Double Dipping

I love to double dip… I double dip all the time…in the morning, the afternoon, at night –Okay to be clear I’m referring to double dipping in nature – double dipping with birds and blooms (DD’ing with food at any time, any place, well… that’s just gross! & just for the record, I don’t DD with food… okay back to the topic 🙂 )  

One of the best places in New York to double dip in nature is at the New York Botanical Garden –  NYBG is all about plant science and conservation which naturally extends to wildlife conservation.

Magnolia sp.

exciting rock garden blooms

Petticoat Daffodil

At any given time of the year and in any weather, you can enjoy a variety of habitats around the garden.  And during spring, naturally, along with flowering plants and trees, you will find pollinators and in turn you will find…birds!

American Robin

Witch Hazel

Azalea

Birding at NYBG is wonderful because of the diverse environments available to the permanent avian residents as well as our migratory feathered friends.

Gold finches in Birch tree

I’ve had many first time sightings of migratory birds at the garden –  Magnolia Warblers , Palm Warblers  and the Norther Parula (just to name a few). Anytime I’m double dipping I usually get a nice surprise. Most recently I had an up close and personal with a Louisiana Waterthrush that was hanging out in the stream alongside the Mill Trail in the Thain Family forest.

Although I’m not a competitive birder, I report my sightings on eBird. I report not only because it helps researchers and conservationist but it also helps me. As an eBird contributor, I want the data to be correct – reporting challenges me to make sure I identify what I see accurately – I think it makes me a better birder.  I see improvement in my birding skills all the time and it’s super exciting! But as I mentioned I’m not a competitive birder, it’s just for fun (wink wink!!)

Here are a few more images from my double dipping habits – I hope you enjoy them

(Although this blog post is focused on the avian life at NYBG, as a side note, wildlife at the garden comes in full circle from fuzzy creatures to amphibians and reptiles) 

Mockingbird

Ruby Crowned Kinglet

Red tailed hawk

Eastern Pheobe

Downy Woodpecker

Male and Female Northern Cardinal

Snowy Azaleas in Bloom

Whistler of the north aka White Throated Sparrow

Murder of Crows

Great Horned Owl Fledgling enjoying a Pine tree

 

All Images, Audio & Artwork  © 2018 N.Fontaine 

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