Birding is Contagious!!!

If you haven't tried it, you're missing out on a great pastime.  Of course, perhaps, birding is not for everyone, but for those who have been bitten by the birding bug, it can bring a great deal of joy and excitement.

We wanted to share these photos from one of our followers, Tom.  He has been visiting the nest of the Ospreys at Sunken Meadow, patiently waiting for that perfect shot.  Sometimes that happens, sometimes not quite.  And while we always strive for a great photo, joy can come from simple observation.  After receiving the photos, Tom informed me that Ospreys take off and land into the wind.  How wise Jehovah made them!

We wanted to share Tom's enthusiasm with the rest of our readers.  Here are some of his photos.

Thanks Tom for sharing our passion!

The Big Day!

For all you serious birders out there, you no doubt heard of a 'Big Year'.  If not, this is what it means...

A Big Year is an informal competition among birders to see who can see or hear the largest number of species of birds within a single calendar year and within a specific geographical area. 

So, since we can barely scrape together one afternoon we opted to do a 'Big Day' instead, and boy was it ever a big day!  We limited our travels to the North Shore of Long Island on one of the most beautiful days of the year thus far.


We didn't reach our first destination, David Weld Sanctuary until around 9am but as soon as we walked into the sanctuary we were greeted audibly with the morning serenades of the White Throated Sparrow, Red-Winged Blackbird, and Cardinals.  While Robins filled the pathway and a Northern Flicker kindly posed for us we knew it was going to be a great day! 


As we meandered along the path, we were greeted by Downy and Red-Bellied Woodpeckers, Black-Capped Chickadees, Blue Jays, Mockingbirds, Crows, Song Sparrows, Grackles, Mourning Doves.  All very common, but lovely to see just the same.


As we approached the water, we spotted high above an Osprey as well as a Turkey Vulture.  The waterfront presented us with a plethora of birds.  We were excited to see many Red-Breasted Mergansers, unmistakable, due to their tufted heads.  While observing them, we saw some birds swimming in the distance.  We thought they were some type of duck, until they got closer.  Not ducks, but geese.  Brants to be exact.  Slightly smaller then Canada Geese, these geese winter on Long Island.  Soon they will be off to Canada for the summer.  In addition to these birds, we also saw Mute Swans, Mallards, and some unidentifiable ducks, too far away to get a good look at.  

As we strolled along the water, we marveled at the great variety and color of the rocks beneath the crystal clear water.  Took the time to gather shells.  As we got further down the beach, we heard and saw a Belted Kingfisher near the cliff.  While observing him, we caught sight of some swallows flitting over the sand.  They turned out to be Bank Swallows for sure, as we observed them coming and going from their homes in the bank.


We doubled back along the water once more.  This time the water yielded some Canada Geese, Herring Gulls, Ring-Billed Gulls, and some adorable Sanderlings foraging for tasty morsels.


What a great morning!  On the way out of the park, we saw a White-Breasted Nuthatch.  We really hated to leave, but there were more birds to see, so we had to be on the move.


Our next stop was Long Beach.  As we enjoyed our packed lunch, we saw some Barn Swallows also flitting, since that's what Swallows do.   After lunch, we headed out onto the mudflats.  From that vantage point we saw a Great Egret.  Further out was an Osprey nesting pole.  The occupant was at home, sitting on eggs, no doubt.  We strolled around, birding and shell seeking for a while.  The weather was soooo beautiful.  Sunny, warm with a warm breeze.  Alas, it was time to move on again.  Off to our next location - Sunken Meadow.

Before ever entering the park we spotted a Red-Tailed Hawk, soaring on the breeze.  There was the usual amount of European Starlings.  As we got further away from the parking area, we heard the call of the Fish Crow.  Found about four of them in the tree above.  This is the only bird we can actually add to our Year-Round Long Island Bird List!  We walked along the inlet where we spotted some Double-Crested Cormorants.  Unfortunately, no other birds were making an appearance that afternoon.  We did see some Terns, but they were moving too fast to identify accurately.

On the was out of the park, we passed another pole with a nesting Osprey in it.  We were able to get some good photos.


Our day had come to a close, or maybe not!  On the way home we spotted some Rock Doves and as we reclined in the hammock, with an eye to the bird feeder, we saw three more birds - House Sparrow, Baltimore Oriole, and Dark-Eyed Junco.  Our grand total for the day was 36 different species.  We both agreed that it was a really Big Day!