Thinking Back for Two Months

The pace has been so fast, that I have fallen behind on sharing images. So, I've looked back over May and June to find those images that recall special days.  My first close encounter with a Marsh Wren in the Montezuma wetlands in May came as a surprise. He landed in an odd perch and stared at me with defiance.

Closer to home at the Newtown Battlefield Reservation this Hooded Warbler, like the Wren above, chose a nice spot to sing for me. I can regularly find one of them along a particular trail.

For a third year, a pair of Sandhill Cranes was spotted in a marsh near Watkins Glen. Would they be nesting this year?  The quest to answer that landed me on sight for some colorful mornings.

I found the cranes on several different days in June in the tall grass, so any chicks would be hidden. Then, on one day as I approached my parking spot to explore for the cranes, they were standing out in a corn field in plain view.  Dropping into a drainage ditch for concealment, I got very close; it was obvious that they did not have chicks this year.  Mixed with  disappointment was the interesting display that one crane made.

In addition to the larger animals, there is a much smaller world that can be interesting.  This black ant was feeding on the nectar in the blooms of my rhubarb plants.

A good part of June was directed at the Bluebird Trail Farms, which was the subject of an earlier message.  Surely a favorite of the grassland natives was the Eastern Meadowlark.  It is a very strong singer for its size.

I have created a new gallery on my website devoted to grassland flyers - birds and a few butterflies. See it at:  http://pschmitt.smugmug.com/Grassland-Flyers/

In late June and early July, some of my attention moves to orchids and other beautiful flowering native plants. Arguably, the most exciting are the Showy Lady's Slippers. This cluster of blooms was photographed with my smartphone.

Most exciting was this pair that provided the two orthogonal views in one instant.

Back at the Newtown Battlefield Reservation, a White-breasted Nuthatch found a spider nest under some peeling bark of a White Birch, and I captured the moment when it pulled out the spider.

The American Goldfinch is a seed eater, so it nests later when the grasses are going to seed. This male is in fine colors as July begins.

In the meadows and grasslands, the birds' young are fledging, and one is more successful finding colored butterflies like this Fritillary.

Saving one of the best subjects for last, we come to the Canada Lily.  It's hard to find, because the over-abundant Whitetail Deer find it tasty.  I was introduced to a pocket of them isolated between a big river and a railroad yard in an urban location. No deer get there. Arriving in early morning, I spotted the first plants next to the river.

Some of the plants had profuse blooms. It was very striking. This is just two plants.

One distinctive feature of the Canada Lily is the "freckles" on the petals.

So, there is a view into why my last two months have passed so quickly.

Paul

Bluebird Trail Farm- Meadow Birds and More

I joined my friends in the Chemung Valley Audubon Society on a Bobolink outing  to the Bluebird Trail Farm in Caton, New York a few weeks ago. The visit sent me back for some serious photography.  There were abundant Bobolinks, plus many other grassland birds and an inquisitive Alpaca.  Actually, it is an educational farm with chickens, ducks, sheep, and goats, in addition to vegetable and fruit gardens. It is a great outing for the family. The Barn Swallows are plentiful, and a joy to watch returning to their nests in the big red barn. There are a variety of activities on their website plus clear directions. Check them out at: 

 www.bluebirdtrailfarm.org




So, what did this photographer find at Bluebird Trail Farm? Yes, there were Eastern Bluebirds actively feeding young in nest boxes. They were a little leery of my approach, so I left them to their duties.  Bluebirds offer some challenges.  The sun's direction plays a big role in showing their brilliant blues, and the only place to see that was too close for them. There were so many other exciting birds in the grasslands that I did not feel disappointed.



There were many Tree Swallows, including some resting on various perches.  Away from the nest, they were much more comfortable with my approach. Tree Swallows are a common species, yet their appearance and acrobatic flight are very appealing.  Given the great number of insects they catch, they deserve to be appreciated. I got quite used to their flying within feet of me, as they swooped and rolled over the grasses. When I was under camoflage, one nearly landed on my head. 

The Tree Swallows in the nest boxes were very actively feeding young, and they, too, were more comfortable with my location. I took it as a challange to capture their rapid flight towards and away from the nest box.  The colors on the male are brilliant in the sun. It is a delight to stand a comfortable distance away and watch their nimble flight.

Capturing that moment when the bird just touches the box meant that I triggered the shutter when it was still some 4 feet away, and then just hoped I had it right. As I reviewed the photos, I noticed a wide array of insects in their beaks.  All were flying insects.  Other birds in the grassland had different menus.

Capturing the departure presented a new challenge. On approach, I could see the birds some twenty feet away and triggered the shutter as it passed a mark in the background. When it is leaving, there is just a bit of head showing, and often I reacted to a little twitch in the head that was just that. Other times it was the only warning of the explosive launch into the air.

So, Tree Swallows were abundant and provided a great challenge.  The Bobolinks offered a different entertainment.  First, their bubbly song is one I would never tire of hearing. However, the females  nest in the tall grass, and the males are often in the grasses searching for both larva and flying insects to feed the nestlings.  Even when feeding young, they do sing among the grasses.

Here is one male who gained a perch before delivering a catch of insects to a hidden nest in the grasses. The Tree Swallows in the nest box did not seem to object to the Bobolink.

The female Bobolinks are very differently colored to hide in the grasses. I captured this one flying towards a hidden nest.

This brings me to the more elusive of the grassland birds at the farm, and arguably the most colorful and musical, the Eastern Meadowlark. The bird proved difficult to locate, and required complete camoflage before it would approach a favored spot to sing.  It was worth the effort.  Thankfully, they are slower on the wing than a Tree Swallow.

The Eastern Meadowlark takes the posture of an operatic tenor to belt out its song with full voice.  I wonder if I could be so lucky as to record one on video?

Bluebird Trail Farm is not just for the obsessive nature photographer who needs to get ridiculously close to get a full frame image.  With a reasonable set of binoculars, one can get detailed views.  Absent binoculars, the views are reasonable, and the distinctive birdsongs clear to the ear. It is a wonderful place for the young and the young at heart.   Check out their website, and give Margie a call to arrange a visit.

I'll be posting more of my photos at:   http://pschmitt.smugmug.com/

Paul