Category: animals

Fish Crow on the Pier

Merlin identifies this as a fish crow. It landed behind me on the pier. It grabbed something small from the deck of the pier. I am thinking it may have been part of a left over fish. Men have been catching stripers from that spot. Otherwise, it could have been a spot of food it cached. They are know to cache extra food in grass and crevices among other spots.

Fish Crow on the Pier

I was lucky enough to see this bird up close. Fish crows can be found along the east coast and up the Hudson River Valley all year in areas around beaches, marshes, estuaries, lakes, and rivers. We are in its year round range.

Fish Crow on the Pier

They are omnivores. They will eat eggs and young of other birds, water creatures such as crabs and turtle eggs that they dig up. They also harass and steal food from crows, gulls, ospreys, etc. I made a previous post about a crow chasing an osprey who was carrying a fish. Have a great Sunday!

Tree Swallow May

Kudos to the photographers who can get good shots of this bird in flight. They move around too erratic for me. Luckily this landed close enough to me to get a shot or two off. It was a dark day and this was lightened a bit.

Have a great weekend!

Gimme!

Poor osprey! The eagles chase him to steal the fish. The fish crows chase him. He gets no respect.

Gimme!

He was on his way back to the nest with a partially eaten fish.

Gimme!

When low and behold a crow started chasing him.

Gimme!

The chase went on for quite. distance. The crow never had contact with the osprey. Maybe he thought better of it.

Gimme! The head of the mother is just visible in the nest.

The osprey made it back to the nest. He is better at bringing a fish over to the nest. If she wants a piece she bites off one, and he flies to a nearby spot to finish it off. Looks like this one was already partially eaten before he stopped by the nest. Have a Happy Thursday!

Thursday’s Catch

After missing out on the delivery of another fish due to the unexpected direction from which the parent came, I waited around and within maybe 30 minutes or so after the dad went out again he snagged another.

Thursday’s Catch- the nest. They have three eaglets this year.

This time he came from the direction I expected him to. How nice of him. It is hard to get pictures of the fish coming in and delivery in the nest. The above picture I believe is the mother with one eaglet clearly visible and two heads down low closer to the mother. This nest has three eaglets that they appear to be doing a good job taking care of. The last two years this nest has lost an eaglet each year.

Thursday’s Catch – another small orange fish

By the time this photo was taken it was close to sunset. I had to lighten it a bit. Luckily, he flew right towards me and over my head. Another orangey fish. This one appears small. Once again it looks like dad could not help himself. He may have eaten part of it. Have a great weekend!

No, You Can’t Have Some!

Due to some trees obstructing my view, I did not see the osprey dive into the water to get this fish. However, I saw an encounter between the osprey and a crow.

No, You Can’t Have Some!

The osprey went from catching the fish to one of its favourite perching trees.

No, You Can’t Have Some!

Shortly thereafter, a crow came and landed on the same tree very close to the osprey. The osprey then looked in my direction. It looks like the osprey is peeved while the crow is trying to plead for a scrap. I am wondering if the osprey is thinking can you believe this? When I entered this image to identify the crow, Merlin only suggests a fish crow for it.

No, You Can’t Have Some!

The crow gave up and flew off to sit on the rocks nearby and the osprey ate probably more than half of the fish.

No, You Can’t Have Some!

Then off it flew towards the nest with the leftovers. Here’s hoping it shared with it’s mate. Happy Friday!

Osprey With a Fish

I finally saw the osprey go down to get a fish. Unfortunately, the pictures of him going in the water and coming out did not come out well because that happened behind a little scraggily bush on the other side of a very tiny island. These, however, came out okay.

Osprey With a Fish

It actually caught the fish right next to the shore. It started carrying it in the direction of the nest.

Osprey With a Fish
Osprey With a Fish

At this point I think it spotted another fish under the water and looked down for a while when flying. It did not appear to be looking at the fish it was carrying. When taking these shots it looked like he was going for a second catch on one run.

Osprey With a Fish

He took this fish to his perching spot near the nest and ate the whole thing himself. He did not share with his mate in the nest. These were taken at quite a distance with a zoom lens and are heavily cropped. Have a happy Wednesday!

Eagle DIY

When one adult bald eagle is on nest watching duty, they at times fly nearby to grab a stick, small branch, grass, or pine sprig to add to the nest. Today was no exception.

Eagle DIY- Pine Branch

The eagles from this nest tend to grab grass from the field below and branches and sprigs from nearby trees. The parents lost an eaglet each of the last two years. Here’s hoping the three in the nest grow up to reach adulthood. The parents are keeping them well fed and are doing their part to try to keep them safe. Fingers crossed.

Eagle DIY – Bringing in a pine branch

Get out and enjoy the nice days! Have a great Monday!

Red Breasted Merganser 2

I got another chance to see this bird this week. It was about a mile south of where I saw it last. It is a juvenile male red-breasted merganser or a female.

It came to the mouth of a creek emptying into the Hudson River, but it originally stayed on the bank opposite me at quite a distance. Then it flew off.

Some geese started hanging out close to me for a while. It flew back, but this time closer to where I was. Not as close as I would want, but I will take it. My neck of the woods is in this type of merganser’s migration area. Where I took this photo appears to be above the area non breeding mergansers of this type would stay. Their breeding area is in the north of Canada. I have not seen any adult male mergansers around.

You never know what you will see. Happy Easter if you celebrate it!

Eagle Nest 4/15

After I started watching this nest today, a storm with high winds came in. Before it got bad I saw what I believe is the mother in the nest. I also say one eaglet head pop up at a time. It is said this nest has three.

Eagle Nest 4/15 – Probably the mother

When the winds started getting bad, I hung out in my car, but decided to wait it out. I’m glad I did. I do not think I have taken pictures of an eagle bringing in a fish in quite a while. Today I saw two brought in.

Eagle Nest 4/15 – Most likely the dad

This nest is on the Hudson River, but there are other bodies of water nearby. Each time the dad went out in the direction of the river, so I assume this is where he caught both fish, but he did not tell me.

Eagle Nest 4/15 – Dad ate most of this fish

The second fish he brought back was partial, just the tail region. I guess the dad was hungry. I did not stay around to see him bring in another, by this time I was hungry. What did I have for dinner? Salmon. Have a happy Wednesday!

Red-Breasted Merganser

It was dark and I was facing the sun’s direction when I took this, so not good lighting. It was also not close. Merlin gave me the Red-Breasted Merganser as a first choice. I think that is what it is, possibly an immature. It was skittish and stayed a distance out on the Hudson River, so I am not sure I will get another chance at getting another shot.

Red-Breasted Merganser

Have a happy Tuesday!