American Avocets
Black-necked Stilts and friends.
RWBB
Shorebird party.
Clapper Rail
Clapper baby!
Seaside Sparrow
After my work trip I picked up my family in Philly and drove to Long Island, NY. It was good to get back to my original home for a couple days. My favorite spot near my parent's place is Avalon Preserve in Stony Brook. It is a Hedge Fund Manager's way of giving back to the community. Who was it that said philanthropists spend the first half of their lives stealing a crap load of money only to feel guilty and give it all back in the later half?
The only Blue-winged Warbler I saw was not cooperative.
Hairy Woodpeckers are easier to come by in NY.
There is a giant silver sphere in the middle of the preserve where you can write some thoughts down and slip them into a slot on the sphere. This is actually a reflection off the sphere. In the middle you can see the slot.
A reflective shot of my brother and I. I liked this one because it accentuated my brother's hideous face and my huge upper body. Look at those shoulders! I am built like an ox.
Goldfinch
There is no shortage of Yellow Warblers in NY.
Song Sparrow - the flower fields at Avalon are awesome.
Common Yellowthroat on a Milkweed flower.
Male Common Yellowthroat
Tons of other critters too.
The beach near my parent's house is also good birding, especially for the summer doldrums.
Black-crowned Night-heron.
A Piping Plover was hard to pick out in the pebbles.
There was more Piping Plovers than Semi-palmated Plovers.
Common Terns are actually common here.
Oystercatchers are good wherever you are.
Herring Gull
I spent a long time looking through the various swallows at the beach. This was a Barn Swallow.
Yellow Warblers seemed to thrive in all habitats in NY, including the beach.
After spending an hour trying to photograph a Bank Swallow this is the best shot I came away with. So frustrating, I can't seem to find any Bank Swallows that are willing to sit still.
Female Indigo Bunting.
Bird of Paradise
Chipmunks are plentiful in NY. I miss the little guys.
Grandpapi - he has a new thing which is shooting video of everything. He would be content shooting video of a leaf blowing in the wind.
Out of focus but I liked the bokeh.
Father, Brother, Son.
This was the day Portugal won the Euro Cup.
Juvenile Mourning Dove
The second part of our vacation was spent up in upstate NY, Milford PA and some areas near the NY/NJ border.
In New Paltz on our 14th wedding anniversary we hiked Minnewaska State park. Absolutely gorgeous. I need to download some photos from my iPhone later and post them but I am being lazy.
So many young and in this case wet birds as a rain storm had just dumped on us. I thought initially I had an Olive-sided Flycatcher but the tail looks wrong and so it's probably a really wet Phoebe?
Very dark breast but it might just be an artifact from the wet feathers. Or maybe just a really young bird? Who knows.
Indigo Bunting
Turkey Vulture on top of Bonticou Crag.
At Melissa's parent's house in Milford, PA there was plenty to photograph right in my Mother In Law's garden. My favorite spot was a Crocosmia flower patch with a pretty spruce as background.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird - I would have absolutely crushed this bird if the light was a bit better.
Scarlet Tanager female
Gorgeous George
Cedar Waxwing
Widow Skimmer
Juvenile Tree Swallow?
Eastern Kingbird
A great trip and I am surprised I got so many pics despite not birding much. The torture was seeing reports of a photogenic Hudsonian Godwit on the OBX. Hudsonian Godwit is my nemesis bird. I got home Sunday night but I have not seen it reported again and of course I am slammed with work anyway. This morning (Thursday) I did make it to Wrightsville Beach to try for the Pectoral Sandpiper that has been hanging out and I was not disappointed.
I played with my AV settings a bit and was surprised how different the shots came out.
Baby Least Terns still wobbling about.
Great times.
Great photos and commentary, as usual. And it was great birding with you - I didn't realize we (?) saw so much!
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