Grasshopper Sparrows

While EPCAL was pretty quiet this afternoon (with only a few American Kestrels making their presence known) as I was leaving I spotted a Grasshopper Sparrow near the Rt. 25 entrance.  I was able to make a somewhat close approach on foot and I believe (based on plumage) that this is a juvenile.  Always a treat to find these birds!

Green Heron, Grasshopper Sparrows

This evening after work I visited EPCAL grasslands looking for Grasshopper Sparrows.  I was successful in finding quite a few but had a difficult time getting close to them.  Interestingly I found some that had been banded - if anyone knows about these birds being banded in New York I would certainly be interested in hearing about it.  While there were plenty of Eastern Meadowlarks at the site they proved impossible to get near so I was unable to photograph them.

Upon returning home I got in my kayak and headed into Reeves Bay and the mouth of the Peconic River.  Aside from the Least and Common Terns which are nesting, I was pleasantly surprised to find a Green Heron which has been particularly elusive for me on Long Island.  This bird posed beautifully in the strong evening light as it hunted for fish along the edge of the marsh.  There was also another Green Heron in my canal but by that time there was very little light.

Around the corner was a Spotted Sandpiper, but alas when I got near it was no longer present - a shame because I have never been able to photograph this bird and the conditions this evening were excellent.

For more on Long Island birds and wildlife (and more of my pictures!), pick up a copy of John Turner's Exploring the Other Island: A seasonal guide to nature on Long Island

Fighting Turkeys

A visit to EPCAL (where  I have not been in awhile) produced over a dozen Turkeys on the runway with the Males displaying.  They scattered as my vehicle approached but two of the Toms stood there ground and began fighting with each other - quite interesting!  I also found an Eastern Kingbird at the property near the Turkeys.

When I visited the North end of EPCAL (where the RADAR station is) I found a Grasshopper Sparrow with a mouthful of bugs... I missed getting an incredible closeup shot as I didn't have my camera in hand when it popped up next to me but got a shot from an OK distance.

In addition to the bird life - there were 3 foxes spotted at the Radar Station, hanging out on the paved area.  The first 2 darted as soon as my vehicle approached but the 3rd hungout a little longer before retreating into the thick vegetation.

If you like birds check out this awesome book by National Geographic: National Geographic Complete Birds of the World

EPCAL Grasslands Safe for....

A Northern Harrier taking a break

... at least Two more years! According to today's Newsday (February 2, 2011), Riverhead has hired the consulting firm of Vanasse, Hangen Brustlin Inc. of Watertown Mass. for just shy of a half million dollars to review EPCAL (Enterprise Park and Calverton). The consulting group will conduct a comprehensive study to come up with a new zoning plan for the property which has mostly languished for the past 12 years since the Town of Riverhead received ownership of the property from the Federal Government.  Recently two mega projects have fallen through the cracks, with the Rechler's (a dynamic cousin duo with deep pockets and a penchant for holding local governments hostage over development plants) backing out after being told they could not construct housing on site, and the infamous "Riverhead Resorts" plan (which called for an indoor ski resort, among other things) was finally shot down by the Town after a long lapse in payments.  The fact that the Town strung Riverhead Resorts along for so long was pretty pathetic with the developer looking like someone owing a mobster a big debt and "promising" to pay next week.  Well thanks to these ineffective business plans, the grasslands at EPCAL and the 1,200 plus acres they cover are safe for a few more years.

American Kestrel

This afternoon on my way home from work I couldn't bring myself to go inside a stuffy gym when the weather was so awesome and I had a little bit of light and time before the Twins / Yankees game.  As some of you may be aware, the Town of Riverhead erected a barrier near the entrance to the Western runway denying access by vehicle.  This was quite frustrating as the runway is a large area that makes photography via walking near impossible (at any large scale level anyhow).  I thought I'd try my luck and see if anything had changed, and sure enough it had.  While the barriers are still present, the "road closed" signs are gone, and just to the left of the sign is a big parking lot near the old control tower.  The parking lot leads to an access road for the runway where the gate is always open - access secured!  The diversity was light, but there were plenty of grasshopper sparrows (who were playing hide and seek) and Kestrels nearly everywhere I looked.  It's roughly the peak migration time for this species, and EPCAL provides the perfect habitat for them to stock up on food - I estimate there were at least 15 present on the western runway, but it is likely there were quite a few more.  Unfortunately for me, the runway is never used by vehicles, so the birds were all very skittish and wouldn't let me get anywhere near them on almost all occasions - but i did have a little luck, as seen above and below.

While the Grasshopper sparrows I spied today wouldn't come out in the open, here is a shot from earlier in the year: