Swans: the stars of Prospect Park

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1 gosling, about 25 geese

So we had a lovely walk around the lake today, looking for geese and other assorted birds. N and her husband and the dog (Chewie) decided to have a nice Sunday morning lie-in instead of 7 AM off to the park. What could they be thinking (:) ? Anyway, since JJ is not so nearly as playful as Chewie, we all enjoyed the walk.

Anyway, there was a flock of about 12 geese in the Southwestern part of the Lake, near what I call the beach. Another small flock, about 11, was by the Southern shore of the lake, just past the three islands. And there, just before the little communal space that the Haitians use, was the nice young goose couple with their one gosling that daughter and hubby saw the other day. No idea if the gosling is in good health. at first, it was just sitting on the grass, but then it got up and walked around and ate. And that was it. No other geese that we could see.

There were also 4 strange looking birds in the trees of the three islands. They looked larger than cormorants, maybe vultures. We are not good at bird identifying. Anyone know what they are?

Swan family was happily swimming in the Lullwater, eating lots and lots of weeds.

Very interesting that the geese were all in their flocks at 7:30-ish when we arrived, but had separated by the time we were leaving at a little after 9.

We also had a great time later in the day at a Petanque (aka Boule) tournament in the Parade grounds. Wonderful throwing techniques, friendly people. There's a photo of me with the President of the Petanque Club!

Gorgeous, gorgeous day!!

This is undoubtedly becoming the most boring title EVER, but I can't help it. Love these days when it's not too hot or cold, not too humid, the sun is shining, birds are swimming and flying and swooping all over, and the park is actually clean. Well, it was a disaster last weekend, so now, after a week of seeing the official cleaners, the Community Service workers, lots of volunteers, and the odd singleton like myself picking up trash, PP looks great. The water is even clear, and Martin (from PP Alliance) was off to get the Police Barricades and other inappropriate things out of the lake, now that he can actually see them. Of course it's Friday, and the picnickers and BBQers will be out in force this weekend - we'll see what Monday looks like.

Not only did I miss the beautiful geese yesterday, I missed the WINS reporter. Hubby and daughter didn't, and here they are on the radio: http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2011/06/03/pig-sty-in-prospect-park-residents-say-yes/. My, what a well spoken pair of people!! Even in the itty-bitty soundbite that WINS put on!!!

Basically, it was swan day for me. The new family was all around in the Lullwater near the Audubon Bridge, and I think I got some nice pictures. The singletons are at the Eastern end of the Lake (which I call the beach) just feeding and dipping and having a fine old time. I didn't notice geese, but will keep an eye out from now on. The family born near the Dog Beach in PP has moved or disappeared, and folks are worried. They were wondering if the family that N photoed yesterday is them (with only 1 gosling left) or another family altogether. I am clueless, but will keep counting and reporting.

Only 5 crack bags on Lookout Hill today, 17 the other day. And yes, I do pick them up to avoid double counting. And to keep the place looking a little nicer.

Martin says that this is the sixth year in a row that the geese have used that Dog Beach nest. I hope it continues. I saw him the other day to apologize to him. A few weeks ago we were talking about the addling, and he said he would never addle swan eggs. I didn't actually believe him. Not just him - with most people I need a little proof before I believe things. Anyway, since there are cygnets I felt the need to apologize. He was not offended (or at least didn't seem so) but is upset about other things being said. That Brooklyn paper video in particular. I think I had commented that he just showed the reporter pre-addled eggs and didn't addle any new ones. But people have accused him of "late addling" and "incorrect addling" because of it. Did they not see the video? Did they not understand the video? Did they not care about reality and the truth? It's a shame. He was NOT the one who called in the geese-murderers last year, and he is trying to take care of the lake. We don't always agree, but he has done a hell of a lot of positive things and should be given credit for them.

One last depressing note: Looks like Candleman has moved on. No candles for quite a while now, and there is a dried up pile of what looks like human poop in what was his ceremonial space. Candleman: I am thinking of you and hope that your hopes come true.

Some gray musings on a gray day

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One of my facebook friends put this up, and it perfectly describes exactly how I feel this morning. Thought I'd share it, since I know I'm not the only one. Gray day, gray thoughts. We are seeing so few animals in Prospect Park these days, and I really miss them. There were so many last year!!It felt like it was their park as well, and I really appreciated their sharing their lives with us. Now they seem to be all gone.

The entire population of geese was, of course, eradicated. And for no good reason. And all the different excuses/reasons given sounded remarkably like the rationale for every genocide every committed. They don't belong. They're dirty. They're dangerous. And now, since these were resident geese, there are no more. A few migratory ones come in, stay only for a while, and leave. Goslings return to the place where they were born. And since all the little baby goslings were also killed, there are none to come back.

Then there is the lack of turtles. Apparently they've been sunning themselves in Central park for weeks, but none here so far. It could be that there haven't been that many warm sunny days, and the rocks in Central Park are a little more open and amenable to warming in what sun there has been. I certainly hope so.

PP itself seems to be getting much less natural and wild. Herbicides to kill off the "bad plants." The Lakeside Project concreting over large areas, with tame, manicured little gardens replacing large portions of fields and grass areas. Everything planned, predictable, safe, boring. The magic of nature and wildlife - gone, gone, gone!

So, on the one hand, I feel very lucky to have experienced the magic of wildlife in PP last year. I feel a little flicker of joy whenever I think about it. The geese flying overhead. The swans puffing up and trying to intimidate each other. The turtles - slipping into the water at the merest hint of sound. The rabbit we used to see. The many species of ducks. Even when the animals fought, which was only very occasionally, it was wonderful. Genuine wildlife!! Maybe not peace and love all the time, but at least when there is a fight it is fair and for a reason. Gee, I wish humans would learn from them instead of wiping them out.

Misty Morning in Prospect Park

So quiet and peaceful! Just a beautiful misty day, before the fog all burns off and the weather goes up to near the 80's. And some of the animals we saw, just doing their thing, minding their own business.

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.

"You can never have too much snow."

So said the young men in the park today, after our not-so-short hiatus. My husband had some surgery, recovered, and is now complaining that his legs have gotten too skinny, so we have started back to walking the dog in the park. I have no such excuse for not going, except that I haven't felt like it. Too cold, too far, insufficient clear walkways, etc. etc. etc. Whine, whine, whine. Today: it's cold, but the sun is shining, and I put on my best mountain hiking boots to prevent slipping and sliding, and off we went. With two dogs. Ours (JJ) and Chewie, my daughter's dog. We ran into her outside, walking Chewie in her pajamas and complaining that it was cold (about 20 F), and took Chewie with us. We've been hearing that park hasn't been plowed, and it pretty much hasn't been. Looks like only car roads have been cleared, and the horse path. The park accomodates horses, not people? Hmmm.

However, the walking paths have been packed down fairly well, so we took the dogs to the Nethermead and let them run loose. On the way, we heard a great rumble of noise. Turned out to be snow-making machines. Snow-making machines? On top of the deepest snow in many years. What on earth was going on? So we stopped to ask. These young men had come south 600 miles to help NYC prepare for our Winter Jam this weekend by adding more snow. "Isn't there enough already?" I asked. Hence our title: "You can never have too much snow." What a different in attitude from mine and most of New Yorkers, who have pretty much had it with the snows of the last month or so. Well, they're from 600 miles north. Clearly Canadian and totally imbued with the niceness that our neighbors to the north seem to be born with. No bitching, moaning or complaining from them!!! I think I'll try it....I'm already smiling more!

Anyway, they seemed to be having a great time, were delighted to answer our questions (obviously NOT from the Parks Dept.) And it was quite beautiful to watch, especially with the sun coming through the snow-making mist.

Other observations: the Lake is almost completely frozen. Swans, geese, ducks, coots, gulls, etc., all cohabiting the small open space quite peacefully. Very crowded. Somewhat reminiscent of Pymatuning Park in Pennsylvania, where the the fish and ducks are so crowded that that they are known for the ducks walking on top of the fish.

Prospect Park Mysteries

No mystery about the fact that it's a gorgeous day, park was surprisingly full for a weekday (course it is a school vacation week) and mostly looking good. Early morning pickup soccer has begun again at the Parade grounds, daffodils are sprouting all over, and a red-winged blackbird was singing joyfully from a treetop. I got pictures, but I need to work on being a better a photographer. I used to use a Pentax - very simple, had to learn to adjust F-stops and focal points. I finally did, and then the world went digital. I now have a digital that apparently do everything, if I could figure out how. It's coming along, but it's a slow process.


First mystery: the candle. We came upon a candle burning in a can with a tin foil chimney. No one around. Kids? Worship? Homeless person's stove? [no - no food inside the tin foil] We blew out the candle - unattended candles amongst leaves and phragmites are very scary. Is this how the 2 phragmite fires started? there was a little pile of yellow wax about 6 inches away, so this wasn't the first time.

Second mystery: the lake and the swans. More about the poor deceased swan. There were articles in the Post and the Brooklyn Paper, and the News may have something soon, but there's more to the story. So, the swan (a female, but known as John Boy by her fans) was very still next to the lake and taken away to a Wildlife Restoration Center in Nassau County. Apparently, the Center was never told 1) where the swan came from, or 2) that there had been about 5 other dead animals in the same location over a 3 day period. So no vet was ever called, the poor thing died, the death attributed to "swan on swan fighting. No necropsy (animal autopsy) was done. Then the lake was partly drained and refilled, so any evidence of some kind of poisoning would be gone. It is all very weird. I can only attribute this to that "Don't panic the public" thinking or a fear of copycats.

It is exactly this kind of behavior that leads to conspiracy theories - the black helicopter people and so on. I have to say that I think there are some conspiracies - No one will ever convince me that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone. My problem with conspiracies is that rely on too much intelligence and perfect timing. They work great in movies and TV because everything happens
according to script. Real life doesn't work like that. In "Law and Order" the prints on the cigarette butt by the body invariably belong to the killer. If only that were true in real life.

Real life is much more like Guy Fawkes. In 1605 he tried to blow up the English Parliament. So of course he told his friend not to go to work at Parliament that day. So he was caught, and now every year on Nov. 5 the English celebrate Parliament NOT being blown up with fireworks, bonfires, burning dummies, and other such communal mayhem.

The point being: if people are being lied to, they will assume the worst, and why shouldn't they?????

Enough ranting. Still walking slowly. Took my hiking trekking poles today - don't know if it's better or worse. Nice to have something to lean on, but I tend to walk faster.