Smile for the Birdie
Posted in Around the Garden, People, Photography, Wildlife on May 31 2012, by Matt Newman
What’s a forest without the chatter of songbirds, or a pond without a curmudgeonly duck or two? Tom Andres, an Honorary Research Associate at the NYBG, won’t even consider the possibility. He’s too busy snapping pictures of our avian population.
It’s no great secret that The New York Botanical Garden is a northern birder’s paradise, home to owls, hawks, herons, and woodpeckers. Debbie Becker’s Saturday Bird Walks remain a staple at the Garden, now over 25 years since she began guiding groups of amateur and veteran birdwatchers alike through our 250-acre landscape. Even so, populations change with the seasons–migrants flood the Garden with song and color one week, only to disappear the next.
Tom doesn’t let the fickle nature of the birder’s obsession hamper his photography, much less his fascination. “The Garden plays an important role for feathered visitors,” he writes, “especially as a refueling point during migration season.” The Bronx River Corridor–winding through the Garden–is a major draw for neotropical birds migrating toward northern breeding grounds, or heading south for warmer climates. This explains the sudden influx of loud and bright warblers arriving early in spring, making a much-needed pit stop before they move on.
“Sadly, the migration season seems to have ended as suddenly as it began,” Tom continues. “But the NYBG is also important for resident breeders.” Not only are we proud to have families of Red-tailed Hawks and Great Horned Owls calling the Garden home, but exotic waterfowl, songbirds, and even a few rarities, as well. A recent swell of excitement fluttered through our local birding contingent when a pileated woodpecker–the largest of North American woodpeckers, and a scarce customer in our area–was spotted here for the first time in 73 years. This is a prime example of how birds can be important environmental indicators; as a non-migratory bird, this woodpecker’s appearance suggests that conditions along the Bronx River corridor and the surrounding parks are actually improving, with more trees reaching their true size potential.
Tom is hopeful for a picture of the elusive bird sometime soon. In the meanwhile, we’re more than happy to pore over his Flickr feed, full as it is with the other feathered citizens of the Garden.
[Not a valid template]All photos courtesy of Tom Andres.
