spruced up the top by putting assorted cans and bottle in the trash. Four or 3 1/2 crack bags, depending on how you're counting them - one was tiny (see photo).

Note to PattyA I am one of your followers and read your blog regularly, just haven't commented. Thanks for your interest/support/love of wildlife.

Snowshoe feet

Beautiful clear crisp day in the park this morning. Didn't go near the lake. After several days of rainy, miserable weather earlier in the week, followed by cold, cold, days, we didn't want to go sliding in to the lake. JJ absolutely refused to go to the park during the rainy days - she stops dead about 3 houses down, does her business, and won't go anywhere but home. Who's the boss??? Hmmm.

Anyway, I was cozy and warm in my fuzzy new boots. The open area of the lake seems even smaller. Clearly, some people have been in the park - note the police barrier now frozen into the lake. The only clear paths are the car roads, the horse path, and the Greg Mocker Memorial Plowed Path, all 30 feet of it. However, the Peninsula was lovely. All the rain followed by ice has made a very strong crust on top of the snow, easy to walk on, chase sticks on, whatever one fancied. Just like our feet were snowshoes. But we still avoided the lake - a dog was on the ice and broke through and drowned a few weeks ago. Don't want to risk it. Luckily, JJ seemed happy enough to cool off by rolling around on the snow.

Tony (from FIDO) was there with his dogs Jupiter and Fanny. Nice to see him, and we all had a good chat, especially about the N.Y. Times article yesterday, reporting that 1,676 geese were killed last summer. the headline said "for air Safety" but admitted that the Prospect Park geese weren't killed for air safely but for other reasons, such as protecting private property (which the Park isn't) and to prevent damage to ornamental plantings and other nonsense reasons. Tony believes that Bloomberg asked the Feds to off the geese to prevent lawsuits - that it wasn't the Par officials who initiated the action. The worst part of the article? They're going to do it again next year, at more sites, with new capturing techniques. Very depressing.

Tony also has a theory as to why Central Park is so much better kept. The city doesn't run it any more - it's the Central Park Conservancy, which has a lot of money. Well, between the East Side and the West Side, they are surrounded by some of the most expensive real estate in the world, but I didn't think that they were that much more generous than we Brooklynites.