Week 7 - Green-Wood Cemetery

The first day of Spring will be on March 19th this year. One month away but love is clearly in the air.

I didn't get into the cemetery much this week due to our second snowstorm of the season. Also, I'm still healing from a broken finger, making using my bins and camera challenging at times. During the few times I was able to check, there definitely were some obvious changes afoot.

Red-bellied Woodpeckers are now courting their mates and have begun preparing nest cavities. I discovered one in progress next to the Dell Water and a second near Vernal Avenue.

Mourning Doves have also begun their breeding cycle. I spotted a few love birds nuzzling and one carrying nest material. Outside my kitchen window a pair are constructing a nest under a neighbor's AC unit. Should be fun to watch the progress.

During my dawn walk this weekend, we spotted one of our resident Red-tailed Hawk pair near Crescent Water. While watching them, the smaller male mounted his mate and they briefly copulated. Time to try and find where they've decided to build their nest this year. Perhaps they'll return to the old spot behind Horace Greeley's monument.