Saw my first osprey!

Did my usual number with Ellie. This time we went to the southside levee to walk along the concrete river wall. It had been cleared of absolutely all brush, a few weeks ago.

The north side was not cleared, but--very unfortunately!--many of my favorite trees are now gone. The NYDEA has been forced to remove any trees within 15 feet of the levees. I took a few pictures that I will post later this week.

I finally saw and identified an osprey. It was huge and we saw it long before we were close enough to shoot a picture. I got a couple of shots, but it was so far away.

It started circling the area just below the spillway, wheeled upwards, hovered a split second, then plummeted straight down into the river. It did not skim the water; it dropped underwater and out of sight. It came right back up. I didn't see a fish, but it must have had one, because it then followed upstream along the bank and out towards West Hill.

The bird was very large with dark feathers on top and whitish on the belly. Wide enough wingspan that I was sure it was an eagle until I saw the coloration.

Just like the eagles, though, it wasn't interested in sitting for a portrait.

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Little Pond

First Touch of Fall

Ellie's gone back to her MammaDog this week, so I can clean my house and prepare for the cold months. We had a lovely week visiting the River in it's last glory of summer.Now we are looking for signs of Fall. The Autumnal Equinox occurs Monday, the 22nd.
Bittersweet is a very early color-changer this year. It's really trying to take over this tree. At my parent's home in Massachusetts, we used to go into the woods and rip it out, before it could harm our favorite trees.
There are a lot of flowers that come out just in time for the Equinox.
But these little woods are already stripped of much of their foliage. I think they say that early leaf dropping is a sign of severe stress. Wonder what it is?
On the city side of the levee, it is still mostly summer. The lovely blue water isn't that at all; it's an incredible algae bloom. This is a buggy swamp.
Just below the Sewer District, the flood plain is given over to goldenrod.
Staghorn sumac, pushing the envelope of early autumn.
Here is a picture you can trust. When the hillsides just begin to change, Fall is not far off.

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Little Pond

I went alone to visit Newtown Creek on Labor Day and had such a good time, that I invited the HuggaMutt the very next day.
Everything is misty and gray at first, but it all burns off by about 10 o'clock. We still aren't able to cross the darned trestle on our own. Can't stand the gaps in the beams.
The creeks never stops looking gorgeous. Unfortunately, we met a lone person who was wandering through the woods.

We did not follow suit. I don't carry a weapon, and I am not able to defend myself. Ellie might, but then, she would probably attack anyone that scared me.

That wouldn't be fair. The bugginess of our whole adventure lingered for days afterwards, and that made me glad we didn't venture far into the vegetation.

I now have gnat and mosquito bites all over my face and neck and even behind my ears. Naturally they are on my legs and arms too, but that is the cost of doing business at the end of the summer.

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Little Pond