Rose breasted grosbeak in our OG backyard. 2013. PAUL GOLDFINGER photo.
We have been bird-watching for many years. It’s a hobby which requires patience:
This hobby is even more challenging in Ocean Grove because the terrain is not ideal. In Chester, where we lived before, we had all the ingredients to attract migrating birds: woods, fields, trees, water, feeding stations, and a variety of shrubs with berries. We even had blue birds. But now in OG, we have seen few birds in recent weeks. When that happens there may be an explanation like the neighborhood cat which visits our backyard, and we also keep watch for a hawk which may want to chow down on some tasty birds, squirrels or our pond fish.
Yesterday we found a pile of gray feathers–undoubtdly a mourning dove was devoured by a hawk.
This morning a large Cooper’s hawk appeared in our backyard, and Eileen got a quick candid shot. Mystery solved. There is a massive tree in our neighbors yard. Hopefully this voracious hawk will move to different hunting grounds soon.
Photo by EILEEN GOLDFINGER. 1/22/25. A Cooper’s hawk. Our backyard fence. Birds in flight are difficult to capture.
AVA GARDNER. From the Broadway show. Showboat.