I knew that the National Wether Service was predicting a thunderstorm, but I wanted to get out for a bit to my usual haunts, Tompkins Square Park. The light was lovely, so I opted to get soaked (I knew my camera would be safe in its bag when the rain came) and get some shots as the storm approached. I headed down B below the park before it actually started raining, announced by a great clap of thunder. I looked west on 5th Street and saw a great wall of rain approaching. I warned someone carrying bags of groceries, that the rain was half a block away. I don’t think he believed me until the rain hit him a few seconds later. I made it home wringing wet, it felt great.
This beautiful old Black Locust tree on the southeast corner of the park lost a good third of its height in sandy, but it is still impressive.
The leaning elm in the center of the park has been braced by an additional cable. It should be safe.
The bird watchers in Tompkins Square Park have nicknamed this female hawk The Dominatrix because of her power. Dennis Edge said that it was definitely her as he recognized her especially dark face and other marking, and her mannerisms and familiarity with the park.
Red Tail for sure.
She flew from place to place in the park with her prize, followed by a flock of my fellow hawkarazzi. But each spot she chose was an ideal photo opportunity. She knows how to please her fans.
She caught this pigeon on a tree branch, which is quite unusual and shows her skill. Red Tails usually catch their prey diving at it on the ground.
Feathers (and other grislier bits, I’ll spare you the photo) scattered everywhere, Dennis said soon to be utilized for nesting material for other birds.
Beautiful, from right below, notice the pigeon foot beneath her on the right.
Update: I’m currently thinking that the cable is not frayed. It is an illusion from the restricted point of view. See below.
I’ve called 311 about this. What do you think. Does this cable look damaged to you. The elm tree next to the Krishna Elm has been drastically leaning for a long while. At one point two cables attached the two trees, supporting the leaning one on the east. Right now there is only one cable, and it looks frayed to me. The tree if it fell could possibly injure people sitting on the benches.
Taking a close look at a photo I took of the other side of the cable, the side attached to the Krishna Tree, I’m thinking that the cable is not frayed. I think what looks like fraying in the other photo is actually wire lashing on the cable. You can see it in this photo. The cable must be threaded through the eye, bent back and lashed back to itself with this wire. It’s the end of the lashing that looks like fraying in the first photo. But it still seems precarious to only have one cable supporting the great weight of this tree leaning over often occupied benches.
An icon I made today for my tree map of Tompkins Square Park. There is a new tulip poplar tree in the dog run, its leaves have just appeared. This illustration emphasizes their shape and vein structure. The map is going well. I will post an update soon. I’ve been extremely busy keeping up with all the Spring activity, photographing close-ups of all the emerging leaves on just about every tree in the park. I haven’t shared many of them on the web, it’s taking all my energy just keeping the photos organized.
I was in Tompkins Square Park checking details on my tree map and I heard a ruckus and headed over to find the Reverend Billy of the Church of Stop Shopping preaching about the evils of the corporate take-over of our neighborhood. Poet Bob Holman favors the absurd to bring home his points.
Young Red Tail Hawk, a male, I know that because of its small size, the females are larger. It was on a low branch right on Avenue A and patiently posed for all photographs. It must have been well fed, as it ignored oblivious pigeons on the ground beneath.
I took advantage of this afternoon’s sun to get some shots of the trees budding in Tompkins Square Park. These Crab Apples are almost as thick as they were in the Fall. I guess they are not very tasty, nothing seems to feed on them.
