This was a busy month. Not only was it full-on migration season, but I went to New York, and I created some short video talks on photographing insects. 

• Photographing Insects Part 1:  https://kimssight.zenfolio.com/blog/2021/9/photographing-insects---part-1
• Photographing Insects Part 2:  https://kimssight.zenfolio.com/blog/2021/9/photographing-insects---part-2-cameras-and-lenses
• Photographing Insects Part 3: https://kimssight.zenfolio.com/blog/2021/9/photographing-insects---part-3-techniques-and-tips
• Photographing Dragonflies: https://kimssight.zenfolio.com/blog/2021/9/photographing-dragonflies

What's in a name? As I look at my photos this month, I am struck by how names of birds seem to have little meaning for the birds I've photographed. Most often birds are named for adult male breeding plumage, even though the majority of birds with that name are in some other coloration. Orange-crowned warblers rarely show the crown. The immature White-Crowned Sparrows have a brown crown, the Chestnut-sided Warbler is green and gray, the female Blue Grosbeak is a golden brown.  Thank goodness for the Black-and-white Warbler and Brown Creeper. Some birds are named after people such as Vaux's Swift, Townsend's Warbler, Say's Phoebe, Cooper's Hawk. Bobolink is supposed to be named after the sound it makes. In the field, often names are shortened or nicknamed by birders. Some of the common ones are Modo for Mourning Dove and GBH for Great Blue Heron. And then there is LBB (little brown bird) or LBJ (little brown job) for birds you can't identify. My friends have even created their own, such as Craven for Crow or Raven when you can't tell for sure and Hutlet for Ruby-crowned Kinglet or Hutton's Vireo which often look alike. Of course you can never go wrong with 'Look, a bird!'. Oh wait, it's a leaf.

I visited New York City to see my mother for the first time since the pandemic. Visiting her, some cousins, and a few friends was my primary purpose, but how could I pass up some birding during fall migration. Central Park is a concentrated green spot attracting migrating birds in spring and fall. I was glad I got an opportunity to experience it, even if only briefly. I ran into so many birders. The little parklet around my mother's apartment building let me sneak in a couple of short trips downstairs. The warblers were surprisingly good. I was glad to go out birding on several days. Depending on the weather, the birds seemed to come in waves, one day little activity, and another very birdy.  It was rather humid and got a bit hot, but I was delighted by birds. Of course, House Sparrows, Starlings, and Pigeons were abundant but so were American Robins, and a good number of Northern Cardinals, Blue Jays, Black-and-white Warblers, American Redstarts, and Northern Parulas. There were many unfamiliar calls. With the trees very tall and backlit, and the undergrowth thick and dark, it was challenging to see the birds, much less photograph them. But I took what photos I could get just to puzzle over and figure out what they are. Forget Broadway, come to NY for the birds.

Not knowing what to expect, and carrying the camera and binoculars in my luggage, I opted for my smaller less expensive ones, and immediately cursed that I didn't have the better ones with me. I wrapped my camera and lens separately in bubble wrap, put them in the camera bag, and put the whole thing in my carry-on luggage. That didn't leave much room for clothes, but I have my priorities. However, coming back through security at JFK, TSA pulled apart my bag, electronics, ripped open the bubble wrap, and left my carefully arranged bag strewn across several trays on the conveyor belt. I guess I am glad that security is tight, but that may affect how I pack for next time.

Happy nature walks. 

Watch the slideshows or click on the links to look through at your own pace. Links open in a new tab.

Enjoy the show! I always appreciate corrections to ID's.

Local Stuff:    https://kimssight.zenfolio.com/new_sep_2021

New York City:    https://kimssight.zenfolio.com/nyc-2021