Monk Parakeets
28 September 2019
I'd heard reports of monk parakeets in Riverside Park at 137th Street, so I decided to bike up there and take a look. Yup!
Monk parakeets are not native to North America, and it isn't completely clear how they got here. But get here they did, and they're thriving. They build big, communal nests, and they're noisy. In fact, I was certain I'd found the right place well before I saw them, because I was hearing a lot of birds I'd never heard before.
Monk parakeet
September 28, 2019
1/400, f/5.6, ISO 800, 210.0 mm
September 28, 2019
1/1600, f/5.6, ISO 640, 500.0 mm
September 28, 2019
1/500, f/5.6, ISO 800, 500.0 mm
At the entrance to the park, someone had apparently spilled or dumped a lot of bird seed. A flock of sparrows was feasting on the seeds; they were joined by this cardinal.
Northern cardinal
September 28, 2019
1/800, f/6.3, ISO 800, 360.0 mm
September 28, 2019
1/800, f/6.3, ISO 800, 360.0 mm
