May Day! May Day!

We moved out to East Quogue this afternoon -- a summer day in New York and a mild spring day on Eastern LI. We were greeted by the most advanced foliage that I've ever seen out here at the beginning of May. We were also greeted by calling Willets, two or three Greater Yellowlegs and an Osprey holding a fish and doing its soaring sky cry (to impress a female Osprey no doubt). There were Purple Martins high in the sky. apparently from our local nesting colony at the foot of Bay Avenue. A Green Heron flew up from the marsh and into the woods where it perched warily; it must also be a recent arrival and it will nest somewhere around here. There were two Great Egrets on the pond, possibly from one of our local colonies on the bay or perhaps just passing through. White-throated Sparrows were singing continuously and enthusiastically but they'll shortly be on their way to their northern breeding grounds. Singing Baltimore Oriole -- another recent returnee from the south. Most of the homeys were present and accounted for: all three nesting woodpeckers (Downy, Flicker, Red-bellied), Black-capped Chickadee and Tufted Titmouse, Am Crow, Carolina Wren, Am Robin, N. Mockingbird, N Cardinal, Am Goldfinch, Red-winged Blackbird, Common Grackle. Homeys because these are all birds that hang around through the winter or, at most, move very short distances away. They're back on territory early -- way ahead of us -- and are already well into their spring breeding activities.

Good to be back.

Eric Salzman