Day 10: Stiff Neck

Forest Hills Cemetery, 7:55am-9:00am
clear and crisp

As I cross through the Forest Hills train station to get to the cemetery, I see a line of yellow school buses and placards indicating the "BAA Half-Marathon Shuttle, 6:30am-7:45am". I'm half-tempted to climb on board, though I'm not trained (or registered, etc) to run such a distance. It is a fun coincidence that I'm passing by, in running clothes, just as the final shuttle boards.

The prudent (and groggy) half of me prevails, and I satisfy my urge for mildly illicit spontaneity by climbing the fence into the cemetery at Weld Hill St. The cemetery is technically open, but I still haven't figured out what time they open the side gates. Is it an infraction to climb the fence of an institution that is open?

Lots of gorgeous bright yellow foliage in the cemetery, but I am feeling frustrated by the prevalence of blue jays over all other bird conversation. They are loud, and seemingly omnipresent.

It seems that other birds are content to make a few peeps, then fly to the next tree. I'm figuring out that this is the wrong time of year to try to spend sustained quality time with single birds: their priority is on feeding, not on impressive melodic solos. VERY different from the bird songs of spring and early summer!

It does seem that I hear fragments of interesting bird calls when I'm walking about, but they only last for a few seconds.

Eventually I wander onto a patch of grass following the sound of this little guy (below). I realize that my recent achy neck and shoulders may be connected to the frequent skyward craning after birds, and experiment with lying out under the tree.

It's much more comfortable, and is in fact one of my favorite perspectives: the underbelly of leaves against sky. This morning is my first time under autumn-yellow leaves.


*UPDATE 10/20: This bird has been identified as a robin. Thanks, Haynes!