<![CDATA[Leaflet: Album]]>https://calebcrain.substack.com/s/albumhttps://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!j_2t!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Faa952fda-8bd9-4cf2-8c26-6f5ad97c29d7_256x256.pngLeaflet: Albumhttps://calebcrain.substack.com/s/albumSubstackSat, 18 Apr 2026 04:04:24 GMT<![CDATA[Steps and perches]]>https://calebcrain.substack.com/p/steps-and-percheshttps://calebcrain.substack.com/p/steps-and-perchesSun, 07 Sep 2025 01:54:51 GMT
A brown-and-white shorebird raises one of its yellow legs in the Egyptian-hierograph style of walking
Lesser yellowlegs, Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, 24 August 2025
A large bird, black on top and white beneath, stands in water, its broad wings raised; its bill is bright orange-red near its face and black farther out, and the lower bill projects far beyond the upper one
Black skimmer, Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, 24 August 2025
A small bird with a white belly, a brindled back, and a light rufous wash on the front of its neck is swimming in water
Red-necked phalarope, Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, 24 August 2025
A large predator bird, wings dipping down in flight, with a hooked beak and a dark eyeline
Osprey, Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, 24 August 2025
A small shorebird with a russet-brown back, a clear white belly, and yellowish legs inspects marsh surface for insects to eat
Least sandpiper, Jamaica Bay Widllife Refuge, 24 August 2025
A bunny, pink ears up and flexed, pauses on a sidewalk, with its front paws just barely touching the ground
Rabbit, Prospect Park, Brooklyn, 4 August 2025
A close-up of a small perched bird with a gray face, a neat white eyering, a green cap, two white wingbars, and a white belly, as well as a grub in its beak
Chestnut-sided warbler, Prospect Park, Brooklyn, 26 August 2025
A small bird with an orange-and-russet face and a streaked breast leans over from its perch
Cape May warbler, Prospect Park, Brooklyn, 26 August 2025
A small yellow bird stretches up its neck as it looks skyward, while perched in a tree with lime-green leaves and samaras
Yellow warbler, Prospect Park, Brooklyn, 5 September 2025
A hummingbird with a white belly and a green cap sits at the end of a zigzag branch
Ruby-throated hummingbird, Prospect Park, Brooklyn, 29 August 2025
A gray squirrel stands on its hind legs, its paws folded in over its belly, and looks to the side
Squirrel, Prospect Park, Brooklyn, 4 August 2025
A close-up of a small bird with a yellow eyebrow, a dark triangular patch on its cheek, and delicate streaking on the sides of its chest
Blackburnian warbler, Prospect Park, Brooklyn, 26 August 2025
A bird with a large gray head, a yellow belly, and reddish tailfeathers eyes the camera, while perched
Great crested flycatcher, Prospect Park, Brooklyn, 5 September 2025
A small black-and-white bird stands on a tree branch in profile, hit by the sun
Black-and-white warbler, Prospect Park, Brooklyn, 26 August 2025
A column of dirt particles and vegetation debris, kicked in the air by a just-departed warbler
Where a warbler just was, Prospect Park, 26 August 2025

]]><![CDATA[Late spring 2025]]>https://calebcrain.substack.com/p/late-spring-2025https://calebcrain.substack.com/p/late-spring-2025Wed, 18 Jun 2025 14:21:32 GMT
A bird with pink legs, a russet back and head, and chocolate brown spots down its white breast hunches forward, its beak agape, as it sings
Wood thrush, Prospect Park, 11 May
A small yellow bird with a black eye mask and white eyerings looks swannishly upward, showing off its black necklace
Canada warbler, Prospect Park, 16 May
A trim little bird with a blue head, yellow breast, and white belly hops trippingly along a branch that it's inspecting for bugs
Northern parula, Prospect Park, 16 May
A long-legged beige-and-white bird with a dark eyestripe turns its head to fix an eye on the camera
Spotted sandpiper, Prospect Park, 16 May
A small pale bird with a subtle eyestripe cocks its head
Warbling vireo, Prospect Park, 16 May
A small yellow bird with a midnight black skullcap is perched diagonally on a branch
Wilson’s warbler, Prospect Park, 16 May 2025
A small bird with a yellow belly, dark gray face and back, and russet cap, chin, and flanks lies flat along a thin branch
Bay-breasted warbler, Prospect Park, 17 May
A small beige bird with a black face and a yellow throat stands sharply etched in profile
Common yellowthroat, Prospect Park, 23 May
A bright blue bird sings from amid bare weed stems
Indigo bunting, Prospect Park, Brooklyn, 23 May
Wings and tail fanned wide open, a brown bird with a white chin and a fine white line along the outer edge of its tailfeathers flies through an unmown meadow
Fork-tailed flycatcher, Randall’s Island, 24 May

]]><![CDATA[Early spring, 2025]]>https://calebcrain.substack.com/p/early-spring-2025https://calebcrain.substack.com/p/early-spring-2025Mon, 02 Jun 2025 02:44:20 GMT
A woodpecker with a red chin and red crown and a raccoon stripe across its one visible eye is clamped onto a tree, which it has riddled so far with two bright holes
Yellow-bellied sapsucker, 18 March 2025
A small bird with a white belly and a slate gray crown and back is perched vertically but upside-down, its bill swiveled to 270 degrees
White-breasted nuthatch, 21 March 2025
A mid-size bird with a black head, a gray back, and an orange breast is hunched over as it tugs a reluctant purplish annelid out of the soil
American robin with worm, 21 March 2025
A strangely flat-faced bird with a gray, Squiggy hairdo and a white chest is perched at a slant, its beak open as it chirps
Tufted titmouse, 21 March 2025
A small round gray bird looks up and to the side as the Calatrava-Oculus-like fiery orange crest on its head slowly closes
Golden-crowned kinglet, Prospect Park, 6 April 2025
A warbler with a brown back, a white chin, a streaked chest, and pale pink legs stands on a gray rock
Louisiana waterthrush, 6 April 2025
A brown flycatcher is perched in profile on a budding maple
Eastern phoebe, 8 April 2025
A hawk with a brown back and rich, streaked breast looks away momentarily from the woodpecker that she is eating
Cooper’s hawk (female), 8 April 2025
A hawk with navy blue wings and an orange-and-white-barred chest leans over the smaller bird that he's eating, a sad pink claw of which stretches out to the side
Cooper’s hawk (male), 8 April 2025
A small bird with wide white spectacles, a bluish head, a greenish back, and yellowish flanks stands in profile on a branch
Blue-headed vireo, 18 April 2025
A golden-brown-and-white-streaked bird, holding a half-moon shape, is perched on top of a spray of slippery elm samaras
Song sparrow, 18 April 2025
A warbler with worm-colored legs, a brown back, a slightly speckled chin, and a streaked yellowish belly stands on a rock
Northern waterthrush, 29 April 2025
A pair of ducks are paddling across a greenish pool; the female, on the left, is a brown-and-white brindle, and the male, on the right, has darker tailfeathers, a blue head, and a wide vertical stripe in front of his eye
Blue-winged teal (female and male), 29 April 2025
Through a matrix of branches over water, a brown-and-beige fishing bird with bright orange beak and legs frowns with Samuel Beckett's frown
Least bittern, 29 April 2025

]]><![CDATA[Late winter]]>https://calebcrain.substack.com/p/late-winterhttps://calebcrain.substack.com/p/late-winterSat, 15 Mar 2025 04:14:42 GMT
A small bird with a white face, a sharp and slightly decurved beak, and slate wings peers into the shadowy hollow of a tree.
White-breasted nuthatch
A duck with a green crest, a red eye, and a plum breast is reflected twice in water it swims through.
Wood duck
A bird with a speckled silver back and a white underneck swims through gray-green water.
Red-throated loon
A small black-and-white woodpecker with a red skullcap looks innocently upward.
Downy woodpecker
A brown waterfowl with a backlit mohawk is swimming away from the viewer. It holds in its beak a translucent yellow fish with spiny dorsal and ventral fins. A turtle is swimming just beyond it.
Hooded merganser
A gray bird with a snakelike neck and beady pale blue eyes swims in lime green water
Double-crested cormorant
A small plump bird with brown and white wings and with a yellow spot on its lores is perched on a bare branch.
White-throated sparrow
A bird rises out of greenish water, its wings extended to shake them dry; the bird has a russet head with a white chin, and there's a sharp distinction between the brown of its head and the white of its neck and breast.
Common merganser
A stout brown goose with a white fringe around its orange beak sits in blue water.
Greater white-fronted goose
A fluffy finch with a red face and yellow flanks is perched high in a bare tree.
European goldfinch

]]><![CDATA[Christmas Bird Count, 2024]]>https://calebcrain.substack.com/p/christmas-bird-count-2024https://calebcrain.substack.com/p/christmas-bird-count-2024Tue, 17 Dec 2024 16:04:53 GMT
A small brown-and-white bird, very demure, with a knot of dark brown at the center of its chest, is perched on a bare diagonal branch
Song sparrow
A bird with a red crown, a red chin, a black-and-white face, and a streaked, slightly yellowish chest is perched vertically on the riddled trunk of a cedar, eyeing the camera
Yellow-bellied sapsucker
A large bird with dark wings, a dark head, and a streaked breast pauses from eating a bird not much smaller and looks over its shoulder
Merlin, eating a robin
A small bird with a yellow belly, a gray-green back, and white eye-rings bullets above a small white bird with a black belly
Orange-crowned warbler above junco
A hook-beaked bird of prey, perched at the very top of a pine, above a cornucopia of cones
Red-tailed hawk
A compact, sharp-looking brown bird, with a dark back, a light belly, a dashing white eybrow, and a short, decurved bill perches on a tree trunk
Carolina wren
A small, debonair bird with a black cap and a white triangle on its cheek is perched on a bare crabapple branch
Black-capped chickadee

]]><![CDATA[Profiles]]>https://calebcrain.substack.com/p/profiles-aa5https://calebcrain.substack.com/p/profiles-aa5Thu, 29 Aug 2024 02:29:53 GMT
A tiny grayish-yellow bird with black eyes and a gray undertail is perched on a bare twig
Yellow-bellied flycatcher
A small bird with a blue cap, a black face mask, and a white breast stands diagonally on a twig, in a jaunty, somewhat Napoleonic pose
Black-throated blue warbler
A small bird with a gray head, a white chin, a white breast, and gray wings and tail
Eastern wood-pewee
A small yellow bird with a faint eyeline, faint streaking on its chest, and a delicate pinkish-orange undertint stands perched in profile
Bay-breasted warbler
A black bird with a snake-like head holds in its beak, above the surface of green water, a mustachioed catfish with an orange belly
Double-crested cormorant
A small rotund bird with a gray face and a yellow chin stands on top of a broken stem
Common yellowthroat
A small bird with a yellow belly, streaked faintly on the sides, looks upward and leans to the side, in a Snoopy-dancing pose
Magnolia warbler
A yellow-gray bird with a gray crown, a gray eyeline, and grayish wings is perched in a bower of leaves
Philadelphia vireo
A bird with gray-barred wings, a white breast, and yellow legs stands on a mucky log above its reflection in water
Spotted sandpiper
A small yellow bird with black-button eyes is perched on the end of a twig
Yellow warbler
]]><![CDATA[The return]]>https://calebcrain.substack.com/p/the-returnhttps://calebcrain.substack.com/p/the-returnThu, 22 Aug 2024 01:53:28 GMT
In a beech tree, a small bird with a red eye and gray eyestripe tries to choke down a large, pale green grub, while another bird of the same species, above it, angles to snatch it away
Red-eyed vireos
A small bird with a berry-red eye, a greenish back, and a slate-gray cap stands in profile, hit by the sun
A small black-and-white bird, its face in the sun, clings vertically to a twig
Black-and-white warbler
A small bird with a green cap, a gray face, and a white breast stretches its wings
Chestnut-sided warbler
A spiderweb, coated with dew, is lit up by morning sun and calls to mind the schematics of a maze
A small bird with a gray back, a yellow neck and belly, and a grayish necklace is perched on a gray twig
Canada warbler
A long slump-shouldered bird with a gray back, a white neck, and a long decurved bill sits in a birch tree
Yellow-billed cuckoo
A small bird with a black-and-white-striped head, a white breast, and black wings with white polka dots hangs vertically on a tree trunk, in which it is digging for grubs
Downy woodpecker
A small bird with a yellow belly and a dark gray eyestripe hangs upside-down under a cluster of dry leaves
Blue-winged warbler
A small, somewhat disheveled brown-beige-and-white bird, with little brown arrows running in lines down its white breast
Song sparrow
A yellow bird with a chartreuse cap and greenish wings clings diagonally to a branch that partly obscures it
Yellow warbler
A small, very demure bird with a light gray eyestripe, yellowish flanks, and a gray back peers upward curiously
Warbling vireo

]]><![CDATA[Alert]]>https://calebcrain.substack.com/p/alerthttps://calebcrain.substack.com/p/alertFri, 16 Aug 2024 02:38:15 GMT
A tiny, disheveled brown-and-white bird, its beak agape for a yawp, stands on a tilted log, against a background of bright chartreuse bokeh
Carolina wren
In the antler-like bare branches of a tree, a somewhat haggard-looking, angular small gray bird is perched, with a dark gray head, a white chin and breast, and olive-gray vest-like markings under its wings
Olive-sided flycatcher
A small bird is perched diagonally, with a flying bug caught in its beak; the bird has a gray cap, a yellow chest, and a white belly
Warbling vireo
A small bird is holding itself as tall as possible; the bird has a russet face, dark vertical stripes on its chest that run into its white belly, and a dark brown crown
Ovenbird
A bird with a navy blue crown, a russet neck, and slate blue wings stands with its left foot on a log and its right clutching a branch that it's about to lever itself onto
Green heron
A chipmunk sits on a stone wall, with its tail flat behind it
Chipmunk

]]><![CDATA[Gold and green]]>https://calebcrain.substack.com/p/gold-and-greenhttps://calebcrain.substack.com/p/gold-and-greenWed, 14 Aug 2024 02:18:47 GMT
A small zebra-striped bird leans forward on a branch, its beak agape as it sings
Black-and-white warbler
A mustard-yellow bird with black eyes and dark green wings is perched in a tree, looking over its shoulder at the viewer
Orchard oriole (female)
Against a dark blue sky, a small olive-gray bird with a white breast, its feathers ruffled, sits at the tip of a bare branch
Olive-sided flycatcher
A robin-sized bird with a black head and an orange chest and undertail stands in a tree at an angle, looking down
Baltimore oriole (male)
A heron with a slate-blue crown, beady yellow eyes, a russet cheek and breast, and a knifelike beak stands with its rear to the camera and its face pointing to the right
Green heron
A small yellow bird is perched on a branch, looking up at the sky, its head cocked
Yellow warbler

]]><![CDATA[Spring and all]]>https://calebcrain.substack.com/p/spring-and-allhttps://calebcrain.substack.com/p/spring-and-allThu, 16 May 2024 14:31:39 GMT
A small brown bird with a yellow face and dark stripes on its head is squatting amid leaf debris, looking upward
Worm-eating warbler, 30 April 2024
A small yellow bird with a sharp black eyeline and bluish wings sits in front of a bouquet of oak flowers
Blue-winged warbler, 29 April 2024
Against a blue sky, a bird with a ruddy-brown breast, a slate-blue cap, and a yellow eye cranes its neck up
Green heron, 7 May 2024
A small yellow bird with a black bandit's mask over its eyes hangs upside-down and horizontal from a tree stem
Common yellowthroat, 2 May 2024
A fragile-looking bird with a light brown back, a spotted breast, and delicate pink legs walks on pavement toward the camera
Hermit thrush, 7 May 2024
A spindly, gray-and-white bird with long legs and a soup-spoon-shaped head stalks through muckish water
Solitary sandpiper, 29 April 2024
A small bird with a lime green cap and a burgundy stripe flanking its breast sits on top of a rusty stanchion
Chestnut-sided warbler, 7 May 2024
A yellow warbler with thin red streaks on its breast is perched on a bare cedar twig
Yellow warbler, 11 May 2024
A hawk with brown wings and a white chest has pinned a squirrel to the ground, in front of a cemetery headstone, and is mantling over its catch
Red-tailed hawk, 28 April 2024
A small bird with a slate blue cap and back, a black mask and flanks, and a white belly is perched vertically amid white flowers of a black cherry tree
Black-throated blue warbler, 7 May 2024
A small bird with a boldly streaked chest and an orange crown with racing stripes on either side is perched on a branch
Ovenbird, 2 May 2024
A long bird with a gray back and yellow-white belly is perched on a branch, looking to the side
Traill’s flycatcher, 9 May 2024
A long candy-red bird with black eyes and black wings peers down from a tulip tree
Scarlet tanager, 14 May 2024
A small yellow bird with a brown back and two stripes along the side of its flank sits amid the drying flowers of an oak with a grub in its beak
Prairie warbler, 9 May 2024
A small beige bird with barred wings and a vaguely newtlike aspect sings, beak agape, from a bare branch
House wren, 7 May 2024
A black bird with orange epaulets, an orange chest, and an orange rump has its beak open in song
Baltimore oriole, 14 May 2024
A portly sparrow with a rufous cap and a lightly streaked chest looks out over marshy water
Swamp sparrow, 30 April 2024
]]><![CDATA[Into spring]]>https://calebcrain.substack.com/p/into-springhttps://calebcrain.substack.com/p/into-springFri, 26 Apr 2024 03:03:10 GMT
A black-and-white bird with a red crown, wings raised, is about to lift off from an almost horizontal tree trunk
Yellow-bellied sapsucker, Green-Wood Cemetery, 13 April 2024
A slender orange crescent, slightly furred from lens glare, of the sun in partial solar eclipse
Solar eclipse, Brooklyn, NY, 8 April 2024
A fire-red bird with a thick orange bill is munching on a wasp
Summer tanager, Prospect Park, 25 April 2024
Close-up of a bright yellow bird with soulful black eyes, which looks like it's wearing a monk's cowl
Hooded warbler (male), Prospect Park, 24 April 2024
A very small greenish-brown bird with slightly goggly eyes, wings raised and tail spread, is about to launch into flight from a branch in a flowering crabapple tree
Ruby-crowned kinglet, Green-Wood Cemetery, 13 April 2024
A tiny gray-green bird with a blazing red cap peers down from its perch
Ruby-crowned kinglet, Prospect Park, 19 April 2024
A white-breasted raptor, which looks a little like it&apos;s wearing sunglasses, cruises for prey, its broad wings outspread
Osprey, Prospect Park, 5 April 2024
A brown warbler with a rufous cap and a dark brown eyeline, looking meditative during a momentary pause between furrowings through leaf debris for bugs
Swainson’s warbler, Brooklyn Bridge Park, 20 April 2024
A small, plump, lemon-yellow bird, with slate-blue wings and a black bill, perches in profile on a leafing maple branch with fresh samaras
Prothonotary warbler, Prospect Park, 20 April 2024
A brown-and-white-streaked bird, beak wide open in song, is perched in a budding tree
Song sparrow, Prospect Park, 19 April 2024
A duck with a brown-to-yellow ombre mohawk, swims in greenish water
Hooded merganser, Prospect Park, 4 March 2024
A yellow bird with a rufous cap and a dark brown eyeline is perched in a blooming redbud tree
Palm warbler, Prospect Park, 19 April 2024
A brindled rabbit, nibbling at an itchy spot on its flank, eyes the camera from its hiding place under a fallen tree
Rabbit, Prospect Park, 5 April 2024
A brown sparrow with a white belly and yellow supercilium is perched on a bare sumac branch
Savannah sparrow, Prospect Park, Brooklyn, 20 April 2024
A large bird with slate-blue cap and back, a white chest, and gray wings sleeps, eyes closed, on a branch, its curling white crown-feathers draped over its shoulder
Black-crowned night heron, Prospect Park, 15 April 2024
An amber-and-gray, plain-faced sparrow peers down
Field sparrow, Prospect Park, 19 April 2024
A black bird with red eyes, a white belly, and umber flanks leans forward on its perch, while another bird of the same species flies past in the background
Eastern towhee (male), Prospect Park, 19 April 2024
]]><![CDATA[Bright winter]]>https://calebcrain.substack.com/p/bright-winterhttps://calebcrain.substack.com/p/bright-winterMon, 19 Feb 2024 03:30:58 GMT
A close-up photo of a hummingbird in flight, turned three-quarters toward the viewer, with scallops of green on its white chin and sandy orange coloring under its wings and on its flanks
Rufous hummingbird
A hummingbird in flight, its emerald-scaled back to the viewer
A hummingbird in flight, holding itself almost vertical in the air, its wings folded in front of it
A flying hummingbird in profile, its back green, its wings extended forward, with a sandy orange coloration on its flanks
Pine needles bearing snow, Prospect Park, Brooklyn, 17 February 2024" alt="Snow resting on pine needles, seen from beneath the pine needles
Thick layers of snow resting on a network of bare tree branches
A black-and-white woodpecker, with a patch of red on the back of its head, has thrust its beak deep into a reed
Downy woodpecker
A brown bird with a hash-mark over its bill, its feathers fluffed up against the cold, floats on water
Pied-billed grebe
A pair of ducks, the male with a tall black crest with a white inset, the female with a frizzy reddish-brown crest
Hooded mergansers
Close-up of the head of a swan, water dripping from its hazard-orange beak, a frond of plant matter dribbling from its mouth
Mute swan
Gibbous moon in daylight
A woodpecker with a red crown and chin and a herringbone-patterned gold-tinged breast, holding onto a tree trunk
Yellow-bellied sapsucker

]]><![CDATA["Recognition," a new short story in McSweeney's]]>https://calebcrain.substack.com/p/recognition-a-new-short-story-inhttps://calebcrain.substack.com/p/recognition-a-new-short-story-inFri, 22 Dec 2023 15:44:00 GMT“Recognition,” a new short story of mine, is in issue 72 of McSweeney’s, available (in print only) either from an independent bookstore near you or directly from their website.

(Apologies that all the recent issues of this newsletter have been bulletins about publications elsewhere. I’ll try to write a proper essay soon!)

]]><![CDATA[Christmas Bird Count]]>https://calebcrain.substack.com/p/christmas-bird-counthttps://calebcrain.substack.com/p/christmas-bird-countSun, 17 Dec 2023 04:20:51 GMT
A cedar waxwing, with a black eyestripe that evokes Starman-era David Bowie or Daryl Hannah in Blade Runner, is perched on a bare branch
Cedar waxwing
Four lumpy yellow wild apples, in a Morandi-like assembly on top of a headstone
A close-up of a golden-crowned kinglet, looking pensive, with a slim streak of red running down through its golden crown
Golden-crowned kinglet
Half a dozen European starlings in flight, over a sidewalk, wings flapping in synchrony
European starlings
A black-throated green warbler perched high in a yew
Black-throated green warbler

]]><![CDATA[Autumn in retrospect]]>https://calebcrain.substack.com/p/autumn-in-retrospecthttps://calebcrain.substack.com/p/autumn-in-retrospectMon, 27 Nov 2023 15:09:12 GMT
A black-chinned hummingbird perched on a feeder; it looks very much like the local ruby-throated hummingbird except that its primaries curve away from its tailfeathers
Black-chinned hummingbird (vagrant), Randall’s Island, 23 November 2023
An American woodcock sits in leaf debris under a bush
American woodcock, Randall’s Island, 23 November 2023
A ruddy duck, reflected and double-reflected in the water that it swims upon
Ruddy duck, Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, 12 November 2023
A juvenile purple gallinule stands at water's edge, its feathers bristling as if it were a pangolin
Purple gallinule (juvenile, vagrant), Prospect Park, Brooklyn, 15 October 2023
A juvenile purple gallinule, a chicken-shaped dull-emerald bird with orange feet larger than its head, walks through vines
Purple gallinule (juvenile, vagrant), Prospect Park, Brooklyn, 15 October 2023
A blue-headed vireo eyes the camera from a diagonal perch on a bright red pokeweed stem
Blue-headed vireo, Prospect Park, 13 October 2023
A close-up of a black-throated green warbler, with a bright yellow face
Black-throated green warbler, Prospect Park, 15 October 2023
A juvenile Cooper's hawk with a lean and hungry look
Cooper’s hawk (juvenile), Green-Wood Cemetery, 8 October 2023
A black-throated blue warbler, looking skyward, stands in a magnolia
Black-throated blue warbler, Green-Wood Cemetery, 1 October 2023
A perched Eastern wood-pewee at eye level
Eastern wood-pewee, Prospect Park, Brooklyn, 27 September 2023
A hermit thrush holds a small red bristly fruit in its beak
Hermit thrush, Prospect Park, Brooklyn, 15 October 2023
Close-up of a small Northern parula, a jewel-like bird like something out of Yeats's Byzantium
Northern parula, Prospect Park, Brooklyn, 30 September 2023
A blackpoll warbler, in its fall olive coat, sits in a serviceberry tree lit by bright sun
Blackpoll warbler (drab), Prospect Park, Brooklyn, 13 October 2023
A cloud of gnats, hit by sun, against a bokeh background
Gnats, Green-Wood Cemetery, 1 October 2023
A Western kingbird, with a bluish gray head and breast and a yellow belly, is perched on a bare branch
Western kingbird (vagrant), Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, 8 October 2023
A golden-crowned kinglet, perched on a vertical stem, looks sideways
Golden-crowned kinglet, Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, 12 November 2023
A ruby-crowned kinglet, looking like a very preux chevalier
Ruby-crowned kinglet, Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, 1 October 2023

]]><![CDATA[Before the storm]]>https://calebcrain.substack.com/p/before-the-stormhttps://calebcrain.substack.com/p/before-the-stormSun, 24 Sep 2023 16:35:10 GMT
A hummingbird with an emerald cap and back hovers, its wings blurry from speed, in front of an orange touch-me-not
Ruby-throated hummingbird
A perched hummingbird with an emerald cap and a gray breast, its beak slightly open
A young hawk crouches forward, its wings, the elbows of its wings jutting out in preparation for flight
Red-tailed hawk (immature)
A small bird with lime-green cap and back, its wings and tail spread, flutters beneath the partially devoured pink fruit of a kousa dogwood
Chestnut-sided warbler
A small bird with a lime-green cap, a distinct white eyering, and a white belly is perched sideways on thin vertical branches
A small bird with a lime-green cap and yellowish wing bars looks upward from its perch
A disheveled-looking gray bird with a black cap is perched on a corner of a fence, its beak open as it vocalizes
Gray catbird
A small bird with a black facemask and a concolor slate-blue cap and back considers one of the pink, underwater-mine-shaped fruits of a kousa dogwood
Black-throated blue warbler (male)
A small bird pokes its greenish-gray head, with a white eyebrow and white lower eye-arc, out of the leaves of a kousa dogwood, which has fruits that are green, pink, and red
Black-throated blue warbler (female)
Standing as if at attention on its perch is a small bird with a greenish wing, a white breast, a gray cap, a dark eyeline, and a vividly orange-red eye
Red-eyed vireo
Looking upward from its perch is a small bird with a gray head, a moss-green nape, and a lemon-yellow chin and breast
Magnolia warbler
A robin-sized brown bird, elaborately patterned, with a strong white eyebrow and a fat beak
Rose-breasted grosbeak
A small black-and-white woodpecker, with a red cap, pokes its head up into the sun
Downy woodpecker
A small, dusty-looking bird, with a yellow stripe above its eye and a yellow underbelly, stands on a sidewalk pavement
Palm warbler
Seen from behind, a small but portly bird with a chartreuse cap, bright wingbars on black wings, and crimson flanks cocks its head
Bay-breasted warbler
A small bird with a yellowish head, a dark eyeline, bright wingbars, and crimson flanks is perched partly in shade

]]><![CDATA[La rentrée]]>https://calebcrain.substack.com/p/la-rentree-9c8https://calebcrain.substack.com/p/la-rentree-9c8Sun, 17 Sep 2023 21:44:50 GMT
A close-up of a yellow warbler perched on a branch, eyeing the camera
Yellow warbler
A yellow warbler running along top of a branch, neither foot touching the branch
The compact head and about eight inches of neck of a common garter snake with hazel eyes, slithering across an asphalt path
Common garter snake
A chestnut-sided warbler, a small bird with a bright lime-green cap and back and a gray neck, leans forward, ducking its head
Chestnut-sided warbler
A chestnut-sided warbler, its white breast very fluffy, looks skyward
A black-throated blue warbler, a small bird with a black face, a blue cap, and a white breast, grips a diagonal branch
Black-throated blue warbler
A Tennessee warbler, a small bird with an olive back, no wing bars, and a gray eyeline, is perched on a thin branch
Tennessee warbler
A black-throated green warbler, a small bird with a bright chartreuse head, with gray masking, and a white breast with gray streaks, stands very tall and alone on wood debris
Black-throated green warbler
A blackpoll warbler, a small olive bird with black wings and white wing bars and with a black eyeline, is perched on a thin branch with a berry in its beak, the pulp and seed poking out of the berry's skin
Blackpoll warbler
A blackpoll warbler, a small olive bird with a gray eyeline and a diffusely streaked breast, grips a vertical vine
A house wren, a small brown bird with a herringbone pattern on its wings and bellies, is perched in a jigsaw of bare branches
House wren
A Wilson's warbler, a small yellow bird with an olive back and dark tail, the cap of its head darkening as its plumage matures, perches on weed stalks in a zigzag posture
Wilson’s warbler

]]><![CDATA[Regulars]]>https://calebcrain.substack.com/p/regularshttps://calebcrain.substack.com/p/regularsWed, 13 Sep 2023 02:34:43 GMT
Close-up of the portly, satisfied face and breast of a female house sparrow
House sparrow (female)
Two Northern flickers face off in bare tree branches, the one above drawing back while the one below flashes its wings
Northern flickers
A palm warbler, in muted, sandy fall colors, perches in profile
Palm warbler
A common yellowthroat looks up and to the right, piningly
Common yellowthroat (male)
A green-winged teal, looking for all the world like a compact, subtler mallard, swims on green lakewater
Green-winged teal
A Northern cardinal fledgling feeds on a fallen log, under its father's close supervision
Northern cardinals
A Northern parula perched on a slender twig, looking down and to the right
Northern parula
A somewhat blotchy house wren, perched on a dead branch in profile
House wren

]]><![CDATA[Late summer in retrospect]]>https://calebcrain.substack.com/p/late-summer-in-retrospecthttps://calebcrain.substack.com/p/late-summer-in-retrospectTue, 05 Sep 2023 01:46:52 GMT
A chestnut-sided warbler in cobra pose on a perch
Chestnut-sided warbler
An American mockingbird, standing on a sidewalk, stretches out its wings in a 'flashing' gesture
American mockingbird
A little blue heron gingerly steps up onto a rock in standing water
Little blue heron
A little blue heron holds a frog in its pincer-like beak, over a chartreuse pool of water
A least flycatcher, perched in sun, looks to the right
Least flycatcher
An ovenbird looks over its shoulder, standing amid leaf debris
Ovenbird
A red-tailed hawk looks sternly below it
Red-tailed hawk
A Baltimore oriole perched amid the unripe fruits of a paper-mulberry
Baltimore oriole
A green heron, perched, lolls its tongue
Green heron
A worm-eating warbler hunts for insects among marcescent leaves
Worm-eating warbler
An American redstart in profile
American redstart
A yellow-bellied flycatcher looks back over its shoulder
Yellow-bellied flycatcher

]]><![CDATA[Midsummer in retrospect]]>https://calebcrain.substack.com/p/midsummer-in-retrospecthttps://calebcrain.substack.com/p/midsummer-in-retrospectSun, 03 Sep 2023 03:18:13 GMT
A Couch's or a tropical kingbird, perched at the top of an oak, breast to the viewer, beak to the left, opposite wing extended
Couch’s/tropical kingbird
A close-up of an Eastern phoebe with a cricket in its beak
Eastern phoebe
Three Eastern phoebe fledglings, looking as grumpy as Stadtler and Waldorf, in a nest under the eaves of a cottage
A red-eyed vireo, hunched forward on its perch
Red-eyed vireo
A Northern pearly eye butterfly, wings folded, in profile
Northern pearly eye
Two indigo bunting fledglings, perched, flutter their wings and complain that they aren't being fed enough
Indigo bunting fledglings
Common yellowthroat (female or first-year male)
A green heron perched on a curving branch like an arrow in a drawn bow
Green heron
A great spangled fritillary, wings open, russet mottled on cinnamon
Great spangled fritillary
A chestnut-sided warbler wrestling with a large twig-like caterpillar
Chestnut-sided warbler with caterpillar
A chestnut-sided warbler fledgling, looking young, vague, and unhappy
Chestnut-sided warbler (fledgling)
A warbling vireo diving into flight
Warbling vireo
An Eastern tiger swallowtail, wings open, lemonade stained glass
Eastern tiger swallowtail

]]>