Valkyrie, Tompkins Tiercel, and Good-bye to the Central Park Turkey

Photograph by Francois Portmann, www.fotoportmann.com/
Valkyrie of Tompkins Square Park

Photograph by Francois Portmann
Francois reports having arrived just a little too late for the action as on his entrance he discovered the Tompkins Square tiercel just whetting his beak after a pigeon repast.

Photograph by Francois Portmann
Valkyrie swoops over the rooftop.

Photograph by Francois Portmann
She menaces a Black Squirrel.

Photograph by Francois Portmann

And heads for the fire escape, where someone appears to be photographing her.

Photograph by Francois Portmann

She gives him the eye.

Photograph by Francois Portmann

And I'm not sure what is happening here as according to the numbers this photograph comes in the sequence after the previous ones. Therefore instead of landing as she may appear to be doing, if the numbers are right, she is instead shooting herself off to the side away from the photographer.

Photograph by Francois Portmann

Valkyrie with a delicious rat.

Photograph by Francois Portmann

Photograph by Francois Portmann

Photograph by Francois Portmann

Photograph by Francois Portmann

Photograph by Francois Portmann

And off again, on yet another adventure.

Photograph by Kentaurian

Central Park in the January snow.

And then there is the bleak case of the the kidnapped Central Park Turkey...

Lincoln Karim's, website palemale. com, published this letter from Reginia Alvarez of the Central Park Conservancy concerning the disappearance of the CP Turkey.

Hello All -

The turkey that has been living in CP for the past several months was apparently captured the other day by a member of the public who believed it would starve to death or freeze. The turkey was taken by this unknown person to Animal Care and Control, who in turn brought the turkey to a wildlife rehabilitator in Brooklyn.

The Rangers were all set to bring the turkey back to Central Park, but the DEC (Department of Environmental Conservation) has ordered the wildlife rehabilitator to reintroduce the bird to Pelham Bay Park, where there is already a flock of turkeys. The other option she was given was to euthanize the bird. She must comply with DEC or she risks losing her license.

The Rangers will work with her to release the bird in Pelham. As always, if anyone has any questions, please feel free to call or email me.

Regina V. Alvarez

Director of Horticulture and Woodland Management

Central Park Conservancy

By the way, a healthy American Wild Turkey is quite capable of browsing in three feet of snow for many days in below zero temperatures without ill effects as they do here in Wisconsin constantly. And in Wisconsin they don't get all those delicious handouts from Central Park visitors. Someone truly needed to educate themselves before taking a a perfectly healthy happy wild animal from the habitat of her choice.

Donegal Browne