tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46625442490364851852024-03-12T21:03:23.407-04:00Welcome to. . .LeOrmandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11642522318831226444noreply@blogger.comBlogger178125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4662544249036485185.post-24800361192456440702015-04-19T09:32:00.001-04:002015-04-19T09:32:52.470-04:00Plenty of Osprey - and some Eagle Action<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The Osprey were out in full force yesterday - I witnessed a pair (from an unknown nest location) mating - the male was nice enough to bring a fresh fish later as well. The birds on the nest on the banks of the creek shared a fish and flew to their favorite snag across the way to enjoy, while an interloper Osprey came and harassed the established pairs. For the most part - the Adult BE was sitting in the nest (not as noticeable as the subadult usually is) with the other bird sitting on a nearby tree, preening. <br />
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For awhile, the subadult disappeared - we saw a brief chase by an osprey from a nest probably 1 mile to the north, then the bird was gone again. While waiting for something to happen, one of the Ospreys on the snag across the creek started chirping and took off like a rocket in our direction - we turned around and as expected, the sub-adult was on its way back and the Osprey wasn't having it. After making its presence known, the Subadult called a few times (as seen in one of the images) and then landed on a tree nearby the nest and well, that was about it.<br />
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When Osprey had fish in the area, the subadult wasn't around so there were no chases for food to be seen. The Eagles were also quite tolerant of a couple boats that passed by - not even acknowledging the noise from the boats (or those working on boats nearby). At one point, another couple came with their cameras, took a few shots and left. The most interesting thing we saw was one one of the osprey was eating its fish - a crow landed in the tree, one branch beneath and called incessantly, apparently begging for scraps but the Osprey kept on eating, not even bothering to move or chirp at the intruder. <br />
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I hope to get there today - but there of course are no guarantees. In a week I'll be off on vacation - so I may not be down to check out the Eagles for some time. Lucky for me, I'll be going to a place that has the highest concentration of Bald Eagles in the lower 48 - <a amzn-ps-bm-asin="1742201369" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="c5fff3ed26ed9dd04b3cd8a96b1adf45" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="Seattle" href="http://www.amazon.com/Lonely-Planet-Seattle-Travel-Guide/dp/1742201369/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=birdso01-20&linkId=c5fff3ed26ed9dd04b3cd8a96b1adf45&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_6933068" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Seattle</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_6933068" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=birdso01-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=c5fff3ed26ed9dd04b3cd8a96b1adf45&_cb=1429403116928" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" /> and the <a amzn-ps-bm-asin="1594856850" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="9ca1b04afd89f840d5fd7d23266b31ae" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="San Juan Islands!" href="http://www.amazon.com/Kayaking-Puget-Sound-Juan-Islands/dp/1594856850/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=birdso01-20&linkId=9ca1b04afd89f840d5fd7d23266b31ae&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_8085269" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">San Juan Islands!</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_8085269" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=birdso01-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=9ca1b04afd89f840d5fd7d23266b31ae&_cb=1429403105420" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" /> I'm very much looking forward to it, and can't wait to see these birds in numbers, instead of number 1 and number 2.<br />
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<br />LeOrmandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11642522318831226444noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4662544249036485185.post-38481869738644144882015-04-16T21:53:00.001-04:002015-04-16T21:53:29.202-04:00EPCAL - A letter to the Riverhead Town BoardFor those of you who subscribe to the NY Bird Listserv - you will have seen a disturbing post by a well respected member of the community. The past president of ELIAS (and a few others) were harassed by Town Police and given a warning for "trespassing" on the western runway - a vacant runway that has been used by the general public for at least a decade and is the gateway to some of the best wildlife viewing on the island. After hearing of this absurd response by the Town, I drafted and sent the following letter to members of the Town Board and the Supervisor of the Town of Riverhead. I urge all of you do draft your own letters and do the same - please contact me or leave a comment if you have any questions or want to know how to contact these elected officials who have decided that PUBLIC LAND is no longer accessible to members of the public.<br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">April 16, 2015</span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-08e5faa3-c513-3463-57cd-a1ddcc131d39" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Dear Supervisor Walter and Honorable Council People,</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A distinguished member of the birding community and past president of the Eastern Long Island Audubon Society (ELIAS) posted a message about her experience at EPCAL on the New York Birding listserv today. The message stated that while she and two others were birding the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">western</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> runway at EPCAL, four (4) police vehicles with a total of five (5) officers showed up and informed the birders that they were trespassing and that the runway was under constant surveillance. After the officers took everyone’s personal information and issued them a warning, they were told </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">if they were caught offending again that they would be jailed</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. While walking is permitted in the adjacent grassland areas, the birders were told they cannot drive or walk on the concrete runway.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This response by the police department is unconscionable. To threaten members of the community </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">with the prospect of jail</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> for driving their vehicles at a safe and responsible speed on an abandoned runway as they enjoy the sights and sounds of nature runs counter to everything local government should stand for. As an environmental analyst for the Town of Brookhaven (and avid wildlife photographer), I understand the importance of nature, open spaces and encouraging the public to interact with our natural resources. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I personally have visited EPCAL countless times over the past six (6) years and have cherished every moment of it, knowing one day it will be altered by development. I have witnessed short-eared owls hunting at dusk, seen red-tailed hawks soar high above, watched as American Kestrels descend on the property during spring and fall migrations resulting in concentrations of this grassland dependent bird that cannot be found anywhere else on the island. Discovering a family of fox and their adorable kits was one of my greatest joys I’ve ever had as a nature photographer and listening to the call of the Eastern Meadowlark is one of the truest signs of spring. These experiences have all been made possible by my ability to traverse the runways in my vehicle in a safe and responsible manner. In all of my trips to EPCAL I have only once witnessed a vehicle driving at excessive speeds, but on nearly every trip I have enjoyed the beauty that these grasslands offer.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Instead of driving members of the public away (many of them Riverhead Town taxpayers) with big concrete barriers and threats of jail time (for birding!), the Town of Riverhead should be encouraging people to come to EPCAL and enjoy all that it has to offer. The Town is proud of their efforts to construct a pathway around the border of the property to be used by bikers and joggers alike, but wishes to punish those who want to drive the runways in search of birds, fox, groundhogs and deer. While it may be easy for some like myself to walk long distances with heavy equipment, there are many others in our community who are not as mobile - nevermind the very real threat that ticks pose to anyone walking in the grasslands. Driving is easier, safer and allows visitors to see significantly more wildlife. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It is my hope that the Town of Riverhead can find a happy balance. Permit vehicles on the western runway from dawn to dusk. The Town can post speed limit signs and Town police can routinely patrol the area and go after people who are acting in an unsafe manner. I can assure you that everyone who visits the area would be happy to pay a nominal fee for a runway access permit (with strict guidelines regarding hours, speed, etc.). If anything, whatever “policy” the Town has chosen for access to the runways should be clarified to the general public. It is clear that the barriers as installed have not been effective and I can attest that the policies for access have changed many times over the past half decade with no rhyme or reason. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I ask you, the stewards of Riverhead Town, to please reconsider the policies regarding access to the Western Runway. Myself and others (particularly members of ELIAS) would be happy to work with you to craft a policy that meets everyone’s interests. I have attached some of my favorite images from EPCAL taken over the years for you to all enjoy and I ask that you reconsider. These grasslands are a special resource in your Town and we all know that the land will one day likely be developed - please let myself and others enjoy all it has to offer while it lasts. Thank you for your time and consideration and I look forward to your responses. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sincerely,</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Luke Ormand</span></div>
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LeOrmandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11642522318831226444noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4662544249036485185.post-20889409011161440412015-04-15T20:59:00.002-04:002015-04-15T20:59:22.011-04:00Bald Eagle Update and a noisy warbler<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHvi5q1IT7HlIJk0Gt-ILPpS5YGryY9YHPSjXVmJre60ee7RPPcJF-RPdtRYUqc6o3_7ulirLvcK9ZD-PyQfA8ABP1aKCiMArtZ-BDxiXKm5oSQNLLLUaEVfRbrqHSSzLx3oMwc5qoTp2C/s1600/Eagle+on+Snag+in+Marsh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHvi5q1IT7HlIJk0Gt-ILPpS5YGryY9YHPSjXVmJre60ee7RPPcJF-RPdtRYUqc6o3_7ulirLvcK9ZD-PyQfA8ABP1aKCiMArtZ-BDxiXKm5oSQNLLLUaEVfRbrqHSSzLx3oMwc5qoTp2C/s1600/Eagle+on+Snag+in+Marsh.jpg" height="444" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One day you'll be closer... or I'll be in a kayak</td></tr>
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Around noon today I found myself in Robert Cushman County Park in Manorville conducting a baseline inspection for a proposed project nearby. It was a brief hike in the woods (and I managed a few ticks on my jeans) but Pine Warblers were singing in good numbers.... lighting was well, less than ideal, but I can illustrate the difference between the female (drab) and male (brightly colored) with these photos:<br />
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After work I took advantage of the nice weather and headed down to the Bald Eagle nest - but to my disappointment the Adult was once again very far away - perched on the washed up tree, just like last weekend. The Osprey were both on the nest - but after another osprey passed with a fish (see below) and the male pursued lazily after it, the female headed across the river to a favored perch where the Male joined it for a little preening. A scan back to the Bald Eagle and I found it was missing - only to locate it far far up in the sky hunting over the bay. Oh well, maybe this weekend!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF3ISibI6EAUnaKcWJrgjDnEvdkVso6r9bcUNr6_H1eZGLzJUTNKBaiPEK-nclmIixsca69iBR_6-EwyMEmb8xxQiul_rKdXTXZKhGZKAigCkGcoXOxiBgZTR94wQt2zvXaZOSYRamBWFo/s1600/Osprey+with+Flounder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF3ISibI6EAUnaKcWJrgjDnEvdkVso6r9bcUNr6_H1eZGLzJUTNKBaiPEK-nclmIixsca69iBR_6-EwyMEmb8xxQiul_rKdXTXZKhGZKAigCkGcoXOxiBgZTR94wQt2zvXaZOSYRamBWFo/s1600/Osprey+with+Flounder.jpg" height="500" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Osprey with a flounder that appears to have had its head bitten off</td></tr>
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LeOrmandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11642522318831226444noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4662544249036485185.post-24000501479079799722015-04-12T22:10:00.001-04:002015-04-12T22:10:09.030-04:00Osprey Turf Battle<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOwh8D6HdXDFfCSqgppi1cCBI9qhP02bttkcItpmRBQzKAcvolkRzKeV6IEVjuadU4YGSRnCRFwS-VBwKU5Pd8hHBFa2z-3B1m8KZ6zMiT8c35hbN5lAm_2grPcQk5vs1CtfWxLlFEWrIq/s1600/Ospreys+on+Nest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOwh8D6HdXDFfCSqgppi1cCBI9qhP02bttkcItpmRBQzKAcvolkRzKeV6IEVjuadU4YGSRnCRFwS-VBwKU5Pd8hHBFa2z-3B1m8KZ6zMiT8c35hbN5lAm_2grPcQk5vs1CtfWxLlFEWrIq/s1600/Ospreys+on+Nest.jpg" height="456" width="640" /></a></div>
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On Saturday my wife and I visited the Eagle/Osprey nest along the south shore. Once we arrived, my wife quickly spotted the adult BE <i>very</i> far way with her <a amzn-ps-bm-asin="B00BD54PU2" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="3b6b8dd149f6c31e130eea1d3683154d" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="nikon prostaff binoculars 10x50" href="http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-7573-PROSTAFF-12X50-Binocular/dp/B00BD54PU2/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=birdso01-20&linkId=3b6b8dd149f6c31e130eea1d3683154d&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_9054565" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Nikon Binoculars</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_9054565" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=birdso01-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=3b6b8dd149f6c31e130eea1d3683154d&_cb=1428887682483" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" />. Based on measurements on Google Earth, the adult was about 1,500 feet away and basically invisible to the naked eye. The perch it chose was an uprooted tree that had drifted its way to the marsh over winter - a nice place to hangout during the day and avoid the punishing winds whipping out from the west. We hung around for about an hour watching and waiting... waiting and watching but all the while the Eagle stayed put, far far away. A couple boats passed by (including a SC Police Boat) but the bird didn't put up (or flinch). Some crows and even a close pass by an Osprey failed to get the Eagle to move. It seems as though the Bald Eagle is quite secure in his territory and superior size and is not overly concerned with defending anything other than its nest (or free food). <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirUoS80JJ_v5WqMr7KP2-_TwSbukaMfFoAPxON6dWyLu3rNQY4xV1yJZYiKaQ_gQs0mHHeiIcwKWmqxG-5b2RFjYBt7rCGAn8pXzCpCqc0nIGZ4w8atFvKnl8WqpFAqyRQFHIytsDkoSh8/s1600/BE+on+tree+marsh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirUoS80JJ_v5WqMr7KP2-_TwSbukaMfFoAPxON6dWyLu3rNQY4xV1yJZYiKaQ_gQs0mHHeiIcwKWmqxG-5b2RFjYBt7rCGAn8pXzCpCqc0nIGZ4w8atFvKnl8WqpFAqyRQFHIytsDkoSh8/s1600/BE+on+tree+marsh.jpg" height="350" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUEaecOo9nLaPBunQ5Hmwct1lip9yseHtbvziHo2PBYIy9iKU_Ne9i2FD6D-Scm6LNxSVOjfROjySgOUKVB7yMnpJCcohK_ZJjFxcHTrU8rQlQN5YnzMETGBD_0LE7nhAXkjvT4bthFeHc/s1600/BE+and+police+boat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUEaecOo9nLaPBunQ5Hmwct1lip9yseHtbvziHo2PBYIy9iKU_Ne9i2FD6D-Scm6LNxSVOjfROjySgOUKVB7yMnpJCcohK_ZJjFxcHTrU8rQlQN5YnzMETGBD_0LE7nhAXkjvT4bthFeHc/s1600/BE+and+police+boat.jpg" height="440" width="640" /></a></div>
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While the Eagles were overall rather "boring" (especially when you consider my first visit which saw several Osprey chases and a parental care switch), the Osprey made up for it. Even with a scope and binoculars (and an assistant) I had a very difficult time keeping track of who was who and what was what. The female osprey on the nest at the mouth of the creek was very loud - posturing the whole time. I had seen and heard this before (coupled with the mate flying around with a fish, going very high at times) but it didn't really click that maybe it had to do with mating and courtship. When I reviewed the photos and did a bit of googling, it became apparent that what we observed (and what I photographed) was the aerial courtship display known as a "sky-dance" which culminated with the male bringing a fresh fish to his life partner. (You can read more about it here - since it's easier to read than a re-hashed version provided by me: <a href="http://www.newyorkwild.org/osprey/osprey_info.htm">Osprey Information</a>).<br />
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It wasn't until I saw the photos at home that I realized the osprey had brought a <i>whole</i> fish to the nest. When I was observing the various Osprey (including one particularly fun chase) the bird was carrying a half-eaten fish (a very common sight) and I assumed this is what the bird had brought back - but to my surprise it was a nice whole in-tact fish (species unknown). What interests me is that the Bald Eagle seemed to have no interest in bothering this Osprey (that had the fresh fish) or the other osprey with the half eaten fish. Perhaps it was too windy to bother, or the Osprey were too far away, or the Eagle just didn't "notice" but it was interesting to see the male Osprey bring a whole fish to the nest with the Bald eagle in view (albeit nearly a 1/4 mile away). <br />
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Another fun observation was multiple chases between Osprey. One would land on the marsh and hangout for a bit - out of the brunt of the wind - until another bird came in and would goad it into a chase. I believe I counted six (6) different Osprey in the hour that I was there - including one who was making passes at the female on the nest. I'm aware of at least one nest on the south side of the Eagle nest - but not sure of others but clearly they are around. What's really amazing is that even when I moved back to NY (12 years ago) Osprey were not terribly common. Sure there were plenty of occupied nesting platforms - but the thought of so many Osprey fighting for territory with multiple nests in view? That's something new. I can only hope we reach that point with Bald Eagles in the not-so-distant future. <br />
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LeOrmandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11642522318831226444noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4662544249036485185.post-50164430527974171542015-04-12T20:49:00.004-04:002015-04-12T20:49:36.201-04:00Kestrels and Ospreys - They're everywhere! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Around 12:30 my wife and I arrived at EPCAL to do a quick drive through and see what was around and looking for any signs of fox kits. No fox (just a few fat groundhogs) but there were kestrels - everywhere! It's my guess that there were at least 30 on the western runway - meaning at least double that when taking the eastern runway into consideration. There were almost certainly more kestrels to the north at the old radar station and at the cemetery, as these are the other large "grassland" areas around. While Kestrels can be found throughout the year at EPCAL, during migration (spring and fall) the numbers can really swell. <br />
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The problem with Kestrels (at least in these parts) is that they're very skittish and seemingly never stop moving. There are perches for them everywhere (they really love the old common mullien stalks) and I noticed a few butterflies and dragonflies which they surely are feeding on in addition to small birds and rodents. There were plenty of red-tailed hawks as well, though they were very high in the sky. Only saw a handful of Eastern Meadowlarks, and none seemed to be calling out which was a bit disappointing, so with only 1 "decent" shot from EPCAL (despite many attempts) I moved on to Woodhull dam in Riverside which I've heard about in the past but never actually had visited.<br />
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The dam is on an offshoot of the Peconic River as it branches off south toward Wildwood Lake. When the alewife run, they concentrate at this dam in large numbers and make it very easy for the Osprey. As soon as I arrived I could smell fish in the air - and there was someone canoeing/fishing on the other side of the dam - but I couldn't didn't see any fish despite having my polarized <a amzn-ps-bm-asin="B00CTSYXUE" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="a85464f95899ab62567880892dbf8e2f" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="dragon sunglasses polarized" href="http://www.amazon.com/Dragon-Vantage-Floatable-Sunglasses-Polarized/dp/B00CTSYXUE/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=birdso01-20&linkId=a85464f95899ab62567880892dbf8e2f&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_2408647" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">dragon</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_2408647" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=birdso01-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=a85464f95899ab62567880892dbf8e2f&_cb=1428885202390" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" /> sunglasses on. While looking in the water I heard the unmistakeable "chirp" of an osprey, and looked up - sure enough there was a big ol' Osprey staring at me. I actually had to take a step back in order to get the bird completely in the frame (just look at those talons!). The bird couldn't have cared less that I was there and kept cocking its head to look down at the water, just waiting to pounce on an unsuspecting fish. <br />
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Unfortunately for me, the bird wasn't the only one who was really hungry - so I left after a couple minutes (another osprey came by and perched a bit further north, imploring the same tactic). I'd like to come back again in the near future as the very cold winter has kept water temps low and the alewife push hasn't reached its peak yet. <br />
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On the way home we drove down Dune Road in search of the Snowy Owl that had been reported as recently as yesterday, but to no avail. We didn't look to hard but would have been nice to see it regardless. A few egrets were the only birds of note as we packed it in for the day, deciding not to stop and check in on the Bald Eagle as it was getting pretty late in the day. I'm hoping to get out once or twice this week in the evening to take advantage of the warm light and sun that sets a bit later each night.<br />
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<br />LeOrmandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11642522318831226444noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4662544249036485185.post-11781993554955720022015-04-09T20:54:00.001-04:002015-04-09T20:54:45.980-04:00Neighborhood Merlin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A few weeks ago I was out the door a few minutes early on a Friday morning in order to get to a Natural History conference - as I got to a stop sign a block away I saw a small bird on a neighbors snag and turned down that road to get a closer look. Sure enough - a Merlin, and it had prey. I called my wife and asked if she could get my camera bag and bring it to the door to save me from having to go get it... a couple minutes later I was photographing the bird as it consumed what I later determined to be a House Sparrow (non-native/invasive species, so as prey items go this was a great choice!). <br />
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On my way home from the conference it was snowing and I hoped the Merlin would be there - but I wasn't in luck. My wife returned home a few minutes later to report she saw an Osprey nearby so I headed out to try and get a shot of that bird in the snow which certainly would make for an unusual shot. By the time I got to the location the Osprey was gone, but as I returned back home, who was there waiting for me? The Merlin. <br />
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The next morning as I left to go look for birds - I lucked out a 3rd time. There was the Merlin on the same tree and this time the sun was actually shining! What a treat. <br />
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Haven't seen the bird since (it has likely migrated north as they don't breed this far south) but this morning while running near the Swan River I saw two falcons - I'm quite confident they were Peregrines but have only seen them around here once and it's possible they were Merlin. Either way, anytime you get to see a falcon this close (to me AND to my home) it's a real treat.<br />
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<br />LeOrmandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11642522318831226444noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4662544249036485185.post-49598583784912244272015-04-06T21:32:00.000-04:002015-04-06T21:32:00.260-04:00Warm day for some Spring Birds<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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One of the advantages of my job is being able to get out "in the field" every now and then. Today I had to walk a very large site which may potentially be developed as a solar farm as well as check out a piece of Open Space to ensure no dumping has occurred, check on the status of the vegetation and see if I could spot any new species for that location. As a bonus, I was able to go visit the Bald Eagle nest at lunch - though it was probably 10 degrees cooler down by the water!<br />
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The first site wasn't too thrilling - very thick woods. I wasn't expecting to see anything, especially this early in spring but there's always the potential for nesting owls or a fox den, however the habitat isn't quite right for fox (at least where I walked). I did hear one distinct call - a very notable trill but couldn't figure it out. As luck would have it, a friend of mine posted a video on facebook later in the day with audio of the same call, and with the help of others we determined it to be the aptly named <a href="http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pine_Warbler/id">Pine Warbler.</a> Reading this blurb from Cornell's website certainly confirms this is the bird I was hearing:<br />
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<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6000003814697px;">The best way to find Pine Warblers is to narrow them down by habitat and voice. Head for a pine forest in the eastern United States (check a </span><a href="http://ebird.org/ebird/map/pinwar?__hstc=75100365.05bfbcb4a423fe582462b1aca0a96e72.1414368981365.1428157592368.1428366356869.22&__hssc=75100365.5.1428366356869&__hsfp=2094157987" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-color: rgb(227, 210, 180); border-bottom-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; color: #660000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6000003814697px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">range map </a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6000003814697px;">for specifics), and then listen for a clear, steady, trilling song. Chipping Sparrows and </span></i><br />
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<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6000003814697px;"><i style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19.6000003814697px;">Dark-eyed Juncos sound very similar and can occur in the same habitats, so be aware you might find these birds instead. Pine Warblers tend to stay high in pines and can be obscured by tufts of needles, but a bit of patience is likely to be rewarded.</span></i></span></i></div>
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When I got to the second site (AKA lunch spot) I enjoyed a sandwich waterside while observing the osprey on their still shabby looking nest. One of the birds brought some nesting material before disappearing and I could see an Eagle on the nest in the distance. After lunch I observed the Osprey fiddling with some twigs in the nest, adjusting their position. It's really incredible to look at the construction of these things and imagine them being put together by talons and beaks. I spent quite a bit of time scanning the surroundings my new Nikon <a amzn-ps-bm-asin="B0007M6GG8" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="c8bfb58b796a8df0cef1cf2072e19bb2" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="nikon binoculars prostaff" href="http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-ProStaff-10x25-Waterproof-Binocular/dp/B0007M6GG8/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=birdso01-20&linkId=c8bfb58b796a8df0cef1cf2072e19bb2&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_2751506" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">binoculars</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_2751506" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=birdso01-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=c8bfb58b796a8df0cef1cf2072e19bb2&_cb=1428367364254" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" /> - but couldn't locate the "Adult" Eagle anywhere. It was confirmed that it wasn't anywhere near me when another pair of osprey (I believe nesting to the west of the Eagles) soared high in the sky chirping very loudly. If the Adult BE was around it probably would have made its presence known. <br />
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Since the tide was low, I was able to take advantage of a spit of sand that juts out into the creek which was covered with just a couple inches of water. My new waterproof <a amzn-ps-bm-asin="B008JFB944" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="101df3f323b53ff47864220684734b54" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="Salamon hiking shoes" href="http://www.amazon.com/Salomon-Eskape-Hiking-Asphalt-Aluminum/dp/B008JFB944/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=birdso01-20&linkId=101df3f323b53ff47864220684734b54&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_1109055" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Salamon hiking shoes</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_1109055" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=birdso01-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=101df3f323b53ff47864220684734b54&_cb=1428367412282" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" /> (which I bought for an upcoming trip) worked as advertised - submerged in about 3 inches of water and not a drop on the inside. So much better than lugging some overshoes or wading boots around... As I scanned the marsh again (where I saw the <a href="http://birdsoflongisland.blogspot.com/2015/04/cold-and-wet-observation-nesting-eagles.html">Eagle on Friday</a>) I watched as 4 Great Blue Herons landed. I thought this to be odd, because aside from maybe seeing two together in a marsh, I'd never seen these birds together (especially not flying together). A quick check of <a href="http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/great_blue_heron/lifehistory">Cornell's website</a> shows that<br />
these birds are solitary except when on migration - so there you have it! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiApMWKJR51ddxZ_OLER9Vs3y9rHhFGcnfvcz6EgbWF_Ji0D3PocF-1qcmdj89ooCZqs1TzZi41oZ1zMxasTvYpO42eH4EGMdwhBgSEwi5ZwWjSgVRy6zsC3zFklNs_IysGJXaYu47d3s8a/s1600/osprey+pair+on+snag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiApMWKJR51ddxZ_OLER9Vs3y9rHhFGcnfvcz6EgbWF_Ji0D3PocF-1qcmdj89ooCZqs1TzZi41oZ1zMxasTvYpO42eH4EGMdwhBgSEwi5ZwWjSgVRy6zsC3zFklNs_IysGJXaYu47d3s8a/s1600/osprey+pair+on+snag.jpg" height="640" width="330" /></a></div>
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I re-located the two Osprey - busy preening on a snag across the creek, near the Eagle nest. Not sure if this was intentional or not, but likely making their continual presence and "ownership" of the area known. With my lunch break over, I headed out to a property known as "<a href="http://www.bing.com/maps/#Y3A9NDAuNzcxNzkzfi03Mi45OTUzODQmbHZsPTQmc3R5PXImcT00MC44MDU2MzAlMkMlMjAtNzIuNzQxNzg5">Pheasant Meadow</a>" which Brookhaven Town purchased in conjunction with Suffolk County and preserves as a meadow habitat. The property has a wide variety of wildlife (I'll include the list I've made later if I can remember to find it) and is a unique habitat worth talking a walk through if you're in the area. I wouldn't be surprised if Eagle's began nesting on the southern tip (known as Haven's Estate) within the next 5 years due to the habitat and location. While wildlife wasn't terribly abundant here - I did see one raptor though couldn't ID it and spent a few minutes photographing the very active Tree Swallows, including 1 who was very curious about a nest box that the Eastern Long Island Audubon Society (ELIAS) had erected. <br />
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I love when an opportunity like this presents itself. With more time and my tripod I could have gotten the "perfect shot" but I'll take what I got considering. Whenever a bird returns to a perch consistently, and you have good lighting behind you - you pre-focus your camera and wait until the bird approaches before firing off shots. Sure, 9 out of 10 will be terrible, but sometimes you get lucky! With at tripod and a remote trigger, this is really easy because you don't have to hold the camera and have both eyes available to see when the bird comes back to the perch. I hope to try this again sometime soon with even better results. <br />
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As my time int he field would down I got two new birds for the property on my way out - a Northern Flicker and a Purple Finch. And lastly I heard a rustling that I knew I wasn't responsible for and looked down to find this little guy:<br />
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<br />LeOrmandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11642522318831226444noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4662544249036485185.post-61501109132107795152015-04-04T11:43:00.004-04:002015-04-09T20:55:37.610-04:00Cold and Wet Observation - Nesting Eagles<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(Excuse the terribly quality of these images - the bird was crazy far away and with overcast skies AND rain, well... you get the "picture").</span></div>
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I was off from work yesterday and knew it would be very windy today so I thought I'd take the trip to see the Bald Eagles at WFE again yesterday. A friend of mine had been down a bit earlier but didn't see anything of interest (don't think he saw both, just the one on the nest). When I arrived, a few birders were there with spotting scopes, but it looked like they were packing up and getting ready to leave. When I walked out to the creek I felt the very cold wind and realized this wouldn't be that fun. After searching for the Eagle that wasn't on nesting duty and locating it about 1,000 feet away on the marsh, I went back to my vehicle to get a spotting scope and my <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004J21LQC/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B004J21LQC&linkCode=as2&tag=birdso01-20&linkId=B46T3BRMDOOICIQF">Marmot Men's Precip Jacket</a> and headed back out to the marsh as the rain began to fall. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRtmhJ_zCYu8E9KR2jgOR26NfsXoNluX37xbK1JTo_sqPxTNFJrT2OSX5aGGa0HcyQC2PZq6hItTPcmag5ub89ximfXEhfwh9Pbl-X8T1CK6P-14H7JT-duKgWUa57dm16jNATda0l0NwY/s1600/Bald+eagle+and+Corvids1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRtmhJ_zCYu8E9KR2jgOR26NfsXoNluX37xbK1JTo_sqPxTNFJrT2OSX5aGGa0HcyQC2PZq6hItTPcmag5ub89ximfXEhfwh9Pbl-X8T1CK6P-14H7JT-duKgWUa57dm16jNATda0l0NwY/s1600/Bald+eagle+and+Corvids1.jpg" height="418" width="640" /></a></div>
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Aside from some duck flybys, nothing was happening. As I looked out on the marsh at the Eagle I observed a number of <i>corvids</i> (crows - but I couldn't tell if they were all American crow or if some where <a href="http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/fish_crow/id">Fish Crow</a> so let's just call them corvids) congregating near the eagle in addition to some <a href="http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Black-backed_Gull/id">Greater Black-backed gulls</a> (which are huge by the way - the largest gull species in the world as a matter of fact and having a maximum wingspan just shy of a male Bald Eagle). What surprised me was the Eagle's complete lack of concern about these other species and vice versa. Typically, raptors are magnets for murders of crow or marauding blue jays. Red-winged black birds frequently chase and harass Osprey and conversely large raptors often scare away other species of birds. This is not the case with this Bald Eagle (and I presume many Bald Eagles - though I have very little observation time to back that up) as it seemed completely content with its present company.<br />
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After spending some time in the rain observing the eagle as best as I could (the spotting scope was not terribly secure and the wind was relentless (good thing I don't get seasick!) but I observed a few instances of Crows walking right at the Eagle, as if they were <i>trying</i> to get a reaction from the much larger (and deadlier) bird. But the Eagle was having none-of-it and remained on its perch (which after looking at the images turned out to a stick - which I couldn't see from my vantage point). At one point, a Greater Black-backed gull came in very close and instead of intimidating the gull with its massive beak or turning its talons to the bird, it simply twisted its head and gave the gull a nonplussed expression - as if it say "Really? There's a whole marsh here!". <br />
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As the rain got more intense and my hands got colder (should have brought gloves), I heard the unmistakable chirp of the Osprey (which to this point had not shown up and had not been observed on the "nest" as it was last time I was down there. The Osprey flew very near the Eagle Nest, calling out several times which I thought for sure would bring the adult BE over from the marsh to drive the bird away. But the Eagle stayed put (certainly visually aware of what was going on, and hearing the Osprey chirp away), perhaps figuring it wasn't worth the effort unless the Osprey really started to harass its mate. The Osprey then turned down the creek and patrolled the marsh (possibly looking for fish below) and I wondered if it would go after the Eagle which has been so tolerant of the other birds. Sure enough, the Osprey slowly got closer and closer until it swooped down at the Eagle. The Eagle (as expected) flashed its talons and wings which not only pushed the Osprey back up but spooked the loafing gull. I stuck around for a couple more minutes to see if the Osprey would come back - but it continued west probably in search of fish. The Eagle remained on its perch, soaking wet from the rain, waiting things out until it was time to take over nesting duties and I returned to my car soaked (but only from the waste down - thanks Marmot!). <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS-mYoXHIlUWWp75kCnPG0tiCvqFyfuLruRkmPg98zCEu7pq32KBXc2_KN_P4LlC2qpoJzB-HEdy1JpBLci0K14NuRudYtGAjPhMOba6dvJViE4jbJPu_m403rHDquliNWZEf6Pt6T_E_Z/s1600/Eagle+Osprey+1+April3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS-mYoXHIlUWWp75kCnPG0tiCvqFyfuLruRkmPg98zCEu7pq32KBXc2_KN_P4LlC2qpoJzB-HEdy1JpBLci0K14NuRudYtGAjPhMOba6dvJViE4jbJPu_m403rHDquliNWZEf6Pt6T_E_Z/s1600/Eagle+Osprey+1+April3.jpg" height="402" width="640" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9CuoaLQf0CRkAqkP9zIzrYA6v9wVeD90zFlbOY4UVGpgTn3quFw40NT8xrQEXZxY7xP1xr2V2Mg756AcAmZ3H7oOEHy-qSGMQGCO0gpafr3qRdx9rH3Huv1W_s4EGR1CbymGbd7u6dIyR/s1600/Eagle+and+Osprey2+April3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9CuoaLQf0CRkAqkP9zIzrYA6v9wVeD90zFlbOY4UVGpgTn3quFw40NT8xrQEXZxY7xP1xr2V2Mg756AcAmZ3H7oOEHy-qSGMQGCO0gpafr3qRdx9rH3Huv1W_s4EGR1CbymGbd7u6dIyR/s1600/Eagle+and+Osprey2+April3.jpg" height="454" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can see the wing of the Gull that was sitting right next to the Eagle. He got out of there real quick!</td></tr>
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Today is far too windy to bother going down - and tomorrow will likely be too busy with family activities to make a trip. I'm hoping to get there on Monday, if even for my lunch break. I have decided to focus my efforts on this nest instead of the one I first documented (you can read about that one here if you haven't been keeping up: <a href="http://birdsoflongisland.blogspot.com/2015/03/im-back-and-so-are-bald-eagles.html">Bald Eagles are Back</a>) as it's much easier to observe the actual nest and the location is geographically advantageous because the Eagles (and Osprey) must funnel past my location when fishing or returning to their nests. Hope everyone has a great Easter / Passover weekend! By the way - can you spot the Eagle in the nest??<br />
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<br />LeOrmandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11642522318831226444noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4662544249036485185.post-29829634667050749802015-04-01T22:55:00.002-04:002015-04-09T20:55:46.229-04:00Another Bald Eagle Nest<div>
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This year the number of confirmed Bald Eagle Nests on Long Island has doubled - and lucky for me, there are now three within 15 miles in either direction. One is located at Wertheim along the Carmans River and is completely inaccessible (the Wildlife Refuge closes access to the creek so kayakers cannot approach). The nest I have previously photographed and discussed in my last two posts has been protected with the closing of a trail that leads to it, as has the one I photographed today.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Adult"</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sub-Adult</td></tr>
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Todays nest is located at the William Floyd Estate (which is part of Fire Island National Seashore - the only National Seashore in the State of New York). At this moment there is no public access to where I photographed the nest from and even when access does become available later in the season I am wary to post specific details as there is also an Osprey nest that will likely be disturbed every time someone goes to visit the Eagles. It's obviously not a problem if the Ospreys get annoyed a few times - but if there are daily visits with large groups not only does it stress the Osprey - it may cause the Eagles to unnecessarily chase / harass the Osprey. </div>
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Ok, with all of that out of the way - let's get to the fun stuff! I visited the site today around 11 AM (when it was low tide - allowing me a little closer access to the nest which is still about 500 feet from where i was standing) for work and hung out for a bit. I saw the "Adult" (more on that in a bit) Eagle lazily go after the Osprey a few times and from the photos it appears that it brought some nesting material back at one point. After maybe 30 minutes of being there, the "Adult" took over nesting duties and the "Sub-Adult" flew to a nearby perch. It did a nice fly by (again, lazily going after an Osprey) and eventually headed north up the creek until it was out of site and I was out of time. The photos of the two birds clearly illustrate why one is an "Adult" and one is a "Sub-Adult" as the one without the white head exhibits plumage seen in birds that are between 3-4 years old. While Eagles generally don't reach sexual maturity until their 5th year, some do achieve it earlier which appears to be the case with this bird. Below: The first image is the "Adult" the second is the "Sub-Adult"<br />
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After work, I headed back down there to take advantage of the evening light. The previously lone osprey was now joined by its mate - and when I first arrived I saw the Adult BE flying low over the marsh - but quickly lost track of it. After awhile, one of the osprey headed up the River and the adult BE took off after it... The sun setting in the sky made for beautiful light but it was hard to tell what was going on - at one point I thought I saw something fall from the Osprey's talons, but hadn't seen it catch a fish so I was unsure. After looking at the images, it's clear to me that the Osprey had indeed caught a fish and the Eagle was trying to steal it, however the fish dropped from the sky (presumably in someone's yard) with the Eagle continuing to go after the Osprey. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hard to see, but there's a fish!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dropped fish falling underneath the Eagle</td></tr>
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Watching this was a great experience and a notable difference from what I saw at the other Eagle nest. When watching the Eagles and Osprey interact there - it appeared that the Osprey were trying to defend their territory and continually antagonize the nesting eagle being the aggressor. But today, when the Osprey had a fish, the Eagle became the aggressor and tormented the Osprey until the Osprey gave up its catch. Right after this exchange, the Osprey's mate came down the creek and the two birds landed on their nest - providing me with some awesome photo ops, with the Adult BE sitting on a tree on the other side - keeping an eye on myself and the Osprey. </div>
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As the sun got lower and the day got later, I had to pack up and leave. I took one last shot of the nest and realized I could actually make out the Sub-adult BE's head which was a nice surprise. The other nest location is further away and the nest is constructed in a live pine - completely obscuring views of what is going on. Assuming these birds are successful (which is a big assumption based on the lack of success from other nests on the Island in the past few years) we should be able to have a pretty good view (with binoculars anyway) of the babies as they grow. <br />
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<i>If you want to learn more about how to Identify Raptors in the sky - or just learn more about Raptors, check out Jerry Liguori's Book (which features a few of my Gyrfalcon images) Hawk's at a Distance: </i></div>
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LeOrmandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11642522318831226444noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4662544249036485185.post-82842801871950741862015-03-29T21:08:00.001-04:002015-04-09T20:56:02.576-04:00Sit and Wait - Bald Eagle Edition<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Once again the "Spring" weather was completely uncooperative and the temperatures were quite cold with a biting wind coming from the North. I have no problem spending a few hours waiting around for the nesting Bald Eagles to "do something" but the fact that it's almost April and there was snow (!!) on the ground made it a little less enjoyable.<br />
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When we arrived we spotted the Eagle a long ways off from where we were on the trail. I checked on the bridge trail which leads to the island the bird is on and found a sign informing visitors that the trail is closed temporarily due to nesting bald eagles. This was a real sign of relief due to the fact that last weekend a photographer spent a lot of time practically under the nest spooking the birds - then lamenting that he was surprised the bird took off every time he got near it. Well, at least the Baldies won't have to worry about that - and a big thank you to a few of my friends who made the calls to make it happen. <br />
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While sitting around hoping the Eagle would do something of interest - we saw a few Mute Swans fight (related: <a href="http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/7076.html">NYSDEC updates Mute Swan Management Plan)</a>, listened to the incessant rattle of the Belted Kingfisher (this one was a male) and saw a few species of ducks zing by. When we decided to leave - the Eagle had put up and disappeared but as we travelled down the Trail my wife thought to look around one last time to see if she could find it (She's much better at this type of thing than me) and sure enough it was a few hundred yards away from the original perch. I went to show a friend of mine who had shown up the new location and after awhile some Osprey appeared - soaring well above the island and I knew that the Bald Eagle wouldn't be having it.<br />
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A short bit later the Eagle took off and flew back toward the nest, settling on a perch in order to defend his (her?) efforts against the pesky Osprey. It was a short-lived tiff (unlike last <a href="http://birdsoflongisland.blogspot.com/2015/03/im-back-and-so-are-bald-eagles.html">weekends</a>) but was fun to watch none-the-less. <br />
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Later in the afternoon I stopped by "Swan River Preserve" in East Patchogue to see if there were any ducks of interest on the pond as I had some past success with a male <a href="http://www.naturephotographers.net/imagecritique/ic.cgi?a=vp&pr=224640&CGISESSID=d27779c2989d67808964548264d45dbd&u=31183">Bufflehead</a>. There were a few mallards and some Gadwall - but overall it was quite quiet. I really hoped to get a shot of the Gadwall taking off (as they shoot up vertically, much like mallards) but JUST missed after waiting for the moment to strike (a nearby dog was sure to spook the bird). After this I headed to Bellport Docks which has had some nice wintering waterfowl and would be a nice haven for birds with the wind out of the north - but aside from a red-necked grebe and some far off Buffleheads (or Bufflebutts as I like to call them) it was dead quiet. Another stop yielded nothing but a frustrating Harrier and it was time to call it - but overall I was really happy to photograph Eagles once again. Next weekend (weather permitting!) I hope to checkout another nest (that will likely also be very far away) nearby (and whose location I would be more comfortable posting on this blog). <br />
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<b>If you are interested in learning more about wildlife on Long Island and seeing beautiful images of what this Island has to offer (including many by me) - checkout this book by Naturalist John Turner: </b></div>
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Here's a video of the Bald Eagle just hanging out (no volume). You can see some "waves" distorting the image - this is from atmospheric haze caused by the heat moving the air which is magnified by the extreme focal length used. </div>
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LeOrmandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11642522318831226444noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4662544249036485185.post-81433205697550592882015-03-28T20:44:00.001-04:002015-04-09T20:56:11.625-04:00I'm back - and so are Bald Eagles<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVG45sAvreu8129UXz4jK7RTXN84Eytropbg8y_24WOSpQTDuZit_N9ITLDrjMexjrG2j-LazCAWkJYGTHFhyQ-UZyOJSIeYOKZmfln1oK7PblYbPMUODRK2e7q5g_CxwNGAFfYhK_m4ZF/s1600/Bald+Eagle+Flight+PS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVG45sAvreu8129UXz4jK7RTXN84Eytropbg8y_24WOSpQTDuZit_N9ITLDrjMexjrG2j-LazCAWkJYGTHFhyQ-UZyOJSIeYOKZmfln1oK7PblYbPMUODRK2e7q5g_CxwNGAFfYhK_m4ZF/s1600/Bald+Eagle+Flight+PS.jpg" height="496" width="640" /></a></div>
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After a nearly year long hiatus from posting on this blog (and instead focusing on my <a href="https://instagram.com/jrookphotos/">instagram</a> account) I'm back and look forward to bringing weekly (and hopefully oftentimes daily) posts to this blog. With the creation of the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/728858400491089/">Long Island Wildlife</a> facebook page (2,500 followers and growing) I realized that there are a lot of people from Long Island (and elsewhere) that are truly interesting in seeing what our Island has to offer. <br />
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So I'll start this off with a quick post about something that has generated a lot of buzz in the nature photography and birding community starting a back in winter (wait, is it still winter??). Bald Eagles have for decades been a rare sighting on Long Island. From time to time Birders or photographers would make a note of observing one flying high above - often times a subadult (which lacks the famous "bald" head). I myself had seen sub-adults twice, once above Mill Pond in Water Mill and again in Flanders with a sub-adult perched on a high-tension tower eating a freshly caught fish. But aside from these sporadic sightings, if one wanted to see Bald Eagles in the NY Metro area, you would head up to the Hudson near Croton and observe the dozens or more of Baldies that congregate there in the winter to feed on fish and carrion that was always plentiful. <br />
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This winter - Bald Eagles started being seen with relative frequency all across the Island. Nassau, Central Suffolk and the Twin Forks seemed to have their fair share and after awhile it was obvious that there were many regular's across the island. One of the more "popular" (read: most frequently observed) was a 4th year bird that had one silver band on its leg that spent time between Artist's Lake in Middle Island and Patchogue Lake in Patchogue Village. While my wife and I tried often to find this bird - we never did, always "just" missing it. <br />
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Another mainstay was an adult (and often times a second along with some subadults) in Downtown Riverhead, right behind the aquarium (of all places). After a few attempts at this bird, we finally got the timing right and I got a few wonderful photos of the first adult I'd ever seen on the island. Later that day I saw a few more sub-adults further up the Peconic River. Based on reports I saw on the facebook page and the NYS Bird listserv, I estimate that on the best days there were upwards of 30 Eagles from Montauk to Manhattan, with a daily average probably in the 15-20 range. <br />
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This past weekend, after getting a tip on a potential nest site, my wife and I found a pair of Bald Eagles at a local park. It appeared from what I observed that the birds were incubating eggs and fiercely defending the nest (and their territory) from the recently arrived Osprey. A report from a photographer we met there indicated a few subadults had been around the day before. We are headed there again tomorrow in hopes of finding the birds again and getting some better shots. **NOTE: The location of this nest is NOT being disclosed (for obvious reasons). While it is at a publicly accessible location - I'm waiting on word from the NYSDEC regarding the closing of a trail which runs very close to this nest. Once I've been assured of that and know that the nest location is common knowledge, I would be happy to share with others. But for now, please don't ask as the nest is vulnerable to those who are not familiar with the site and their needs. <br />
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In the next week or so I'll try to elaborate on the Bald Eagle's recovery on Long Island including how many active nests there are and some reasons for their return. For now, enjoy the images!<br />
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<br />LeOrmandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11642522318831226444noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4662544249036485185.post-24623071576979812792014-05-06T21:24:00.001-04:002014-05-07T08:04:44.828-04:00May Migrants<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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May and October are the most fun times to be an avian photographer on Long Island. Migration is in full swing, the temps are good, the bugs aren't around and you never know what you will find, or where you'll find it.<br />
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While migration is always better in Nassau and NYC (due to geographical reasons and the concentrated areas of open spaces), Suffolk County has some good spots too even during the worst parts of the day.<br />
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Today I was doing some work near the Forge River and took a quick hike to see what I could find. There were some wood ducks, which as always were very skittish, plenty of Towhee's with their distinctive call and ground movements, catbirds, jays and a slew of woodpeckers. While there weren't many migrants I had the excellent fortune of having a Black and White Warbler pop up right in front of me. <br />
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After the Warbler flitted off up river, I noticed something on the other side - a Swamp Sparrow looking for bugs. The vibrant greens of the newly emerging vegetation made for some excellent scenery of this bird as it successfully nabbed insect after insect. I wish I was closer - but the distance wasn't too bad.<br />
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Aside from those birds, there were a few Blue-grey Gnatcatchers, buzzing away rather high in the canopy. Though it was a small sample of birds, it was a fun afternoon walk and a great reminder that Nature abounds - even if it's only a few minutes of walking north of a major roadway.<br />
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<br />LeOrmandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11642522318831226444noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4662544249036485185.post-77063884482808284272014-03-23T17:44:00.000-04:002014-03-23T17:44:20.732-04:00Nassau Screech Owls<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzJ5JXYPXgi5tNZIJ4f0C3q3zvxi0jl89INA11mdDacjNEPGQ9AnwNpfyml4kpHN6EN7UivANdbmsErn0NSA4ZM6qlkTgNXwc3j1A2wV_q9NtgcxLjzCj_Ytmdgwkg9bTy7oIlGpRAubKL/s1600/Screech+Owl+Grey+Morph+Massapequa+Preserve+March22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzJ5JXYPXgi5tNZIJ4f0C3q3zvxi0jl89INA11mdDacjNEPGQ9AnwNpfyml4kpHN6EN7UivANdbmsErn0NSA4ZM6qlkTgNXwc3j1A2wV_q9NtgcxLjzCj_Ytmdgwkg9bTy7oIlGpRAubKL/s1600/Screech+Owl+Grey+Morph+Massapequa+Preserve+March22.jpg" height="640" width="638" /></a></div>
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On Saturday I made a rare photography foray into Nassau County after John Turner (author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1932916342/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1932916342&linkCode=as2&tag=birdso01-20">Exploring the Other Island: A seasonal guide to nature on Long Island</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=birdso01-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1932916342" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />) urged me to make a visit to his "backyard" - Massapequa Preserve. He had mentioned that I could get good photos of Eastern Screech Owls and that while he can't guarantee anything in Nature, he could "almost" guarantee I would see one or two Screech Owls (grey morph and red morph) with little effort. I've historically politely told him thanks in the past as he usually suggests places upstate or deep into Nassau - but since I was going to Massapequa on Saturday anyway I figured I would indulge him. When he gave me the instructions as to where to find the birds, I jotted them down half-heartedly because it seemed far too easy to find these birds. When we arrived, my wife and I walked down the path and following his directions as if they were a treasure map we struck gold. Grey morph Screech, up in the Maple tree just where he said. After I got a record shot I checked on the other "X" from the treasure map a few yards down the path, and sure enough there was the Red Morph bird, sunning itself in the warm spring afternoon. <br />
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Unfortunately the birds were a bit high up and there were some branches and other elements that prevented "the perfect shot" but considering the only other time I'd ever seen a screech is when I found one sitting in a pine tree in my back yard (despite many years of dutifully checking every tree crotch, rotted branch and small hole in the woods) I was happy. Maybe I should take John's advice more often....<br />
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<br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1932916342/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1932916342&linkCode=as2&tag=birdso01-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1932916342&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=birdso01-20" ></a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=birdso01-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1932916342" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />
LeOrmandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11642522318831226444noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4662544249036485185.post-29283558794672895952014-02-09T20:32:00.002-05:002014-02-09T20:32:14.504-05:00Sunday Birds<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This afternoon my wife and I travelled to Dune Road to see what was around - reports of Snowy Owls have diminished significantly over the last month or so though I had heard of one hanging out on duck blinds. Sure enough, this is where I found the bird ("I" because my wife gets credit for all the other ones we have found this season, so I'm proud I got one of my own!") quite a distance from the road. The ice covering the bay(s) no doubt has allowed these birds to expand their hunting and roosting grounds which I'm sure partially explains the decline in reports.<br />
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Dune Road itself held a few Black-Crowned Night Herons staring patiently into the little ditches along the roadway hoping to find some food. Two Great Blue Herons were also present, attempting to the same hunting strategy. <br />
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The inlet was quiet and very calm - a large number of birds were off the northeastern jetty - likely scoters or eiders. Some more birds were in the ocean or in the bay but nothing nearby. As we went over the bridge, I looked at the big tower at the Coast Guard Station hoping to find a Peregrine (the only reliable place on Long Island where I've ever seen them). Sure enough, there was a Peregrine sitting in a location I've seen one in many times before. A nice way to close out the day<br />
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<br />LeOrmandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11642522318831226444noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4662544249036485185.post-82845467999923679662014-01-20T20:48:00.000-05:002014-01-20T20:48:01.104-05:00Smith's Point Snowy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This afternoon my wife and I took advantage of the somewhat decent weather (compared to what is coming anyway) and the holiday and went for a walk to the "new" old inlet. This breach was created when Superstorm Sandy broke through a narrow part of the barrier island and has remained ever since due to its location within the National Seashore meaning the federal government would have to OK the closure. We had hoped to find some fox which another photographer had reported seeing in the area (I would really love to get photos of them in their winter coats) but we kept an eye out for Snowy Owls given how frequently they have been found this winter.<br />
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We stopped to take a look at an area which had been flattened by the waves - rolling hummocks of grass and sand marked the landscape with no large vantage points. I started to scan the area and thought to myself that these birds blend in so well I would probably step on one or spook it by mistake. Not long after having that thought my wife exclaimed she had found one (not terribly far from where I was walking). The bird was next to a small shrub and flushed easily - taking a very short flight to a nearby hummock that actually provided better views. It was there we got some nice photos of the bird with the surrounding landscape. After leaving the bird we walked to the breach and scanned the other side and the small islands, finding nothing but gulls. On our return walk the Snowy Owl had moved once again this time quite a ways up the beach - perched in a similar location and blending in beautifully.<br />
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Aside from the owl - there were of course plenty of deer (in the parking lot anyway) as is typical with fire island beaches. No other birds of note and unfortunately - no fox, but I'm happy seeing/photographing the 8th Snowy Owl of the year. Before this winter I had seen a snowy owl on two separate occasions, so this season has been a smashing success. <br />
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<br />LeOrmandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11642522318831226444noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4662544249036485185.post-12638880015684129652014-01-12T22:12:00.001-05:002014-01-12T22:12:43.413-05:00A long time coming<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Late this afternoon my wife and I ventured to Dune Road since we were already out east. So far I am 0-3 this season trying to find Snowy Owl's alone - and my wife is batting 1.000. I already had heard there were multiple owls along Dune Road from a fellow photographer so I figured it would be a lock, and sure enough my wife spotted the bird in the marsh (though we were tipped off by some birders who had literally parked their car in the middle of the road). The bird was pretty far out, and I have quite a few good images of this species so far so we moved on hoping to find another or at least something else of interest.<br />
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When we reached Quogue, we turned around and headed back scanning again for birds - aided by the lack of direct sun blinding us. I noticed a female Kingfisher perched on a telephone pole and figured I would get my obligatory kingfisher on a telephone pole image (I probably have hundreds). The bird was perched above a small watering hole and I was about to give up hope that it would do anything interesting when it swooped down and hovered about 10' above the water. I photographed the bird from my car snapping away as it flapped its wings for what seemed like a very long time compared to other times I've seen this species hover. It never ended up diving for a fish and flew to a different perch, but the result was very exciting as I have longed for photos like these of this species since I started photography over 5 years ago.<br />
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After scoring the shots of the kingfisher, we continued east along Dune Rd. when I spotted a Northern Harrier. This is another species I've had an extremely difficult time photographing in flight (particularly along Dune Rd) but the stars appeared to be aligned today because I pulled off this shot<br />
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The Snowy Owl was still in the marsh - but by this time the sun had just about set and it was still a distance away, so we packed it in. Below are a few photos I got earlier in the afternoon at the inlet where there was a nice mixed flock of Scoters and Eiders as well as some monster waves in the ocean and a very large flock of gulls fishing. The best of them all is the immature male King Eider I photographed (by accident really). This is a species I have hoped for years to get, often spotted in single numbers off of Montauk Point. There have been reports of multiple king eiders (male and females) at Shinnecock recently. I was lucky that the ocean was rough and brought these birds inside the cut and even more lucky that I photographed this one without really knowing what I was looking for<br />
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Here is a "beachscape" showing off the large number of gulls present<br />
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Lastly - an Immature Common Eider with some food<br />
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If you want to learn more about the natural world that is Long Island - check out this book by John Turner which features many of my photos<br />
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LeOrmandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11642522318831226444noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4662544249036485185.post-47681961055227006472014-01-02T20:58:00.000-05:002014-01-02T20:58:37.110-05:00White-winged Crow<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This morning on my way to Dune Road I came across a Crow with some white-wing bars... pretty unusual (can't recall every seeing this). If anyone knows more about this, feel free to leave a comment below.<br />
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Other than that, Dune Rd. was very quite. A nice flock of Snow Bunting @ Tiana (bayside) and a couple Loons near the Ponquogue Bridge and that was about it. Conditions were not pleasant so finding Owls or Seaducks was difficult at best and Dune Road was well flooded which kept me from taking multiple trips down the road.<br />
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<br />LeOrmandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11642522318831226444noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4662544249036485185.post-88861054637847234662014-01-01T19:53:00.001-05:002014-01-01T19:53:31.668-05:00New Year? New Bird<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Since we stayed at a friend's house NYE up-island, we decided to check out Jones Beach in the morning to see if we could find some Snowy Owls. Additionally, a Northern Shrike has been lingering and it would have been nice to pick up this species since I'd never photographed it (or seen it for that matter) before. Upon Arrive at WE2, we saw a gaggle of photographers (in their mossy oak camo) out in the dunes and figured a Snowy Owl must be near... A chance encounter with Stella (from Huntington/Oyster Bay Audubon Society) resulted in a brief conversation about how close the photographers were to what was probably a feeding owl. I took a walk down the beach and got a few snaps from further away than the other photographers who were "stalking" the owl. The Bird was mantling which meant it had some prey underneath it. While returning to my vehicle, a gentleman (birder I presume) informed me that there was another Snowy Owl just to the west in the Dunes, where there were no other photographers/birders. I got in my car and we drove to the other side of the building then started hiking to find the other owl. I noticed a bird by itself in a tree not to far off and raised my camera to get a shot to see what it was. Sure enough, the Northern Shrike and it had looked right at me for the one image I was able to get before it flew off. This was probably the easiest "rare" bird/first species I'd ever gotten (aside from my first Snowy Owl many years ago before I was really into photography).<br />
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We walked along the Dune line and "followed the footprints" as instructed by the friendly man who tipped me off. I stood atop a little plateau to scan the horizon, coming up with nothing when sure enough, my wife told me she found the bird (she is 4 for 4 this year in Snowy Owl adventures). We spent some time with the sleepy owl, before heading back to the care. <br />
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On the return trip, a large flock of Snow Bunting made for a few interesting photos - it was amazing how close they would fly toward us, chirping all the while. I let my wife return to the vehicle to warm up while I took a shot at getting a few more photos of the original snowy owl (which had attracted a substantial crowd of photographers and birders). I got some more images as it ate what was probably a rabbit before leaving for the comfort of my vehicle, passing a few other photographers and birders who were practically running to join the masses, completely unaware there was another bird just down the beach. <br />
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<br />LeOrmandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11642522318831226444noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4662544249036485185.post-8733632417548292942013-12-28T18:09:00.000-05:002013-12-28T18:09:53.424-05:00Snowy Owls and Seals<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This morning my wife and I went to Cupsogue to see the seals that congregate there and typically haul out on a sand bar which appears at low tide. For some reason - none of the seals were hauled out this morning despite the presence of a nice sandy strip of land. However, several seals were having fun "bottling" (first image below) in which their heads are out of the water while the rest of their body remains submerged. This is one of the ways harbor seals sleep (when not lounging on the beach or rocks). It appeared that seals would let the current carry them from east to west and once they got near the inlet, they would swim underwater back through the current to be carried again. Why those chose this method instead of just lounging on the beach is beside me - but it was much easier to photograph them as the sandbar is about 100 yards away and the seals in the water were only 50 yards away.<br />
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While photographing these curious creatures, my wife thought she spotted a Snowy owl way down the beach so she went to investigate. Her instincts were correct and I was able to photograph the bird - additionally some friends of ours and their small children who had never seen a Snowy before were able to get great looks at it. We took a trip down Dune Road afterwards and noticed nothing - except another Snowy Owl but it wasn't in a position that lent itself to photography, so we moved on.<br />
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If you are interested in learning more about the wildlife of Long Island, their habitats and the seasonal visitors the island gets, check out this book by John Turner which features some of my photography:<br />
<br />
<br />
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LeOrmandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11642522318831226444noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4662544249036485185.post-24269796785440903902013-12-15T18:14:00.002-05:002013-12-15T20:18:32.674-05:00Snowy Strikes again<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This day was sans-snow, but I once again found a Snowy Owl. This one was spotted by my wife using binoculars from Shinnecock County Park West (Hampton Bays side of the inlet). It was barely detectable on the other side (as illustrated in the photo above), but we figured we would make the drive in hopes of getting a closer look.<br />
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When we arrived there was another vehicle with a photographer and a dog and they were watching/photographing the bird. I was able to get some photos after it took flight and settled down to the east of my vehicle, but eventually the barking dog became too much of a concern for the bird (I'm assuming) and it took off to a nearby island. Why a photographer would have a barking dog in his vehicle when trying to photograph wildlife is beyond me, but at least the dog wasn't running free and actually posing a physical threat to the bird.<br />
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Nothing else to report really - EPCAL was extremely quiet with only a few meadowlarks around. No hawks of any species were noticed. We spent very little time on Dune Road and as soon as we saw the Owl I stopped looking at any seabirds in the inlet (which, btw, was extremely rough and volatile).<br />
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<br />LeOrmandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11642522318831226444noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4662544249036485185.post-30566347593414153772013-12-14T18:21:00.002-05:002013-12-14T22:55:41.351-05:00Snowy Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My wife and I set off this morning early in hopes of finding a Snowy Owl before Christmas shopping. Snowy Owls have been coming down to the Northeast area in droves and they are particularly reliable along Dune Road, which is the only place I've ever found a Snowy (both times without the assistance of others). The fact that it was actually snowing seemed to increase the chances we would see one, and when that bit of logic failed our backup plan was that the CBC was going on for the area so there certainly would be other birders who would have seen them.<br />
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We took the long way down Dune Road starting in Westhampton instead of going straight to Hampton Bays which is where the birds are more likely to be. We made it all the way to I road (just before the inlet) without seeing anything when I spotted a few birders and pulled up next to them to inquire if they had seen any. They were participating in the CBC but laughed at my inquiry because someone else had just asked the same question and the answer was no. They had started out at the inlet - so I figured I would try to go to the fishing pier park and scan from there.<br />
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Once we pulled in the parking lot I spotted something on a nearby island and had my wife look through the binoculars. Meanwhile I pulled up my camera to scan and lo and behold, a snowy owl sitting at the base of the fishing pier. Within 5 or 10 minutes the birders we had talked to previously had arrived, and I was happy to be able to inform them that there was a Snowy right in front of us. The location of the bird was absolutely terrible for photography - no real chance at getting close unless I had a kayak or a boat (not likely when it's 20* out) so I did the best I could and hoped for better chances later this year.<br />
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We took a trip down Dune Road again later in the afternoon but ended up empty handed, even with checking some of the beaches via our vehicle (though we did not drive the length of the beach - just poked our heads out at access points). Aside from a few Northern Harriers there was nothing too special but I did spot one Northern Gannet (odd that it was alone) flying along the ocean from East to West possibly headed to Cupsogue or New Old Inlet for some fishing.<br />
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I also captured this Savannah Sparrow while hanging out with the Snowy. I was standing at a point lower than the road surface so I was able to get a nice low angle. According to Bob Adamo (a very skilled birder) the photo below represents the subspecies "Ipswich" which is 50% heavier than the standard Savannah Sparrow and breeds on Sable Island in Nova Scotia. <br />
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If you are interested in learning more about owls - or are looking for a christmas gift for fellow birding friends - check out this book:<br />
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LeOrmandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11642522318831226444noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4662544249036485185.post-36077034456916594152013-12-09T19:11:00.001-05:002013-12-10T20:18:59.669-05:00Stop the killing of Snowy Owls at JFK <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: #efefef; color: #333333; font-family: arial; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13px;">UPDATE from the NEW YORK TIMES:</span></span><br />
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Airport officials in New York are starting a program to trap and relocate snowy owls after reports that the birds were being killed with a shotgun at <a class="meta-org" href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/k/kennedy_international_airport_nyc/index.html?inline=nyt-org" style="color: #666699;" title="More articles about Kennedy International Airport.">Kennedy International Airport</a>.</div>
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Snowy owls pose a threat at airports in the region, the <a class="meta-org" href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/p/port_authority_of_new_york_and_new_jersey/index.html?inline=nyt-org" style="color: #666699;" title="More articles about the Port Authority of New York And New Jersey.">Port Authority of New York and New Jersey</a> said in a statement on Monday evening. In the past two weeks, five planes at Kennedy, <a class="meta-org" href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/l/la_guardia_airport_nyc/index.html?inline=nyt-org" style="color: #666699;" title="More articles about LaGuardia Airport.">La Guardia</a> and Newark Liberty International Airports were struck by snowy owls, the agency said.</div>
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“The Port Authority’s goal is to strike a balance in humanely controlling bird populations at and around the agency’s airports to safeguard passengers on thousands of aircrafts each day,” the agency said.</div>
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The New York Daily News <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/snowy-owls-added-port-authority-kill-list-article-1.1541823" style="color: #666699;">reported</a> on Monday that airports had added snowy owls to the list of birds it kills. Three snowy owls have been shot at Kennedy Airport since Saturday, a Port Authority source told the newspaper.</div>
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Snowy owls, large birds usually found in northern Canada and Alaska, have been migrating to the region in far higher numbers than usual this year, the agency said.</div>
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Many people were outraged by the owl killings. An online <a href="http://www.change.org/petitions/the-port-authority-of-new-york-and-new-jersey-stop-shooting-snowy-owls-at-new-york-metro-area-airports-2" style="color: #666699;">petition</a> asking the Port Authority to stop shooting the birds had more than 3,000 signatures by Monday evening.</div>
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The petition, addressed to Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Senate, called the practice of shooting the animals “barbaric and unnecessary.”</div>
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In Boston, <a href="http://www.massaudubon.org/get-outdoors/wildlife-sanctuaries/blue-hills/snowy-owl-project" style="color: #666699;">conservation groups</a> have been capturing and relocating snowy owls at Logan International Airport for years. Experts say the birds often stop at airports because the airfields look similar to the Arctic tundra where they live.</div>
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The problem of bird strikes at airports received increased attention after a plane crashed into the Hudson River in 2009 because Canada geese were sucked into the engine.</div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13px;">_____________________________________________________________________________________________</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13px;">For those of you who have not heard, the NY/NJ Port Authority has added Snowy Owls to a list of species which are to be killed if located at airports under their control. Apparently a Snowy Owl was recently sucked into aplane's engine at JFK (no injuries to humans) and as such, the PA authorized the killing of these birds. Since then, at least two Snowy Owls have been killed via shotgun at the airport. </span><a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/snowy-owls-added-port-authority-kill-list-article-1.1541823" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13px;" target="_blank">Snowy Owls killed at JFK</a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13px;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13px;">Logan Airport in Boston has had a successful trap and release program, and 20 owls have been caught and relocated this year alone. </span><a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/boston-airport-takes-approach-snowy-owls-article-1.1541847" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13px;" target="_blank">Logan Airport Approach to Snowy Owls</a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13px;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13px;">The killing of these birds has been reported in area newspapers and news channels but I don't believe it's on a national level yet. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13px;">If you would like to let the Port Authority to know that you do not support the killing of these birds, you have several options. You can leave messages on the Governor of NY's facebook or tweet him (</span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/GovernorAndrewCuomo" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13px;" target="_blank">NY Governor Facebook</a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13px;"> and Cuomo@NYGovCuomo) </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13px;" />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13px;">You e-mail the General Inspector of the Port Authority @: InspectorGeneral@panynj.gov </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13px;" />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13px;">You can sign the Change.org petition @: </span><a href="http://www.change.org/petitions/the-port-authority-of-new-york-and-new-jersey-stop-shooting-snowy-owls-at-new-york-metro-area-airports-2" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13px;" target="_blank">Change Petition</a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13px;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13px;">Or you can call the Port Authority or Governor's Office to lodge a complaint. Thank you for your time and consideration and hopefully this will be stopped quickly. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13px;">- Luke</span></span>LeOrmandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11642522318831226444noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4662544249036485185.post-12925726606886637062013-09-30T20:09:00.001-04:002013-09-30T20:09:42.505-04:00Ludlow Vermont<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPDUfWfLnMiUqOZ1t3NJirWwf58y1Scpiu4aMG29Dt2grpq2wb5vN_s9jwLuQQUEbeaT7y3f1xELGcLHgwzFl0UoL4hZqEg1-u6zPfk_kXKAYBiTrSUFXqq6N_Unoe0JJYYECSVJInbPsj/s1600/View+from+Okemo+1+Pano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPDUfWfLnMiUqOZ1t3NJirWwf58y1Scpiu4aMG29Dt2grpq2wb5vN_s9jwLuQQUEbeaT7y3f1xELGcLHgwzFl0UoL4hZqEg1-u6zPfk_kXKAYBiTrSUFXqq6N_Unoe0JJYYECSVJInbPsj/s640/View+from+Okemo+1+Pano.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I recently Traveled to Ludlow Vermont for my first year anniversary with my wife. The start of fall is a really beautiful time to visit southern Vermont - the air is still warm, the colors are starting to show on the leaves and the crowds have not yet arrived. I was somewhat disappointed in the lack of wildlife I observed (and those Moose Crossing signs seem to be just for show) but the vistas and waterfalls did not leave me wanting. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGcijZXIn4KaKannhY4iAUj2W4u0QPA78t2UuEoQF4UfYi9BtNEX1UqNJcY685hd9luismM24y_XAd9O_iHI6Uu_TtJpGmsQQMYsEg9m4ZGOq8Ae1uDtUM_fP1YEJfTnDIbWdLLd2hxXoq/s1600/Vermont+Falls+II+Sept23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGcijZXIn4KaKannhY4iAUj2W4u0QPA78t2UuEoQF4UfYi9BtNEX1UqNJcY685hd9luismM24y_XAd9O_iHI6Uu_TtJpGmsQQMYsEg9m4ZGOq8Ae1uDtUM_fP1YEJfTnDIbWdLLd2hxXoq/s640/Vermont+Falls+II+Sept23.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here are a few shots for you to enjoy as I prepare to being photographing migratory birds for the fall season (a little late perhaps, but I mostly enjoy the raptors which are just starting to filter in now).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCf63wJ8Ojf0ZAMSU78NfvH_YxyUAbLaMIo6Ine5aUSE0Wdwz2NBySkCqjrzVTenGPJdCtLPmXt9wXsxBhy90k6fXYWevfCflFIcccOQbXIuR2iCTXfstvkW_NbNGyI6Xo_fZfHgyASeF8/s1600/Buttermilk+Falls+Sept22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCf63wJ8Ojf0ZAMSU78NfvH_YxyUAbLaMIo6Ine5aUSE0Wdwz2NBySkCqjrzVTenGPJdCtLPmXt9wXsxBhy90k6fXYWevfCflFIcccOQbXIuR2iCTXfstvkW_NbNGyI6Xo_fZfHgyASeF8/s640/Buttermilk+Falls+Sept22.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirT2HrLFhImq-tQ4fZI7YvZJb1Xw5-Nc0NKH4xkkH8JR7VS2T33WqlAooGd0czqptplih8OyqjncAhs7qvV7vK1w7F5qO6800VpidwlrXozqlrlg-ElwtdX6jWpvteVPJ5smTxNbBNx-lr/s1600/Double+Falls+Sept22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirT2HrLFhImq-tQ4fZI7YvZJb1Xw5-Nc0NKH4xkkH8JR7VS2T33WqlAooGd0czqptplih8OyqjncAhs7qvV7vK1w7F5qO6800VpidwlrXozqlrlg-ElwtdX6jWpvteVPJ5smTxNbBNx-lr/s640/Double+Falls+Sept22.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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If you're interested in visiting Vermont - take a look at this book which offers some nice off-the-beaten-path places</div>
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LeOrmandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11642522318831226444noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4662544249036485185.post-21488078214464247882013-06-24T22:07:00.001-04:002013-06-24T22:07:02.369-04:00More Carmans River - and some Neighborhood Fox<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYRCboP-Y1-NBox-YYbq83K2ouQAk9viQVdENNQGnMCCWvMzeVqJEkH90QOkIFFVoPCs6_eqMp_a_t1cUCBvojaJrtGglRVASpLvWmTnu0qixJ08eSr3D-zo7LYEIRI-HLwhfNCB2M1VAR/s1600/Marsh+Wren+1+Carmans+June23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYRCboP-Y1-NBox-YYbq83K2ouQAk9viQVdENNQGnMCCWvMzeVqJEkH90QOkIFFVoPCs6_eqMp_a_t1cUCBvojaJrtGglRVASpLvWmTnu0qixJ08eSr3D-zo7LYEIRI-HLwhfNCB2M1VAR/s640/Marsh+Wren+1+Carmans+June23.jpg" width="356" /></a></div>
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Once again in pursuit of Bald Eagles I kayaked a portion of the Carmans River. This time, my wife and I put in at Squassax Landing on the south end of the river and made the short trip to Little Neck Run which is where the Eagle Nest is. While kayaking the small, winding creek we spotted plenty of wildlife but no Eagles (despite the presence of a very large stick nest). A raccoon was fishing from the shoreline (but camera shy), many deer were seen or heard near the water's edge, turtles were basking in the sun and birds constantly were calling in the cattail marshes (Marsh wrens - above/below and song sparrows - below - included). This is a really beautiful place and a nice break from the somewhat monotonous lower portion of Carmans River. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaa19d9bTysn6VzLopLuhTq8peTopf6POXu3Zs_7zLU5gQgojLpDc2_bR0EM9cEacJu_IFMNxq_RfyKy0vg7FhNidRpbS5CIKNmwz1QjBS6gOSA-QslrNwUfU-oKiSdtOucZf4IRKt24xA/s1600/Painted+Turtle+Carmans+June23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaa19d9bTysn6VzLopLuhTq8peTopf6POXu3Zs_7zLU5gQgojLpDc2_bR0EM9cEacJu_IFMNxq_RfyKy0vg7FhNidRpbS5CIKNmwz1QjBS6gOSA-QslrNwUfU-oKiSdtOucZf4IRKt24xA/s640/Painted+Turtle+Carmans+June23.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-VCV3QAkVAXgjSljG_ts4ZGHm-cPhJhzjqLpSCvId44V1PHOIJCfM44lpfqQku1a1qH_OPzARn9Gz5MJP3UQAGiHw84rJpW80qL9Ue-Gl96dOqBoSs8_qkDqZn0vP04dIHFUEYjWgff_j/s1600/Marsh+Wren+2+Carmans+June23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-VCV3QAkVAXgjSljG_ts4ZGHm-cPhJhzjqLpSCvId44V1PHOIJCfM44lpfqQku1a1qH_OPzARn9Gz5MJP3UQAGiHw84rJpW80qL9Ue-Gl96dOqBoSs8_qkDqZn0vP04dIHFUEYjWgff_j/s640/Marsh+Wren+2+Carmans+June23.jpg" width="420" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGlN0mILfzIASWhY92x8kNH09gysySctdG_0NYOkhBnJM2TmhCGI4nHEZP-csMfz3JVYdHVaunvjeZS5J_XDna8DzqhfrPGfmRUXhZ0fht3IJ8hBd57LD6gr9zsz-9R9YzBJHHdErhklJZ/s1600/Song+Sparrow+Carmans+June23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGlN0mILfzIASWhY92x8kNH09gysySctdG_0NYOkhBnJM2TmhCGI4nHEZP-csMfz3JVYdHVaunvjeZS5J_XDna8DzqhfrPGfmRUXhZ0fht3IJ8hBd57LD6gr9zsz-9R9YzBJHHdErhklJZ/s640/Song+Sparrow+Carmans+June23.jpg" width="346" /></a></div>
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After we kayaked the creek, we headed to the mouth of the River where I saw and photographed a non-breeding adult Red-throated Loon, certainly an unusual species for this time of year. Photographing this bird was exceedingly difficult as it's a diving bird so once it goes under you don't know where it will re-surface. Additionally, its low profile in the water and monotone colors made for a tough shot. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL3UOSzsspTzACr2vW1DKr56qJE3xhOi_oVyb6dEdbjDcbRfBhMzFhRJeoFRo-IlTflxTCGz6kmHFtsnqpEUBWDbQZd0JNyUDsXbL-T67J3TL0JP3S9LP_98rXWp2qpJeBMHCGqHsp_C1j/s1600/Red-throated+Loon+Carmans+June23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL3UOSzsspTzACr2vW1DKr56qJE3xhOi_oVyb6dEdbjDcbRfBhMzFhRJeoFRo-IlTflxTCGz6kmHFtsnqpEUBWDbQZd0JNyUDsXbL-T67J3TL0JP3S9LP_98rXWp2qpJeBMHCGqHsp_C1j/s640/Red-throated+Loon+Carmans+June23.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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As we headed back to the marina I saw an Osprey above which is one of the many nesting pairs in Wertheim Wildlife Refuge. As the photo shows, it was returning with it's most recent catch. The menhaden (aka bunker, aka pogy) looks none-too-happy to be caught in the talons of this powerful bird.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_7NOTJaYWw325ZccNDxJ2soJkzxQouKjwHW2KOi_57kZmb8OFPfub_eKv9z5UbmS8D-6vYD-5bbJLIdpCHfZLwhbCIJMj0wDKZ9GbMbWuvhzqidhnnWQBYFM2K9qAnmLgzkV9BWvmuID7/s1600/Osprey+with+Fish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_7NOTJaYWw325ZccNDxJ2soJkzxQouKjwHW2KOi_57kZmb8OFPfub_eKv9z5UbmS8D-6vYD-5bbJLIdpCHfZLwhbCIJMj0wDKZ9GbMbWuvhzqidhnnWQBYFM2K9qAnmLgzkV9BWvmuID7/s640/Osprey+with+Fish.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Switching gears away from birds - I have been completely unsuccessful in finding Fox this year. In the past few springs I have been fortunate enough to locate red fox dens supporting kits which are some of the cutest and most photogenic animals around. This year, however, despite my efforts I came up empty time and time again. This afternoon (in the stifling heat/humidity) I had to stop at a family friend's down the road briefly. Looking out into their 4 acre field I of course spotted several fox. Right in my proverbial back yard. I returned with my camera and got a few photos - though they were a bit shy and skittish. Hopefully I'll have a few more chances.<br />
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Switching photographic gears one last time, I took a day trip to Davis Park (Fire Island) yesterday and took the 8:20 ferry back, just in time for sunset. I was treated with a nice showing as we walked down the boardwalk while the boat came in.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTT1DyjIveXI3mHqY4qfWQUYj6jEVaPzshI68LiTxB-EzO6FQTdFrJrDkIRGTgcM-trjwWvwXRPmCB2TGcOngRkcJWBh-Gtn26Bm7XLDctm4_2xq0NJa524NPMNGWTqRqtqk7SQHOk56ZF/s1600/Davis+Park+Ferry+Sunset+2+June24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTT1DyjIveXI3mHqY4qfWQUYj6jEVaPzshI68LiTxB-EzO6FQTdFrJrDkIRGTgcM-trjwWvwXRPmCB2TGcOngRkcJWBh-Gtn26Bm7XLDctm4_2xq0NJa524NPMNGWTqRqtqk7SQHOk56ZF/s640/Davis+Park+Ferry+Sunset+2+June24.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />
If you're interested in learning more about Long Island or its wildlife - check out this excellent book written by my friend John Turner (the book features over a dozen of my images!):<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1932916342/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1932916342&linkCode=as2&tag=birdso01-20">Exploring the Other Island: A seasonal guide to nature on Long Island</a>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1932916342/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1932916342&linkCode=as2&tag=birdso01-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1932916342&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=birdso01-20" /></a>
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LeOrmandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11642522318831226444noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4662544249036485185.post-43723368287621441232013-06-01T22:09:00.000-04:002013-06-01T22:10:51.078-04:00Carmans River Kayaking<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT1Xoux__x9tSmxzYm4SCXz2vkBt6xTig-J7RrnRwgIyP2yLrvUAXxrwWZV6TzoiHt-irUsLrb2OphrlOvuHemdJNdKlAUrBnx0Pe77SbbrvneYs7bv0vRCOkYOtKqu44Gnp123EgrlO7C/s1600/Marsh+Wren+1+Carmans+June1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT1Xoux__x9tSmxzYm4SCXz2vkBt6xTig-J7RrnRwgIyP2yLrvUAXxrwWZV6TzoiHt-irUsLrb2OphrlOvuHemdJNdKlAUrBnx0Pe77SbbrvneYs7bv0vRCOkYOtKqu44Gnp123EgrlO7C/s640/Marsh+Wren+1+Carmans+June1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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As the warm temps have finally arrived, this morning my wife and I decided to take advantage of the and kayak the lower portion of the Carmans River. This is a trip we had done before and that we enjoy since it's close to home, a relatively easy paddle and has the potential for seeing a variety of wildlife. We were really hoping to see Bald Eagles, which are reportedly nesting near the mouth of the Carmans, however we struck out and saw no signs of them. There were plenty of Osprey nesting along the river though with many active birds hunting the river for fish. As I came around a bend an Osprey flew out no more than 10 feet in front of me giving us both a rush of excitement I'm sure - here's a shot of the Osprey after it had passed:<br />
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Along the banks of the River is thick vegetation which until recently was almost entirely Phragmites (an invasive species). Wertheim wildlife refuge (which is located on either side of the river) has done extensive work trying to restore this brackish habitat and ridding the area of Phrag while replacing it with cattails and other freshwater marsh species. The project has been quite successful and the Carmans boasts probably the densest stands of cattails that you'll find on Long Island. What's great about this habitat is that it provides a home for the very noise Marsh Wren - a bird that is a difficult find on the island. These birds were incessantly calling (as they do) and hopping from perch to perch. While my lighting was far from optimal, and I had a tough time getting the a decent composition as I was restricted to my kayak, I'm quite pleased with the photos I got of this species (the first time I'd ever seen it or photographed it for that matter).<br />
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An interesting surprise found floating along the river was a pair of Red-Breasted Mergansers. These birds are expected during the winter months, but should be in Canada (their breeding grounds) by now. I noticed that the plumage was quite different then what I normally see and when looking at the photos I could see that the birds are currently molting - making it impossible for them to fly north. It's tough to tell why this happend to them (as virtually all of their "friends" left on time) but perhaps the cool spring confused them. Either way, they're stuck here for the time being and almost certainly will be unable to breed this year (perhaps not such a bad thing!). <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2JGddl5hWOh2twxkSeDPaZ0r3tZoQ6QAWBr1y2BbYoAmBiqzG6zy7SwqUnlb7dYI0SA-eySqhlhI0_gLw0nWGIxsIqdXwECjc2W5ORuIq7tpl_XmPBJWLoY4UMMEhW_w9QVpudze6pqRZ/s1600/Female+Merganser+Carmans+June1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2JGddl5hWOh2twxkSeDPaZ0r3tZoQ6QAWBr1y2BbYoAmBiqzG6zy7SwqUnlb7dYI0SA-eySqhlhI0_gLw0nWGIxsIqdXwECjc2W5ORuIq7tpl_XmPBJWLoY4UMMEhW_w9QVpudze6pqRZ/s640/Female+Merganser+Carmans+June1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Another welcome sighting were several Glossy Ibis seen flying above and landing in the marsh. The first two I saw (which I was unable to photograph) landed in the predominately freshwater area between Montauk Highway and the LIRR tracks. The third Ibis I saw was about midway down the river and it disappeared into the thick cattails. I have now seen this species twice in the last 3 weeks (the other time being at Pine Hills golf course in Manorville). Prior to this year, I believe I'd only seen them once per season, either flying along Dune Road in Hampton Bays or hanging out (of all places) at a compost pile in Wading River). <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzkLM5xNdtLw8lios5o0E9jDcsDL5ORWPz9IKWg1Qmr4OBM-fmn8cZm9joiVnqlUms7vYdR_N72OZsOmbVauXH92PyxIfy3bjWlE-2yZMnq6WsuiXXfpPHvgaCUdm-kSE_VsXEFUk2HCi8/s1600/Glossy+Ibis+Flyover+Carmans.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzkLM5xNdtLw8lios5o0E9jDcsDL5ORWPz9IKWg1Qmr4OBM-fmn8cZm9joiVnqlUms7vYdR_N72OZsOmbVauXH92PyxIfy3bjWlE-2yZMnq6WsuiXXfpPHvgaCUdm-kSE_VsXEFUk2HCi8/s640/Glossy+Ibis+Flyover+Carmans.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
If you're interested in learning more about Long Island or its wildlife - check out this excellent book written by my friend John Turner (the book features over a dozen of my images!):<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1932916342/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1932916342&linkCode=as2&tag=birdso01-20">Exploring the Other Island: A seasonal guide to nature on Long Island</a>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1932916342/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1932916342&linkCode=as2&tag=birdso01-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1932916342&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=birdso01-20" /></a>
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LeOrmandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11642522318831226444noreply@blogger.com5