Last Thursday and Friday I kayaked in Sunken Meadow State Park. There were many cool birds to check out. I found this pair of American Oystercatchers on both days. I’ve seen these birds from afar on the south shore. This was the first time I’ve seen them up close. In flight and from any distance these birds are very elegant, but when you get a good look at those eyes they start to look a bit silly. Just one man’s opinion. JK
Sunday, June 1, 2008
This past Wednesday morning I took a stroll through David Weld Sanctuary. I made two very cool finds at the pond. The first was a Green Frog. I had heard some the day before but hadn’t been able to locate any. As I was sitting on my haunches scanning the opposite bank, which was sunlit, for frogs I looked down and in the water right next to me was the guy (or lady, I didn’t ask) in the pic above.
After snapping pics of the frog, I started looking around to see what else might be in the vicinity. That was when I found this Eastern Box Turtle taking his morning bath. He was out about four feet from the bank. Now, I know that despite appearances, Box Turtles can swim and this is a shallow pond, but I never would have been looking for one in the pond. I was sitting there for at least ten minutes with that turtle just five feet away from me and I didn’t see him till I started really scanning the water. I could claim that I was just engrossed in my photography – my art, my passion – but the truth is that I am just plain blind. Most of the time. JK
Friday, May 30, 2008
I took hike through David Weld Sanctuary on Saturday morning and got these shots of a pair of Baltimore Orioles. The male is pictured above. These really are birds that that make you say “Wow”.
This is Mrs. Baltimore Oriole. She doesn’t have the brilliant coloration that her mate sports but she is still quite pretty in her own right, even when she’s a bit upset. She was hopping from branch to branch and calling me rude names because she felt I might have designs on her nest, which was hanging about twenty feet above my head. She needn’t worry. I just wanted the pics. JK
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
I went out on the river for a few hours on Saturday. It was pretty busy out there because of Memorial Day weekend. Lots of boats. But there are places on the river that many powerboats cannot get into. I found this Black-crowned Night Heron in a part of the river that is very shallow even at high tide. Only very rarely do I find these birds at the water as they tend to be nocturnal. I usually find them roosting in trees along the Nissequogue River State Park. I take shots of them there but since these guys tend to be hidden in the shadows you don’t always get to see those big red eyes. Looks like he’s been out all night. But then, well, he is a night heron.
While I was out there I also saw several Horseshoe Crabs. Not lots, around twenty or so. They were all paired up with the exception of one female. Playing hard to get, I guess. JK
Monday, May 26, 2008
I am not a birder but I do have field guides and they do come in handy. Generally, when I see a yellow bird I think Tweety. Blame it on a classical education. Then, when I get the song “Canary in a Coal Mine” out of my head, I start to think warblers. Not because I’m any kind of expert but because while flipping through my field guides, I’ve noticed that a lot of warblers are yellow. So, the warbler section was my first stop when I started seeing these little guys at David Weld Sanctuary.
I’m fairy certain that this is a male Yellow Warbler. Very pretty little birds. I love the reddish streaks on its chest. What a fashion statement. It really makes the bird. He should do something about those beady eyes, though.
There are at least two other species of yellow birds that I see at David Weld. A good friend of mine identified one as a Goldfinch. The other bird I’ve been seeing is, I think, a Common Yellowthroat. If I come up with any decent shots of either mystery bird I’ll post them. Meanwhile, here’s another pic of a Yellow Warbler that I took about three weeks ago. JK
