I have moved!  And by I, I mean me, Daisy, Desi, the cats, and, soon, Daisy’s mom will be joining us as well.  Our weekend-long moving odyssey went smoothly and the unpacking is mostly done, though I doubt it will ever be completely done.  Our wonderful new apartment in Forest Hills, Queens,  is light-filled and comfortable, with balconies both out front and out back, meaning that there is a much better prospect for fly-by birds than at the old place, to say nothing of the fact that there will be enough room for all of us.  Anyway, I thought I would share a few pictures from the balconies so, when I mention the amazing birds I see from the balconies in future posts, you will be able to picture them more accurately in your mind’s eye.

From the front balcony, looking northwest, then northeast, then at European Starlings silhouetted in early morning light:

The back balcony is a little less exciting in terms of the view, mostly because it faces the interior of the block.  The tower to the northwest is kind of neat though:

And it seems that the high above the backyard runs a veritable squirrel highway:

The squirrels must be extremely careful because if they lose their balance not only could they be injured in the fall, but they might be mauled by what seems like a feral/outdoor cat colony that the neighbors maintain.  Looks like I have some education work to do…

Of course, the balconies are not the only place in our new apartment from which I can bird.  The bathrooms, after all, have skylights!

Though it’s no Great Chalfield, I think we will be very happy in our new home!

Written by Corey
Corey is a New Yorker who lived most of his life in upstate New York but has lived in Queens since 2008. He's only been birding since 2005 but has garnered a respectable life list by birding whenever he wasn't working as a union representative or spending time with his family. He lives in Forest Hills with Daisy and Desmond Shearwater. His bird photographs have appeared on the Today Show, in Birding, Living Bird Magazine, Bird Watcher's Digest, and many other fine publications. He is also the author of the American Birding Association Field Guide to the Birds of New York.