Ubiquitous Birds Post-Windpocalypse

American robin on tree branch. (3/10/17)

It has been months since taking my camera (and not the picture taking function of my cell phone) out for a walk but conditions being what they have been the past 48 hour this morning seemed a good time to do so. Following upstate New York's Wind Storm 2017, we and 100,000 of our neighbors find ourselves without power and I find myself with two days off from school. There are only so many hours one can listen to local politicians pat themselves on the back for being such amazing public servants during a catastrophe, so the silence of the trail provided a welcome break.

Emptied pond on Erie Canal. (3/10/17)

A short drive up the road from the Comfort Inn we have relocated to for the (sadly) foreseeable future, the Lock 32 Canal Park is part of a path I am very familiar with both walking and running with my wife and children. I did not really anticipate seeing too much of great interest beyond the traditional barren terrain of the emptied canal bed, but was pleasantly (okay, really) glad to come across some common park birds. It was like seeing old friends after a long absence. Amongst the creaking trees and polar winds, it was heart-warming to come across a few wood peckers, robins and crows on my short trip down the canal trail...

American robin on the ground. (3/10/17)

American robin keeping watch. (3/10/17)

Erie Canal in Winter-time. (3/10/17)

Pileated woodpecker doing his thing. (3/10/17)

Pileated woodpecker. (3/10/17)

American crow. (3/10/17)

Crows. (3/10/17)

Downy woodpecker. (3/10/17)

Duped water birds in winter. (3/10/17)

Ubiquitous Birds of Riverside Park

Broadway shows, high end shopping, fancy restaurants, and ubiquitous birds.

Last weekend, Anne and I went to New York City to visit her son, Gregory, who is interning this summer. Because he it is not cost-effective to stay on campus, Gregory's is spending the summer renting a room in a friend's  fraternity house across the street from Riverside Park. Each day when we would get together with him, Anne and I would wait to meet him in the park. While there, with time on my hands and an interest in the commonplace in my heart, I snapped some pictures of the American Tree Sparrows that populate Riverside Park in New York City.

This species of bird also happens to regularly visit our backyard feeders in Western New York, as well as nearly every the park and backyard in your neighborhood (assuming your in the Northern United States and Canada), too! Though according to the Cornell Ornithology website, American Tree Sparrows "rarely seen south of northern Canada in summer," these everyday birds seem to be unbelievably prevalent year round! Of course, their pervasive presence in parks and yards does not make them any less interesting to watch...

Basil Hawk in Summer

Red-tailed Hawk at Basil Marella Park(8/29/15)

To briefly resuscitate a tired metaphor, time does indeed fly. I took these pictures during girls' cross-country practice wa-a-a-a-y back in late August. Our team trains on our "home course" at Basil Marella Park in the beautiful suburb of Greece, New York. While spotting hawks on the Monroe County expressway system is a very common occurrence, I had not previously been capable of pulling over to the side of the road to take any photos (though the idea still often crosses my mind).

Like their cousins the American Robin and Northern Cardinal, the Red-tailed hawk can be frequently observed in Western New York. As written on the Canisius Ambassadors for Conservation website, Red-tailed Hawks "[are] one of the most widely-spread hawks found in the western hemisphere."

Because Red-tailed Hawks are so ubiquitous as to be nearly invisible, my wife (and the student-athletes I coach) think it goofy that I rush to the car to grab my camera. As I have often written, however, it is precisely because they are so common, that I find them so interesting.

(8/29/15)

Someone is hungry! (8/29/15)

NYC Roadie: Chelsea Market & The High Line

Exterior signage reflects Chelsea Market's Meatpacking District location. (10/17/15)

Visiting my stepson for Columbia University's Parents Weekend, Anne and I continued looking for new parts of New York City to take-in during our time there. This past weekend, in addition to checking out a few previously untested comic book (and book) stores, we made our way to Chelsea Market and The High Line. Because one (Chelsea Market) is partially located beneath the other (High Line), the "double dip" was an easy one to accomplish. As is so often the case, there was much more to potentially experience (foods, views, people-watching) than we were able to take in during the time we had available.

Halloween decorating was in full-swing in Chelsea Market. (10/17/15)

Both locales are excellent examples of the re-use of existing (and previously out-of-use) city space. The High Line consists of a converted out-of-use railroad trestle while Chelesa Market is comprised, in part, of old Nabisco factory.

It is New York City, so naturally, someone was filming something.

What do you know, it's Edgar Allan Poe! (10/17/15)

High Line Park. (10/17/15)

Above Chelsea Market, the High Line passes through the building on the 10th Avenue side. Opening in Spring 2009, this abandoned, elevated railroad track has been converted to an urban oasis or greenway, which now forms a continuous route between the Javits Convention Center and the trendy Meatpacking District.

My wife, Anne, with a multitude of "friends," at the High Line. (10/17/15)

View from within the High Line. (10/17/15)

Public artwork adds visual flair. (10/17/15)

Pubic walkways through the park. (10/17/15)

Mt stepson, Gregory, and I. (10/17/15)

Exiting the High Line. (10/17/15)

Scoutin' Routes: Shoreline Half Mararthon

Official Shoreline Half-Marathon route with unofficial pics below. (7/14/15)

This Saturday, I will be following Sunday's Utica Boilermaker 15k by competing in the Shoreline Half Marathon. As I have not run this race before (and this year's race actually features a different course from year's past), I took advantage of today's beautiful weather to scout the route as best I could. The course runs the length of Hamlin Beach State Park, located on the shore of Lake Ontario, approximately 20-30 minutes from our home near downtown Rochester.

My difficulties following maps is well-documented, but at the very least I was able to get a sense of the courses longer segments, as well as the very slight variations in elevation. I am extremely confident that our friends at Yellowjacket Racing will have the course very well marked, so my trip was primarily for my own visualization purposes. I used the map provided via link at the race site and only had difficulty pinpointing a few locations, most notably the exact start and finish, due primarily to my lack of familiarity with the specifics of that portion of the park. This is by no means an official map, but rather my effort to prepare mentally for the run on Saturday.

My initial impressions (I walked rather than ran portions that were not accessible by car) of the course was that while it appears fairly flat and therefore potentially "fast," the weather will be an important contributing factor to its level of challenge. At least 85% of the course runs in such a way that the participant is fully exposed to the elements. (The roads are also where the "steep" changes are; if anything think of them as lazily rolling hills except for one or two spots.) The start time is a 8 a.m., so even if it is sunny and humid, the sun should be at angle that is not too overbearing. Personally, it would be a nice day for it to be cloudy and cool.

1. The starting line... well the general vicinity. (7/13/15)

2. About 3/4 of a mile a u-turn will have the opportunity to 
watch the early leaders. (7/13/15)

3. Following the u-turn the first of many long straight-a-ways. (7/13/15)

4. At about 3.3 miles, a turn right guides one out of the park. (7/13/15)

5. Exiting the park entrance where you drove in--FYI there is a $7 fee to 
enter. (7/13/15)

6. Course goes under the Ontario Beach Parkway. (7/13/15)

7. Both the 3 mile mark leaving the park and the 11 mile point upon the return;
the majority of the course is on paved roads outside
Hamlin Beach State Park. (7/13/15)

8. Right onto Moscow Road for 8 miles of four "straight-shots": 
as seen on the map pretty much a box (however deflated 
on the upper-right hand side). (7/13/15)

9. Left turn at Redman Road, also the 4 mile point of the race. (7/13/15)

10. Halfway down the Redman portion is the 5 mile mark. (7/13/15)

11. Just before the right turn onto Church Road, you pass the 6 mile mark--
nearly half way done! (7/13/15)

12. Guess what?Another right, this one onto Lake Road West Fork, 
also the 8 mile point. (7/13/15)

13. Here's that deflation: at mile 9 the course heads over a bridge followed
 immediately by a sharp left onto Priem Road. (7/13/15)

14. Past a cornfield on the right, the road appears to get wiggly! (7/13/15)

15. But is straightens right out and you then pass the 10 mile point about
500m from the next turn.  (7/13/15)

16. The last road-left back onto Moscow Road. (7/13/15)

17. After 8 miles on public roads it's time to turn right back into
the park. (7/13/15)

So where is picture #18? It looks pretty much (okay, exactly!) like #7! I am not a fan of courses wherein you can potentially run into those who are way ahead of you (like a switchback), but I can't imagine anyone being caught in that trap given the 8 mile differential.

19. After passing back into the park at the first roundabout--or traffic
 circle-- veer right off the main road. The remainder of this course is
"off-road." (7/13/15)

20. The impending u-turn creates the "opportunity" to see those ahead--and
 behind--as the race moves into the last mile! (7/13/15)

21. In the last mile, the course truly does run along the shoreline. (7/13/15)

22. Twelve miles down... nearly done! (7/13/15)

23. Because this last mile of the course runs along the shore of Lake Ontario, 
after miles of country roads the potential exists for some interesting 
views. (7/13/15)

24. Over the bridge... (7/13/15)

25. ...and along walking paved paths... (7/13/15)

26a. ...pass the bathhouse on the left... (7/13/15)

26b. ...and less than half-a-mile to go! (7/13/15)

27. Some final shaded pathway. (7/13/15)

28. The finish is around here somewhere! (7/13/15)

The Shoreline Half-Marathon course appears fairly conducive to a nice run, so those things that the race coordinators can control  have been addressed nicely. One very nice aspect is that there are many places for family and friends to cheer from multiple vantage points within the park that are easily accessible. Any concerns one might have about running the course would likely be limited to the long roads which may have traffic with speed limits between 35-55 miles-per-hour. (The race website does clarify that "Runners will run facing traffic at all times while outside of the park.") I have never been one to plug-in by wearing earbuds while running, but I would definitely avoid it on this course--there is not much traffic, but what is there can be fast. Even when running against the traffic, once you are "in a zone" (especially during later miles) one's awareness can be slightly dulled and, in this case, music might be an unnecessary focus-point and therefore a distraction.

I am looking very forward to Saturday morning's run. Courses such as this make it easy to understand the attraction of the half-marathon distance: while physically and mentally taxing, the length of the distance once achieved can't but provide a sense of accomplishment. As long as one stays hydrated (once again the race organizer's have accounted for this with "Water stops will be every 2 miles with water and Fluid electrolyte drink 1 gel station will be on course at 8 miles"), all potentially problematic variables regarding the course have been addressed; it's all up to one's fitness level now!

Good luck this weekend wherever your run takes you!