I went to check on the Osprey family this weekend. Parents were flying in and out of the nest, which is a good sign the baby or babies hatched.
Busy Osprey Family
I was hoping to see a parent bring in a fish, but not this time.
Busy Osprey Family – Baby head pops up
I only got a few pictures that included a baby osprey. This is one of them. I do not know if this is the only one.
Busy Osprey Family – Feeding the young fish
I do not think the parent was feeding herself here. They seemed to be handing off low to a baby in the nest.
Busy Osprey Family – Reinforcing the nest
I did not witness a fish being brought in, but saw one of the parents bring in a stick, Considering there is visible in this picture a big hole in this nest, it is probably a good idea. Were you busy this weekend? I hope you had time to relax.
What outdoor activity would appeal to kids and garden enthusiasts alike? The Fairy House Hunt at Locust Grove Estate would appeal to both groups.
Fairy Houses at Locust Grove Estate
Location
The location of this estate is Locust Grove in Poughkeepsie, New York. You can access it by its own turn off via a traffic light on Route 9. The gift shop charges a fee to enter. They provide you with a map to locate the fairy houses.
Fairy Houses at Locust Grove Estate
Estate History
The last residents of Locust Grove, the Young family created a foundation to ensure this site would be open to the public after they lived in it for many years. A famous resident prior to the Young family was Samuel Morse, a painter and inventor of the telegraph and the Morse Code. The museum on site has reproductions of his telegraphs and paintings. Locust Grove was Samuel Morse’s summer home.
Fairy Houses at Locust Grove Estate
The walk
The walk to view the Fairy houses is not too long and it is fairly flat. Other hiking trails on the property are longer and can be steep. The fairy houses are not located on the longer steep trails, but near the garden areas on the property.
Fairy Houses at Locust Grove EstateFairy Houses at Locust Grove Estate – Harney and Sons Tea, a locally made favourite
The Gift Shop
Fairy Houses at Locust Grove Estate – One of the Fairies in the gift shop
The gift shop at Locust Grove sells miniature fairy dolls of various ethnicities/ cultures besides other items.
When
This event appears to run through the end of June. You can see this on weekends up to June 30th between the hours of 10:00 am – 4:00 pm, according to their website. For more information click on the link below.
I see and hear various woodpeckers in my area. There is only one kind I have been able to catch the babies peaking out of the tree hole of the nesting tree. It is the Downy woodpecker.
Downy Woodpecker Family – Baby
I usually can at least find the tree the babies are in because I heard them making sounds begging for food. It does not always mean you will be able to catch sight of the hole. Sometimes by the time you hear the babies start making the sounds, the hole may be well camouflaged by leaves.
Downy Woodpecker Family – Dad
The parents are usually fairly close by pecking at trees for bugs. Sometimes they even look for food on the nest tree.
Downy Woodpecker Family – mom
I have no idea what kind of food they caught in either of these pictures. Our woods is full of bugs due to all the rain we have experienced the past year, so they won’t go hungry.
Downy Woodpecker Family – Mom feeding baby
I believe the babies have fledged from this particular tree, but I know of at least three other trees in the same woods where the Downy babies were still in the hole. This pictures were before sunset, taken from a distance, and heavily cropped.
If you go to All About Birds the babies sound kind of like this in the woods when they are in the tree, but soon to fledge. I usually start hearing them right before they fledge.
Watch the Eyes! The Osprey seems to be thinking as its mate is flying in. These landings look risky to me.
Watch the Eyes! – Osprey
This nest either has little babies or eggs that have not hatched yet. In the time I was there the mate only flew out to chase perceived threats. No fish were brought in.
Watch the Eyes! – Osprey
I wonder if an osprey ever injuries its mate when flying back into the nest.
Watch the Eyes! – Osprey. The couple is keeping a watchful eye around it.Watch the Eyes! – Osprey. Most likely flying to chase off a possible threat.
Although they seem to have babies later than owls and eagles, it is still that time of year for new life. Pause to reflect on those who gave the ultimate sacrifice that we may be free.
This guy seemed to have no fear of me. He paused and stared at me before climbing back up the tree. He is making a quick stop at the forest convenience store before any predators came by.
Squirrel Gathering Food
We are supposed to have two good days out of the three this long weekend. Enjoy the rest of your holiday weekend and remember the sacrifices many made for our freedom.
I came upon this barred owl when I heard birds going nuts in the woods. I was about to walk this way and saw this owl. Its mate was hunting nearby. I felt like the owl was thinking there is nothing to see here, move along. I took a picture then left. Sometimes the male hunts for food for the female, and sometimes they are hunting to feed the young. I have seen the male bring the female his catch . Have a great holiday weekend!
These are an unexpected find. It is an unexpected location for many reasons that I cannot go into detail about.
Unexpected Owlets screaming for parents and most likely food
The weather has been absolutely horrid. Very cloudy most of the time it seems, so it makes for very dark conditions amongst a group of trees. The photo at the bottom I actually got caught in a passing rain storm.
Unexpected Owlets – Two in the hole
I actually heard the sounds days before I saw them at the tree hole. The first few days they did not appear at the tree hole. I walked on all sides of this tree and the sound appeared to come from the other side of the tree no matter what side of the tree I was on. I concluded it had to be inside the tree. I even had a friend listen to a video of the sound to confirm it was an owlet. I never heard them make these sounds inside the tree hole, only after they ventured out of the hole. Then I saw one on a different day appear at the hole. On another day I saw two heads. It almost appeared the one would push the other out.
Unexpected Owlets- It was raining and I had to leave.
All of these photos, but especially the one on the bottom are taken in very low light conditions at a high ISO. Even in a location you would never think an owl would nest, they might. Enjoy the rest of your week!
I took this photo in 2020. Instead of hiking around Manhattan, I was hiking in the woods north of the city. I think I can say many altered their lives in significant ways after March of 2020, although for some it may have been temporary.
Barred Owl 2020
Have you made changes that you stuck to? For me it was probably taking more animal pictures. What about you?
Going off the beaten path and travelling on a country road I had not travelled on before, I had to stop and take this picture.
Half Moon Farm Van
It is another example of using an vintage vehicle to advertise. This one advertises a farm. Go off the beaten path once in a while, there are interesting things to see.
The barred owl has a facial disk. The disk is composed of feathers that grow around the owl’s head. These feathers help make the bared owl a skilled hunter. These feathers they say help direct sound to the bird’s ears. They say it is the same effect as cupping your hands behind your ears. The disk feathers allow them to hear the movement of a mouse in the grass, the flapping of feathers in the night, or the slithering of a snake in a tree or on the ground.
Barred Owl Open and Shut- In a brief window of light from the setting sunBarred Owl Open and Shut- Cloudy
The hunter becomes the hunted in the Pacific Northwest. The government wants to cull barred owls. The barred owl is being blamed for the decrease in population of the spotted owl. The barred is more indigenous to the east coast, but has been moving over the the Pacific Northwest. Therefore, the US Fish and Wildlife wants people to kill 500,000 of them. It is very controversial as it will eliminate a species in one area to save another. What do you think?
