EVERY time I went to the MNSA preserve in Oceanside L.I. someone would ask me if I if I had seen the green heron. This has gone on for a year, and it was always no and it seemed like a running joke on me.
Today was the day!
#birds
I've been inspired to take a closer look at the plants of Long Island after seeing plants from around the world posted here. Here's two I've never noticed and found today.
Buttonbush and Wineberry!
#naturephotography#plants
Hempstead Lake State Park - again. I went back to reshoot dragonflies, I thought the ones I took yesterday could be better and it gave me a project, got me out of the house.
Here are blue damselfly, common whitetail and amberwing dragonflies.
#dragonfly#naturephotography
Hempstead Lake State Park Long Island today.
Those are vacated cicada shells under the blue damsel fly! The other dragonfly is a yellow winded darter.
The egret is always good Feng Shui and the pedal powered swans were quite friendly. ;-)
#birds#dragonflys#EgretFengShui
Earl the Egret getting his share of the fish survey samples from the NYS DEC staff at Oceanside. He's been enjoying the company of the the staff and visitors there for 18 years.
#birds
The Osprey cam is out at MNSC Oceanside L.I. and we are still fenced away from the nest. But I was able to get a few reasonable pictures and can see two chicks that are doing well!
#birds
I always wonder about how long it takes for anything to figure out that something kills it and then how some of those things are flagged with the most outlandish appearances. Maybe I'm lucky not to know. ;-)
Last year this month the water lilies were covered with soot from the Canadian forest fires, this year has been better.
The blue-eyed cormorant was sunning, the great egret caught a nice sized pumpkinseed fish and the goslings have gotten huge!
Levy Preserve, Merrick, Long Island.
#Birds
We all know that trying to shoot a white bird at a distance will make details blow out by overexposure. Egrets look like a piece of Styrofoam at the end of the reach of my lens. Shy they like to keep their distance so tracking one made the last shot here a good finish to my day at the marsh.
#birds
I hadn't seen low tide at this marsh before, it looked so surreal with the bright green seaweed draped over the rocks. I took a few pictures then noticed the tiny sand pipers working the shore, one of my favorites. Nice surprise!
Marine Nature Study Center, Oceanside L.I.
#birds
A strange and loud bird call came from the brush when a bird quietly strolled onto the trail then back into the brush. Not much to look at I thought as I took it's picture. Later googling the photo I found it was a clapper bird, rarely seen as it hides in dense vegetation. Ah, what a find!
#birds
When I saw the tern flying like a rocket, turning on a dime, dropping like a stone to dive and catch its prey I knew that was my challenge, to get a few pictures of this bird in motion. Then later, when the tern perched on a railing near me for a few minutes I just laughed to myself.
#Birds
