香
港高等程度會考
Math (A)
Phy Chem Bio (B6)
Chinese (C)
Eng (D)
Higher Math (E) Alex
Eala in 2026
<1> ASB Classic (WTA Auckland Open)
- earned 98 WTA ranking points;
$12,331. + Women's Double
<2> 2026 Australian Open - earn 10
points; AUD 150,000 (~P5.9M, ~$100,760)
+ about $29,556 USD for her first-round
doubles exit.
<3> Philippine
Women's Open
(WTA 125) - 27
WTA ranking
points;
$3,450 (around P200,000) Current
Singles Rank: 45
<4> 2026 Abu Dhabi Open (WTA 500) - 108
ranking points; $35,000
It represents a landmark moment in the short
career of this young talent, who has qualified
for a Masters 1000 event based purely on her
ranking for the first time in her career.
The Qatar Open has actually chosen Eala to
play her first-round match on Centre Court,
relegating stars like Emma Navarro and former
Grand Slam champions Emma Raducanu and Jelena
Ostapenko to the outside courts. This is at
the first Masters 1000 event of the year, no
less. Current
Singles Rank:
40 Eala,
ranked just 40th in the world, will take on
Valentová at Qatar Open, who sits at an even
lower 44th.
It has taken some time, given her popularity
was evident all throughout 2025, but at last,
organisers finally seem aware of the pull of
this Filipina sensation.
Facing Alycia Parks in the first round, seats
were instantly filled, and hundreds more
queued up outside the grounds just for a
glimpse of the 20-year-old.
It was not a good look for the first Grand
Slam of the year, and clearly sent shockwaves
throughout the tennis organising community.
The Qatar Open were keen not to repeat the
same mistake. src
This Qatar Open decision vindicates that,
particularly after the Australian Open made a
huge mistake with Eala, scheduling her to play
on Court Six, one of the event’s smaller
playing areas.
<5> Qatar Open (WTA 1000) - 10 ranking
point; $18,300. The Filipina moved up
five places to a new career-high of world No
40 in this week’s WTA Rankings, though is
already guaranteed to drop places in next
week’s update.
Alexandra Eala has proved she’s undoubtedly the most popular star in
tennis during the first months of the 2026 season. Eala nearly shut down the Australian Openfor
her first round match with Alycia Parks, which saw lengthy queues outside
during the match.
The star’s popularity has continued to surge at thePhilippine Women’s Openand
theAbu
Dhabi Open, where thousands of young fans have attended her matches. Ahead of her appearance at theQatar Open, Olympic gold medalist
Monica Puig has shared her admiration forEala.
<6> Dubai Duty Free Tennis
Championships (WTA 1000) -
[2/18/2026] Eala reached a new career-high
ranking of world No. 38 in the WTA live
rankings as of February 18, 2026. She
achieved this milestone by defeating world
No. 8 Jasmine Paolini in the second round of
the Dubai Tennis Championships, marking her
ascent from No. 47.
<7> Indian Wells
(WTA 1000) -
[3/8/2026] Eala
reached a new career-high ranking of world
No. 28 in the WTA live rankings.
Alexandra Eala advanced to the fourth round
in Indian Wells for the first time in her
career Sunday night after Coco Gauff was
forced to retire with a left arm injury.
Eala led 6-2, 2-0 after 54 minutes when the
match ended and will now turn her attention
to her next opponent, Linda Noskova.
<8> Miami Open (WTA
1000)
- [3/16/2026]
Eala
reached a new career-high ranking of world
No. 29 in the WTA rankings. This jump,
up from No. 32, followed her impressive run
to the Round of 16 at the BNP Paribas Open
at Indian Wells.
Alex Eala received a first-round bye at the
2026 Miami Open because she is ranked as one
of the top 32 players in the world, entering
as the No. 31 seed. (Note: Totally
96 female
players.)
As
a WTA 1000 event, the tournament grants all
32 seeded players a "bye" directly into the
second round (Round of 64).
She has a lot to lose ranking-wise as
well. The WTA uses a rolling 52-week,
cumulative system for the rankings and
players have to defend points from their 18
best tournaments or the corresponding period
12 months ago. As a result, Eala has already
dropped 20 spots in the Live Rankings and
currently sits at No 49.
The WTA rankings operate on a 52-week
rolling system, meaning players lose the
points they earned from the same tournament
the previous year once that event starts
again. In Eala’s case, the live rankings now
reflect the loss of the 390 points she
gained from her remarkable semi-final run at
last year’s Miami Open. Her total has
consequently fallen from 1,525 to 1,145
points.
<9> Upper Austria Ladies Linz (WTA
500)
- played on indoor clay courts.
<10> Porsche Tennis Grand Prix (or the
WTA Stuttgart Open at Stuttgart, Germany)
*Since 2009 it is played on clay court in
spring, as a warm-up tournament to the
French Open, making it the first indoor clay
court event on the WTA women's tour.
<11> The 2026 Mutua Madrid Open (WTA
1000) takes place from April 21 to May 3,
2026, on outdoor clay at the Caja Mágica,
Spain.
<12> The 2026 Catalonia Open
Solgironès (WTA 125) - outdoor clay courts.
27 April - 3 May. Alex Eala does not
play in the Catalonia Open.
<13> The 2026 Italian Open (also known
as the Internazionali BNL d'Italia for
sponsorship reasons) (WTA 1000) -
(1) defeat Magdalena Frech 6-0 3-6
6-4.
(2) take down No. 33 and tournament
No. 31 seed Wang Xinyu iof China in the
round of 64 on Friday evening, 6-4, 6-3.
Hsieh
Su-wei 謝淑薇 is the highest-ranking Taiwanese tennis player in history,
reaching World No. 1 in doubles (first achieved May 12, 2014) and No. 23
in singles (February 25, 2013). She has won seven Grand Slam doubles
titles and is the only Taiwanese player to hold the top ranking in either
singles or doubles.
Tanasugarn's career-high WTA ranking is No. 19, achieved on 13 May 2002,
which is the highest ranking ever achieved by a Thai female player.
Female Asian players entered into top 50 in WTA history:
1. Alex Eala
2. Hsieh
Su-wei 謝淑薇 (Taiwan) 3. Tamarine Tanasugarn (Thailand)
4. Latisha
Chan (Taiwan) - formerly known by her Chinese name Chan Yung-jan (詹詠然) -
She reached a career-high singles ranking of No. 50 on 11 June 2007. 5. Zheng Qinwen 鄭欽文 (CHN)
6. Zhu Lin (CHN)
7. Wang Xinyu (CHN)
8. Yuan Yue 袁悦 (CHN)
9. Wang Yafan (CHN)
10.
Janice Tjen (Indonesia)
11. Indonesian tennis legend Yayuk Basuki achieved a career-high WTA
singles ranking of World No. 19 in October 1997.
101. Naomi Osaka (JPN) 102. Moyuka Uchijima
(JPN) 103. Kimiko Date, Ai Sugiyama, Moyuka Uchijima (JPN)
104. Yone Kamio, Shinobu Asagoe, Saori Obata, Aiko Nakamura, Kyoko
Nagatsuka, and Akiko Morigami. (JPN) - I only fact-check Yone
Kamio.
2025全球最繁忙國際機場 TOP 10 (only for international
traffic)
排名 機場（國家/地
區）
座位數（萬個）*No. of seats is the total seats including
domestic too.
1 杜拜國際機場（阿聯酋杜拜）
6240
2
希斯路機場（英國倫敦）
4900
3
仁川國際機場（南韓首爾） 4300
4 樟宜機場（新加
坡）
4260
5 阿姆斯特丹史基浦機場（荷蘭） 4130
6
伊斯坦布爾機場（土耳其）
4120
7
戴高樂機場（法國巴黎）
3960
8 香港國際機場
3870
9 法蘭克福國際機場 (German) 3640
10 多哈國際機場 (Qatar)
3270
來源網址 : 2025年全球最繁忙國際機場-香港排第8-同比增長12 | 星島頭條 https://www.stheadline.com/realtime-world/3536206/
My Note:
<1> No American airport is in the Top 10 of 2025 for
international traffic.
<2> No China. No Japan.
<3> Regional group: Middle East (2).
Asia (3). Europe, including Turkey (5).
From
AI: 亞特蘭大哈茲菲爾德-傑克遜國際機場（ATL）
是全球最繁忙的機場之一，在總旅客量和國內航班運營方面長期位居榜首。
根據 2024 年和 2025
年的數據，亞特蘭大機場憑藉其龐大的國內市場和樞紐地位，持續提供全球最多的航班座位和旅客量。
WHAT WERE THE BUSIEST AIRPORTS OF 2025 (International
+ Domestic)?
The
busiest airports are concentrated largely in North
America and Asia
From AI:
Middle Eastern airports and airlines have experienced
explosive growth in the past 20 years, transforming the
region into a major global aviation hub, driven by massive
infrastructure investments, strategic location, and the
rise of powerful carriers like Emirates and Qatar Airways,
with Dubai becoming the world's busiest international
airport for traffic. This boom saw local airlines double,
capacity soar (>>9% annual growth by ASKs), and new
mega-airports like Doha's Hamad (HIA) and Dubai's Al
Maktoum (DWC) expand dramatically to handle increasing
long-haul traffic connecting Asia, Europe, and Africa.
Dubai International Airport (DXB): Took 51 years to reach
500 million passengers, but only 7 more years to serve
another 500 million, becoming the world's busiest for international traffic
by 2014. 根
據國際機場協會（ACI）最新數據，香
港國際機場在 2025 年的貨運量達 507 萬公噸，蟬聯全球最繁忙的貨運機場。
自 2010 年以來，香港已連續 15 次榮登全球榜首。
<1> Although Greece have captured over 100 medals in 15 different
sports in the Summer Olympics, the Mediterranean country is still seeking
its first-ever medal at the Winter Games.
<2> Bangladesh, with 173 million people, is the most populous country
never to win an Olympic medal.
<3> Hong Kong did not win a medal at the 2025 Asian Winter Games in
Harbin, finishing without any podium positions. Despite this, the delegation
saw historic performances, including a 4th-place finish in men's curling, a
30-0 ice hockey victory over India, and reaching the quarterfinals in men's
ice hockey for the first time.
<4> In a highly lopsided February 2025 ice hockey match at the Asia
Winter Games, Hong Kong defeated India 30-0 because they significantly
outmatched the Indian team in experience and skill, firing 85 shots on goal
while limiting India to just one shot.
<5a> Asian Games 2023: Hong Kong have more medals than India, women
(single) reach squash final (end up 2nd place), while the men (single) won
bronze after losing their semi-final (so it is 4th place).
<5b> Women's Team Squash
Gold: Malaysia (Sivasangari
Subramaniam, Aifa Azman, Rachel Arnold)
Silver: Hong Kong
Bronze: India & Japan
So women's team squash also
in 2nd place.
<6> [2/16/2026] At #MilanoCortina2026, the 22-year-old added two
silver medals in freestyle skiing, bringing her total to five Olympic medals
and becoming the most decorated female freeskier of all time.
She may get one more later in this Winter Olympic.
Question: She broke the record for most medals by a female freestyle
skier? Or, matching the record for the most Olympic medals in
freestyle skiing? Both Yes. Breaking record among female;
matching Canadian Mikael Kingsbury's record for the most Olympic medals in
freestyle skiing (among all skiers no matter female and male).
<7> She is the first freestyle skier to win three medals at a single
Winter Olympics. Gu repeated as silver medalist both in slopestyle and
in big air at the 2026 Winter Olympics, bringing her Olympic medal tally to
five out of five events in which she competed.
This year, I want to:
1. See Bank Swallow DONE on 5/10/2026
2. 5/30 or 5/31 or 6/13/2026 Sat or 6/14/2026 Sun, visit Ocean City Rookery 5/31/2026 Sun until 1pm / afternoon with Ivy
JBWR / Governors Island: Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix
Wilson's Phalarope (female in breeding plumage). Blue-winged Teal,
male.
Nest: Yellow Warbler. Hummingbird.
House Wren. Glossy Ibis. Laughing Gull. Osprey.
Shorebird. Tree Swallow. Mockingbird. Towhee.
Waxwing. Baltimore Oriole. etc.
5/17/2025
(Sun) with Ivy Sterling
Forest State Park (Note: no tick today, not like last year)
& Massapequa Preserve (Massapequa Reservoir, Nassau County)
Indigo Bunting, male. Blue-winged Warbler. Prairie
Warbler. Baltimore Oriole. Flycatcher.
Did not see: Cuckoo. Golden-winged Warbler. Massapequa:
Cygnets. One family has 6. Another has 5. In April,
someone reported 34 Mute Swans.
Note: Cygnets are excellent swimmers right out of the shell and will often
ride on their mother’s back to stay warm and protected from
predators. But we do not see the riding back today. 5/16/2026 Sat am to early afternoon
Nickerson Beach & Oceanside
Common Tern mating. Piping Plover. Oystercatcher.
Skimmer. Sanderling. Not see Least Tern.
Glossy Ibis. Meet Ah Ming; he said someone see Ibis babies.
Earl the Great Egret. Earl, an egret, has been returning to his home
in the Town of Hempstead every year as winter ends. Hempstead Town
Supervisor John Ferretti and I were astonished to learn that Earl is 26
years old! He was born in 2000 .
Earl may be the oldest great egret on the planet having outlived even
captive ones. He is believed to be 25 years old which is amazing considering
that the average lifespan for a wild Great egret is 15 years and captive
ones live to about 22 years.
https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1940391/ 5/10/2026 Sun with Ivy
Great Kills Park, Clove Lakes Park, & Lemon Creek Park
Lifer: Bank Swallow (in the estimation of 100).
Clove: Common Yellowthroat. American Redstart.
Lemon: Purple Martin.
Also see Tree Swallow and Barn Swallow.
Photo:
Bank Swallow -
Common Yellowthroat -
American Redstart -
Purple Martin -
5/9/2026 Sat am
JBWR
Yellow Warbler, Catbird, Wren, Song Sparrow, Tree Swallow, American Robin,
RWBB, Ruddy Duck, Bufflehead, Laughing Gull, Cormorant. etc.
Canada Goose family (parents + 2 goslings)
Photo:
Tree Swallow -
Mockingbird -
Wren - 5/3/2026 Sun with Ivy
Green-Wood, BBG, & Prospect Park
Lifer: Orchard Oriole (I saw a male today at Prospect Park).
Canada Goose (7 goslings and 2 parents). Two Robin nests: 1 with 2
babies and the another with 3 babies. We get a lot of parent feeding
pictures.
Black-and-white Warbler. Eastern Warbling Vireo. Ovenbird.
Hermit Thrush. American Goldfinch. Yellow Warbler.
RWBB. Blue Jay. White-throated Sparrow. Mourning
Dove. House Sparrow. Catbird. Barn Swallow.
Cardinal. Northern Mockingbird. Monk Parakeet. etc.
Starling nest/hole.
BBG: Tree Peony.
Green-Wood: Tree Peony too.
5/2/2026 Sat am / pm
JBWR & Sunset Cove Park (next to Broad Channel American Park) / Kissena
Park
Sunset Cove: Osprey, incubating female and doing-nothing male.
JBWR:
bird singing day - Towhee, Yellow Warbler, Catbird, Wren, Song
Sparrow, Tree Swallow, American Robin, RWBB, etc.
Four guys saw Black-billed Cuckoo but I did not.
Ospreys at the two platforms are incubating. And a
doing-nothing male stand on the ground next to one platform.
Glossy Ibis. Ruddy Duck. Laughing Gull.
Cardinal. etc. Muskrat.
Kissena: Baltimore Oriole, heard. Cormorant.
5/1/2026 Fri after 5pm, with Ivy
Oakland Lake
Great Horned Owl, 2 owlets (fledged) and their mother.
Eastern Warbling Vireo (heard). Baltimore Oriole (Ivy saw).
4/26/2026 Sun, with Ivy
Massapequa Preserve (GPS
address: 510 Parkside Blvd, Massapequa, NY 11758) & Overlook
Beach (Babylon Kite Festival)
A lot of Swan. Osprey. Cormorant.
Mallard. American Black Duck. Gull.
Chipmunk.
太乙真人 Kite.
Photo:
Swan, flying -
Kite - 太乙真人
Note:
<1> The Babylon Kite Festival, held annually at Overlook Beach, is
considered the largest regional kite festival on Long Island, with recent
attendance estimated between 14,000 and 16,000 guests.
<2> 4/25/2026 Sat, with Winnie and Ivy, light rain
BBG
Peony - 牡丹 Tree Peony
Syringa - 丁香
Note:
<1> Syringa vulgaris, the lilac or common lilac, is a species of
flowering plant in the olive family, Oleaceae.
欧丁香（学名：Syringa vulgaris），又稱丁香、洋丁香，是木犀科丁香属的一个种，原产东南欧。
<2> Syringa × hyacinthiflora 'Vauban' is an early-blooming, hardy
French hybrid lilac introduced by Victor Lemoine in 1913. It is
characterized by fragrant, double, pinkish-lilac flowers that bloom 1–2
weeks before common lilacs. This vigorous, deciduous shrub features
heart-shaped foliage and offers exceptional cold hardiness down to -35C
(-31F). Bloom Time: Early spring, appearing before Syringa vulgaris
varieties. 4/18/2026 Sat, with Winnie (Ivy leave early)
BBG & Green-Wood Cemetery Green-House
'KanZen' Cherry 关山樱
Fringed Tulips.
Two-tone tulips feature striking, contrasting colors on their petals, often
including varieties like red-and-white Candy Apple Delight, yellow-and-red
Helmar, or purple-and-white Flaming Flag. These bi-color blooms enhance
garden borders, containers, and floral arrangements, with many blooming in
mid-to-late spring and thriving in full sun to partial shade.
Notes:
<1> 初春攝影好去處－香港長洲櫻花
<2>
纽约市四月中旬出现罕见春季高温，美国国家气象局资料显示，纽约中央公园4月15日最高气温达90华氏度（约32.2摄氏度），打破1941年4月15日87华氏度（约
30.6摄氏度）的同期纪录。这波热浪不仅来得早，持续时间在四月更属少见，纽约、费城与华府等东岸大城市都面临破纪录的高温压力。
高温之下，市内的晚樱花况也明显推进。4月15日下午，记者走访曼哈顿杰克逊广场公园（Jackson Square Park）与联合广场（Union
Square）时观察到，多株关山樱（Kanzan）已呈盛放状态，浓密重瓣花团层层叠叠，枝头几乎被粉红色花朵覆满，吸引不少市民停步拍照。由于关山樱本属较晚开的八重
樱品种，在纽约街头于4月中旬便见明显盛放，也让今年春天的暖意更显突出。
依据过往开花情况，双瓣关山樱通常在四月底至五月初开花，今年提早开放，或与短期高温推动有关。
<3> The Prunus subhirtella 'Autumnalis', commonly known as the autumn
or winter-flowering cherry, is a unique ornamental tree prized for its
ability to bloom in flushes from late fall through early spring, as well as
its main display in the spring.
十月櫻（Prunus × subhirtella
'Autumnalis'）是一種珍貴的秋季開花櫻花，以「一年兩度開花」著稱，分別在10-12月（秋花）和3-4月（春花）綻放。它是江戶彼岸櫻與豆櫻的雜交後代，多
為複瓣，花色白中帶粉，花朵輕巧秀麗.
<4> The Fudan-zakura (不断桜) is a rare Japanese Sato-zakura cherry tree
(Prunus serrulata) known for its unique "everblooming" characteristic,
producing small, single white flowers from late autumn through spring.
"Fudan" means uninterrupted or everblooming, referring to its long blooming
period.
不断桜 - 指的是不分季節皆會綻放的櫻花品種，或是指那種花期綿長、從冬季一直持續盛開至春季的櫻花。
<5> 京都 魚山大原寺 実光院
複段櫻 / 不断桜
－原理覺院庭內有一棵樹齡超過百年的櫻花樹，名為複段櫻。這棵櫻花樹於十月初開花，十一月中旬達到秋季盛花期。冬季，花期減緩，花量減少，但仍會繼續零星開
放，於四月初再次迎來春季盛花期。由於它從十月一直持續到隔年四月，因此秋季可以同時欣賞到秋葉和櫻花，冬季可以同時欣賞到雪景和櫻花，春季則可以同時欣賞到杜鵑花和櫻
花。wiki
(translate to Chinese)
原理覺院庭園－以池塘為中心的漫步庭園，位於客棧西側。庭園原為利覺院所有，後來經歷任住持修復。庭園為開放式，種植低矮樹木，以藉景金比羅山和大塩山的景色。園
內種植了許多野生植物，使遊客一年四季都能欣賞到美麗的花朵。
Address: 187 Oharashorinincho, Sakyo Ward, Kyoto, 601-1241, Japan
從京都大原巴士站步行11分鐘即可抵達。
<6> Fringed tulips (Crispa tulips) are characterized by serrated,
feathery edges on their petals, blooming in mid-to-late spring. Popular
varieties include the pink-and-white 'Fancy Frills', purple 'Cummins',
yellow 'Helios', and double-flowered 'Queensland', 'Snow Crystal', and
'Brisbane'
<7> Tulipa 'Prinses Irene' is a highly esteemed Triumph tulip
(sometimes classified as a Single Early) famed for its distinct, fragrant,
bright orange petals with a dramatic purple/bronze flame.
Introduced in 1949, this award-winning bulb is reliable for mid-spring,
growing 12-14 inches tall, and is ideal for both garden borders and
containers.
Tulipa 'Prinses Irene'
中文通常称为“谱琳丝·爱娜”郁金香或公主艾琳郁金香。这是一种经典的凯旋型（Triumph）郁金香品种，以其绚丽的橙色花瓣中心带有明显的紫
色火焰纹路而闻名，花期通 常在4月中下旬，高度约40厘米，具有香气 4/11/2026 Sat, whole day with Ivy
Prospect Park & Green-Wood Cemetery
Cowbird (1M+1F, FOS).
FOS: Palm Warbler. Pine Warbler. Blue-headed Vireo?
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher? American Goldfinch. Red-breasted
Nuthatch. Brown Creeper. etc.
Palm Warbler. Pine Warbler. I saw so many of them so I name it
the 411 Incident.
Yellow-rumped Warbler, both M and F. Blue-headed Vireo (not sure,
confused with Blue-gray Gnatcatcher?). American Goldfinch.
Red-breasted Nuthatch. Brown Creeper. Titmouse. Hermit
Thrush. Chipping Sparrow. White-throated Sparrow.
Ruby-crowned Kinglet. Eastern Phoebe. Osprey. Turkey
Vulture. Downy or Hairy Woodpecker. Common Grackle.
Dark-eyed Junco. Red-winged Blackbird. American Crow.
Northern Mockingbird. Monk Parakeet. etc.
Wood Duck.
Albino American Robin.
Belted Kingfisher (heard, seen by Ivy).
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (not sure but Ivy did see it).
Prospect Park: massive Snapping Turtle. Mute Swan is incubating egg.
Note: The Palm Warbler - recognized by its constant tail-bobbing. 4/5/2026 Sun, am to 12:30pm
Point Lookout & Nickerson Beach
Oystercatcher. Black Scoter, a few. Long-tailed Duck.
Piping Plover. Sanderling. Horned Grebe. Gull. Loon,
Common Loon? Purple Sandpiper (4). Brant. 4/4/2026 Sat, pm with Winnie, Terri and Candy
BBG
水仙屬（学名：Narcissus）- Daffodil is its common name.
Yoshino Cherry (染井吉野樱) - wiki
染井吉野櫻在1902年被引進到北美洲及歐洲，在華盛頓特區等地都有著廣泛的種植。
Magnolia 木蘭屬 - Magnolia stellata, the star magnolia (星花木蘭, 又名日本毛木蘭),
is a slow-growing deciduous shrub or small tree native to Japan.
星花蘭木的原產地為日本，因為開花的時間開得比較早，所以被視為春天的開始.
Saucer Magnolia 二喬木蘭（學名：Magnolia × soulangeana）是
木蘭科木蘭屬的植物，分布於中國大陸的廣州、杭州、昆明等地，是由玉蘭（Magnolia denudata）和紫玉蘭（Magnolia
liliiflora）自然雜交得到，花朵顏色介於兩親本之間，花被片外面上端為白色，基部呈紫色，花內面白色。3種玉蘭的組織培養實驗表明二喬木蘭
是再生能力最強的，由此可以看出二喬木蘭是易於栽培的木蘭。花期為2~3月。
3/29/2026 Sun, whole day with Ivy
Millville WaterFalls (671-601, Sharp St, Millville, NJ 08332), or called
Union Lake Dam.
Four Ospreys catch more than 20 fishes. Ivy saw one Bald Eagle.
No Cormorant is in the water; but a couple of Cormorant fly by.
One Osprey catches 2 fishes at a single dive with its talons (claws).
Note: Millville WaterFalls is next to Union Lake. Union Lake in
Millville, Cumberland County, is the largest lake in South Jersey at nearly
900 acres, surrounded by the 5,200-acre Union Lake Wildlife Management Area
(WMA). 3/26/2026 Thu
The first time I play Squash twice a week. 3/23 Mon & 3/26 Thu. 3/22/2026 Sun, whole day with Ivy
Marsha P. Johnson State Park. GPS address: 90 Kent Ave, Brooklyn, NY
11249.
Lifer: Trumpeter Swan 喇叭天鵝
TRUMPETER SWAN continues along the Brooklyn shore of the East River. "Today,
it was present with its accompanying Mute Swan for much of the day around
the North 5th Street Pier and Park. These birds have frequented this section
of the East River north of the Williamsburg Bridge for much of the week and
seem to be comfortable there."
This marks the first recorded sighting of a Trumpeter Swan in New York City,
according to experts.
Info from a birder: Tundra Swan at Moravian Cemetery, 2205 Richmond Rd,
Staten Island, NY 10306. 3/21/2026 Sat, am / pm
Kissena Park / Baisley Pond Park & JBWR
Kissena Park: Common Merganser, 1F. Still have 3 Ring-billed
Gulls. Don't see the Silver Appleyard.
Baisley Pond Park: Redhead. Ring-necked Duck. American
Wigeon. Gadwall. Coot. Monk Parakeet. etc.
JBWR: Spring Peeper, very loud. Ruddy Duck. Greater Scaup.
Red-breasted Merganser. Brant. Snow Goose. Yellow-rumped
Warbler. Double-crested Cormorant. RWBB. etc. Don't
see any Osprey. 3/14/2026 Sat, am
Baisley Pond Park
Redhead, today they are quite close to the "shore" of the pond.
Ring-necked Duck. American Wigeon. Gadwall. Northern
Shoveler. Coot. Monk Parakeet. Titmouse. Blue
Jay. RWBB. Mourning Dove. White-throated Sparrow.
Double-crested Cormorant. American Crow. European
Starling. Cardinal. etc. Photo:
Redhead - <1>3/8/2026 Sun, am until 12:30pm
Jones Beach West End
Common Eider, M+F. Black Scoter. Sanderling. Dunlin,
5000+, I guess, really a lot. Killdeer (1). Grebe, Horned Grebe? 3/7/2026 Sat, am Drizzling / pm
Oakland Lake / Kissena Park
Oakland:
Pied-billed Grebe. American Coot. Red-throated Loon (1).
Canada Goose. Mute Swan (2). Ring-billed Gull. Blue
Jay. Cardinal. White-throated Sparrow. Red-winged
Blackbird (heard, not sure).
Wood Duck (20+) with the silver-mutated one. Northern Shoveler.
Gadwall. Mallard. Ring-necked Duck. Lesser Scaup.
Hooded Merganser. Ruddy Duck.
Kissena:
Common Merganser (2M+3F). Mallard (1) (domestic type or hybrid with
domestic type). Ring-necked Duck. Wood Duck. Northern
Shoveler. Mallard. American Black Duck.
Canada Goose. Mute Swan. Ring-billed Gull. Photo:
Red-throated Loon -
Silver-mutated Wood Duck -
Wood Duck -
Ring-necked Duck -
Common Merganser -
Silver Appleyard -
Note:
<1> The domesticated duck at Kissena Park -
Apparently the Silver Appleyard is a domesticated duck
from the UK and some were brought to the US where they are
also farm grown. More about them at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_Appleyard
They are a rather attractive duck slightly larger than a
mallard and this one is a female.
<2> Log about the Silver Appleyard at Kissena Park - Silver
Appleyard duck - Nature & Wildlife - Photography - FM Forums2/21/2026 Sat with Ivy & Terri
Jones Beach West End and Coney Island Beach
Jones: Common Eider, M+F. Black Scoter. Long-tailed Duck,
a lot. Sanderling. Dunlin, 5000+. Purple Sandpiper.
Northern Harrier.
Coney: Greater Scaup, Black Scoter (quite a lot, a birder's estimate -
150+), Surf Scoter, Common Loon, Horned Grebe.
2/14/2026 Sat World's Fair Marina
Ice is all over the water at the coast.
From AI:
Extensive ice coverage is impacting marinas and waterways across the NYC and
Jersey Shore area as of mid-February 2026, following a deep freeze.
The thick, floating ice has caused significant, dangerous conditions,
suspending ferry services, forcing the U.S. Coast Guard to conduct
ice-breaking operations, and threatening marina infrastructure with damage
from ice buildup on docks and pilings. Reported on
2/1/2026 Sunday:
New York City is poised to endure its longest deep freeze
in 65 years if the frigid forecasts hold through next
weekend, according to experts.
The Big Apple is expected to have shivered at 32 degrees
or below for 15 days straight by the time the cold is
likely to break next Saturday, Feb. 7 – the longest
extreme cold snap the Big Apple has seen in well over half
a century, AccuWeather meteorologists told The Post on
Sunday.
2/2/2026 Mon 5:30am
First time to see Regulus 轩辕十四（α
Leo /狮子座α）. It is next to the Moon (in full moon -
99.6%).
A lunar occultation of the star Regulus is occurring on
Monday night, Feb. 2, 2026, where the Moon passes in front
of the "Heart of the Lion" in the Leo constellation. For
locations like New York, the star disappears around 8:51
p.m. and reappears around 9:54 p.m. EST, visible with the
naked eye or binoculars.
位于狮子座心脏位置的蓝白色恒星轩辕十四，是夜空中最明亮的恒星之一。
2026
年2月3日：轩辕十四伴月；月掩轩辕十四
掩星开始：01:43 GMT（北京时间09:43）= EST:
February 2, 20:43 (8:43 PM)
轩辕十四是最靠近黄道的一颗亮星，因此不仅经常会被月球掩蔽，偶尔还会很罕见的被水星、金星和小行星掩蔽。轩辕十四上一次被行星掩蔽是在1959年7月7日，下一次将在
2044年10月1日，而且这两次都是被金星掩蔽。由于轨道交点的位置，在未来的数千年内都不会被其它的行星掩蔽。
2/1/2026 Sun - events coming:
- 2/2 Mon - Alex Eala first match at 2026 Abu Dhabi Open
- 2/6 Fri Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony
- China: featuring stars
like Eileen Gu 谷爱凌 (freestyle skiing), Su Yiming
(snowboarding), and pairs figure skaters Sui Wenjing and
Han Cong.
- Biathlon: On the women's
side, the retirements of Marte Olsbu Røiseland (five
medals at Beijing 2022, including three golds) and Denise
Herrmann (15km gold medallist at Beijing 2022) mean we
could see new Olympic champions crowned in the sprint,
pursuit, and individual events.
- 2/8 Sun Super Bowl [January
22, 2026 Thu]
New York City is gearing up for a significant snowstorm
this weekend. A Winter Storm Watch is in effect.
If, as some forecasts project, the city gets more than a
foot of snow, it will be the first time the city has seen
that much since February of 2021.
[January
25, 2026 Sun]
The monster winter storm impacting the United States in
late January 2026 is named Winter Storm Fern. This
significant system, developing around January 23-26, 2026,
stretches from the Southern Rockies to New England,
bringing heavy snow, ice, and dangerously cold
temperatures.
A foot or more of snow could blanket the NYC area today
into Monday, as much of the U.S. faces a crippling winter
storm. Parts of the tri-state area, like Poughkeepsie,
could see 18+ inches.
Snowfall rates could reach 2 inches an hour at times.
Travel may be nearly impossible, with near-blizzard
conditions expected at times, minus the wind. 1/10/2025 (Sat) 7:30-8:30am
World's Fair Marina (more than 2 years not visited)
Best route to see as many as ducks in one day:
Willow Lake - Common Merganser
World's Fair Marina [via GCP] - Canvasback. Ruddy
Duck. Bufflehead. Scaup. Kissena
Park - Wood Duck Baisley
Pond Park - Redhead. Ring-necked
Duck. American Wigeon.
Gadwall. Muscovy Duck.
If no Redhead, then Alley Pond Park Restoration Pond Point Lookout & Nickerson Beach - Harlequin
Duck. Common Eider. Long-tailed
Duck. Scoter.
Jones Beach
- Red-breasted Merganser. Common
Eider. Long-tailed
Duck. Scoter.
Cammanns Pond County Park (optional)
- Hooded Merganser
Breezy Point - Common Eider. Long-tailed
Duck. Scoter. Dead
Horse Bay (optional) - Red-breasted Merganser Shirley
Chisholm SP - Marine
Park Salt Marsh
Nature Trail -
Target: 20+
Where to find:
Eurasian Wigeon -
Northern Pintail - visit Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
(Queens), Central Park Reservoir, Alley Pond Park
(Oakland Lake), or Prospect Park (Brooklyn). And
Inwood Hill Park, Shirley Chisholm SP (Brooklyn),
Marine Park Salt Marsh Nature Trail (Brooklyn), etc.
Green-winged Teal - Shirley
Chisholm SP (Brooklyn) Muscovy
Duck - Common
Goldeneye -
Note: <1> Ducks are incredibly fast in level flight, especially for
sustained migration, often faster than many hawks' normal flight. However,
hawks, particularly falcons, achieve significantly higher burst speeds
during dives, far surpassing any duck's capabilities.
Duck
Flight Speeds:
Fastest
Ducks:Diving ducks like the Red-breasted
Merganser andCanvasbackcan
reach 70-80 mph (over 100 km/h) in level flight, with some reports up
to 81 mph (130 km/h).
Typical
Ducks:Many ducks average 40-60 mph
during migration, with mallards hitting 50 mph or more.
Reason
for Speed:Strong chest muscles help some
ducks power through water and air quickly.
<2>
Birds
with strong chest muscles includehummingbirds,birds
of prey (falcons, eagles, owls),pigeons,
andpheasants/grouse,
all adapted for powerful flight or quick escapes, with hummingbirds having
massive pectoral muscles for hovering, raptors for powerful dives, and
ground birds for explosive take-offs, featuring largepectoralis(downstroke)
andsupracoracoideus(upstroke)
muscles attached to a prominentkeeled
sternum.
Examples
& Adaptations:
Hummingbirds:Have
pectoral muscles making up a huge percentage of their body mass
(around 30%) for hovering flight, requiring rigid bones for support.
Birds
of Prey (Raptors):Falcons, eagles (like
the Harpy Eagle), and owls possess large, powerful chest muscles for
swift dives and carrying heavy prey.
Pigeons
& Doves:Have significant pectoralis
muscles for powerful downstrokes, propelling them forward, making up
20-32% of their body weight.
Pheasants
& Grouse (松雞):Feature powerful
"white meat" breast muscles for explosive, near-vertical take-offs to
escape predators.
1/9/2025 (Fri) 7:30-8:30am
Willow Lake
Common Merganser, many M and F. Hooded
Merganser. Bufflehead. etc.
Rusty Blackbird. Carolina Wren.
Cardinal. Robin.
