Neighborhood Merlin

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!).

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.

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.

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.

Cold and Wet Observation - Nesting Eagles

(Excuse the terribly quality of these images - the bird was crazy far away and with overcast skies AND rain, well... you get the "picture").

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 Marmot Men's Precip Jacket and headed back out to the marsh as the rain began to fall.  

Aside from some duck flybys, nothing was happening.  As I looked out on the marsh at the Eagle I observed a number of corvids (crows - but I couldn't tell if they were all American crow or if some where Fish Crow so let's just call them corvids) congregating near the eagle in addition to some Greater Black-backed gulls (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.

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 trying 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!".

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!).

You can see the wing of the Gull that was sitting right next to the Eagle.  He got out of there real quick!

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: Bald Eagles are Back) 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??

Another Bald Eagle Nest

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.

"Adult"

Sub-Adult

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.  

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"

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.  

Hard to see, but there's a fish!

Dropped fish falling underneath the Eagle

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.  

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.

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: 

Sit and Wait - Bald Eagle Edition

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.

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.

While sitting around hoping the Eagle would do something of interest - we saw a few Mute Swans fight (related: NYSDEC updates Mute Swan Management Plan), 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.

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 weekends) but was fun to watch none-the-less.

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 Bufflehead.  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).

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:  

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.   

I'm back - and so are Bald Eagles

After a nearly year long hiatus from posting on this blog (and instead focusing on my instagram account) I'm back and look forward to bringing weekly (and hopefully oftentimes daily) posts to this blog.  With the creation of the Long Island Wildlife 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

Book Review: The View from Lazy Point, by Carl Safina

Montauk Lighthouse - a mere stone's throw from Lazy Point

The View from Lazy Point: A Natural Year in an Unnatural World is Carl Safina's latest book which I recently received in the mail.  While I've known of Dr. Safina for some time (he is the President and Co-Founder of the Blue Ocean Institute) and had the privilege of listening to some of his guest lectures while I was a student at SUNY Stony Brook University, The View from Lazy Point made me feel like I have met him many times before.  Dr. Safina's inviting prose and carefree candor lets the reader experience the far flung trips and lazy local fishing jaunts with ease.  This book reads like an in-depth, year long journal, following the author as he struggles to grasp the perils of this unnatural world and balance them with the familiarities of his aptly named home.

A dovekie - the Penguin of the North

In today's scientific and ecological world, it's easy to be overwhelmed by the bad - the scary end-of-the-world scenarios that Al Gore and the like brought into our living rooms.  How does one escape the ill effects of the never ending CO2 smokestack, the bleached white coral reefs of the Caribbean or the melted glaciers of our polar regions?  Even the most optimistic scientist struggles with this task, but Dr. Safina makes it a point to see the natural good left in the world and appreciate it.  He may not stop to smell the roses - but he does pause to pursue the bass and bluefish that remain abundant in his backyard.  While each new month in this book brings with it a reminder of what has been lost, it also brings reminders of what remains, or in those rare instances, what has come back.

An Endangered Roseate Tern forages on Long Island

Thanks to the dedication of a former federal biologist (Rachel Carlson and her 1962 book Silent Spring) and the non-profit environmental advocacy group the Environmental Defense Fund (founded on Long Island by the likes of former SUNY Stony Brook professor Charles Wurster and former BNL Scientist Dennis Puleston) birds like the Osprey and Peregrine Falcon got a second lease on life and are now common visitors to Lazy Point and the rest of Long Island.  Even after a long and cold trip to Antartica, where Dr. Safina sees first hand the raw chain reaction effects of climate change, he can return home and witness the abundance nature continues to offer, like harbor seals loafing yards from his bedroom window.  The Ruddy Turnstone - that small and unmistakable multi-colored shorebird - is a metaphor throughout the book.  It seems to follow the author nearly wherever he goes and suggests that while things are bad, not all is lost.  There is hope.  Things can change.  Beauty and natural wonder, they surround us.

A Ruddy Turnstone during migration

The View from Lazy Point is an eye opening adventure and scientific endeavor.  By book's end, the title takes on a literal meaning.  The View is not simply the picture that mother nature paints outside Dr. Safina's beachfront cottage.  The entire world truly can be seen from Lazy Point - every link in the food chain - every side effect of man kind's gluttonous and wanton ways.  The author analyzes the ravenous desires of man and points out the political and economic hurdles that pit us against a natural world in harmony.  This book is not to be speed read to discover the ending - for there is no "ending" to the problems that face us.  It is a glimpse in time, a mere fraction of a second on planet Earth's clock that shows us where we are and how we got here.  Dr. Safina does not have every answer for every problem facing us - but he gives us guidelines to right the ship before we discard our miraculous gifts like so many others we have swept under the proverbial carpet.  If we stop being selfish, stop justifying our wasteful ways because we are the "Have's" and therefore can exploit the shares of the "Have Not's" - then we can get back on the proper heading.  The modern world is used to throwing the used and spent in the garbage - but there is no landfill to toss nature into - only a cold and dark grave.  Writes Dr. Safina, "To advance compassion and yet survive in a world of appetites - that is our challenge".

Please click on the image below to purchase this book from Amazon.com.  It is easily the most thought provoking environmental book I've had the pleasure to read and it will both entertain you and influence how you see the world.  And if you're living on the Island, a trip to Montauk is in order once you have finished this journey.

Hermit Warbler / Trumpeter Swans

Thanks to Vinnie Pelligrino for somehow finding the little Hermit Warbler yesterday at Sunken Meadow State Park.  After an hour of standing in the freezing cold, the sun peaked out and the bird cooperated for the above shot which was the only "keeper" in the bunch.  It had to be cropped down to just 16% of the original image as well, but I'm pretty satisfied.  Maybe the bird will remain for a bit allowing better images.

The Trumpter Swans that have frequented Upper Lake for the past two winters have returned (the report I heard from about two weeks ago).  Here they are, happily swimming while the Mute Swans stayed away, knowing they're not match for the slightly larger Trumpeters.

ID'ing birds that are unfamiliar is never easy - but having the right book is.  I use the Peterson Field Guide to Birds of North America which is a fantastic resource.

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:

summer shots

I've been going through some folders organizing my images and came across a few that have never been posted here on the blog so I wanted to share them with all of you.  The theme (incase you didn't notice) is shorebirds.  Enjoy.

Above: Eastern Willet with what I believe to be a long-clawed hermit crab.  Below: Oystercatcher flying over Shinnecock Bay:

This Ruddy Turnstone stopped in the Hamptons for a layover during migration:

A Short-billed dowitcher appears lonely @ Cupsogue, but its friends were just out of frame.