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April 29, 2010 - A fond farewell to the fauna of Florida8A I APRIL 29. 2010 1 SUFFOLKTIMES.COM A fond farewell to the fauna of Florida Barbara and I awoke to the squawking offish crows and laughing gulls, each trying to outdo one another Our world was awake and ready to start a new day. The mockingbird that had sung through the night is now singing its full repertoire of songs to start the day. The loud machine -gun sound of the red -bellied woodpecker knockhtg on the metal gutter finally put an end to our dream world We often watch the pelicans drift by on their early morning search for prey below. Once a target is located, the birds, with wings pressed to their sides, drop into the water in a great splash in hopes of capturing a morning meal. Then, as the pelicans bob up FOCUS ON NATURE to enjoy their catch, they are harassed by laughing gulls land- ing on their backs trying to rob them of their catch. The leasttem, the "'` ' smallestofallour PAUL STOUTENBURGH terns, has just arrived from its winter quar- ters in and around the Caribbean. We never the of watching it as it hunts for food in a similar fashion to that ofthe osprey: it hovers over its prey and, when all conditions are just right, plummets into the water. We heard these small terns even before we saw them. Their high- pitched plaintive cry is unmis- takable. This delightful little tern nests on beaches and is having a difficult time finding suitable safe nesting sites, as many of the beaches have been taken over byhumans. In some places nesting sites have completely disappeared, making the birds seek alternate places to lay their eggs, such as the tops of buildings, where they are now suc- cessfully raising their young. It seems hard to believe our six months' stay in Florida has come to a close. This last day found us adding a new bird to our list: a green heron. This is the fast time we have seen this short- legged heron, but there it was. It brought back memo- ries from back home, where for years a pair of green herons nested a short way from our house. They made daily trips to feed their young on the goldfish from our pond. This shy little heron can usually be found stalking under our dock at home. It flies up and scolds us for intruding when we go to the boat to go fishing. My son and I were able to get out for one last fishing trip here before heading home. Fishing was good for a change and we got a dozen sheeps- head, a fish similar to our porgies in shape and fight. Barbara caught the most but, believe it or not, I caught the biggest! We've enjoyed the birds, fish and flowers here regardless of the cold, which was unusual for everyone everywhere. We always find some- thing new to make our day complete, whether it's watching someone on a nearby dock reel in a bonnet head, a most unusual shark that has an 71ft r,. PAUL AND BARBARA STOUTENBURGH PHOTOS Fishing is in our blood and every chance we get we drop a line in. Sometimes we have great success, other times not so great On our last trip we caught sheepshead and had them for supper that night eye on each side of its large spade- shaped head, or exploring a new island or beach or preserve on some windy day with rain in the forecast. That bonnet head shark I spoke of is one we had not seen before. It is also called shovelhead because of the shape of its head. They grow to be about 31 /2 feet long. The one we saw was only about two feet long, about the size of a sand shark you might catch when fishing in Peconic Bay. While they do range to New England, they are rare there. They feed on blue crabs, shrimp, mollusks and small fish. With one eye on each side of its head, the shark moves its head back and forth like a metal de- tector as it swims along the bottom, then turns quickly to bite into any sign of disturbance made by something trying to get away. We took time recently to visit Lido Beach, where huge darning needles milled around us out of the wind. While standing and watching them, we spotted what we thought was an osprey. As it got closer we could see it was carrying a huge, fat fish I CPE CONIC TELCO Authorized SALES • SERVICE • INSTALLATION AVA Telephone Systems for Home or Business Rrseller • Specializing in Panasonic /Avaya (formerly Lucent) Authorized Dealer • Voice Mail • Voice/Data Cabling - • Friendly, Reliable Service — r • Factory Trained Technicians • Emergency Service we Guarantee Savings on . Local/Long Distance Provider I Ver¢on Telephone Bill for your business "We don't treat your phone service like a hobby. - 734 -4200 14888 - PECONIC Above: Daffodils do very well in our North Fork woods; most can get along with little sunshine and because they bloom early, they come out before the trees sprout their leaves. Below: The odd - looking bonnet head shark, with eyes bulging from each side of its spade_ shaped head, only grows to three to four feet. and it was then we realized what we were seeing was not an osprey but an eagle. The fish was so big and heavy the bird just skimmed the treetops as it headed for its nest to feed. What a sight! When we arrive back home we will be greeted by a path of daffodils linking our house to our daughter's and another long line of them planted last fall up our driveway. We're anxious to see the great- grandkids, including the newest one ar- riving any day. Now the third generation of our family is beginning to explore the woods around our place, the chickens, the cows and the gardens, and when they get bigger they ll take a walk down to the pond to see or hear the spring peepers or frogs or see the turtles lined up on the logs sun- ning themselves. One day they will swing out over the pond as their parents and grandparents before them have done and some of them, more adven- turous, will drop into the water just for fun. life is good no matter where you are, north or south, east or west. Wherever you are, life is there and it's what you make of it that counts. Complete Professional Real Estate Service r; Edwin Fishel Tuccio Real Estate "- LICENSED REAL ESTATE BROKER NYS LICENSED CERTIFIED GENERAL APPRAISER am Fsrablishad 1897 Real Estate Sales ❖ Commercial /Residential Appraisals ❖ Rentals ❖ Mini Storage 193 Griffing Avenue, Riverhead, New York 11901 (631) 727 -6644 • Fax: (631) 369 -2727 11CMSF # 33483 www.EdwinFishelTuccio.com APRIL 29, 2010 1 SUFFOLKTIMES tot the and farewel auna of Florid Barbara and I awoke to the squaw1ung or nsn ;rows and laughing gulls, each trying to outdo one mother. Our world was awake and ready to start a iew day. The mockingbird that had sung through he night is now singing its full repertoire of songs :o start the day. The loud machine -gun sound of he red - bellied woodpecker knocking on the metal ;utter finally put an end to our dream world. We often watch the pelicans drift by on their -arly morning search for prey below. Once a target is located, the birds, with wings pressed to their sides, drop into the water in a great splash In hopes of capturing a morning meal. Then, as the pelicans bob up P"',1-1 I" n"` NATURE to enjoy their catch, they are harassed by laughing gulls land - ing on their backs trying to rob them of r�. their catch. The least tern, the smallest of all our PAUL STOUTENBURGH terns, has just arrived from its winter quar- ters in and around the Caribbean. We never tire of watching it as it hunts for food in a similar fashion to that of the osprey: it hovers over its prey and, when all conditions are just right, plummets into the water. We heard these small terns even before we saw them. Their high - pitched plaintive cry is unmis- takable. This delightful little tern nests on beaches and is having a difficult time finding suitable safe nesting sites, as many of the beaches have been taken over by humans. In some places nesting sites have completely disappeared, making the birds seek alternate places to lay their eggs, such as the tops of buildings, where they are now suc- cessfully raising their young. PAUL AND BARBARA STOUTENBURGH PHOTOS Fishing is in our blood and every chance we get we drop a line in. Sometimes we have great success, other times not so great. On our last trip we caught sheepshead and had them for supper that night. It seems ar o e ieve our six mon s s ay in Florida has come to a close. This last day found us adding a new bird to our list: a green heron. This is the first time we have seen this short - legged heron, but there it was. It brought back memo- ries from back home, where for years a pair of green herons nested a short wav from our house. iney mane daily trips to feed their young on the goldfish from our pond. This shy little heron can usually be found stalking under our dock at home, It flies up and scolds us for intruding when we go to the boat to go fishing. My son and I were able to get out for one last fishing trip here before heading home. Fishing was good for a change and we got a dozen sheeps- head, a fish similar to our porgies in shape and fight. Barbara caught the most but, believe it or not, I caught the biggest! We've enjoyed the birds, fish and flowers here regardless of the cold, which was unusual for everyone everywhere. We always find some- thing new to make our day complete, whether it's watching someone on a nearby dock reel in a bonnet head, a most unusual shark that has an C3 we: Daffodils do very well in our North Fork >ds; most can get along with little sunshine , because they bloom early, they come out ire the trees sprout their leaves. eye on each side of its large spade - shaped hea , or exploring a new island or beach or preserve on some windy day with rain in the forecast. That bonnet head shark I spoke of is one we had not seen before. It is also called shovelhead because of the shape of its head. They grow to be about 3 112 feet long. The one we saw was only about two feet long, about the size of a sand shark you might catch when fishing in Peconic Bay. While they do range to New England, they are rare there. They feed on blue crabs, shrimp, mollusks With one eye on each side of its head, the shark loves its head back and forth like a metal de- �ctor as it swims along the bottom, then turns uickly to bite into any sign of disturbance made Y something trying to get away. We took time recently to visit Lido Beach, where age darning needles milled around us out of ie wind. While standing and watching them, we Potted what we thought was an osprey. As it got aser we could see it was carrying a huge, fat fish 3elow: The odd - looking bonnet head shark, vith eyes bulging from each side of its spade - haped head, only grows to three to four feet auu it was then we realized what we were seeing was not an osprey but an eagle. The fish was so big and heavy the bird just skimmed the treetops as it headed for its nest to feed. What a sight! When we arrive back home we will be greeted by a path of daffodils linking our house to our daughter's and another long line of them planted last fall up our driveway. We're anxious to see the great- grandkids, including the newest one ar- riving any day. Now the third generation of our family is beginning to explore the woods around our place, the chickens, the cows and the gardens, and when they get bigger they'll take a walk down to the pond to see or hear the spring peepers or frogs or see the turtles lined up on the logs sun- ning themselves. One day they will swing out over the pond as their parents and grandparents before them have done and some of them, more adven- turous, will drop into the water just for fun. Life is good no matter where you are, north or south, east or west. Wherever you are, life is there and it's what you make of it that counts. Nrl N i r / s y ,k, N, A auu it was then we realized what we were seeing was not an osprey but an eagle. The fish was so big and heavy the bird just skimmed the treetops as it headed for its nest to feed. What a sight! When we arrive back home we will be greeted by a path of daffodils linking our house to our daughter's and another long line of them planted last fall up our driveway. We're anxious to see the great- grandkids, including the newest one ar- riving any day. Now the third generation of our family is beginning to explore the woods around our place, the chickens, the cows and the gardens, and when they get bigger they'll take a walk down to the pond to see or hear the spring peepers or frogs or see the turtles lined up on the logs sun- ning themselves. One day they will swing out over the pond as their parents and grandparents before them have done and some of them, more adven- turous, will drop into the water just for fun. Life is good no matter where you are, north or south, east or west. Wherever you are, life is there and it's what you make of it that counts.