What animal is an aerial acrobat? It travels at lightning speeds and you are amazed it does not crash when it lands on a cliff? The animal I speak of is the peregrine falcon. A great spot to view them is the State Line Lookout in New Jersey.
When I heard New Jersey might limit movement in the state, I decided to run down across the New York border and go to State Line Lookout. This park is a scenic spot to visit.
Location
State Line has its own exit off the Palisades Parkway. It is not far south of the NYS border. There is a nice parking area and a restaurant and gift shop. Both the restaurant and gift shop are closed though currently due to Corona Virus. To set the GPS the street is State Line Lookout in Alpine, NJ. The park is at the highest point of the Palisades. It is 532 feet above the river. There are updrafts along the cliffs that attract raptures.
I found out about this park through a couple of bird enthusiasts. The park is popular with serious photographers. The big guns were there. My equipment is only worth a small fraction of their equipment. These photographers were a friendly bunch and helped direct this first time visitor to good viewing spots.
The stone walls are close to the cliffside and not too high, so be careful.This appears to be Yonkers, NY on the other side of the river. New York City is just south of Yonkers.
The park is along the Hudson River where it divides New York and New Jersey. Westchester County, New York is viewable on the other side of the River.
Falcons
The star attraction are the peregrine falcons that nest cliffside. They frequently put on aerial shows. Sometimes they land in neighboring trees or on the walls. From the viewing areas you can often find them perched on an outcrop or tree. One caught a bird with dark gray feathers and landed just below where we were standing. Feathers from their prey drifted up to us in the updrafts.
A tree was between where the falcon was and where I was standing. This was actually the closest I got to one of them. It was still a distance away.Here one is perched on a branch of a tree sticking out of the cliff. Look toward the middle of the photo on the cliff.This is a pair that is currently mating. I missed the show. A half hour prior they mated in a tree.
Other Attractions
Other attractions are hawks. In autumn 14 species of hawks pass through on their way south. Red tailed hawks and Cooper hawks fly around the park. They also have hiking trails.
If you are a bird enthusiast or are on a long trip and want a spot to take a break, stop by the State Line Lookout in New Jersey. The views are worth the trip.
Do eagles self quarantine? Do they know about Corona Virus? They mostly keep a distance from other animals unless they are looking to eat them.
I was told to not report to work Monday or Tuesday. On Friday we set things to work remotely, online and otherwise. I am sticking around my area due to Corona cases in the area I work.
I was not told to quarantine. We don’t know if we had any close contact with someone who has it. I will try to stay away from shopping as much as possible, gatherings and otherwise. Church service is online Sunday though a Utube channel. I am sure most of you are going though the same circumstances. I spent a little time today looking at the eagle near my place.
It appears they have an egg as one is always sitting in the nest. Last year they had two babies.She was as interested in me as I was of her.
Let’s hunker down if we are told to. Think of others. Take care of yourselves. Let’s hope this situation turns around soon for everyone. I look forward to traveling in the future. If you can, spend time enjoying nature.
Do you like finding new places to watch wildlife? I found another eagle nest recently. It is on a lake in New York north of New York City. It is close to a highway, a major commuting route for those traveling by car into New York City. I am trying to figure out a way to get closer to the nest. It is on a peninsula that juts out into the lake. These two pictures are taken from the highway quite a distance away without a tripod. I also cropped the photos quite a bit. Hopefully in the future I can get closer.
This seems to be this eagle’s favorite tree to perch on near the nest.He could be eyeing the ducks swimming below the tree or possible a fish in the lake.
I like discovering new places to watch eagles. What is your favorite spot to view wildlife or nature?
What can you see at York Minster besides the cathedral itself? If you look up at the minster you can see the gargoyles and grotesques, but you may also see a nesting pair of peregrine falcons.
Since around 2015 there has been a nesting pair of Peregrine falcons at York Minster. During the 2018 they were reported to have raised four young. Two of the three times I visited York I was able to spy some falcons flying around the minster, landing on grotesques and the towers.
I saw this one in July 2017. It was resting next to a nearby building’s chimney pot. A birdwatcher told me this was a young one on its first day of flight.
If you are going to try to catch these birds of prey, bring a powerful pair of binoculars or a zoom lens. They land pretty high up on the minster. Whether you are a birder or not, they are enjoyable to see in flight.
These were taken on the Hudson River on a cloudy, November day near the time the sun would set. The people in the village I viewed him from named him Fraser. I was told he is there everyday. In a period of about 15-20 minutes I saw him catch four little fish. I am sure he will be flying south soon to a warmer locale. He may be the same bird I saw last year.
Tiny fish in his mouthGot oneThe fish fought for his life, but the heron won.Off to a better fishing hole
Have you ever been in a coffee shop that shares its space with cats? Do you want to experience a relaxed setting where you can play with cats and kittens up for adoption? Perhaps your building does not allow animals and you want to spend time with a furry buddy. If any of this interests you head for Meow Parlour on Hester Street in Manhattan.
One of the younger kittens available for adoption.
How Does it Work?
Go to Meow Parlour at 46 Hester Street on the Lower East Side in Manhattan. They have a window where you will make your appointment. Then you head next door to the Macaron Parlor Patisserie featuring Harney and Sons tea, macaroons, scones, muffins, cookies and other baked goods. Order your food and sign the online form releasing responsibility in case you get scratched or bit. Then wait to be called. I only had to wait about 15-20 minutes. You can take your food with you when you hang with your feline friends.
When you return you take off your shoes. They have plenty of toys to tempt the cats with. There are areas in the store for cats to sleep in. There are sitting areas for the humans. When I visited there were some older kittens and younger ones as well as one cat that appeared to be full grown.
This gal is named Coffee Mate. She is in the window watching the action on the street.They had boxes with see through tops and entrances shaped like cats that were used for cat naps.Older kitten watching the humans at the window.
You pay on the way out. The cost is $8 for thirty minutes. This helps them pay their heating and electric costs for the premises.
Decor
The location is filled with cat related items for decoration and some for sale. There are books on the shelf you can sit and read while you spend time there, all about cats of course. There are children’s books such as The Cat in the Hat and others.
Cat decor
They also sell cat related items such as t-shirts.
Hours
Purpose
Meow Parlour partners with the shelter Animal Care Centers of NY. The kittens and cats that are at this location are up for adoption. There are opportunities to foster as well.
I believe these horses were in Vermont. Otherwise they were in NY near the Vermont border.I have stopped at other farms to try to get horse pictures, but these horses were more photogenic. They were very friendly. They came right up to me to say hello. I was standing roadside. A third horse was more shy.The building behind him is rather dilapidated, but it makes for a more interesting photo.
Did you take part in the baby watch for April the giraffe online? Have you ever wondered what zoo April was in? April is in Animal Adventure Park in central New York State about 15 minutes or more from Binghamton.
Animals
This is Johari. She is part of the new couple. As the sign says you can only feed her carrots.
The main draw at the zoo due to the live webcams in their barn has been the giraffes. The zoo has become famous worldwide as people went into baby watch mode for momma giraffe, April. She gave birth to Tajiri (15 April 2017) and Azizi (16 March 2019). There is a new giraffe couple, Oliver and Johari.
April and her two babies, Tajiri and Azizi.This is the youngest baby of April, Azizi.
Animal Adventure Park is more than just giraffes. The park has over 250 animals with over 100 species represented. Some animals you can get fairly close to such as llamas, alpacas, giraffes, and sheep. Others you can view from behind tall fencing such as monkeys, lemurs, wolves, and white lions. Different continents are represented from the American black bear to Chilean flamingoes and from the Tibetan yak to the African warthog. Mammals, birds, and cold blooded creatures, this little zoo packs in a lot of variety.
Flamingoes watching the people go by. Are humans on display or are the animals?Alligator enjoying the sun.The official cat of the zoo. The story I heard from one of the employees was she came with the farm when they bought it. She acts like she is the owner of the zoo.
Feed the Animals
When you visit the zoo you will have opportunities to feed many of the animals. For $3 you can buy a handful of carrots to feed the giraffes or buy a cup full of pellets you can give to many of the animals. They also sell lettuce to feed the turtles and grapes to feed some of the other animals. The animals are quite happy to see you when you have food and it leads to many good photo or selfie opportunities. On my second trip I saw zoo keepers come out and let some children bottle feed some of the baby animals.
If the animals see you come close with food they will come right over to you. This appears to be an alpaca.
Animal Encounters
If you book in advance, you can participate in an animal encounters. These afford the visitor a little closer access to some of the animals. You get to feed them yourself and take pictures in a closer proximity than when you stroll around the zoo. A zoo keeper gives you all kinds of information about the animals. I was able to do the Sloth encounter. I feed them and took photos. They currently have one male and two females in hopes one of the females will breed.
One of the three sloths at the zoo.Sloth snack time. Look no hands!
Handicap Accessible
I would say this zoo is fairly accessible. The paths/roadways within the zoo are wide and there are no stairs. On both visits I made to the zoo I saw people navigating the exhibits in wheelchairs. They also host a low sensory night for people with sensory issues.
Concessions
The zoo has a a few concession stands. They serve fast food items such as hamburgers, grilled cheese, chicken nuggets, chips, soda, and ice cream. If you have food sensitivities I would recommend bringing you own food in a cooler and leaving it in the car. You can leave the zoo and return with a hand stamp or receipt. This zoo is in a very rural area and there are no restaurants close by.
Gift Shop
Animal Adventure Park offers different animal related items in their gift shop and also through their online store. There are t-shirts, stuffed animals, etc. The t-shirts in the gift shop favor their main draw: giraffes, but there are others available online.
Location
This zoo is located at 85 Martin Hill Road in Harpursville, NY. On the route the GPS sent me there were no signs advertising Animal Adventure Park. It made me a little worried the first time I visited, but the Sat. Nav. took me to the right spot. This zoo is about 15 minutes or more northeast of Binghamton. I am told it is about a 3 hour drive from New York City and a 2 hour drive from the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge in the Hudson Valley.
Parking
I arrived before they opened both times I visited on a weekday during the summer. I was able to park in their lot at the zoo entrance. They do have overflow parking in another location nearby.
I highly recommend this little zoo. They appear to take great care of the animals and work with animals that are endangered or close to endangered. The zoo is very family-friendly and sponsors many events. If you love animals and want to see them up close make a trip to Animal Adventure Park.
What competitive sports are out there for your dog to participate in? Does your dog like water? Does your dog like to fetch? If so, you may want to consider training your dog to be involved in Dock Dogs.
Some dogs were new to the sport and had to have encouragement to get in the water.
What is it?
Dock Dogs is an aquatic sport for your canine friend. The category I have witnessed several times is the Big Air competition. The handler throws a toy off a dock towards a long pool of water. The dog jumps off the dock to try to catch or retrieve the toy. The dogs are judged on how far they jump. They measure the distance from the end of the deck to where the dog’s tail hits the water.
All these photos were taken at the Dock Dog events at the Dutchess County Fair in New York. This is an annual event at the Dutchess County Fair with competitions happening three times daily during the fair.This guy almost caught the toy in mid air.
Who can participate?
This is open to dogs as young as 6 months old and handlers as young as 7 years of age.You would think the bigger the dog the farther they would go. However, as I witnessed, that is not necessarily the case. Some of the large dogs may only jump 5 feet while a smaller dog can top that. A medium size dog might go quite far. Regardless, the dogs all appear to be enjoying the competition win or lose.
Big AirCanines of different breeds participated. Some were rescues as well.Very focused
Other Events
I have only witnessed Big Air events, but Dock Dogs also has other competitions. They also have an Extreme Vertical event. Extreme Vertical is about how high upward the dog can launch to grab a bumper. A third event is the Speed Retrieve. This event is timed. The dog has to run, jump, and swim to the end of a pool to retrieve a bumper that is suspended over the water.
Does your dog love the water? Do they want to play fetch with you endlessly? Why not up the game? Involve them in Dock Dogs. Even if you don’t have a dog the events are a joy to watch.
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