West Point In the Fall

We have been too busy this past year to even think of blogging.  Joan had both knees replaced Oct. 5 2012 and then Hurricane Sandy hit our area on October 28.  We were displaced until the end of May and returned to our home and are continuing to live in our upstairs while the repairs to our home are completed.  We lost our computers in the hurricane and are sharing a little laptop.  Needless to say with all that we have had to do, we have not been blogging.  (Maybe we should, as the recovery from surgery and the hurricane has been quite a trip.)


Today we took a different trip.  One that we do annually just for the sheer joy of fall.  We headed out early this morning to West Point and Bear Mountain to see what we could see.  It was probably not the best day to do a trip to a federal government installation since the government is shutdown but we went none the less. Most facilities were open. The visitor's center and public restrooms were not available but we had an enjoyable day. The sun was bright, the sky was blue and it was just one of those days that fills the soul with buoyancy. 


Today I am sharing some views that we experienced.  I will use them for wall paper and screen savers and
authorize you to do the same if you see something you like. Nothing is more breathtaking than trees in fall.

Phoebe

This little phoebe greets us at Allaire State Park every time we visit.  The NJ state bird may be the goldfinch but the phoebe is very prominent in the spring.  We watched him carry nesting materials to a nest under the bridge today. 

We looked for warblers and other spring migrants but saw mostly the old winter standbys.  We did catch a glimpse of a common yellow-throat and we heard both Towhees and white eyed vireos.  The yellow rump warblers were in fine feather and quite showy today.

Hooked!

 Today we landed in Sandy Hook for a drive around the park.   We often land at our birding spots by total accident but today we had a plan.  We have been spotting the pine warblers around our usual haunts for a week or so. They are often accompanied by the palm warbler.  That little guy has been eluding us until today.  We caught wind of his presence at Sandy Hook so we took a drive and we were rewarded by this little palm warbler( pictured above). (Click on the pic for a larger image.)

The park must have been giving free ants to every flicker who showed up because there were lots and lots of flickers in the park today.  This one seemed to find an endless supply of ants in a sidewalk crack.










We can almost always catch a few killdeer this time of year.  They are always a favorite with their two necklaces.  They were not afraid of us but when a dog passed by they were feigning.

Our first thrush of the season (well of course if you do not count robins) was this hermit thrush perched just in front of our Jeep.  He was either tired or very tame because he stuck around for quite a while.

We left the park around noon capping off a morning of sun and relaxation.  This gull seems to be following our example.

Into the Woods

We are starting our real all out birding this week.  The martins have returned to our backyard and the phlox are blooming.  Both of these events signal it is time for a daily outing.  This morning was beautiful.  There was not a cloud in the sky and it was perfect "sweater weather".  Birds were not the only thing we noticed today.  We even caught a glimpse of the Easter Bunny.

We enjoyed seeing some of the winter birds and year round residents.

 This Blue Jay wanted to be sure to make my post.  He even smiled for the camera.

 The cardinal and the titmouse are always sure to welcome us to the woods.

Spring Signs

Coco thinks she can drive.

Open trout season starts April 7 in NJ

Our first official outing of spring 2012 sprouted several signs of spring.  It seems appropriate since the first day of spring was earlier this week.  We made several stops with Coco and Rose in the backseat of our Jeep Liberty.  Since my hip replacement surgeries in November and January I have a new woman and hope to be able to walk better and further this spring but for now I am still pretty unsteady.  Shooting with my long lens is a challenge because I try to do it without a tripod.  So here are my first feeble attempts.

Moss

This little stream borders a golf course.  While we were enjoying the view we were graced by a pair of eastern wood phoebe which are some of the earliest returning migrants. What I loved most about the stream was the moss awakening below the sleeping trees.

Pine Warbler

Pine warblers feeling frisky

Pine warblers are some of the first warblers of spring.  We found a pair at Allaire State Park.  These two were switching from ground feeding to feeding in the trees.  These warblers feed on seeds from the pine cones and are reported to frequent feeders. 

Cowbird

This cowbird is another early returning migrant.  It is bittersweet to see them return.  They are one of the heralds of spring but they also are villains, placing their eggs in the nest of smaller birds.  As the young foster cowbirds grow they oust the other chicks from the nest until they alone are the baby.