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