Monthly Archives: May 2008

Meet the Baltimore Orioles

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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

Black-crowned Night Heron

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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

I Am Not A Birder #2

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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

Baltimore Oriole

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Thursday, May 22, 2008

After hiking early yesterday I took a short trip – two hours – in the kayak. I didn’t go far. I just putted around the north end of the river. Weather.com was calling for some afternoon storms and it seemed prudent not to go far. Luckily, I didn’t have to.

Right next to the King’s Park Yacht Club I saw this guy chowing down on some tent caterpillars. In the top shot you can see one of the hapless fellows at our hero’s left foot. Yum, yum. I’m nearly positive that he’s a young male Baltimore Oriole. It first I was uncertain but a photo in my Kaufman’s clinched it for me. It’s not my favorite field guide but it came through for me today. JK

Yet Another Ring-necked Pheasant

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Thursday, May 22, 2008

Click for a larger view.

Yesterday was a busy day. In the morning I took an early hike through David Weld Sanctuary before going kayaking later on. The grounds were still very wet from the morning dew and the rains that we had the day before. I was soaked from the knees down in no time. I saw several rabbits with ticks – it must be a bad year for the little buggers – and I was graced with another Ring-necked Pheasant sighting. This guy was strutting and calling from a large rock that is just off one of the main paths. I got a couple of decent shots. I should have gotten more and better ones at that but that’s how it goes. He would only call when I would duck down out of sight so I was unable to get a shot of him crowing but I could hear a great deal of wing flapping as he called. I’d like to know what’s going on there. In my mind’s eye he’s doing a King Kong across his chest. Maybe, if I try hard enough and long enough, and eat all my veggies, I’ll manage to get that magic shot. Don’t hold your breath. JK