This morning I varied my usual route by cutting over to Bay Avenue, walking down to the town dock and, after vainly scanning the marsh and shoreline from that vantage point, returning via the Weesuck Creek shoreline, crossing a segment of marsh to reach the 'outer' bank of our pond. The tide was very low so it was easy to wade across the narrow neck where the water from the marsh drains out into the pond (and where, in a couple of hours, the tide will push back in). The few egrets that I could see were all Greats and one or two distant possible smaller egrets were just too far away and directly in the glare of the morning sun. I did spot a pair of Cedar Waxwings coming over the marsh and heading into the trees. These birds may just be starting to nest right now.
A locale that was new to me was the boat basin at Pine Neck landing. From this spot, it is possible to work one's way along the shore and bay edge of the Pine Neck Nature Sanctuary, formerly the De Ropp Estate. This property faces us on the east bank of Weesuck Creek but most of the marsh and shoreline is hidden from view from our side. Here it was possible to see that the Osprey nest (barely visible to us) has two flying young. This marsh is also home to some very vociferous Willets and considerable numbers of Saltmarsh Sparrows.
Both locales feature close-up views of martin colonies. The principal food of these giant swallows is dragonflies -- mostly, it would seem, the Seaside Dragonlets which hatch in some numbers in the two marshes. But they also take butterflies including a surprising number of Red Admirals. You might think that the striking colors of these beautiful butterflies would signal that they are distasteful but apparently the birds do not subscribe to this theory. Below are photographs of a captured dragonlet, a Question Mark, and a Red Admiral, all being sacrificed to insure the future of the martin tribe. The shots are by Luke Ormand (note the correct spelling of his name; I misspelled it yesterday) who was also looking for plumed egrets but took time out to document these elegant Purple Martin food preferences.
Eric Salzman
PO Box 775
East Quogue NY 11942
631 653-5236
www.ericsalzman.com
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