Quogue Wildlife Refuge

This evening I headed over to Quogue Wildlife Refuge in hopes of photographing some orchids and other flowers.  Well, the orchids weren't there and the rest of the flowers were in the shade so surprise surprise I ended up photographing birds - what a pity!  Eastern Towhees were abundant, including a juvenile (1st image below).  A juvenile Red-winged Blackbird (2nd image below) was also hanging around... While I got a nice look at a Ruby-Throated Hummingbird, photography of this quick and tiny species proved impossible (yet again).

A surprise bird (for me) was a "young-of-the-year" American Redstart which unfortunately was quite a distance away from me.

Cedar Waxwings however stole the show - they were numerous and quite active hawking insects.  Unfortunately they too kept their distance, but they were a joy to watch.

For more on birds of Long Island and the types of things you can find at a place like Quogue Wildlife Refuge, check out this book: