Snow geese overhead

October 27, 2008

A more wintry tableau is unfolding amongst the creatures outside. Goldfinches which have lost their summer luster are back in force at the niger feeder which they generally ignored through the summer months – four are chowing down as I write. Beneath them are half a dozen white-throated sparrows along with four mourning doves and a couple of house sparrows.

The wood pecker that attacked the house last month seems to have given up, but not until after doing enough damage to require the repair and painting (leading into a whole-house painting) of several holes, which seems to have discourage the beast. One recommendation to deter such activity was putting up a suet cage, so that was reloaded and this past weekend drew a pair of downies.

A few small flocks of grackles and red-winged blackbirds were spotted at Oak Beach a week ago, but they have disappeared from here to head for warmer climes, along with the previously departed catbirds, most robins and others. Plenty of noisy jays still around -- more than usual, so they may in fact be passing through. The feeding area was enlivened for a week or so by three Eastern Towhees, who hung around for the free food. Various warblers have been spotted in the area as well, but no good IDs were made.

A Carolina Wren poked around the woodpile last week. Resident cardinals, chickadees and mallards are regulars.

On the water, this morning’s early hours were highlighted by four Black Crowned Night Herons. Two adults were perched just above the pond surface on the downed tree to the east and an adult and young ‘un were on the snag opposite. Overhead, at least three ragged flocks of cackling Snow Geese moved south a low levels at midday last Friday. Our local gulls, Canada geese, cormorants and hunting osprey are often sighted or heard.

Visiting Oak Beach last week turned up what most likely was a Sharp-shinned Hawk and a pair of Least Sandpipers. IDs are tentative on the former who perched about 15 up near the top of a tree a good hundred yards away; more sure on the latter who searched a boardwalk for tidbits within a few feet of me.

During a visit to Mattituck on the North Fork on October 6, we heard a loon on the Peconic Sound – interesting in that we notably did not hear any during a few days on Lake Winnipesauke in August, a place where in past years they have almost always been in evidence.

On October 7, a great blue heron was working along the newly downed tree on the east side of the pond. I didn’t see it collect any food, but neighbor Joe saw an adult BCH at the culvert head of the creek next to Belton Ct a week ago and watched as it took a small fish, before meandering across the road to work its way further up the creek. The GBH was back on the tree again on the afternoon of the 9th, but did not stay long.
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