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Arctic Vortexes are like red carpet events. -- One has to dress appropriately for them.
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So it was that with temperatures plunging this week to 4 degrees in NYC and wind chills below zero, I was compelled to dress in layers -- including tights and leggings under loose fitting pants and the hood of my jacket completely covering head and lower part of face. Who cares about "fashion" when the weather is like this? The main thing is to insulate and protect.
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For the waterfowl of Central Park, watchwords are apparently the same.
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And though they don't have satellites in the skies or meteorologists on TV warning them of oncoming "Arctic Vortexes," the geese and ducks appear to have accurate means of knowing beforehand, drastic weather changes about to occur, as well as taking appropriate measures to protect themselves through them.
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Prior to the snow storm of more than a week ago, Canada geese left the Jackie Onassis Reservoir in Central Park only to return shortly after the storm ended.
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Prior to the "Arctic Vortex" arriving this past Tuesday, geese also left the Reservoir with the ducks soon to follow. (I am not sure where they all went to avoid the worst parts of the weather blasts. Presumably, some location with "cover" which is mostly lacking at the Reservoir.)
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Though I did not initially plan to go to Central Park this past Tuesday in what media describe as "dangerous conditions," curiosity got the better of me and after donning plenty of layers, I made the trip anyway shortly after sunset.
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The temperature was 8 degrees with wind chills of minus 6.
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It was the first time ever I had gone to Central Park and not seen one living being -- either animal OR human!
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Central Park was like the twilight zone. Eerie, but beautiful in a chilling, peaceful kind of way.
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Unsurprisingly, Harlem Meer was a frozen block of barren ice with no waterfowl on it.
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Very surprisingly however was that the bird empty Reservoir was still mostly open water!
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The reason for that was because of the cutting winds blowing brutally from west to east, turning what is usually a calm body of water, into what appeared a raging ocean, complete with ice caps and waves. Put simply, the water was whipping and moving too fast to freeze over.
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Small wonder all the geese and ducks left!
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The following day, a friend asked, "Weren't you afraid to be in the park when no one was there?"
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"Not really." I answered honestly. "Last night was probably the safest time of the whole year to be in the park. It was too cold for criminals." (On that note, it was reported on the news that a escaped convict from Kentucky turned himself into the police after experiencing two days in freezing cold.)
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Returning to the park the day after the deep freeze, people were beginning to reappear as were the geese and ducks at the Reservoir.
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But, the winds were still blowing hard and water was surprisingly still open, though ice had formed around the perimeters of the Reservoir.
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Walking back from the Reservoir, I noted a light post suddenly tilted like the leaning tower of Piza. If metal had a hard time standing up to punishing winds, how would feathers and slim bone? It was easy then to understand why all the geese and ducks had left just prior to the "Arctic Vortex" -- especially as it blew into the Reservoir. Yet, most of the birds were returning, as if consulting with their internal "weather reports."
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However, the greatest surprise of all was yesterday.
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Temperatures yesterday warmed up to freezing in NYC and the wind finally died down.
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But, the entire Reservoir was covered in thin sheets of ice! (Something rarely seen at this location.)
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Normally, when ice starts to form, geese and mallards organize to vigorously swim circles and try to maintain some open water.
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But, the geese and ducks were all standing stoically on the ice with nary any attempts to swim circles or break up ice sheets.
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Apparently, they were aware that temperatures were warming and the ice would eventually melt on its own. There was no need to waste energy by trying to break it up.
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Some ducks also returned to a frozen Harlem Meer last night and like the ones at the Reservoir were content to roost and rest on the ice with little movement. "We have only to wait it out," being the apparent watch phrase of the evening.
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As temperatures have warmed even more today, it is speculated that much of the thin ice at the Reservoir will have already melted and even some at Harlem Meer.
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As Dylan once sang, "You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows."
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In my case, I have only to observe the behaviors of the geese and ducks at Central Park to know what the weather the following day will be. -- PCA
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