If I entertained any notions of making it to Central Park yesterday to check on Brad and the other ducks, such hope was quickly torpedoed when stepping outside to run some short errands.
Snapped tree branches were strewn upon cars and laying across streets and sidewalks as if a fierce hurricane had just blown through.
A blowing mixture of icy, wet snow whipped across faces and created a mess of nearly unwalkable, slippery slush and pools of water on the ground.
Apparently, the city wasn't prepared for snow in October.
Most of the sidewalks remained unshoveled even into the early evening causing most pedestrians to slip and slide -- or at least tread very carefully.
Temperatures dipped to the 20's last night in NYC -- something truly bizarre for this time of year.
For those thousands of people who lost power in the outlying areas due to downed trees and power lines, it cannot be pleasant to be in homes without heat.
I am thinking that we will be in for a rough winter in NYC.
All the robins and most of the sparrows have once again disappeared from the city as they did last year.
Only last year, I didn't realize that many species of sparrows apparently migrate and was quite alarmed when suddenly not seeing them.
In previous years, it seemed most sparrows stayed in NYC through the winter. I had even taken photos of Central Park clusters of sparrows during snow storms.
But, for the past several weeks, one hardly sees any birds (except for the mallards) still in Central Park.
Moreover, the ducks appear to be bigger and plumper, perhaps due to greater down in preparation for a tough winter.
Even Brad looks bigger and fluffier than normal.
This morning, the sun was shining brightly and most of the snow in the city has been washed away by rain or increasing temperatures forecasted for today.
But, it was announced this morning that Central Park is closed due to fallen trees and dangers posed by potentially weak tree branches.
I am hoping that changes later, as I greatly want to head up to Harlem Meer and make sure Brad is OK.
Remembering how the mallards typically left Harlem Meer last year during snow storms and other inclement weather, I am not sure any actually stayed with Brad yesterday.
Mallards seems to be extremely opportunistic birds. When the going gets tough, they leave.
An "opportunity" that is unfortunately denied to Brad, who, being a domestic, "farm" duck is unable to fly with them.
As said yesterday, I am at almost total loss and seemingly without options on what to do about Brad.
I fear I will go to the park one day and simply not find Brad anywhere, as has been the case with three other domestic, farm ducks abandoned to Central Park in recent years.
That Central Park has refused all this time to recognize Brad for what he really is -- a domestic, Rouen duck, as opposed to a "wild hybrid" -- is frustrating and disconcerting.
Everyone was so seemingly shocked last January to discover how social and tame, Joey was, when finally he was rescued after being bitten by a dog. But, shouldn't that have been known all along, considering Joey was a Pekin duck?
Sometimes I greatly question and wonder how much is actually known about those animals who live in our parks -- especially the more "common" ducks, sparrows and (when we actually had them) geese.
All the fascination and "study" seems to be on the more exotic species like red tailed hawks or the occasional owl.
Certainly, on the subject of Canada geese, most of the "information" published in newspaper articles is actually MISinformation and propaganda designed to demonize the birds.
(Most such articles are posted on our Call of the Canada Geese FB page:
I have now grown very skeptical of things I am told by so-called "experts" and those in authority, as well as that which is read when it comes to those animals we so easily take for granted and seek to vilify.
But, the misinformation doesn't stop or even begin with Canada geese.
It begins, I believe, with not knowing the difference between a "wild hybrid" and a domestic, farm duck or not even noticing the migration of sparrows in the fall.
Or, perhaps it is as simple as closing the park on a sunny day AFTER the storm, (when all the snow has melted off the tree branches) as opposed to the actual day OF the storm.
Perhaps the problem is that we are simply slow and late to wake up to the grim realities that have already occurred and should have been noticed and responded to while they were actually happening.
I fear it will one day be "too little, too late" for Brad as is already the case for Canada geese in my part of New York City.
"A winter's day in a deep and dark....." October. -- PCA
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