Long Island Nature

Found near the marsh lands of Long Island.

More Info on the Red-winged Blackbird here!

My Friend Abraham

For the last few years, my friend here, the Great Blue Heron has been visiting on a nearby tree.

We've been calling him Abraham for awhile. 

The name just seems to fit his personality: strong, regal, ancient , almost biblical.

He stands here in the cold, waiting perfectly still, until he is ready to dive into the water with the faith that below a fish will be provided for his dinner.

April Starling

Ospreys return to Long Island

It's that time of year again. The osprey are returning to their spring/summer homes.

True "snow birds" they take the best of both climates. This has become my life now. Like the birds, I leave the northeast for a warmer climate. After this winter's cold weather and snow and ice, I'm sure you will understand. Why not get away if you can? As a retired person, there is no reason to stay. 

I know some people do enjoy the cold and snow. I understand that too. 

I never thought I would be the person to leave New York for Florida in winter. After making the journey a few winters now, I can honestly say, that I love it! The temperatures are in the 60s and 70s, sometimes higher, and the sun shines most days. I'm ready to return to Long Island. I miss it, but it's just in time to see the osprey nests and daffodils!

Thinking of spring

gulls fly, a photo by Alida's Photos on Flickr.

My two little gulls here are asking me, "Where's spring?" I have no answer.

Birds at the Bird Feeder

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Here are just two of the birds that came to my bird feeders yesterday.

I bought a new lens, 80-400mm, which will bring the birds closer for more detail.

Well, you know what I mean. 

It doesn't bring them physically closer, just makes them LOOK closer. 

I also bought a "blind" so I can hide from the birds and I can get closer to them.

A blind is like a little tent, just made for photographers (or hunters?).

 The outside of this "tent" is camouflage fabric to blend in with the trees and grasses. These two birds were my first shots.

Now for the next step.....

I will have to construct a more pleasing perch or some branches nearby the feeders, so the birds will be in a more natural habitat for the shot.

Whew! I didn't realize how difficult it is to photograph birds.

It brings a new appreciation to the wonderful bird photos you see in magazines and on the internet.

The real skill comes when birds are photographed in a more wild, natural environment, but let me take this one step at a time.

For me, right now, the bird feeders will be my photography "studio!"

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Skimmers at Nickerson Beach

skimmers, originally uploaded by Alida's Photos.

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I went over to Nickerson Beach yesterday, Nassau County.....yes, I left my zip code!

Just kidding, of course!

I've been wanting to go there to see these beautiful nesting birds but waited until after Labor Day. During the summer, parking there is pretty expensive for non-residents, and it's not like I was staying all day. (The gas to get there was cost enough!)

I just wanted to see the birds.

*Nickerson Beach*

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If you had told me 30 years ago that I would be traveling to see birds, I would not have believed you. After all, I was a "Brooklyn girl" and the only birds I ever saw were pigeons and sparrows.

There are birds in the city of course, but I just never noticed I guess.

It wasn't until I moved to Long Island, and became an adult, that I realized the variety of birds that we have.

I always enjoyed nature, but I was young and too involved in my own world to realize the pleasure that birding can bring. My parents enjoyed nature also, and would take the family to parks and rivers. We would pick wild berries in the country and clams and mussels on the beach.

So, I knew from very young that I enjoyed being outdoors.

I now have a "life list" of birds that I've seen. I buy bird ID books and use binoculars to see the differences in the coloring and beaks to help with identification.

Yep, I never would have thought........

Our lives take different turns, and the journey is often unpredictable.

That's a good thing.

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Swallow-tailed Chick

swallow-tail chick crop, originally uploaded by Alida's Photos.

Blogger is doing it again. Changing things.

I noticed that photos no longer just open larger as they have been doing since the start of this blog. They now immediately download...not something I really want to happen automatically.

So I posted this from Flickr...but then had to widen the web page. It's still not perfect. I see little rounded corners where they shouldn't be, but my html knowledge is limited so I'll have to keep it for now!

Hope this minor change didn't cause any problems for you. Let me know if it did, please.

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This photo is of a baby Swallow-tailed chick who was chasing his mother...asking for food.

Galapagos Islands. You can get this close!

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Galapagos Fish Market

Amazing to see, the pelicans and even a sea lion were waiting for the scraps from the fish cleaning counter.

All I could think of was that in New York, the Board of Health would have stopped this long ago.

Well, we ate fish and didn't get sick, so I guess it was not as bad as it looks!

We loved the trip, the people and the food and everything that told us it was not the USA.

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Gull of Fire Island

Sometimes when we anchor the boat to just relax and enjoy the sunshine.....and to smell and enjoy the movement of the water, we have visitors.

There will inevitably be a gull or two sitting behind the boat.

Maybe they hope we will throw them a crumb or two. A pretzel? Something!

I hate to disappoint them but if I throw one item, one crumb, a whole flock of gulls will arrive.

Not a good idea!

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The Morton National Wildlife Refuge

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Elizabeth A. Morton National Wildlife Refuge

Sag Harbor, Long Island, NY

You can feed the chickadees sunflower seeds, by hand!

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Fire Island and the Gulls

We went to the beach yesterday.

Fire Island National Seashore, my favorite beach....

The water was crystal clear blue/green, the sky was a perfectly clear blue, the sand was solid and white/pink.

The gulls were lined up, and I would think, they also appreciated the beauty!

Every once in awhile, a gull would fly over a wave and pull something from the sea to eat.

...a perfect beach day at the end of May!

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Owls at the Roosevelt Sanctuary, Oyster Bay

Barred Owl

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Horned Owl

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These two owls were taken on the same day, same place as the hawk below.

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Hawk at the Teddy Roosevelt Sanctuary

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Red-tailed Hawk

Today at the Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary & Audubon Center in Oyster Bay, there was an exhibit of birds in captivity.

There also was a Long Island camera shop standing by, to give tips on photographing wildlife.

(Of course they also wanted to sell camera equipment, but they were not aggressively selling.)

It turned out to be a wonderful experience and I got to see and photograph some beautiful birds!

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