April 26, 1984 - A Mysterious Blue BirdSECOND SECTION The *Uffolh Tt,MC5 April 26, 1984
A Mysterious Blue Bird
By PAUL STOUTENBURGH
I can always tell when an interesting or
particular bird moves into our area; my
telephone rings and there's an excited
voice on the other end describing a bird
that's unusual or perhaps never seen
before. It is exciting and I am always
glad to share the enthusiasm, for it
reassures me that many people are
interested in the world about them.
Whether it is an unusual white bird in
Riverhead or a flashy rose - breasted
grosbeak in Orient, I am always
delighted to hear about these unusual
finds.
This week there were reports about
bluebirds -- not the true bluebird but ones
blue in color. One call came from a
person who had an indigo bunting in
Peconic and another in East Marion.
This bird is unbelievably blue. The color
is vibrant and so striking you can hardly
take your eyes off of it. It is sparrow size
and lives in our area but is rather hard to
find nesting, for like many other birds
they have become scarcer and scarcer.
Years ago I tried to photograph one in
Southampton with little luck. The female
is a drab brown bird that you'd usually
pass by. Her color protects her when
sitting on the nest, which is usually found
low in brushy second growth areas.
The other bluebird that has been
reported is the blue grosbeak, a bird
usually found to the south of us. Perhaps
the big storm of a few weeks ago brought
this bird up, for it too has been reported
in more than one location here on the
North Fork. We actually saw one while
we were walking in one of the wooded
areas along the Sound last week. This
bird is larger than a sparrow with dark
brownish wings with the blue not quite as
vibrant as that of the indigo.
Keep Sharp Eye Out For Birds
I'm sure there are those who say they
have never seen anything but the
common birds around their places, and
perhaps that's true. Yet I know people
who see many of these unusual birds just
by keeping a sharp eye on their feeder or
being observant in their own back yard.
The lady who called me from Peconc
with the blue grosbeak also told me she
had had an orchard oriole there for the
last three weeks. Both these birds were
in the wild area in back of her house.
The orchard oriole is not to be confused
with our orange and black oriole that
ffoQ�JIQ ow
M�2n,q
builds the familiar hanging nest. The
orchard oriole in its breeding plumage is
black above with rich chestnut colored
underparts. It also builds a hanging nest
but is much less common than our
Baltimore oriole.
I might add that the lady who called
about these birds lives in a new home and
one with a very modest lawn around it.
They have let the rest of their property
grow wild. The wild area is not only
excellent for attracting wildlife but it
cuts down on mowing lawn, and the
additional upkeep usually associated
with large parcels of land.
This philosophy of small lawns and
wildlife areas works out well for
everyone -- including us humans --
because when there is less lawn, there is
less fertilizer and therefore less
freshwater contamination below. Some
towns such as Southampton have already
proposed an ordinance limiting the
amount of grass around new homes. It
could legitimately be justified here
because of the concern for the quality of
our water under many of the areas on the
North Fork.
Spring Brings Exciting Things
From here on, each week should bring
new and exciting things to our area as
spring moves in. Only yesterday while I
sat out back to absorb some of the lovely
sun that seems to have difficulty staying
with us these days,I experienced an
interesting spring - related incident.
From the warmth of the sun, I had
drifted into a world of drowsiness and as
I sat there pretending to read the mail, I
heard a flutter of wings above my head.
It was a pair of chickadees looking for
nesting material and my hair had
attracted them. Soon I felt sharp little
claws on the top of my head and A
yanking and fluttering as one of these
tiny creatures tried to yank out some of
my hair for its nest.
I can remember years ago finding a
" PRING IS BETTER AT THE"
49
undview
•DIRECTLY ON L.1. SOUND, AeStalrant
GREENPORT,NEW YORK
...%. 1<10
Dancing in the Gold Room
every Saturday Night 9 -1
Don Lee at the Piano Bar - Saturday Nights
:................ _ ............ ...............................
complete COMPLETE DINNERS
Luncheon $ 595 OR A LA CARTE
Lunch 12 -3 • Dinner 3 -9
FOR YOUR CATERING NEEDS • 477 -0666 • ASK FOR RACHEL
ALL MAJOR CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED 0 CLOSED MONDAY
Photo by Paul Stoutenburgh
OLD HANGING NEST - -A bit weather beaten, this hanging nest of the
Baltimore oriole is a reminder that soon these birds will be back looking
for nesting material to rebuild in the same general area.
chickadee nest in the nearby woods. At
that time, we had our horse, Dusty, who
rubbed his hair off on rough spots along
the fence. The chickadees would take his
hair and build their nest.
With that in mind, yesterday I decided
r
it was about time the procedure stopped
for I wasn't quite sure I had that much to
spare. But it, like so many other signs,
showed me that nests are being built no
matter what the weather. Nature's time
clock waits for no one.
t ; -a
85 EAST MAIN STREET, RIVERHEAD
• 727 -9824
OPEN:
Monday - Saturday
7:00 AM - 8:00 PM
UNCH AND DINNER
SPECIALS
MONDAY
Sauerbraten
w /Dumplings & Red Cabbage
$495
TUESDAY
Roast Leg of Lamb
$430
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
Corned Beef
& Cabbage
$430
FRIDAY
Beef Goulash
$430
SATURDAY
Roast Loin of Pork 1/2 Baked Chicken
w /Sauerkraut w /Stuffing
$495 1 $405
All above served with POTATO, VEGETABLE and ROLL or BREAD
ALL DESSERTS ARE HOMEMADE — Cheesecake, Pies & Puddings