Some days,
sing a song to your heart, to your soul
Some days,
sing a song to nature, because nature is a remarkable listener. ~ Hints Of Life

As I stepped inside Central Park after nearly four weeks, I saw the spell of Spring everywhere. The entire park was lush green, radiant like an ancient forest. The tall umber-green trees hovered over me all around.  In moments, I realized, how much I had missed the park, the quiet walks through the serene, abundant natural beauty. A gush of happiness, smile on my lips and the feeling of witnessing pure ‘Magic’ filled me as I stared into the greenery. Just staring into nature can be so soothing to one’s eyes. And inhaling the fresh, organic smells in the park can be a complete therapeutic experience for the senses.

Standing near the Conservatory Water  mid way in the park I could only think of one word ‘Wondrous’. It’s amazing how the same place in the park can feel so magical and different every time you visit. Like the Central Park Conservancy, my current most favorite part of the park. A friend of mine said to me once and I quote him here  ‘It’s like watching the same place, the same surroundings but with different eyes’. Two months ago I was in awe of the naked trees and open, wide landscape and today I see every corner lush green.

My adventure didn’t end here, just steps away from me I spotted a male Northern Cardinal dancing and doodling on the foliage behind some branches at the Conservancy. Probably searching for seeds and insects under the foliage. It was such a sight to watch him. Sometimes he disappeared behind the branches and other times made his presence felt completely as if playing hide and seek. He was so delightful and irresistible, I captured the detectable bird with tinge of red all over him in my camera – sealing the moment for ever.

Northern Cardinal
The Northern Cardinal nests year around in Central Park. These birds are a perfect combination of familiarity, conspicuousness, and style in the park: a shade of red you can’t take your eyes off. Even the brown females sport a sharp crest and warm red accents. Cardinals don’t migrate and they don’t molt into a dull plumage, so they’re still breathtaking in winter snow. In summer, their sweet whistles are one of the first sounds of the morning.

Cardinals usually raise two broods of young in a year. Unlike most Northern songbirds the female also sings, often from the nest, what may be a call to her mate. Cardinal pairs have song phrases that they share. If you carefully listen to them on the first sunny days on late winter, you may hear sounds like ‘Cheer, cheer, cheer’ or a short ‘Chink’ sound.

Central Park is home to umpteen species of birds. In my research I found that since the creation of Central Park, more than 280 bird species have been recorded, 192 are regular visitors or year-round residents and over 88 are infrequent or rare visitors. Isn’t it so fascinating? Considered as one of the best birding spots in the United States, the park attracts birders from all over the world. The park also provides guided bird watching tours in Spring and Fall.

So, do you feel pepped-up to sign-up for a bird watching tour at Central Park soon? Do share your thoughts in the comments section.

Sources: http://www.nhptv.org/natureworks/cardinal.htm

http://www.nycaudubon.org/manhattan-birding/central-park