Nature Note #143: The Green Patch
So for the past few weeks here in Syracuse, it has been interesting seeing just how much nature permeates our surroundings and our daily lives. Syracuse is a lot greener in places than I ever expected an urban environment to be. The first thing one notices is all the concrete and stonework and cars and other industrial creations that fill the air and surroundings with their noise and looming presence. I've read about urban sprawls and jungles in books and magazines and seen it described in glowering tones on environmental documentaries, but seeing it up close and living in it, makes you realize that things aren't always as they seem.
Sure the typical urban wildlife can be found in droves. Squirrels bound from tree to tree, while ants crawl between cracks in the sidewalk. The big birdy three consisting of Rock Pigeons (Columba livia), European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris), and House Sparrows (Passer domesticus) swoop through the streets and trees, filling most pockets with their presence. However, they aren't the only ones.
Over the past week or so, I've been keeping a "yard" list of sorts for birds and other animals I've seen out the back of my apartment. I suppose I'm lucky in a way because I have a little bit of green patch out there, as well as a spruce (Picea spp.) and scarlet oak (Quercus coccinea) for cover and that has been attracting some interesting wildlife. It is of course, a boon for the birds themselves. As I write this, the bold chirrups and chatterings of House Sparrows ricochet off of the walls of the nearby workers comp. building, while the starlings engage in their rolling, mechanical whistles and gargles. Only a few days ago, I was treated to a different pair of birds visiting the oak.
Two male Bay-breasted Warblers (Setophaga castanea) were singing outside my window! The fact that I even got as many decent photos as I did just shows how deliberately they were moving about the trees. These little ones are probably migrating through, as they breed in the evergreen forests of Canada, stocking up on the numerous invertebrates that hide and feed on the leaves and bark of nearby trees. I've also been fortunate to see Northern Cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis) foraging on the green patch under my window (despite the collection of cigarette butts), as well as seeing Chipping Sparrows (Spizella pusilla) hopping about in a similar pursuit as well.
Perhaps the most enjoyable creatures I've seen so far have been the cottontail rabbits (Sylvilagus floridanus) that visit every morning and afternoon. At first, I was quite surprised to see such a creature living near the heart of a city, but as I've walked around my neighbourhood, I've noticed many good hiding places for these unassuming creatures. For one thing, there are plenty of lawns filled with rich grasses, flowers, and leaves to munch on around the suburban houses behind the apartment. These are flanked by the many roads that connect the city as a whole, but there seems to be enough sporadic green space that they can find somewhere to live and feed.
Hopefully, as summer comes, there will be more visitors to the green patch behind the apartment. Maybe I'll get to see a raccoon (Procyon lotor) or fox at some point, but only time and circumstance will tell. I might have to reread The Urban Bestiary by Lyanda Lynn Haupt to get a better sense of what to expect wildlife-wise in an urban environment. But for now, I'll keep my eyes and ears peeled for other signs of nature living amongst us, even in the most unexpected places.
Sure the typical urban wildlife can be found in droves. Squirrels bound from tree to tree, while ants crawl between cracks in the sidewalk. The big birdy three consisting of Rock Pigeons (Columba livia), European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris), and House Sparrows (Passer domesticus) swoop through the streets and trees, filling most pockets with their presence. However, they aren't the only ones.
Over the past week or so, I've been keeping a "yard" list of sorts for birds and other animals I've seen out the back of my apartment. I suppose I'm lucky in a way because I have a little bit of green patch out there, as well as a spruce (Picea spp.) and scarlet oak (Quercus coccinea) for cover and that has been attracting some interesting wildlife. It is of course, a boon for the birds themselves. As I write this, the bold chirrups and chatterings of House Sparrows ricochet off of the walls of the nearby workers comp. building, while the starlings engage in their rolling, mechanical whistles and gargles. Only a few days ago, I was treated to a different pair of birds visiting the oak.
Two male Bay-breasted Warblers (Setophaga castanea) were singing outside my window! The fact that I even got as many decent photos as I did just shows how deliberately they were moving about the trees. These little ones are probably migrating through, as they breed in the evergreen forests of Canada, stocking up on the numerous invertebrates that hide and feed on the leaves and bark of nearby trees. I've also been fortunate to see Northern Cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis) foraging on the green patch under my window (despite the collection of cigarette butts), as well as seeing Chipping Sparrows (Spizella pusilla) hopping about in a similar pursuit as well.
Perhaps the most enjoyable creatures I've seen so far have been the cottontail rabbits (Sylvilagus floridanus) that visit every morning and afternoon. At first, I was quite surprised to see such a creature living near the heart of a city, but as I've walked around my neighbourhood, I've noticed many good hiding places for these unassuming creatures. For one thing, there are plenty of lawns filled with rich grasses, flowers, and leaves to munch on around the suburban houses behind the apartment. These are flanked by the many roads that connect the city as a whole, but there seems to be enough sporadic green space that they can find somewhere to live and feed.
Hopefully, as summer comes, there will be more visitors to the green patch behind the apartment. Maybe I'll get to see a raccoon (Procyon lotor) or fox at some point, but only time and circumstance will tell. I might have to reread The Urban Bestiary by Lyanda Lynn Haupt to get a better sense of what to expect wildlife-wise in an urban environment. But for now, I'll keep my eyes and ears peeled for other signs of nature living amongst us, even in the most unexpected places.
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