The change in seasons here on the bay is very evident in the changing of some of the species present. Instead of the mergansers, their niche as diving-for-their-dinners' waterfowl has been filled by the returning cormorants. The swallows are back, along with Great White Egrets in full breeding plumage! Some of the wintering brant are still around, but I think most of the great flocks of them that have been here all winter have started their annual migration north. The one wildlife regret I have is that I did not see any seals from my waterfront vantage point this winter. I've been told they bask just around the corner of the marshy island that's about 25 yards off my stern. Lacking a boat of any sort yet, I wasn't able to verify that report. Hopefully by next winter I'll have some sort of marine conveyance of my own...

On the other hand, some things remain the same. The ubiquitous Canada geese and mute swans are ever-present; the sea gulls as numerous as always; the tide continues its' twice daily cycle of ebb and flow. and this weeks' full moons' sparkling on the shimmering waters of the Great South Bay was - as usual - an astounding sight!

I went to my favorite local arboretum this afternoon for a couple of hours. It was chilly and mostly cloudy, but I think I got a nice shot or two. The ospreys are back at the arboretum, and have been for a couple of weeks now. I watched one working on his nest for a little while, as about 100 swallows wove through the air all around me. Some of them came with a few feet of me before banking away! It was a pretty incredible sight.

When I got home, and looked out my back door, there were three snowy egrets standing on the bank, not 25 yards away. As I watched, a great white egret - who's about twice the size of the snowy's - joined the trio! All in all, a good day for wildlife.

5/08 This afternoon I spotted 2 American oyster catchers about 75' away from my barge, on the island across from me. This evening I saw a yellow crowned night heron, about the same distance away, with a great white egret another 75' away from him! I think I also saw a black crowned night heron in the vicinity, but I'm not positive about that sighting.






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