Green Frogs

For the past few weeks at Alligator Pond in the Connetquot River State Park, a chorus of green frogs can be heard. Their call is often compared to the sound of banjo strings being plucked which I think is a good description of it. Most of these frogs are a bit shy and skittish and will leap into the water when they sense your presence. However, the one pictured above didn't seem to mind me, so I took about a dozen photos of him, getting closer with each shot. 

Make Way for Canada Geese

I'm not a fan of Canada geese which is why I usually don't think about them. However, this weekend when I saw a pair of adults with their goslings crossing a road in Heckscher State Park, I was pleasantly reminded of the children's book Make Way for Ducklings. In the story a policeman stops traffic to allow a family of ducks to safely cross a busy road. "They're so cute" I thought until one of the adults hissed at me which reminded me of one reason why I'm not a fan of these geese.

Baltimore Oriole

Baltimore Oriole in Oakdale, New York
 

Every year when my backyard apple tree is in bloom, it attracts Baltimore orioles to it. Unfortunately, it is difficult to get a good photo of any of them because they don't stay still and the apple blossoms usually hide them. For this reason I don't spend a lot of time trying to photograph them, but when I see them I will stop whatever I am doing to watch them.

Mother's Day

Cedar Waxwing at Sunken Meadow State Park

 

Magnolia Warbler at Sunken Meadow

Scarlet Tanager at Sunken Meadow

 For me there is nothing more pleasant than walking in the woods on a beautiful spring day when the birds are happily singing and flitting from tree to tree. This Mother's Day, I spent the morning at Sunken Meadow State Park and after seeing many interesting birds, I knew Sunken Meadow had been a good choice to spend the morning.

 

Catbird

Catbird

Last week was all about the turtles; this weekend was all about the birds. During the past few weeks, I was wondering when I would see the catbirds again. Lo and behold I saw them this weekend at Connetquot. These birds have a very understated appearance, bluish gray coloring with a black cap, and even their usual song is rather quiet and mellow and just barely bordering on musical, but they have big personalities, and are especially known for being interested in what's going on around them. The catbird is described in one of my favorite bird books (A Natural History of American Birds of Eastern and Central North America by Edward Howe Forbush) as being a busybody, consumed with curiosity. "Let anyone but imitate the scream of a frightened or wounded bird, and all the catbirds in the neighborhood will appear in full cry; some will project themselves into the very eyes of the offender, as they protest with open mouths and hanging wings." That pretty much sums up the catbird character. One birder told me that in the beginning of spring he enjoys seeing the catbird, but after a couple of months he has grown tired of them. Like most assertive characters, they can get on your nerves at times, but for now I welcome the catbirds' return.