Category Archives: Birds

A Most Unusual Duck

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Sunday, November 13, 2016,

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This rather odd looking duck with the ginormous bill is called a Northern Shoveler. It gets its name from that spectacular beak. That bill works as a sieve to filter plants, seeds, and small crustaceans from the water. That’s a pretty cool adaptation.

I took this pic yesterday during a Four Harbors Audubon walk at Frank Melville Memorial Park in Setauket. It’s a great park. There are many species that overwinter here. Lots of ducks that we don’t get to see during the summer. You might want to check it out. JK

Bluebirds at Avalon

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Thursday, March 10, 2016,

20160308111413-5x7wThis is a pair of prospective home buyers I saw at Avalon. This is a big deal to some people, most of them birders. Despite being New York State’s official bird, Eastern Bluebirds can be hard to come by here on Long Island. Habitat loss and competition for nesting space are two of the main culprits. Avalon has been trying to entice Bluebirds to nest here for over a decade. Bluebirds have been sighted over the years and in 2013 a pair started a nest but it didn’t take. Sigh. Let’s hope that these two decide to make a home here.

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