Day 232: August 19th - Pollinators

Partly sunny, low 80s, calm winds

       While many plants rely on the wind to help pollination and some are actually self-pollinating, the vast majority relies on other organisms such as bees, butterflies, bats and hummingbirds to distribute pollen from one plant to another.

       Hummingbirds may visit up to 3000 flowering plants a day to get enough nectar to fuel their tiny bodies.  In the process, when a hummingbird sticks its long beak down into a flower to get to the nectar, some of the tiny sticky pollen grains will adhere to the sides of the bill.  When it moves on to the next flower, some of the grains may be transferred over to that plant.  It the plant is of the same species, then pollination may occur.  This little Ruby-throated hummingbird visited our butterfly garden this afternoon and availed itself of the nectar we provided in the feeder, but also visited several of the flowers we grow in the garden.

       In the same butterfly garden, we had a number of different species of butterflies visiting as well.  One of the butterflies we had feeding on our butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii) was the spectacular Giant swallowtail.  It is not at all common for whatever reason for us to see this butterfly in our garden, so today was a special treat.

       Along with the Giant swallowtail, we had the much more common Silver-spotted skipper, White cabbage, and a not as common Painted lady.

Painted lady

       All of these are pollinating the plants as they feed by sticking their proboscis down into the flower to find the nutritious nectar.  In doing so, they collect pollen on their legs and body.  Butterflies can cover a great deal of territory, so they are capable of disseminating the pollen over long distances and over wide areas.

       The most popular pollinator in the Northeast has to be the bumblebee like this one photographed today at Iona Island in Bear Mountain. With legs much shorter than those of most butterflies, the pollen is gathered all over the body of the bee.  The bee therefore carries much more pollen with it than most other insects and hummingbirds.  Nonetheless, all of our featured pollinators today do their fair share in ensuring the continued growth and distribution of our native flowering plants.

Day 231: August 18th – Urban Birds

Sunny, low 80s, calm winds

    

   Not exactly your typical birding outing today.  Rather, Sharon and I took our granddaughter Emily to the theatre as we had promised to do some time ago.  Matt Saldivar, a graduate of our local High School where I taught for a considerable number of years was starring in a Broadway show entitled “Peter and the Star Catchers”.  As an aside, he was great and the play was marvelous.  If you get the chance, don’t miss it.

       Anyway, back to the nature of things in New York City.  Birds abound!  Central Park is truly one of the birding hotspots on the east coast.  Unfortunately, we were not checking out the birds in Central Park.  Rather, we were in Times Square, in the middle of all the hustle and bustle of the Big Apple on a gorgeous summer’s afternoon.  

       After a fine lunch at Bubba Gump’s Shrimp House (introduced to us by our granddaughter), we strolled around the square in search of the natural shot of the day.  We had plenty of birds….one species only.  Not even a House sparrow was on site.  The bird we did have was the one bird most closely associated with humans and city life….the Rock pigeon.

 

       Originally native from Europe to North Africa and India, it can now be found in cities throughout the world.  The more wild birds living out in the country live primarily on seeds.  The city dwellers, however, find it much easier to forage by simply scouring the sidewalks and feeding on scraps left by humans, either intentionally or otherwise. 

       The pigeon is sometimes considered to be a pest, but is not known to have any negative impact on other native species.  Many humans enjoy the intimacy of these birds and welcome their presence.  Another species welcoming the pigeons to the cities is the Peregrine falcons which are not uncommonly found living on the ledges of the city’s skyscrapers.  We welcomed the pigeons yesterday for one simple reason.  It gave us our shot of the day in an environment where find any semblance of the natural world can certainly be a challenge.

       And don’t forget…..see the play!

       

Day 230: August 17th – Beautiful swimmers

Warm, calm and clear skies

       Those of us who grew up on the river and were into fishing, hunting, and other recreational activities centered around the natural world know the allure of crabbing in the months of July through October.  During these months the Blue-claw crabs migrate up the river and are sought after by recreational and commercial crabbers. 

       Today, we had three generations on Bear Mountain Dock pursuing a pastime that I taught to my daughter 30 some years ago and which we both are teaching my grandchildren.  Although they are pugnacious, perhaps a bit menacing to look at, and can pack a wallop of a bite with their claws (the crabs….not my grandkids!) , their Latin name, Callinectes sapidus, means “beautiful” or “savory swimmer”. 

       Teaching them how to determine whether the crabs we catch are females or males (no fair keeping the females),  measuring the size of the crabs to make sure they are “legal”, and of course teaching them how to safely handle the crabs (they have determined that if Pop Pop handles them, that is the safest way) is all part of the learning experience. 

       The fascinating book, Beautiful Swimmers by William W. Warner is a must read for anyone bitten by the crabbing bug.  The natural history of this remarkable crustacean and the story of the crabbing industry along the Chesapeake Bay enhance the experience of getting out on the water and bringing these delicacies to the dining room table.  The Blue claw is a major player in the natural world along the banks of the Hudson during these hot summer months and it gives me great pleasure to be able to share this pastime with my family.  

Day 229: August 16th – Roe Park

Sunny, mid 80s, low humidity, calm skies

       Yesterday’s storms brought us some beautiful weather today and so my grandchildren and I decided to take advantage of the clear skies and do a little fishing.  We were not exactly after big game fish, but we are all going crabbing tomorrow (see tomorrow’s blog for an account on how we make out) and we needed to catch some sunfish for bait. 

       Now Roe Park is not exactly known as a local wildlife refuge.  Mallards and Canada geese are about all you’ll ever see on this little urban pond regardless of the season.  That’s why we were all so excited to see what grandson Ryan said looked like a pterodactyl flying overhead.  Sure enough, a big ole Great blue came soaring in over our heads and perched in a high tree on the west side of the pond. 

       I grabbed my camera and headed over towards that side of the lake to get a better vantage point for some photos when all of a sudden an even more unlikely visitor appeared on the lakeshore.  Here, not more than 10 feet away from me was a pristine looking “unspotted” Spotted sandpiper.  When in non-breeding plumage, there are no spots on the birds breast and so he belies his name. 

       Two other prominent characteristics of this bird were quite obvious….his propensity to constantly bob up and down and the tell-tale white spike running up his shoulder. 

       Sharon has said it before and I’ll repeat it here…..never say never.  If anyone had asked me prior to today is you ever see Spotted sandpipers on Roe Pond, my answer would have been “Never!”.  Once again, I stand corrected.

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Day 228: August 15th – Rained out

Thunderstorms, warm (low 80s)

       What started out as a very nice pleasant sunny day ended up with large cumulo-nimbus clouds shrouding our birding venue to the point that we had to abandon what looked to be a very promising site after only a brief look.  We were in the town of Westwood, NJ to have a consultation with the folks at Bergen County Camera (this is an unsolicited endorsement!).  I’ve been having a few issues with my Nikon 80 – 400 mm zoom lens, but I think it is more a case of being spoiled by my 200 – 400 f/4 Nikon than it is a physical shortcoming of the prior lens.  Anyway…..

       After talking with the always helpful folks at Bergen County, we found a neat little birding location called the Pascack Brook County Park.  The central pond is surrounded by a roadway that winds its way around the water and has several parking lots from where you can head out on one of the several woodland trails.  The trails are wide, hard surfaced, and easily traversed by those who don’t care for the more rugged and rustic trails we birders often walk.  The placid Pascack Brook is a haven for water birds such as this Great egret and a really nice Green heron that flew off just as I raised the camera.

        Painted turtles were hauled out on some of the trees which had fallen into the creek.  These reptiles have been around for more than 15 million years according to the fossil record and are the most common turtle across our nation.

       As I photographed this pair, the skies began to darken.  I pushed on a bit further and had a quick look at this chickadee which I captured in a pretty poor image as the skies became more and more ominous.

 

      Then came the thunder….very close and here I am out under all the trees you should never seek refuge under during such a storm.  I spun around and moved out with a bit more vigor than I normally use when walking and birding.  By the time I got back to the car, Sharon had already sought the dry safe sanctuary of the vehicle’s interior (she always has been the wiser of the two of us).  I made it just in time as the thunder, lightning, and the deluge began to turn into a real tempest.  So much for  Pascack Brook today, but we made a mental note to make sure we revisit this area for the fall migrants that will surely be here in a month or so.

       Back home, it is not yet 6:00 PM as I write today’s entry but it is as dark as night and the lightning has just begun to strike.  That being said, it’s time to get off the computer and unplug some electronics before they get fried.  Later….. 

Day 227: August 14th – Changes

Rainy and cool (71), calm winds

       Throughout the course of the year, the theme of change has permeated this blog.  Obviously, it’s not of my doing, however, as I’m only the messenger.  One of the beauties of living in the northeast and one of the main reasons we have chosen not to live permanently in the “sunshine state” is the fact that the changes in nature that occur over the course of a year are profoundly manifest here in the “empire state”.

       I’m not saying that you cannot observe the seasonal changes elsewhere, but they are more subtle in some places than in others.  Several of the changes we observed today as we travelled about in the steady but gentle rains.  The first was the appearance of the fall wildflowers when we visited the Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge at the old Galeville Airport.  We have visited this site on many occasions and each time we go, it has a slightly different personality.  Today, the fields were ablaze with color, even under the drab gray skies of a low pressure system.  Goldenrod, Queen Anne’s Lace, Purple loosestrife (see yesterday’s blog), Bird’s foot trefoil, and this amethyst hued Bull thistle covered most of the landscape wherever we gazed.

       Later in Montgomery at the Benedict Farm Preserve, I found a splendid field of yellow.  The Evening primrose is a beautiful wildflower also called “suncups” in some parts of the country.  It’s not hard to see how it got this nickname.  I don’t recall finding it in such concentrations as I did today.  It is truly a sign of late summer and the onset of the fall color-scheme.

       Even the birds are undergoing a change of wardrobe as the shed their gaudy “hey look at me” plumages for more subdued “can’t see me” colors.  One of the most pronounced changes is in the plumages of the Bobolink.  You’d be hard pressed to even identify it as the same species.  Gone are the brilliant cream colored hoods, the white backs and the strongly contrasting black bodies.  Fall brings in a much softer brown shades, still a handsome bird but in a different extreme.

Bobolnk - Fall plumage

       Finally, we got a shot of a young House finch (or so I surmise).  His colors are again subdued to help survive these “formative years”.  He need not draw any undue attention to himself while he is not yet seeking a mate or capable of reproduction.  That change of plumage will come when the bird “comes of age” as it were.  In the meantime, he will join the throng of many fall and winter plumaged birds adorned in the less attention drawing shades of brown, gold, and tan.  Stay tuned for more changes that are yet to come. 

Day 226: August 13th – Potpourri

Sunny, mild (high 70s) and breezy

       We simply bounced around the area near our home today with no set goal in mind.  What we found were several colorful subjects to fill the page of today’s blog…both flora and fauna.

       First up, the rich hues of the American goldfinch we found along Mine Road.  In this same little pull-off, we have found Veery, Kentucky warbler, Indigo buntings, Yellow warblers, Scarlet tanagers, and now American goldfinches….all without ever leaving the “mobile blind” of the RAV4.  The birds were following the mid-August trend of remaining relatively silent today, and it was only their brilliant yellow color that gave them away.  We found only one pair, male and female, here today, but the male was more than willing to set out in the sunlight to give us a nice portrait.

       While not as colorful, the second nice photo-op of the day came along the shore of Long Pond.  As if here to enjoy a picnic in much the same way as we humans do here at the lake, this Eastern phoebe perched on one of the cast iron grills near the water’s edge to see if any unsuspecting flying insects would happen by.  He hunted in the usual flycatcher manner, flitting off of his perch only to return to the same position after each hit or miss of his quarry.  He soon tired of my presence, however, and took off back into the woods.

       Another colorful character in today’s show at the pond was the Purple loosestrife.  Introduced into New Zealand and North America as an ornamental plant, this plant has spread throughout the US, choking out native vegetation such as cattails and may disrupt water flow in rivers and canals.  It produces up to 3 million seeds per plant annually, the seeds being carried by wind and water.  Fortunately, biological controls in the form of certain beetles are now limiting the expansion of the plant’s range by defoliation.  Many of the huge stands so commonly seen in the 70’s and early 80’s along roadsides and in the medians have all but disappeared.

       Finally, at home we found more of the Silver-spotted skippers that love to visit our butterfly bush.  What made today different was that there was one group of three which were constantly together.  The triad flew from one flower head to another, always within one or two blossoms of one another.  While their colors are mostly drab, the bright silver splashes set off by the brush-strokes of ochre make this butterfly stand out among the purple flowers of the bush.

Day 225: August 12th – Piermont Marsh

Sunny, low 80s and calm

       It’s a beautiful day to return to the Hudson Valley.  En route from Long Beach Island, we took a detour and headed down to Piermont Pier.  The pier juts out into the Hudson from Piermont Marsh, a site used by the Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve to study the brackish tidal marsh, shallows and intertidal flats found in this 1,017 acres site.

 

       In the past, some New York rarities such as a Snowy owl, Iceland and Ivory gulls have shown up at the reserve, and it is always worth the effort to scour the flats at low tide and see if any migrants have made it into the area. 

       As we drove out on the causeway this afternoon, our first sighting was of a Great egret standing on a log which extended out into the shallow shoreline of the river.  While not exactly rare in these parts, it is always a pleasure to see one of these alabaster beauties gracing our shorelines.

       The next birds to appear were the multitudes of Ring-billed gulls and Double-crested cormorants.  As the seasons wear on, the DC’s will eventually head south and be replaced by mostly Great cormorants.  That will not happen for some time yet, however, and for now, if you see a cormorant, you can be pretty sure it’s a DC.

       Next up, a not so common shorebird, the Semi-palmated plover.  The bird closely resembles the more common Killdeer, but is adorned by only one thick black necklace rather then the double rings of the Killdeer.

       Finally, the most common of all our waterfowl found on the Hudson at this time of year, the Canada geese and the Mallards.  Very few male mallards were on the water at Piermont today for whatever reason.  But the numbers of females made for a relatively high count.  These will also play second-fiddle later on in the year when the more scarcely seen northern species will appear and take center stage.  For now, however, it’s still the mallards that will be the stars of the waterfowl show.

Day 224: August 11th – Seven Bridges Road

Overcast with occasional showers and thunderstorms

       The overcast skies have resulted in slightly cooler temperatures (low 80s), and yet it still feels warm and muggy, even immediately after a heavy shower.  And heavy showers is what we’ve been experiencing the past 24 hours.  Still, in the calms between the storms, we’ve had some nice birds showing up in Jersey. 

       Today, we ventured down to a locale we used to bring our two children when they were young…..the Tuckerton area of what we then called “Seven Bridges Road.”  Today, it is part of the Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge and is called Great Bay Boulevard Wildlife Management Area.

       The birds were abundant, but they could not hold a candle to the hordes of Green-headed and Deer flies.  Much of our birding was done from the relative safety of the RAV.  When we were forced to lower the windows to afford us a decent photograph sans glass, the word went out and we were inundated with the little biting beasts.  As soon as the windows went back up, we spent the next several minutes decorating the interior of the vehicle with insect entrails.  Nonetheless….

       The shore birds are on the move and we had nice looks at a variety of waders including this Greater yellowlegs.  He was among a good number of the birds we could actually see, so God only knows how many were skulking back in the high grass.

       Great egrets were around in large groups, something we usually do not see, (see image above)

and even this peeps were around in such numbers that I was able to photograph this little guy wading in a puddle formed from one of those downpours I mentioned earlier.

       The two sightings of the day were without question this shot of a young Black-crowned Night heron which was hunting from a piling and then moved to a more advantageous position at the water’s edge.  We’ve been seeing more and more of the young birds and it is just another sign that Mother Nature is surely taking care of her own.

       The most rewarding view of our Seven Bridges Road trek was a bird perched along the side of the road on a utility pole.   At first sighting, Sharon said we had an Osprey up on the pole, but as we got closer, the markings were clearly a bird much nearer and dearer to our hearts, the Peregrine falcon.  There was no need to leave our safe haven to photograph this bird.  We drove right up under it and opened the sun roof.  The images of this beautiful hunter poured into the RAV as quickly as the green-heads, but we gave the flies little acknowledgement as we relished the views of the falcon.  Eventually, the bird tired of us and took flight.  The flies never did tire of us, however, until we showed them a less than hospitable welcome and quickly dispatched them as rapidly as Sharon could deal the death blow with her birding notebook.  Hopefully, we will return to the Great Bay and Little Egg Harbor in the future when the flies have finally left the scene.  Until then, we will remember this trip more for the falcon than the flies.

Day 223: August 10th – Stormy weather

Mostly cloudy with periods of rain and thunderstorms

       I made my way out to the beach early this morning to see if I could get any shots of the local avian life before the storms arrived.  It was pretty calm and although the sky was layered in dark nimbus clouds, the rains had yet to arrive, so I managed to get some shots of a few LBI LBJ’s (little brown jobs).  Each beach access seems to have a fair contingent of House sparrows keeping guard at the entrance.  Many of these seem to be quite young judging by the size and plumage.  Try as I may, my efforts to find any sparrow other than Passer domesticus. 

       I did manage to find one other LBJ, however, the Purple finch.  With no dark striping on the breast and a reddish rump, the bird is distinguishable from the more common House finch.

       The other little bird of the day is the Sanderling which was present in pretty good numbers this morning.  Chasing the waves back and forth, an occasional larger wave may surprise this little sandpiper and cause him to jump up into a short flight to dry ground.  The classic bold white wingstripe then becomes quite visible and confirms the id.

       The skies continued to thicken and I figured I’d better get off the beach while the gettin’ was good.  As the forecast looked more and more to be on the mark,  my son and grandson decided to go tour the local fishery up at Viking Village at the north end of the island.  The tour offered insight into the three major fisheries – scalloping, long-lining, and gill-netting – and offers an up close view of the operations of the dock. 

       While in the facility and out of the elements, a strong thunderstorm hit and the sound on the tin roof of the building reminded us that it was indeed good to be inside. 

      Our ride home was more like a swim home as the roads were partially flooded and driving was pretty much restricted to the center lanes.  Mother Nature can deliver a wallop here on this flat piece of land and even a short-lived storm can wreak havoc on the island.  It was just about a year ago that we were here on the island when Hurricane Irene hit and we were forced to evacuate.  With the changing weather patterns we are gradually experiencing, what lies ahead 

Day 222: August 9th – Sunrise

Sunny, warm, calm

       At 6:10 A.M., the temperature is already in the high 70s.The forecast for today is a high of 85, but with the high humidity here at the shore, it will feel like 98.  The humidity brought in the higher clouds to give us a very nice sunrise.  It was two other early risers and the sand-sweeper who were privy to this sight and it was well worth the effort to walk over to the beach to grab today’s shot.

       The images shown here are actually composites or what is known as “High Dynamic Range” photographs.  I exposed the exact same shots of the sunrise five times.  One exposure was at the “proper” exposure.  Then I exposed the same shot at -2, -1. +1, and +2 stops (in laymen’s terms, a lot underexposed, a little underexposed, a little overexposed, and a lot overexposed.)  The five shots are then processed using a piece of software called “Photomatix” which takes the best of each exposure and merges them into a photo that supposedly has many of the features visible that would perhaps not be so evident in the single shot exposure. 

       Is it a question of enhancing a photograph beyond what is “realistic”?  Or is it a case of using the available technology to broaden your artistic horizons? Perhaps a little of each, but it certainly is nice to be able to enhance photos which are meant to be artistic renderings rather than documentary.  As a matter of habit, I make every attempt to “enhance” my regular wildlife photographs as little as possible….cropping, brightening, or occasionally sharpening an image.  But when working on shots such as these sunrises, it’s fun just to turn them into shots with a little more “zip”.  But, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  Hope you enjoy them.

Day 221: August 8th – Quiet times

Sunny, warm, and calm

       Quite a nice day to be out and about.  We would really like to get to see the mink that have been reported at the Barnegat Lighthouse, so we take another journey up to the north end of the island.  We bring our grandchildren along with us to see the lighthouse, perhaps do a little crabbing or fishing and see what birds are around.

       The breakfast was great, the kids rescued a lost crab trap and enjoyed catching the little Asian Land Crabs they could see in the shallows, but the birds were few and far between.  That’s the way it is in August.  Birds are just beginning to migrate, some are still on the nest and the hot days keep them holed up in the relative coolness of the shade of the trees.

       As I walked the trail through the dunes at the Lighthouse Park, I did manage to find one Mourning dove, quietly cooing as it foraged along the dune.

       But this was one of the only birds singing.  A pair of Cardinals and a Catbird were being a bit more vocal, but not much else.  I then noticed what appeared to be a Northern Mockingbird.  I am so use to hearing these birds long before I see them that I was surprised.  The bird also looked pretty bad…..haggard would be an appropriate description I suppose.

       After some time, the bird, still not vocalizing approached closer to my location and I took several shots.  Upon checking up on the molting period of the mockingbird, I found that indeed they do molt in late summer (now) and when they do they are uncharacteristically quiet.  Many birds are more subdued during their molts as they do not possess the same ability of agile flight while “swapping out” their old feathers for a new set.  They simply don’t want to draw attention to themselves.   A second mocker nearby did not appear to be undergoing a molt, but for whatever reason, he also was not all that vocal.

       The only other bird of note today was another which was not singing its usual trill.  I spotted movement in the branches of the trees bordering the bayfront at Harvey Cedars Park, south of the lighthouse.  When I finally saw the bird, he also looked a bit beaten down, but his crown of rich reddish brown indicated that he probably was not undergoing a molt,  He was simply still drying out from last night’s storm. 

       We’ve only got a couple more days on the island and there are only one or two more places we want to visit before we depart.  Let’s see if we can end on a high note.

Day 220: August 7th – Manahawkin Wildlife Management Area

Sunny, warm, calm and buggy

       This morning, we will brave the bugs of the marshlands of Manahawkin WMA in an attempt to find some new birds for our New Jersey trip.  We know that there may well be the dreaded “Green-headed flies” out in the marsh, but that’s just part of the New Jersey experience!  In reality, the Deer flies were much more numerous than the more aggressive green jobs, so it really wasn’t that bad.  That being said, as we drove out into the marsh, we spotted a beautiful Mute swan swimming in closer than a fairly large number of swans further out of camera-range.  We had rolled the windows up to avoid filling our car with the flies, so I jumped out for a quick shot, sans window glass.  No sooner had my first foot hit the ground than the call to attack went out to the insect hordes.  They were all over me in a matter of seconds, so what you see is the one shot I ripped off before diving back into the sanctuary of my RAV. 

       As it so happens, further along the road, out towards the end at an area known as the “Bridge to nowhere”, the flies were far fewer in number and much more lethargic.  Our target now was a pair of grackles, both females, working the bushes along the roadside.  I was surprised to find that the one female had a worm in her bill, a sure sign that she had young on the nest.  Yet another sign of a successful breeding season for many of our avian friends.

       The swallows we’ve been following as they move southward were here in good numbers.  Both Tree and Rough-winged were lining the wires along the road and skies were filled with birds in flight.

       It wasn’t all about the birds though.  Many mallows were in bloom and the brilliant Jerusalem artichoke flowers lined the roadside with blazing yellow.

       Dragonflies were also beginning to move about as the morning warmed up.  This female 12-spotted skipper was kind enough to come in close to the SUV, meaning I would not have to leave the safety of my vehicle and give up my body for a decent shot.

       One of the nicest sightings of the day, however, was one we could not capture with the camera as it simply was too far off.  A group of a dozen or so Snowy egrets were roosting on the distant side of the marsh, decorating the trees like it was Christmas in August.  That’s an image we have recorded in our own memory rather than that of the Nikon.