Spring at Garnsey Park

Spring is really starting to show at Garnsey Park. The birds are loud and the leaves are starting to pop out on some of the trees. I was very happy to see a pair of bluebirds flying around the park. Last year I installed 5 bluebird houses, and I am happy to see that they are getting used.

 Bluebird

 Bluebird houses

 Leaves popping on the trees

 Another bluebird

Salamander

Bald Eagles

The magnificent American icon, the bald eagle, has fought its way back from the brink of extinction in the state because of New York's bald eagle recovery programs. Bald eagles can now be seen in many areas throughout the state. If you are in search of bald eagles any time near Clifton Park, it would be smart to go look on Crescent Road which stretches between Route 9 and Cohoes on the Mohawk River. I have seen eagles there many times. I personally love bald eagles and I am glad to be seeing more and more of them as time goes on. Just recently while driving on Route 7 in Latham I saw two bald eagles soaring just above the Albany airport. One flew directly over my car. It was a wonderful thing to see. Keep your eyes peeled for bald eagles. There are more around than you think. Feel free to share stories of eagles that you saw locally.

Photo from the DEC website: www.dec.ny.gov

Warm February Day

I took advantage of the warm weather today to go for a walk on the Bear Brook . The deep snow made walking difficult, but I was able to do it.

 I was able to spot three deer while walking behind my house (which is right next to the Bear Brook). I always seem to be able to find deer when I search long and hard enough for them. Looking for deer was the main reason I went for a walk today.

Access to the Bear Brook can be found at Bear Brook court in the Robinwood development.

Fresh snow + sunny day = Ski touring

A sunny February day is a gift.

Seizing the opportunity, I enjoyed a leisurely ski tour this afternoon at Veterans Memorial Park.

My route encompassed the perimeter loop through the scrub-shrub meadow area and the loop through Mooney Carrese Forest. 

While skiing this circuit a few times, I spied a barred owl silently gliding through the treetops in a grove of white pines.  I did not have a chance to get a photo during that brief viewing since my camera phone was safely tucked away in a zippered pocket.  So, for a photo (and more), please view the informative pages of the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center - lots of information regarding how to ID these great birds of prey as well as life history and even listen to their song.

In addition to that highlight, I also saw/heard:  American robins, black-capped chickadees, pileated woodpeckers, hairy woodpeckers, a red-bellied woodpecker, a tufted titmouse, American crows, European starlings (definitely the lowlight of my outing!), and blue jays.  If you search the Pautuxent site, you can find interesting info about each of these species.

Happy trails!

Blog contributors wanted

If you enjoy this blog and think you can offer material to it, please feel free to comment on this post and say that you want to become a contributor. If you frequent the town parks, you would be perfect for adding material. I will set you up and you will be a contributer in no time!

Today at Garnsey Park

Today I went for a nice walk at Garnsey Park. The leaves are beginning to change and it is a nice sight to see. It was good to see other people there too using the park. I caught a few grasshoppers that seemed to be everywhere. Garnsey Park is an awesome place to visit.