Views from the Water

     I have a new perspective on some old places that I frequent in Brooklyn. My kayak is officially living in Brooklyn and she's ready to explore.
     We went out on our first voyage yesterday after work, I timed out my paddle at Marine Park to coincide with high tide and it was glorious to be out on the water. While I still saw all the regular birds, it was exciting and new. I look forward to many more adventures...

A juvenile Forster's Tern calling for its sibling (presumed) and parent, as both another immature and mature bird were present.

When you are on a boat, the oystercatchers are way less fidgity and flighty.
I ditched the 200-500mm lens for a 70-300 so that I wouldn't fall over the side from the extra weight.

There was a bit of a racket and bird flying in one very specific area- terns and tree swallows were trying to get this peregrine falcon to leave.

Marine Park is a completely different place from the water, there are areas that were once inacessible that I can now explore from the water.
While kayaks and boats cannot land on any islands, it's very exciting to be able to paddle near and explore from a closer range than the trails across the water.

Still in NYC.

What Marine Park is mostly known for, and old dumping ground for cars. That is no longer the case these days.

More chill American Oystercatchers. With high tide, flats were not exposed so not too much action with peeps and other shorebirds. I did see some spotted and semi-palmated sandpipers.

Forster's tern among some fluffy clouds.

I paddled out 1 hour against the wind and tide. Coming back I sat back and drifted back in. It was a nice treat, untill you accidentally drifted into some grasses. Then you're covered in a troop of flies for which you became their new perch. I could not shake them.

I also didn't realize how high the tide gets. I drifted in to the trail I walked in on and both me and this yellow-crowned night heron gave each other the same look of "WTF?!" Again, in my experience, birds seems to know that a human in a boat is incapable of anything predatory (I suppose as long as one is unarmed) so we just stared as I drifted right by...

And then as I floated over to a small hill that would take me right back up to my car, I looked up, again both of us with a bit of surprise and confusion, a young yellow-crowned night heron-- maybe watching the other seasoned pro below to see how good foraging is done.
While my adventure was just over an hour, I literally just wanted to test the waters today, other adventures will soon come and to those I look forward!

My New Birding Patches

     I got to do some birding this past weekend and spent some time, between house-hold chores and work exploring my new local patches. I went to Floyd Bennett Field and Plumb Beach, both pretty close- Plumb just about a 10 minute bike ride.
     I am also excited for future endeavors as I now have my kayak living in our garage and look forward to getting a very different look at some of the spaces I have only explored by foot on solid terrain.

I visited Floyd Bennett Field on Saturday and checked out Archery Road. The beach didn't have a whole lot going on with the exception of a few killdeer and oystercatcher. Terns, gulls, and cormorants frequented the air above the water. It was back near the old building that I saw Baltimore Oriole, yellow warbler, waxwings, and a family of redwing blackbirds.

This oriole scored a beetle.

This bird looks a bit rough-- maybe molting?

One of two of the young redwing blackbirds.

The second young redwing. They made such a commotion, and I think I was the cause of it, so I moved along as all the neighborhood birds came out to see what was going on.

At the boat launch in Floyd I enjoyed watching a single black skimmer working the shoreline. I love watching them do their skimming- always in awe and wondering how they don't hit a rock, or shell, or the sand and not get hurt. They skim pretty darn close to the shoreline and I'm always wondering how they are so precise.

From head on, that bill is like a knife...

...and it slices through the waves.
I was pretty happy to end on this- I love observing bird behavior, and the skimming always knocks my socks off, it so impressive.

A Forster's Tern scanning the waters from above, looking for a potential meal. 

And now, Great Egrets flying.

A pair was working a mudflat, then an off leash dog came and they made off to another flat that was appearing as the tide receded. 

I was REALLY happy to see three of these-- clapper rails! They are a huge favorite of mine and they were busy calling and chasing off rivals.
I adore these swamp chickens- I always forget how small they are, because their voices are so big!

Leaving on a snowy egret note as I headed off to work after frolicking through the salt marsh and flats.

Distracted.

     Oh hey there! It's been quite some time since I have been on this thing- life has taken a major turn as Tim and I purchased a home in Brooklyn- something we thought we could never do. Now, it's not in any trendy part of Brooklyn, but it's Brooklyn, it's a legit detached house (and nearly 100 years old-- 98, to be exact), and it ours!
     Now, being an old house, of course it came with lots to do- ripping up carpets, painting, installing/refurbishing wood floors, moving (did you know you could saw a box spring in half and reassemble to get it up a flight of tight stairs? me neither!), buying new appliances, installing new appliances, telling the kid neighbors next door that your yard is no longer a place to smoke their joints, fixing things, questioning the thought behind how things were put together by the past owners, and acclimating our pets-- all of that destroyed my free time. Also, I never have been so interested in any of this - matching paints, cleaning, etc - but when you own something and gave your life saving towards this hunk of home, you suddenly have a change of heart.
     In the time living here, I noticed a huge difference in my neighborhood birds- blue jays are out of the picture but now I hear gulls, living closer to the water - laughing, herring-- and all the odd noises they produce. The other day, while driving through the neighborhood, I had a glossy ibis fly over- not too shabby!
     With the exception of a bird outing on early June with my friend Molly (who is featured in this NY TIMES article) and attaining a life golden-winged warbler- I haven't gotten out much. So today, despite heat soaring into the 90's, I like it hot and I was ready to get out!

I stopped out at Jamaica Bay hoping to see not just birds, but also a local reptile-- the Diamondback Terrapin.

This female was not too far out onto the trail and she was busy digging a hole in which to nest.

Heat can be problematic to us creatures that produce our own body heat- but for reptiles, it is power. It raises their metabolism, it gives them energy, and it helps to incubate their eggs.

Diamondback terrapins are monitored here by a group of volunteers based from Hofstra University. I was able to let one of them know that this female was hard at work as they put cages up over nests to reduce nest predation by raccoons.

Saw quite a few yellow warblers who nest here.

This tree swallow is just appalled... at the temperature.
Birds can't sweat, so open mouth "panting" helps for cooling down.

Young tree swallow is also pretty warm in that box!

I bet this little nugget is calculating costs for installing ductless AC...

Soon that young tree swallow will fledge and eventually will take on the amazing plumage of its parents.

...speaking of glossy ibis...

Spotted another large female simply on the move.

I love how each terrapin is such an individual, their spots, blotches, and patterns vary greatly from one turtle to the next.

They also have really cool feet- their rear feet have flaps on their heels- I'm sure it helps with swimming a bunch, but also excavating a nest if you're looking to lay eggs. 

Spotted an osprey not on a nest platform.

Osprey were blessed with a truly majestic look on their face...

After this photo I then proceeded to donate much of my blood to the local mosquitoes. I came off the trail bleeding, having been stabbed mercilessly by many little needles. I also ran to CVS for some after bite as I got destroyed and big bottle of deet -- I have no mercy for mosquitoes, the natural stuff never works for me- gotta spray myself down with carcinogens. 

Now, sprayed down with off-deep woods, I continued on to one of my new neighborhood birding spots- the Marine Park Salt Marsh!
I enjoyed watching this yellow-crowned night heron on the hunt.

So, I didn't spray my face with deet-- and that's then where the biting flies and mosquitoes honed their sights on-- I coulda used your help, dude.

This was fun to watch- little bird, big attitude!
A male red-winged blackbird chases off a great egret that flew too close to his singing perch.

Chased that egret a good 30-40 yards!

Family photo. There are three chicks in there!

2 of a family of seven barn swallows assess the water feature they should avoid below.

Always enjoy a good stare down with a grey catbird.
It was good to get out again, hoping I can do some before work birding as I pass through the nature center on my way to work and can pass through Plumb beach-- biking is good for that! Here's to picking up the habit again and exploring my new patches fully.