August 27

Today was terrific. I walked into the thicket by NE Casket and the T yard to see this small crowd of Egrets feeding frantically in a small puddle.

There were fifteen Great Egrets, ten Snowy Egrets, a duck and several Yellowlegs as well all in a very small body of water. The whole crowd was very active and there were all sorts of aggressive displays. The thickets were once again quiet even though there are still plenty of wild cherries hanging from the trees. The Ospreys are still around. At one point, there were three on the platform and one adult on a pole eating. So they have not yet left for warmer climes.

A small bit of plant life caught my eye in the sunlight.

It’s a locust seed pod backlit by the morning light.

The Overlook was very busy. Shorebirds and peeps were hustling through the mud and shallows. A dozen or more Snowy Egrets were stalking through the deeper parts while even a pair of Cormorants were feeding in what could only be 12 - 18 inches of water. A bunch of ducks were feeding as well. Beyond the panne, two Great Blue Herons and six Great Egrets were quietly resting in the high dry grass.  Beyond the west end of the panne are several small puddles. There were almost two dozen ducks feeding along with some Yellowlegs. Best of all several Great Egrets were actually in the grass at the edge of the puddle. I got to take some great pictures.

A formal portrait.

There was some back and forth that resulted in some flight time.

They simply flew/jumped a dozen feet and back down.

It was amazing to watch these birds.

The Boardwalk was dull by comparison and as I turned towards the park, my attention was drawn to a large flock of Tree Swallows overhead. Then a larger bird flew into the flock. It was a Merlin and it took a swallow in mid-flight.

The Merlin stood out amidst the swallows and then flew off with his meal in talon. It was the first time that I have actually seen this happen.

It was a great day to be out and there was much to see and enjoy.

Ciao!

-Jorge

This entry was posted on August 27, 2008 at 3:36 pm and is filed under Daily - the next year. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.