See You Later, Alli … Oh, Never Mind

(Photo courtesy of the NYC Parks Department. Click to enlarge)

Yes, this is the same lake in Prospect Park in Brooklyn where I’ve taken many photos including the most recent one of a bald eagle. This four foot alligator was spotted by an early morning photographer Sunday who alerted park authorities. And, no, if you’re not familiar with New York City geography, alligators are not native to New York City. The alligator, who was described as “lethargic,” was taken to the Bronx Zoo. Some New Yorkers thought the new visitor might be part of the mayor’s new anti-rat initiative…

Truly Tule

(Click to enlarge)

Tule Elk

Point Reyes National Seashore, California

Wikipedia says the Tule (Too-Lee) elk is only found in California, and there used to be a half a million of them, but by 1870 they were thought to have been exterminated. A single breeding pair was found in 1875 at the marshes of Buena Vista Lake and steps were taken to breed them; now the number of Tule Elk stands at more than 4000. This guy was part of a herd that roamed through Point Reyes National Seashore Park.

Small Circle of Friends

(Click to enlarge)

Sometimes, from a distance, a Northern Shoveler can look like a Mallard to me. But it’s fun to see the ducks swimming in groups of concentric circles like in the zoomed-in photo above—then I can be pretty sure they’re Shovelers that I’m looking at, as they go round and round sifting the water near the surface for food with their bills.

Prospect Park

Brooklyn, New York

And Your Little Dog, Two

***

Monday Morning, Nellie McKay‘s ode to her animal friend, “The Dog Song.” I’ve posted this song before, done when she was a young pup, and this much more recent performance of the song is even better. It cheered me up in the space of a few minutes.

Thanks to YouTuber Music and More Blog