Snow frosted the city yesterday.
Broadway and Riverside split at 107th Street, looking lovely
The water towers wore white skull caps.
A crow surveys 109th Street from atop a water tower
Esau was on the alert for wildlife
Prey?
but the park was quiet
Steps lead toward the river
The retaining wall is always beautiful, and especially so with a dusting of snow.
Raccoons live here.
The entrance to the large raccoon den is once again piled with snow.
I once saw six raccoons emerge from this hole in the wall.
It’s been over a month since I’ve seen a raccoon here, and I’m starting to worry. Raccoons in northern climates pack on the fat in autumn so that they can spend less time foraging in the coldest days of winter and more time curled up in their den. They don’t actually hibernate, but they may sleep away several weeks of bitter weather, living off their fat stores and waiting for milder days. It’s been a cold and snowy winter, so maybe my Riverside Park raccoons are just dozing away the cold and dreaming of spring. But still I worry. (Check back soon for an update on raccoon rabies in NYC.)
Sledders were out
Traipsing up the hill
as were walkers
A man strolls in an only-in-New-York fuchsia faux-fur coat
ice dancers
Olympics pairs, they are not
and a single cross-country skier
Heading south
as well as a passel of happy dogs.
Happy but headless snow dogs
No birds to be seen yesterday.
Branches empty of animals
Unlike Sunday, when a hawk devoured a songbird on the bare ground beneath the retaining wall
Red-tail takes a break from pulling entrails
The snow had finally melted in parts of the park
Back to work
and the hunting was good
Do you mind? I'm eating here.
After a few minutes, the hawk soared over my head, so low that I ducked to avoid contact with the carcass gripped in his talons. He swooped up to a branch high above the ground in search, perhaps, of privacy from paparazzi like me
Alone at last
And there, finally taking the hint, I left him to his meal.
