The Birds of Summer

A portfolio of my recent images of visiting hummingbirds, falcons, ospreys, herons, even a Bald Eagle. Plus: first look at new Leonard Cohen doc.

Capturing some wondrous birds just before most begin their annual migration. Plus, hallelujah, another Leonard Cohen film. Don’t forget to share and/or subscribe, it’s still free.

Birds, Not on A Wire

On this slow holiday weekend, it seems apt to pay tribute to our hard-working friends and companions of the past couple of months, various wonderful birds who will be heading south any day (or hour) now on ridiculously long and hazardous journeys. So here is a selection of my photos from the past few weeks (and omitting the cardinals, gold finches, woodpeckers and other visitors to our feeder).

Female hummingbird yesterday out back.

Also yesterday, on a distant branch, rare shot of some self-grooming.

And then back at work, bulking up for her long journey, probably starting this week. Here staring down a bug on her beak. Then some private dining.

Osprey, also yesterday, high above Piermont Marsh on the lookout for next meal.

Different osprey returning to post with fresh catch.

Now a few from the Stateline Lookout high over the Hudson near the NY/NJ border. First, a peregrine falcon, fastest creature on earth.

Another view of female (see band on leg)

In flight here.

One of her kids, a juvenile falcon screwing up courage for a quick flight.

Blue Heron hunting for its own meal over the Hudson.

Another heron wading in the water below.

Bald Eagle, king of the skies, pays a surprise visit, almost too fast to catch.

Last, and probably least, from the clean-up crew—an unusually dignified Black Vulture.

“Essential daily newsletter.” — Charles P. Pierce, Esquire

“Incisive and enjoyable every day.” — Ron Brownstein, The Atlantic

“Always worth reading.” — Frank Rich, New York magazine, Veep and Succession

Greg Mitchell is the author of a dozen books, including the bestseller The Tunnels (on escapes under the Berlin Wall), the current The Beginning or the End (on MGM’s wild atomic bomb movie), and The Campaign of the Century (on Upton Sinclair’s left-wing race for governor of California), which was recently picked by the Wall St. Journal as one of five greatest books ever about an election. His new film, Atomic Cover-up, just had its world premiere and is drawing extraordinary acclaim. For nearly all of the 1970s he was the #2 editor at the legendary Crawdaddy. Later he served as longtime editor of Editor & Publisher magazine. He recently co-produced a film about Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony.