Very Old Purple Beach on Pell Farm

INDIAN BURIAL MOUND

ALPHIES, A LAB THAT LOVES TO CHEW

The other day the tethered objective lense caps fell off my Pentax DCF-SP 10X43 binoculars. You see there is a center screw that keeps the two caps snug to the binoculars...But....if the screw comes loose!!! Fortunately we have Alphie a year old Black Lab that finds most things that get lost on our grounds. Well, yes she "finds things". But she also loves to "chew them". I was hoping that the former would happen without the "latter". But I had no luck. There the lens caps were in Alphie's "Lost and Chewed" section of our front lawn. I had a bit of luck. Pentax will send me new ones, including the screw....FOR FREE. Now there's a first!

Our property has a small area below where the former Robert Livingston Pell mansion used to be that contains indian artefacts. It may just have been an indian burial site. Some have noticed unusual raised sections that might have been "burial mounds". I haven't nailed down the site. When I do I will have some pictures. (The post before this which is an actual Indian Burial Mound shows me that I must "might have been walking upon the mound without seeing it". Remember when Jimmie Durante, as he is dying in the movie Mad, Mad, World tells them all to "Love under the "BIG W"???

HUDSON RIVER SUMMER

I was in Ireland from the 30th of June until June 15th. I haven't posted anything since then. The Hudson River here at Esopus is as sultry and humid as it can be. While we had sunny and bright days in Ireland rain was pouring down on the Hudson River Valley. While I was gone one or maybe two eagles fledged. I have only seen the one even way back in May when other said they saw two of them. These days I have seen just one of the scraggly little eaglets sitting "below his/or her birthplace". The Royal European Starling Airforce" as I like to call these huge swarms o light brown summer-coated birds has been eating whatever they find on our lawns. If I had to say what the order of most numerous birds here in Esopus are (AFTER the Starlings...of course!!!) I would say 2. Chipping Sparrows 3. Red Winged Blackbirds 3. Eastern Bluebirds 4. Eastern Wood Pewees 5. Phoebes 6. American Robins 7. Barn and Tree Swallows 8. American Crows and Fish Crows 9. House Finches 10.Northern Mockingbirds 11. House or Winter Wrens



As I go on I have some "doubts". I think the Mockingbirds and House Finches should be further up the line. I have just begun to see some Goldfinch.

In Ireland there is a beautiful Goldfinch that has at least five colors: white, tan, yellow, black and red. You can judge for yourself. The only place I saw them there was on the road from Mountcharls, Co. Donegal to Glencough which is a, as they say, townsland of Mountcharles. Here is one. It is to the upper left.

The "Birder's Shadow" and the "Shadow of Ireland's Past"--Glencough,Mountchalres-Co. Donegal

A Wonderful World of Irish Birds and Trees

These days in Ireland have been wonderful. At Glencough near Mountcharles-Co. Donegal is the place where our maternal grandfather, John McDermott, was born and raised before going to America to provide a place for us. At his grand nephew's house, Patsy McDermott, besides seeing the ivy covered remains of the family barn and home, I saw what I think were Chiff Chaffs or Willow Warblers. I also saw the most beautiful Irish Goldfinches which have a red ring on their head besides the yellow and white wing patches. The most frequent birds here are: magpies, Black Thrush, Chaffinches, European Robin, Rooks, Jackdaws, Goldcrests, Collared Doves (which some people mistake for Cuckooes because they "sound" like a cuckoo), the Swallow (which is actually what we call "Barn Swallow" elsewhere), Tree Swallow, which are quite numerous....

The smell of Ireland is like a farm. I imagine this is because of the constant dampness. I found that the turf grows only one millemeter a year and so it is not a source of heat as it was many years ago. Many people have either knocked down their ancient homes or even sold the stones to developers because of their dire economic need. The developers have then created "stylized Irish cottages" which have all the modern comforts and conveniences that the old homes, of course, never had. The most wonderful thing about Ireland is its welcoming, loving and generous spirit. While we were in Mountcharles our cousin Eileen got all the Porters, Connollys, Martins, McDermotts.....together for a wonderful party with good food, Guinness, song and laughter. While we were there the Fine Gael party had a victory parade which passed right in front of our house. The picture here is of Martha Brennan, 103 years young enjoying the parade from her window above Brennan's Supermarket.--- IN THE PICTURE I HAVE LABELLED "MY GRANDFATHER'S HARE" THERE IS ACTUALLY A HUGE RABBIT (HARE) OUT IN THE FIELD....SEE IF YOU CAN PICK HIM OR HER OUT. HE OR SHE WOULD NOT ALLOW ME ANY CLOSER..

The "Hudson River Birder's brother John at "The Slieve Cliffs"--Killybegs-Sligo-Ireland

Sheep on Cliffs of Slieve League near Killybegs-Co. Donegal

My brother Dan and cousin Philomena's old Family Home in Dromore--Mountcharles-Co. Donegal

My Grandfather's Hare in Mouncharles-Co. Donegal

Wildlife on Connemara Preserve and Aran Islands

The past few posts have been more "travelogue" than nature posts. Today I have a beautiful picture of the sandy but rough beaches on the coast of Ireland between Galway and the Irish speaking town of Spittel. I also have an interesting picture of a shepherd that I met on the so called "Ring of Kerry" last week. He could direct his two Border Collies to round up sheep far up into the hills. For this he had a whistle with a special sound that identified each of the two dogs and he also had specific whistle signals that would tell each dog things like, "Go left!" "Go right!"..."Sit down!"...."Crouch and menace the sheep!"...."Move up!"..."Move down!"...."Stop!"...."Go!.... And so on. The shepherd could also communicate with each dog with voice commands. And, though he did not say it specifically, I am sure that there were movements of his "shepherd's staff" that also communicated things to the sheep. Thank you for your patience. I will not use my blog for travelogue...But the fact is, even though I don't have photos I have seen many English birds. I am most impressed with the large menancing Hooded Crows and also with the big grey black Jackdaws that seem to have a good relationship with the sheep. They follow them everywhere. The European Robin has become my special friend. The Great Tit and the Blue and Coal Tit are very much like our American Chickadees. But they don't sound like them, nor do they act like chickadees.
My big challenge has been to try and figure out if the English Song Sparrow, which looks "a bit" like our American one, but is larger...if it is a mimic as I suspect. It seems to have about 10 or eleven calls...maybe more. The magpies are a treat. They are so big and clumsy. There are many swallows that seem like our Barn Swallows, because they have the long forked tails. But the large majority of swallows here in the south of Ireland seem like American Tree swallows.

Seals on Inishmore--Aran Islands--Ireland

Rough Sandy Shore of Connemara Coast--Ireland

Circle of Kerry Shepherd

Ruins of 1291 Church/ Cemetery of Deely Ancestors

Tom, John and Dan Deely in front of Castleton Conyers Deely Grave Site

Ruins of Castleton Conyers Cemetery where Deely Ancestors are Buried

Tom, Dan with Michael Deely

Two Jackdaws near Blarney--Ireland in Wildlife Preserve

The Ring of Kerry near Killarney-Ireland

The "Birder" with his Brothers at the Lakes of Killarney

THIS "BIRDER" ON THE "RING OF KERRY"

Today my brothers and I took a bus trip around the famous "Ring of Kerry" which begins in Killarney here in the South of Ireland . The photos that I have placed today are: 1. a Jackdaw that I saw in a Wildlife Preserve near the Blarney Castle. 2. a shot of the ocean from the Ring of Kerry. And finally, 3. My two brothers: John and Dan with me in front of one of the famous Lakes of Killarney.

Hudson River Birder in Limerick-Ireland

After a six and a half night flight to Shannon Airport, my brothers John and Dan drove to our historic "Mission Parish" of St. Alphonsus in downtown Limerick. My Redemptorist "confreres" greeted us with great joy, humor and food. Then we walked the banks of the Shannon in Limerick. Later I saw "some" Irish birds: their Great Tit, their crow, swallows and, some others I have not "nailed down" yet. I have a picture of some of the great missionary Redemptorists' graves in our "rose lined" small cementery. The founder of Limerick was a missionary who, in the 1860 was named Jerome Buggenoms. Buggenoms, before he came to Ireland from the Caribbean to build this parish, had, at one time been the only representative of the Holy Father (The Pope) in all the Caribbean. His correspondence is a most valuable source of events from the 1860ties, most especially in what was then the Island of Hispaniola, now the Dominican Republic.

Cemetery with Deceased Irish Redemptorist Missionaries

Quaint Old Residence in Limerick

Our Redemptorist Monastery in Limerick

My Two Brothers at the Shannon River-Limerick

WE GO TO OUR GRANDPARENTS' HOME IN IRELAND

For the next two weeks this Hudson River Birder, with my brothers John and Dan, will visit Ireland. The main part of the trip will be to visit the family of our maternal grandfather in Mountcharles, Glencough, Co. Donegal in Ireland. In 1991, when I had celebrated the previous year my first 25 years as a Redemptorist priest, I went to visit our Irish relatives. What I most remember on the "natural/spiritual level" was a very spontaneous, free, silly moment in Co. Galway. It was, as it mostly is there in Ireland, a cold, cloudy, windy day. I has asked my cousins to stop by a pasture that was full of an enormous flock of hugely wooly sheep. I then proceeded to "run after the sheep". I am sure that next week my cousin Eileen will delight the family recalling that moment when...."Father Tom oft and ran with the sheep".
Back at Esopus there are no sheep. We just have groundhogs, possums, coyotes, wild turkeys, deer, our new family of American Bald Eagles, and the many birds that are our visitors each spring and our year round residents.
----I am trying to put together a new retreat at The Mount. I am thinking of calling it: "Running with the Sheep--Strengthening our Bond with the Natural World".
I truly, truly believe that most of God's important messages and blessings are right here before us in the Natural World. The other day I was reading Rusty Johnson's most interesting book called "Twilight of the Natural World". Now I, like many aging persons, have memory problems. And so his data on the Clarke's Nutcracker really got my attention. The Clarke's Nutcracker is an inhabitant of the southwest. It feeds on pine cones which it gathers and buries in various spots so as to find them and enjoy them in winter time. This bird has the mental capacity to remember up to 20,000 distinct hiding places!!! I thought, Might not the secret of reducing demential or at least increasing our power of recall be found in the brain chemistry and structure of this humble little bird.
Anyway, during the next few weeks I will have two or three pictures of beautiful places and maybe animals in Ireland. Check in!

KAYAKING THE HUDSON RIVER

As you may or may not know the Hudson River is what is known as a "tidal estuary". It is like a tongue of the sea that stretches up towards Albany as the tide rises. Then it retracts towards New York City as the tide lowers. The other day I went kayaking for the first time ever. I went with Mike Sweeney who is on our Mount Retreat Team, is our Music Minister and is a fine young man and musician. I was surprised how easy it was for me, especially as last Monday (May 18th) was quite cold and windy. But the tide was falling from from Kingston towards Hyde Park (right across from The Mount), and so we went "against it" up towards the Esopus Meadows Lighthouse. That way it would be "smooth sailing" to come back to our dock. Our biggest treat was seeing an eagle not 50 feet from us, just on the shore. It ignored us like we were "just another part of the scenery". Unfortunately I had not brought my digital camera. Next time I will. I will keep it in a tupperware container. This way it won't get wet. And, if it falls out of the kayak it will float. It's a good thing to bring one's cellphone also placed carefully in another tupperware container.
Our grounds are literally "bursting" with Red Wing Blackbirds, Northern Mockingbirds, Chipping Sparrows, House Finches, Song Sparrows, House or Winter Wrens along with the Carolina Wrens, Baltimore Orioles, Brown Headed Cowbirds (with their "ice cube" clunking sound), . I wrote something a while back on Bird Listening. How true this is. The "invisible but audible birds" are often what I most identify: Common Yellowthroats, Hooded Warblers, Eastern Towhees, Red Eyed Vireos.... Most disappointing of all for me are the fact that I "hear but have yet to see this year my good friends the Greated Crested Flycatchers. Years ago at Huntington State Park south of Myrtle Beach a Great Crested Flycatcher was my constant companion as I wandered through that truly great birding spot. It is part of what is Brookgreen Gardens founded by the great millionaire Arthur Huntington and his artist, sculptress wife Ana Hyatt..

TRIP TO AWOSTING FALLS AT MOHONK PRESERVE

On Sunday, May 17th I spent five hours walking from the Mohonk Preserve Visitors' Center, up the East Connector Path to the Trapps Trail. It was very steep. On the East Trapps which is the great rock climbing spot on the Preserve there were many, mostly young, rock climbers. I had a real good feeling about youth as I saw them enjoying the challenge that rock climbing is. (For me it is a "road not travelled". In "another lifetime...maybe!!) The day was wonderful. Streams of spring rain poured over one of the climing areas eliminating it for the day. Between two sections called "Bitchy Virgin" and "Awolding" the ascents have been discontinued because of Peregrin Falcon nesting. I could "hear" the falcons but it was hard to see. There were the fresh reddish color of recently fallen rock in those sections....and "added" reason for calling off climbing there. What a great spring day. I "heard" many Wood Thrushes, Red-Eyed Vireos ("Here I am...There Your Are")..But THEY could probably see ME. But I could not see...THEM.
Awosting Falls with the strong flowing river which is the Awosting River I presume and forms a lake below was powerfully falling. It was a true "thunderous" roar which I much enjoyed. I hope you enjoy some of my pictures.

AWOSTING FALLS AT MOHONK PRESERVE

ROCKS OF THE MOHONK SHAWANGUNKS

MOHONK PRESERVE--TABLE AND PINE ROCK

MOHONK PRESERVE--ROAD TO AWOSTING FALLS

MOUNT LOOKING "HUDSON RIVER SOUTH"

MOUNT LOOKING HUDSON NORTH

THE MOUNT LOOKING ACROSS THE HUDSON

HUDSON RIVER CLOUDY SUNRISE

IN THE HEIGHT OF SPRING

I wrote before that I am more of a "Bird Listener" than "watcher". It is true. If one has half decent hearing, as I do, they can hear, as I did yesterday invisible Easter Towhees, House Wrens, Baltimore Orioles, Tufted Titmouses, Carolina Wrens, Common Yellowthroats. The birds that I actually "see" here at the Mount are: Bald Eagles, Red-Winged Blackbirds, Blue Jays, Chipping and Song Sparrows, Mourning Doves, Rusty Blackbirds, Carolina Wrens, Northern Mockingbirds... There are hardly any Nuthatches and Chickakees around. Oh yes, the Swifts, Tree and Barn Swallows are back. One thing that has fascinated me are the very varied Northern Cardinal calls an songs. I have gotten used to the great variety of Robin song. But I am now "getting the hang" of what I would call "Cardinalish song". If you go to the sounds easilly obtainable on the Internet (especially the Cornell Site to which there is a link at your bottom LEFT) you will find a good "sample" of bird songs and calls. But there is an infinite variety. (The truth seems to be that birds are learning different ways of expressing themselves just like us human beings). At least that is the way I see it. Right above you have a picture of a beautiful cloud-filled Hudson River sunrise. And here a "Mom Eagle" caring for her two invisible eagletts.

FERRY FEEDING THE LAUGHING GULLS AT OCRACOKE ISLAND

WARBLER FOOD (POKEWEED) AT PEA ISLAND

ELIZABETHAN GARDEN--MANTEO, NC

HUDSON RIVER "BIRD LISTENER"

I have been in Kitty Hawk/ Cape Hatteras and Ocracoke Island the last week. Spring Migration is very strong here. There is a Kitty Hawk Woods Trail that goes up The Woods Road and breaks across Twifford Road crossing W. Kitty Hawk Road and heading towards Kitty Hawk Landing. Here there are many small inlets that are part of the waterways flowing out of Currituck Sound where the huge bridge crosses into Kitty Hawk.

The reason I title this blog BIRD LISTENING is that I have heard so many birds: Hooded Warblers, at least one Kentuck Warbler, hundreds of Carolina Wrens, Great Crested Flycatchers, Eastern Towhees, Ovenbirds, House Finches, Pilated Woodpeckers, Flickers, ....etc. But the ones I constantly see are the Boat Tailed and Common Grackels, Robins, Red-Winged Blackbirds. (Down at Pea Island Wildlife Refuge I saw a Blackburnian Warbler that is quite rare to see in that spot. I also saw a Blue Bunting skipping along the beach there. Bird Listening is the way to go. How frustrated I would be if I actually had to see the bird I am identifying.

THE TREE SWALLOWS AND TOWHEES ARE BACK

It is GOOD FRIDAY. And indeed a good Friday it is, as Jewish people have celebrated Passover and Christians are in the midst of celebrating Christ's Paschal Mystery....

SPRING....is a Mystery of Life. The Tree Swallows, Towhees, Chipping and Song Sparrows, Phoebees, Robins galore, Bluebirds galore, nestings Eagles, Red Winged Blackbirds "screaming up a storm" this morning as well as the White Breasted Nuthatches, Chickadees and Tufted Titmouses that have "stayed with us". Today was really the first time this spring I've "heard" (FIRST), then "seen" the Chipping Sparrows. The Song Sparrows are really not singing that much. (I guess they have "nesting work" to do first!)

I have seen Herons which I am "pretty sure" are Great Blues on two of our ponds. What gracious flight they have!

HAPPY EASTER ALL!

YES, I THINK THAT WILLOWS....REALLY WEEP

I think that Weeping Willows really weep. I am serious. Today, a misty, foggy day here at Esopus I walked over to the former Pell Farm. There is a beautiful Willow there. It was the "greenest thing around". And, as I looked closely at the long greening branches reaching almost to the ground, I could see that indeed it is true. "They were really weeping!" At least that is the effect that the small, clinging rain drops gave me to imagine. They were like "God's own glad spring tears" that give life, not, of course, just to Weeping Willows, but to the Crocus, the Forsythia and other "early spring bloomers".

And I thought, For whom and for what are they weeping? The answer would have rather been, For whom and for what are the willows NOT weeping" this spring. Many things: wars, injustices, hatreds, oppressions came to mind. But, being a Hudson River Birder as I am and a former Central Park Birder as I was, I said a silent prayer for ALL my birding friends in Central Park. Some of them don't agree with everything the others do and say. They ALL love the park, the birds, the owls, the hawks, the herons and the now arriving warblers. But some of them don't agree with feeding birds; others do. Some don't think that the owls or even the nesting birds should be "called" or even "searche for" after hours....

Well, I just hope that, as each day goes by, we give Willows and everyone else....."less reasons to weep"
Another PASSOVER approaches. Another EASTER approaches. Let's have More Alleluyas and Shaloms and ....less weeping.

BUDDING WEEPING WILLOWS

DID HE TAKE MY CAR KEYS?

I don't like to be accusing people....or criatures!! But let me explain something, and you can maybe help me be a less aggressive judge. I think this crow might have taken my car keys. Let me explain. I came up here to Saratoga Springs yesterday around 2pm. I had some time before I celebrated the 7:30pm Sunday Evening Mass at our parish of St. Clements which is right next to St. John Neumann Residence where our sick and elderly priests and brothers live. Well, I took an hour walk up Lake Ave, over Salem St, up Fifth St., did a loop and then went down Caroline St. all the way (I think!!) to either Madison or Court. When I got back my keys were gone. Well I have walked about three hours trying to retrace my steps. And nothing. THE SUSPECTS: 1.Grey squirrels?? 2. Human Beings?? ........But then I looked up into the sky. There they were, squadrons of them: Amerian Crows mostly. But there were many Fish Crows too, with their "namby, pamby" apparently "innocent" baby talk. Well they weren't fooling me!! I even shouted up to them. If any of you has my keys, please bring them back!! I really won't hold it against you. I know how curious you are. Being a bird watcher,as you know I too am curious. But please!!! I've got to get back to Esopus. I am the THE HUDSON RIVER BIRDER.

QUESTION: HAS THIS HUDSON RIVER BIRDER BEEN HARSH IN SUSPECTING THE CROWS?

"WE HAVE GROWN OLD TOGETHER, MOUNT!"

If my picture below is not a Balsam Fir I will immediately edit this tomorrow. It is not as old, of course, as The Mount. (I'd say it is at least 80 years old, so it began to grow up and cast its shadow on our seminary building in about its 20th year of its life here looking upon the Hudson). There are many of these firs in the grotto facing the WEST side of the building which divides the Redemptoristine Convent of Our Lady of Perpetual Help from our retreat house building. I would say there are more than 300 of these tall, sturdy, friendly and "protecting" trees here on our land.

Some nights we have owls up high hooting on their branches. The other night I went down to what we used to call Siloe, a small reflecting pond and prayer garden very close to the Hudson. Owls like the seclusion and the "rodent plenitude" of those spots. This one night, however, as I approached the Fir Grove at Siloe I could hear what definitely sounded like a pack of coyotes that were either attacking one of our deer or eating one of them and, maybe, looking for.....another interesting snack!!! Back up the hill I went quite quickly and into my home that the Friendly Fir pictured below shadows and "protects".

PS- Thanks to my friend, Fr. John Olenick C.Ss.R. who forwarded me the link to the article on depletion of migratory birds in the March 21st post below. THANKS FR. JOHN!!

THE FRIENDLY BALSAM FIR

ABOUT ROOT CELLARS

There was a time when there was no refrigeration. This was true of farms as well as homes in towns and villages. "Root Cellars" were places where,not just roots, but fruits and vegetables of all kinds could be stored and kept fresh for long periods of time. This "Root Cellar" here at Mt. St. Alphounsus (The Mount) probably comes from the time when Robert Livingston Pell owned this land. It is right behind some apple orchards that are still producing good apples, but of course they are not as famous as the "Esopus Pippins" that Pell sold both here in the States but in England as well. I am pretty sure that our now deceased Bro. Malachy cared for this cellar. And we are pretty sure that some of the recent masonry inside from the 60ties was down by our own Bro. Raphael Rock who has a project now in Baltimore called "Beans and Bread". Our old barn which was just below this cellar going towards the Hudson was torn down last year and will "rise again" somewhere in Montana.

THE MOUNT'S OLD "ROOT CELLAR"

A PHOEBE WITH A HICCUP

Yes, I mean that. I heard a Phoebe this morning down by our Acre Pond Stream who indeed had a hiccup. It sounded like, Phoebe-be-be, and not just the long drawn out Phoeeebee!!, Phoeebee!!. I will include a link here to an ordinary Phoebe call. You be the judges! tp://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/audio/Eastern_Phoebe.html The Hudson River is now ice-free, and there is only one slowly dissolving stack of dirty oldish snow over by the pine grove. Our resident red tail (I think an immature or nearly one year) was literally making, as is sung in "Oklahoma"...."lazy circles in the sky".... I followed it up and up till, without my binocs. it disappeared.. I send a link to an interesting article about a subject we birders would like to deny which is the decrease in the population of migrating birds. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/19/AR2009031902055.html?referrer=emailarticle

I hope to have some new photos next week. Enjoy this new migration!

DEFINITE SPRING ARRIVAL AT ESOPUS

There is no doubt! SPRING IS HERE AT ESOPUS. Out on what we stll call "Pells" (because it is the piece of property that we bought from Robert Livingston Pell later on in 1954) I heard a Long-Eared Owl (or more!!), an Eastern Tohwee, Song Sparrows, an Ovenbird.....(Well, I heard what I understood as its "Teacher, Teacher, Teacher!!) call, the usual crowd of Red-Winged Blackbirds, an Eastern Phoebe and a Carolina Wren) Well, let me be honest! (Because anyone who knows anything about us birders knows that an "unchaperoned birder" is capable of, if not "outright deceit", at the minimum...a bit of "exaggeration"). So, being honest, I have to say that what I "thought" was the Ovenbird's song might have ACTUALLY been a "variation" of the Carolina Wren's. And so I will put two links here: 1. Song of the Carolina Wren--http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/audio/Carolina_Wren.html and 2. The Ovenbird. http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/audio/Ovenbird.html You, who I HOPE will respond will be the judges. So get out there and enjoy this early "March Spring" yourselves!!!

ANSWER TO MY POLL: LEWIS'S WOODPECKER

I had a poll with the question, What bird is named for Captain Lewis of the Lewis & Clarke Expedition? The answer is Lewis's Woodpecker. (I had posted it as the mystery bird a few days ago. But no one who answered the poll caught it). A few years ago I went with two friends: Andy and Clem on a trip in which we visited Traveller's Rest the place where Lewis & Clarke camped after their hazardous crossing of the Rockies. I was on the lookout for Lewis's Woodpecker, with its interesting mixture of green and red. But I never did see it. One interesting thing that they learned was how the Poor Whill hibernates in a way that they actually seem dead if one finds them by day as either Lewis or Clarke did.

Yesterday our small herd of deer were "cavorting". That's exactly the word that came to mind as I saw them kicking up their heels and frolicking along the field. It is I guess an early spring. The noreaster of a week and a half ago did not drop much snow here in Ulster County. My snowshoes are definitely "packed away". (This picture is of my brother Dan enjoying the River from a bench at Esopus Lighthouse.

MYSTERY BIRD WAS THE LEWIS WOODPECKER

KINGFISHER AT ESOPUS MEADOWS

The Kingfisher that I saw last Fall at Esopus Meadows (within the "Esopus Lighthous Park") has returned. Yesterday (March 11th) he (or she) was clicking over the water towards the point heading down towards Esopus Island. A lot of driftwood has come into the shore on the Read Path over there. You can see this HUDSON RIVER BIRDER showing the girth of a piece of one large tree. (I am not sure if it is an oak, but I suspect it is "or was").

I had an interesting exchange with a very nice and committed person in the NYSDEC, Mr. Peter Nye. He reminded me of something I really should have taken into consideration. This is the need to preserve in tranquillity the nesting sites of birds. This applies to ALL nest I believe, but most especially to those that are endangered. I was speaking to my younger brother and he told me something that is sadly true. He said, There are lots of hunters that are good people and responsable ones. But there are others who just like to kill things. He described to me a picture he had seen somewhere where some people had killed an eagle. Then they proudly (???) spread it over the hood of their car, took a picture and "showed it off" to their "friends" (???). When I was young I ran into kids who liked to torture and dismember animals. It gave me the chills then and still does to remember it. I really believe that all life is sacred. I am grateful to Mr. Nye for reminding me not to advertise the exact location of nesting sites if I so happen to discover them. We all, including our friends in the animal and tree world, as well as those of us who are supposed to be the "stewards and caretakers of nature" WE ALL DESERVE A PEACEFUL, UNDISTURBED PLACE TO LIVE, TO GROW AND TO BE AT PEACE.

LONG-EARED OWLS

This moring it is cold (34F) and damp. Down by our two "Entrance Lakes" I heard what seemed very much like this sound http://www.owlpages.com/owls.php?genus=Asio&species=otus which I think is the Long-Eared Owl. To hear them either the male or female go to where you have the sounds for either the male "Asio Otus" or female. (I compared them to the Saw Whet (to which it sounds nothing like) and the Short-Eared Owl which have a faster whoo and with the female which have a very different call). So please check it out. And feel very free to call and correct me. (That's what blogs are for...."two-way" communication). I am also "pretty" sure that I saw and heard a Pewee yesterday. It was not the Wood Pewee but the simply Eastern Pewee. I also got a comment from someone in the NYSDEC in Albany. I am pretty sure it is about the Eagle's Nest. Let me "guess" here a bit. I am figuring that they will want be to be very careful about not identifying the "exact" location of the nest and also about being most respectful about approaching it and allowing others to approach it. I fully understand these concerns. One of the problems about beautiful private property is that people naturally want to "see it and admire it". The other day I read something that defined environmentalists as persons who "see humans as a blight or at least a threat to the environment" and conservationists as simply "wanting to preserve a healthy and coexistence between the human, and non human parts of creation/environment"... I don't know if all people accept that definition of each group. But I personally believe in the need....for humans to coexist and respect ALL of the world, all of creation. BECAUSE IT IS, OF COURSE EVERYBODY'S HOME.

OUR EAGLE'S NEST AT ESOPUS AND ROCK CLIMBING THE SHAWANGUMS

Yes, I know, as I said before, they are not OUR...but everybody's eagles. But since I' ve seen this one rebuilding its nest...you you will understand I feel "close" to them. They are building their nests and I may see an immature flying with its parents as I did over the Hudson last Fall, an awesome sight indeed! That is him "or her"...flying. (If I had Debra or Lloyd's or any of those Central Park birders' cameras, the shot would be much more impressive!) I took these last week..

One of my favorite sites (I have a link to it) is the Mohonk Nature Preserve founded by the Quaker Smiley Brothers the in the 19th century (about 1864). Yesterday, since I am a member, I was walking the Undercliff Carriage Trail on the West Trapps Trail of the Preserve. It includes the Shawangums Mountains just west of New Paltz, NY which are one of the best Rock Climbing sites in New York and maybe in the USA. The grey white quartizite conglomerate is extremely hard, about 99% pure quartz. There are many approved routes up the cliffs. Yesterday there were about 15 climbers that I could count. The last one I met was quite interesting. There she was, a young mom about 70 feet up the cliff while her young husband had the support rope in one hand and their 7 or 8 month baby in the other hand. I greeted the man, looked at the baby and said, And do you want to climb when your grow up too just like mommie? The little boy smiled which I intrepreted as a "Yes!"

IT IS EVERYBODY'S BALD EAGLE

About four years ago American Bald Eagles began to build their nest near where I now live. Idid not live here at the time. But those who did, mainly Father Gene got a call from someone who works for the Audubon Society . They could see the eagles building the nest. Since then Audubon has tagged the nest and some of the eaglets born there. (The year before the tagger just missed tagging one of the eaglets as they flew from the nest.) Unfortunately one of the things they did was to leave a chain up near the nest which would help the skilled Audubon expert get close enough to grab and band the eaglets. However last year it probably was that very metal chain that attracted the lighting bolt which destroyed the nest. But, thanks be to God American Eagles are very tenacious. And so they are in the process of rebuilding the nest, if they haven't done so yet. I said "OUR" eagles. Well, of course they are not "ours". They BELONG TO US ALL. I have seen at least one of them flying above our roof last week. Two men that had come to make a Matt Talbot spotted them as they were getting their luggage out of their trunk.

RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS....AND BIRDSONG

One of the real happy moments here at The Mount is this month of February when the Red-Winged Blackbirds return. Their "call" and their unmusical song, ---Con-Con-Coreeeeee!! is pretty easy to recognize. The Tufted Timouse's "Peter, Peter, Peter" is also is a no brainer to recognize. The same is true for the ever present Black-Capped Chickadees and the White-Breasted Nuthatches with their plaintive "Ank, Ank, Ank!" We have at least one Piliated Woodpecker and their call is pretty easy to recognize as is the broken or off-key guitar call of the Red-Bellied Woodpecker. I usually to to the net occasionally to sites that have birdsong. The Cornell site that is over to the right in my Birding Favorite Links will have pretty much all the North American birds. You can google the name of pretty much any bird and the net is more than likely going to take you to a site where you will both hear it and sometimes see it graphically represented. I have heard that sometimes the only way that experts can come to a positive ID of two birds that sing "sort of" similarly is to graph it. If you read Marie Winne's book Central Park After Dark which I enjoyed immensely, you will see that sound graphs (or whatever they are called) are often the only way to distinguish the sound of certain bats. I will give you hear an interesting link to NORTH AMERICAN BIRDSONGS. It is http://www.naturesongs.com/birds.html.

WHIRLING HUDSON RIVER SNOW

Even the jays are taking a rest today! And if there are saw whet owls, short eared or long eared ones one in our inviting connifers they are saving their diving and predating skills till the winds die down. (Is there someone "out there" who knows if an owls vision is impaired by swirling snow flakes??). If we get at least another foot of snow out will come my closeted snowshoes. Maybe those white-winged crossbills that have been seen in such abundance in Central Park will be back up here, if indeed they ever passed through Esopus. By the way if any of you know any birders in the Kingston, Esopus, West Park, Ulster Park, Highland or Pougkeepsie, Wappingers Falls area, let me know. Other than Rusty Johnson who is a licensed falconer, does eco tours in the Amazon and is the recognized "Hawk and Bird Man" here in Esopus .http://www.ecologychannel.com/mail.htm (His wife Jessica works with us at The Mount). I haven't connected with many of the local birders. Let me know if you know someone that would like to bird in this area with this HUDSON RIVER "LONE" BIRDER.