23 Saturday Apr 2022
Posted in colonial lake, Photography
The Crabapple is a most colorful spring blooming tree. There was one near the entrance of our public library and it easily drew everyone’s attention.
At nearby Colonial Lake ducks and birds were also welcoming the sun and a much needed increase in temperature.
American Robins were everywhere. I followed one as it walked on the shore of Colonial Lake.
At one point there was a face off with an European Starling.
Although bigger than the Robin, the Starling flew away.
04 Friday Feb 2022
Posted in barnegat, Photography
Last week, a day after this year’s Nor’Easter blizzard, I went to the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge refuge, only to find that it was closed because there was too much snow to be cleared. I turned around and drove to the Barnegat Lighthouse. It was still very windy, cold, and the sea was rough.
A young White-throated Sparrow was braving the wind. It kept jumping around, but I finally managed to get a shot of it.
There was a small park next to the lighthouse. It was loaded with snow.
Higher in a tree, an American Robin did not seem to be too affected by the weather.
European Starlings were flying around and landing here and there, asking to be photographed.
As I started to go home, I saw a cheery sign for an art gallery.
22 Saturday Jan 2022
Posted in EBF Refuge, Photography
Tags
american robin, canada geese, Edwin B Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, northern harrier, northern pintail, Northern Shoveler, postaday, snow geese
It was a beautiful and cold three days ago at the refuge. After hiding for most of the week, the sun was out. The wind was blowing fairly strongly and lifted the clouds toward the heavens.
As I drove on Wildlife Drive, a Northern Harrier pair was hunting for food, such as voles and mice, among the low vegetation along the marshes. They cut in front of my car, disappeared in the grasses at times. I tried to follow them and only managed to get an occasional shot.
Meanwhile, ducks and geese took off in dramatic formations against the blue sky.
09 Saturday May 2020
Posted in EBF Refuge, Photography
Tags
american robin, carolina chickadee, Eastern Bluebird, goldfinch, jane magnolia, Judy Zug Magnolia, Northen Cardinal, photography, postaday, red-tailed hawk
The weatherman says it has never been this cold on this day in our town. This morning the temperature is at 31°F or -0.5°C. With a strong breeze, it feels like 24 °F or -4.4°C. I will have to go out to the garden and see whether the tomato plants grown from seeds and put into the ground last week survived.
Three years ago I planted a yellow magnolia tree named Judy Zuk Magnolia, in honor of a former President of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. It grew one flower the first year, none the second year, and this year it is displaying a dozen of bright yellow flowers mixed with small streaks of orange-red. Here are some shots of the flowers which are bigger than those of the Butterfly Magnolia from last month.
Judy Zuk Magnolia.
Judy Zuk Magnolia.
Here’s another kind of Magnolia that is blooming late in the season. In fact, it keeps blooming during a good part of the summer when all other magnolias have come and gone.
Jane Magnolia.
I’ll finish this post with photos of our backyard birds who have been quite busy during this spring mating season.
Goldfinch ruffled by wind.
Carolina Chickadee.
Male Northern Cardinal hiding in Jane Magnolia tree.
American Robin.
Eastern Bluebirds couple taking a break from incubation chores.
Female Eastern Bluebird getting ready to go back inside birdhouse.
Then someone who thinks it is a bird.
Squirrel eating up high on an oak tree.
Finally, a shot of a Red-tailed Hawk at the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge on February 22, before the coronavirus lockdown.
Red-tailed Hawk.
12 Wednesday Jun 2019
Posted in Photography
Both Bluebird parents are working hard to bring food back to their babies. They disdain the store bought mealworms I put out, and prefer to catch fresh insects and worms. Still the mealworms disappear, and I suspect the Robins have something to do with it.
Female Bluebird flapping her wings as her mate approached.
He’s flying in!
Each parent with their food package.
She flies first to their nest.
She feeds the babies.
“Don’t worry. Daddy has more food!”
“Come quick, they are still hungry!”
“I’m ready with a nice insect!”
He feeds the babies.
Daddy feeding.
“All done, but they are still asking for more.”
Female Bluebird, with more food.
Wary female Bluebird.
Nearby an American Robin was looking at the Bluebirds.
American Robin eyeing Bluebirds.
14 Sunday Apr 2019
Posted in colonial lake, Photography
Tags
american robin, colonial lake, mallard, mourning dove, photography, postaday, red-bellied woodpecker
Storm clouds.
Mourning Dove.
American Robin.
Mallards.
Mallards.
Mallards.
Red-bellied Woodpecker.
06 Saturday Apr 2019
Posted in colonial lake, EBF Refuge, Photography
Tags
american robin, canada geese, colonial lake, diamondback terrapin, Edwin B Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, great egret, photography, postaday, snowy egret
American Robins don’t migrate during the winter, merely keeping out of sight most of the time. They reappear with the coming of spring, when the ground is no longer too hard for them to try to pull out worms.
American Robin, 2019 spring.
Flocks of Canada Geese flying overhead is another sign that the seasons are changing. However, I can’t figure out what they are doing since they seem to be flying in all directions.
Canada Geese flying East.
Just a minute after the above shot, those Canada Geese reversed direction and flew over me again.
Canada Geese flying West.
I thought that was the last of that flock and started walking toward the woods. Then they flew North and passed overhead once more.
Canada Geese flying North.
Another sure sign of spring is the return of Great Egrets and Snowy Egrets. They appeared two weeks ago, then went away when the weather turned cold. Now they are back.
Great Egret and Snowy Egrets at Edwin B Forsythe NWR.
Great Egret.
Finally the turtles are out sunning themselves. I think they are Diamondback Terrapins, but am not positive. They all jumped into the water as I tried to come closer to them to get a better look.
Seven turtles at Colonial Lake.
30 Sunday Dec 2018
Posted in colonial lake, Photography
Tags
american robin, blue jay, cosmos, great egret, mallard, montezuma national wildlife refuge, northern cardinal, photography, postaday
In 2018, some of my photos did not appear on this blog, normally because I didn’t want to have too many in any post. Now at year end, looking at them, some actually deserve to be shown, and here they are.
Northern Cardinal in January 2018.
Mallard mother and ducklings, May 2018.
Great Egret at Montezuma NWR, September 2018.
American Robin, November 2018.
Blue Jay, November 2018.
Cosmos brought inside, October 2018.
14 Monday May 2018
Posted in Photography
The American Robin shown below was making so much noise and movement that I had to take its picture.
American Robin, excited and shouting.
The target for its cries was another Robin, who watched it very nonchalantly.
American Robin, cool and relaxed.
Here are the two of them in one photo.
Two Robins.
Perhaps the shouting Robin was a juvenile clamoring for food, and the older bird did nothing, as a way of telling the younger one to go find its own worm. Just my guess.
09 Sunday Apr 2017
Posted in EBF Refuge, Photography
Two different kinds of birds, an American Robin and a Great Egret, with two different ways of finding food.
Male American Robin looking for worm.
He dove toward one.
Maybe not this time.
Great Egret diving after fish.
Caught one!
07 Wednesday Sep 2016
Posted in Photography
Tags
american robin, chipping sparrow, downy woodpecker, photography, postaday, snowy egret, wordless wednesday
Downy Woodpecker.
American Robin.
Chipping Sparrow.
Snowy Egret.
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