Couple of years ago, I was walking to work on a sunny morning day. The busy streets of the Bronx filled my ears with the sounds of accelerating cars, rushing pedestrians, and elevated subway passing overhead. Typical morning commute commotion. Out of nowhere, with a lighting speed, a big raptor fell from the sky. InContinue reading “Hawks in the Bronx”
Tag Archives: nature
Chasing the waves
Sanderling (Calidris alba). Sanderlings are master predictors of the motions of the Ocean’s waves. As the waves go back and forth, the sanderlings find a perfect moment to begin their sprint run, dig some sand dwellers, and safely run away. For such a tiny body, they are master sprinters. Their beak is about the sizeContinue reading “Chasing the waves”
Fashionista gulls
After my third attempt to photograph piping plovers at the Far Rockaway’s ended up in a failure, I began to feel disappointed. To protect the plovers, a part of the beach was closed. I walked for hours with my long lens camera, only to learn that the plovers moved to the other side. I wonderedContinue reading “Fashionista gulls”
Mysterious crab
I walked confidently on the yellow sand, staring at the shells deposited on the beach by the powerful waves of the Atlantic Ocean. Movements of the water displaced tiny pieces of sand along the shore, exposing sand dwellers quickly snatched by the seashore birds. As we were walking along the water, my sister screamed suddenly,Continue reading “Mysterious crab”
Preserving the unknown
One cannot miss what one does not know exists. A book by Michelle Nijhuis, Beloved Beasts, Fighting for Life in the Age of Extinction, presents several classic examples of animal species severely affected by human activities. Michelle describes animals which became symbols of conservation. Many such species are still with us, while some can onlyContinue reading “Preserving the unknown”
Insect pain.
As a child I remember looking at the sticky yellow tapes handing in people’s houses. Fly traps. Countless flies died on that yellow piece of tape, trying to escape in vain. Back in the 1990s, an upgraded version of a fly trap displayed in countless stores was an electric fly trap, with neon purple long,Continue reading “Insect pain.”
Awaiting sunset
A seagull admiring the sunset by the Hudson River.
Not so fishy business.
The cognitive abilities of fish seem to be very underestimated. We often do not see fish in the same light as we see other mammals, or birds. This strange outlook has always puzzled me. Maybe part of the story is that the life of fish is very elusive to us. Most people do not diveContinue reading “Not so fishy business.”
Birds of the Salt Marsh in Brooklyn
Marine Salt Marsh is the largest park in Brooklyn. The Marsh has a unique combination of wetlands and grasslands, an ideal habitat for many species of birds. As you walk the path near the water, the vast grassland stretches for several acres. The entire area is about 800 acres. Multiple small birds find their homeContinue reading “Birds of the Salt Marsh in Brooklyn”
Calming tree 🌳
Seeing bonsai trees relaxes me. This one fully bounced back after my cats decided to have a leaf tasting. Now safe in the lab, it’s enjoying a new life. New leaves are growing on a regular basis. I should name it after the mythical Phoenix, reborn not exactly from the ashes, but close enough.
Marta Grońska-Pęski 