The highlight was an immature Red-tailed Hawk that was unaccountably tame- allowed me to walk directly underneath it's perch 30 feet in a pine, and inspect it through binoculars as it preened. Immature Red-tails are told from adults by the tail- the dorsal surface is brown with thin black bars, rather than the adult's rufous with a thick subterminal band. The white underparts had the classic contrasting band of dark upper-belly streaks diagnostic of the species. It was quietly sitting, ignored by a mockingbird and Blue Jay that chanced to notice it. Then it flew to another spot across the garden, and was quickly set upon by a half dozen harassing jays.
The hawk's Disney-like trust of with me, was in striking contrast to the events thirty yards farther down the path. I swished at a chipping Yellow-rumped Warbler in the Nature Garden, and was immediately beset by a quivering, fussing gathering in the branches overhead: two Ruby-crowned Kinglets, two Orange-crowned Warblers, and three Yellowrumps.
Otherwise, the most interesting species at Longvue were a Brown Thrasher and a Pine Warbler, both also in the Nature Garden.
Peter
For a copy of Birding Made Easy-New Orleans, email me at birding.made.easy.new.orleans@gmail.com, or look for it at area book stores. It is now available at
Uptown: Garden District Book Shop, Maple Street Book Shop, Octavia Books
French Quarter and Marigny: Peach Records, Fauborg Marigny Art Books Music, Librairie Book Shop, Beckham's Bookshop, Arcadian Books and Prints, the Crabnet
Mid City: City Park Botanical Garden, Community Book Center
North Shore: Mandeville Chiropractic
Gentilly: UNO campus bookstore
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