An American Goldfinch

Here is one of the reasons I plant sunflowers in my garden.

Ospreys and Eastern Kingbirds

An Eastern Kingbird dive bombing an Osprey

Near the Field 7 parking lot in Heckscher State Park there is a platform with a large nest on it. This nest was skillfully constructed from twigs and even a bit of green fish netting by a pair of Osprey who return every year to raise their young in it. If you sit on the bench across from it, you can get a good view of these industrious parents as they bring fish back to feed their babies. Undoubtedly, you will also see a pair of Eastern Kingbirds, who are not too pleased with having Ospreys as their neighbors. They are relentless in their attempt to evict the docile Osprey from their territory. The Kingbirds stand guard on nearby tree tops, on the lookout for any bird who dares to fly into its domain. It is unfortunate for the Osprey family that their home is in what the Kingbirds deem as their territory. When one of the fearless Kingbirds spots an Osprey it begins to attack, despite its victim being quite monstrous in size compared to it. Although, the relatively small bird is not a physical threat to an Osprey, it can definitely annoy one. I am reminded of times when I was bothered by a fly or mosquito that was relentless in pursuing me. Native Americans called the Kingbird "little chief," and as I watch these Napoleonic like birds dive bomb the Osprey nest, I think "little chief" is a good moniker for them. I'm sure the exasperated Ospreys nesting near Parking Field 7 would agree.

Eastern Willet

The Eastern Willet pictured above was spotted at Heckscher State Park a couple of weeks ago. Willets are fairly common shorebirds, but back in the 1800s this wasn't the case. In the book A Natural History of American Birds of Eastern and Central North America by Edward Howe Forbush, the following explanation is given: "The Eastern Willet, a great, strikingly marked shore bird, has been gradually reduced in numbers until it has become one of the rarest shore birds on the North Atlantic coast...The Eastern Willet was not considered a very edible fowl, but its eggs were highly prized for the table." Fortunately, the practice of robbing the nests of these birds has long ceased,  allowing them to make a great comeback.