The Wilds of Brooklyn, NY!

     I decided that for today's walk I'd just wander around Green-Wood Cemetery for a bit, with no expectation but that to enjoy myself and the quiet natural surroundings. I walked to my favorite water feature, the Dell Water, and there was where I had my "moment of wonder."
     I took a lot of pictures so, I will just use them to show you the wilds of Brooklyn that are practically in my own backyard...

Japanese dogwoods have quite possibly the cutest little blooms, so dainty and symmetrical. They are blooming all over the cemetery!

I was mostly just hoping to see the normal birds. I love seeing the usual visitors, even the invasive ones- this starling glimmers in the sunlight.

The mockingbirds picked out their favorite perches and sang their best songs, of various other birds-- really well, might I add.

I arrived at Dell Water to leaping squeaks, little green frogs evaded me, thinking I might be a larger predator. This green frog found a perch on a wind swept plastic wrap to flowers, probably placed at a loved ones grave. Plastic is unfortunately deadly to other species as it is mistakenly consumed or gets tangled around necks, legs, and other appendages.

Cue the "Jaws" music... something is lurking in the Dell Water!

This gorgeous common snapper was checking me out just as much as I was checking her out. This turtle was large, over a foot long.

Common snapping turtles are native to New York and unfortunately have a bad reputation, as they look menacing. But I love turtles and love snapping turtles just as much as any other!

My first fascination with animals was dinosaurs, I opted for plastic dines over barbies as a little girl. These snapping turtles take me back to my first love, they are so prehistoric, and rightfully so. Turtles have inhabited the earth for over 100 million years. They are some of the most ancient of reptiles!

I was observing 2 snapping turtles, both very active in the Dell Water, they were comparable in size and equally as inquisitive. They spent long moments just a few feet from me in the water, often staring back in my direction. I'd love to know what their brains were thinking...

Snapping turtles are elusive and often stay below the surface, as ambush hunters. Frogs, fish, and ducklings will never know what hit them from below the surface. Their cryptic coloration helps hide them well.

While snappers do consume a lot of animal protein, they also eat vegetation as well. This female allowed me to observe her for many minutes as she gulped and snacked on duckweed. The duckweed is a small plant, you can see the roots from the small ones stuck to her face. Snapping turtles are omnivorous, so despite their ominous appearance, they are not just cold blooded snatchers of baby ducks from below the surface.  

Amazing camouflage!

I walked over to Crescent Water because I saw an egret head that way. As soon as I got there, the bird headed over to Dell Water. Please bird, don't tug my arm to go back!

Obsessed with egrets in flight!

At the Dell Water, this great egret got to work fishing-- success! The water seems poorly oxygenated with all the algae in it, so the fish are drawn to the surface, making for a very easy catch.

The gulp.

The plunge for another fish, this one was unsuccessful, but this motion happens so fast, I was happy to have caught it!

Welcomed back by one of my friends from before.

Snapping turtles can easily live 50 years or more. Their mouths contain zero teeth, just a beak, made for grasping and holding. This turtle swallows its food whole or in pieces it may be able to chomp.

Even their eyes are camouflaged!

As I was checking her out people walked by, its amazing how easy it is to overlook the amazing natural sights within this city. They didn't stop to look, they missed out seeing an amazing creature they probably don't even realize that shares Brooklyn with them. Look closely all around you, you never know what you'll discover!

They did walk and see the egret, and spooked it back to the side I was on. Opportunity for capturing those glorious wings!

Those wings astound me, I do not get sick of seeing these birds.

The migratory bird act was created to protect egrets, those plumes were so desirable in fancy hats in the early 1900's. So desirable that it almost led to the demise of this species. I prefer the feathers on the egret myself, they make me so happy.

While I watched egrets and turtles I heard squeaking and tussling in the shrubs... out rolled two woodchucks, wrestling playfully. They scampered in opposite directions, this one stopped and stared at me as I stood in disbelief of the wilderness that surrounded me. Less than 1/4 mile from where I stood were train yard, apartments, and businesses, but here I stood watching woodchucks, egrets, turtles, and frogs.

I saw one, much larger woodchuck last summer, so to see two, does that mean Green-Wood will be Brooklyn's own stash of woodchucks?

Woodchucks burrow and dig-- also called groundhogs, I wonder what sorts of things they find digging around a cemetery, of all places!

My favorite type of tree, a tulip tree, in bloom. Those tulip shaped flowers turn into seed pods (right above the flower) that you better watch your head when they fall to the ground! I also love their cat-face shaped leaves and tall straight trunks that grow really tall!

So, with little expectation of seeing anything amazing, today was very satisfying, in a very short time frame too! I hope you have the chance to discover something amazing!

Kayaking the Salt Marsh

     Today I was able to take the kayak out for its first paddle of 2015, in the most epic way. I was able to store my kayak in our spare second bedroom that serves as the reptile room, bike room, laundry drying room, storage room, and now, kayak room. I got my kayak out of our second floor Brooklyn apartment and loaded it onto the car on alternate side day, managed to double park and get it strapped on just in time as the street sweeper whizzed by.
    I met one of my friends from back in high school, she is awesome, also has a kayak, and it was like there was't close to 10 years in between the last time we saw each other! The weather was on our side, very little wind, calm water, and a cool sunny day. After the last 3 days of grey, cold, and rain, today was welcomed with open arms and paddles in hand!
     We paddled around one section of the marsh, and learned that one can navigate around it and get back to where we started without having to turn around, we spent almost 2 hours on the water. After grabbing a bite to eat, we walked at the Marine Nature Study Area in Oceanside. It was a great day and I have a lot of sun burn to remember it by for the next few days!

Taking pictures in a kayak is really hard, as demonstrated by this awful photo of semipalmated sandpipers. You are moving, bobbing, and when you stop, drifting. You cannot move your body around because tipping over would be a poor option.

Many osprey were nesting in the area, this one had caught an early lunch.

A different osprey flew over head with nesting material.

Yellow-crowned night herons were abundant and when you're in a kayak they seem to know they are more agile and better adapted for life in the salt marsh than you. 

We explored some of the little paths that wind into the marsh, it was high tide so it allowed us better access through these little corridors. A willet surprised us as much as much as we surprised it and flies ahead... of course in the direction we are paddling.

You cannot really see over the mudflats, so often times the wildlife seems to pop up out of thin air, or grass.

These herring gulls look quite sharp in their summer breeding plumage.

A ruddy turnstone on an old wreck provided some nice photo ops. It seemed like an osprey once nested on the wreck, the nest now looks abandoned.

A handsome little bird!

At the Oceanside Marine Nature Study Area, we found the marsh to be at low tide, mud flats were exposed and some birds were taking advantage of that, like this willet.

Tree swallows, like this one, and barn swallows swooped and soared all through the air. The tree swallows had nest boxes to use, and were very much taking advantage of.

My favorite part about low tide are fiddler crabs. I love watching these guys scuttle about and interact with their neighbors. A female has two same sized claws (the animal lower down) and the male has one claw larger than the other (above).

This male seems rather vivid in color for a small mud-dwelling crab-- check out the blue near his eyes!

A willet bathes in a small tide pool.

The path at the Study Area are raised above the marsh, for easy walking, but they are not solid, they are similar to egg crate material, but sturdier. There is an area where a small wooden bridge is built, and you can see the gulls take advantage of hard, solid ground, as there was evidence of cracked shells all on and around it. A gull demonstrated just how they use it for getting to the juicy insides of a mollusk.

Always, always happy to see a glossy ibis, even just for a little bit!

I highly recommend visiting both places we did today.

Empire Kayak is located in Island Park, NY and offers ecotours of the surrounding marsh, or you can rent a sturdy ocean kayak and explore on your own. The people who run the place are friendly and wonderful, check them out at: http://www.empirekayaks.com

After your paddle, close by is the Marine Nature Study Area, check out their hours and programs at: http://www.mnsa.info

Also, on a fun note, I had the chance to contribute to the Brooklyn Bird Club's newsletter, "The Clapper Rail." I am featured in the Sparks section, that introduces club members to everyone, it's a fun way to get to know a bit more about our budding community. View it online here: http://www.brooklynbirdclub.org/Clapper_Rail_Spring_2015.pdf

No Laughing Matter: Franklin's Gull

     A Franklin's Gull has been reported at Plumb Beach over the last few days. This gull is a rare bird for these parts, so I thought I'd try my luck after my friend and fellow birder found it yesterday, soon after we parted ways.
     The Franklin's gull is incredibly similar to laughing gulls, and it's dizzying at times trying to find him in the crowd. Little differences helped to find him... he is a tad smaller than a laughing gull, his belly has a soft pink hue, his wing tips are white and lighter than the laughing gull, and his higher pitched call really helps in locating him.
     I took a lot of photos, as usual, I'll let them do the 'splaining...

The horseshoe crabs were having a very Hollywood roll in the surf coupling. The crabs are still doing their egg laying which makes for feasting if you are of the avian persuasion.

This laughing gull was doing its own version of kite surfing.

The wind was strong and so were the waves. For reproducing horseshoe crabs, the surf can be a place where you end up overturned. Don't worry-- I flipped her back over, but the struggle is real!

A juvenile herring gull dwarfs the dunlin (with the black bellies) and sanderling (with the reddish colored head).

A least tern surrenders to the strong winds.

Alright-- can you find the Franklin's gull in the crowd? I see him-- remember, whiter wing tips-- which is easier to see when he is turned to the side.

Here he is! A handsome little thing! See the white primary feather tips!

His belly has a very subtle pink hue-- see him peering at us on the right there?

Closest bird to us. I was shooting through gusts of wind and sand- so sorry for all the grain(s). This bird normally spends in summer in the middle of Canada and migrates up through the middle of the US.

Can do a little wing comparison here.

Can you identify him here? remember he is also a tad smaller than laughing gulls. 

Compare the Franklin's call to the laughing gull. His call made it easy to locate him when we lost him.

Withe the Belt parkway overpass behind him!

When you watch gulls for a long time, it's interesting to watch the drama that unfolds between them. They are great to photograph!

Another great size and wing tip comparison.

Not too shabby of an after work bird chase!