Day 131:May 10th – A Pair of Songsters

Overcast, chilly (59), and a breezy 10 mph NW wind

       After braving the stiff winds on Storm King Golf Course in Cornwall for a morning round, I moved across the street to the Hudson Highlands Nature Museum’s Outdoor Discovery Center.  The Center is a beautiful parcel of land set aside for the study and enjoyment of nature.  It is comprised of grasslands, meadows, and forest and serves as a haven for many species of birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians.  On such a windy day, I did not know what to expect other than the fact that it was going to be tough hearing any birdsong with all the rustling trees.  Birds are also a bit more tentative about showing themselves on such days as their hearing is also impaired by the ambient noise of the wind.  But, as we’ve said before, you take what you get.

       Actually, today, the pix of the day goes to two songsters who can belt out their songs with the best of them….the Song sparrow and the Baltimore oriole.  When I first arrived on site, I could hear some faint singing by warblers and other songbirds, but I knew it was going to be hard to find them and identify them.  All of a sudden, a fine little Song sparrow appeared along the roadside and commenced to sing out his typical song with the three note introduction.  I gently pulled over to the side of the road, grabbed the Nikon and shot away.  At least I had one shot for the day’s blog!

       Moving on, I hiked back into the woods, hoping the wind noise would be lessened by the cover of the trees.  It was in fact a bit quieter here, but still, the birds were not singing their usual May refrains.  As I exited the forest and hiked down a trail that runs between another woodland parcel and a meadow, I heard the loud flute-like notes of the Baltimore oriole’s song.  No other bird sounds quite like this musical master.  As I approached closer, I gained sight of the bird and was able to get some breaks in the canopy to allow light to penetrate and make a usable shot possible.

       It didn’t take long for the oriole to grow wearisome of my presence and off he flew……but not before I was able to capture the following images.  Hopefully the winds will abate before tomorrow’s outing.  At least it didn’t RAIN!