April 07, 2011 - A delightful day for a pair of birders8A I APRIL 7. 2011 1 SUFFOLKTIMES.COM
A delightful day for a pair of birders
Since our taxes had been sent in and it was
another beautiful day down here in Florida, we
decided to go on one of our mini- adventures away
from the island that's become so much a part of us.
We thought wed try driving out into cattle
country, so with a couple of bottles of water,
snacks, cameras and binoculars, we were off.
As we started out we were surrounded by early
morning business traffic with its congestion and
rushing cars, but soon we found ourselves in the
country, where the pace was more to our liking.
Many years ago parts of Florida were cleared and
turned into pastureland where cattle of all kinds
—Black Angus, Longhorn, Charolais and others
— can be seen today. As we drove the back roads
we could see cattle nibbling on what seemed to us
like parched earth;
FOCUS ON NATURE evidently they are
able to eke some kind
of nourishment from
it until the next rains
Low"ID, come and paint the
pasture green.
As we stood watch-
ing, we could see
PAUL STOUTENBURGH white birds feeding
around the cattle. A
quick check with binoculars revealed tan coloring
on the chest and top of the head, which identi-
fied them as cattle egrets. From a distance they
resembled the white snowy egrets we see in creeks
and marshes on the North Fork, but cattle egrets
spend their time along roadsides and in pastures,
following cattle, horses and even tractors to catch
the insects they stir up.
I remember seeing my first cattle egret on Long Is-
land, sometime around 1950.1 was in East Moriches
with Roy Wilcox, a well-known birder. Since then,
the cattle egret has become somewhat common
on Long Island. It was native to Africa and Asia and
later found in South America. It arrived in Florida in
the 1940s and eventually came up our way.
As we drove the country roads, we saw garlands of
Spanish moss hanging from the trees- Spanish moss
grows on other plants but does not rely on the host
plant for nutrients. It makes its own food from rain
and particles in the air. We saw great clumps hang-
ing on oak trees. Spanish moss has wiry, curly silver -
scaled stems and leaves and tiny seeds that are
dispersed by the wind and birds. It was harvested
for years as stuffing for furniture and mattresses and
today is popular as mulch and is used by the floral
industry to hold moisture in floral arrangements.
Every once in a while wed find a shady spot under
a tree to pull off and get out of the tar. Almost always
wed hear a mockingbird mocking other birds' calls.
It seems they have found a spot in almost everyone's
backyard. We have them at home on Long Island,
where they have done quite well. They usually find
a berry tree, like a holly or Russian olive, claim it for
themselves and fight off anyone who int ucles. This
cache of berries, whether frozen or dried, will see Mr.
i'
f7 +
t
These two little
sandhi[[ crane chicks
try to keep up
with their mother
(or father — the
adults look alike) as
she teaches them
to feed on their
own. The parent
digs deep down in
the soil and brings
up a bug or insect,
then drops it on
the ground to show
them how it is done.
BARBARA STOUTENBURGH
PHOTOS
Left: We enjoyed watching these two young cranes on their spindly legs feeding along the pond edge with their parents.
Right: Spanish moss, sometimes called Florida moss, grows on oak and cypress trees, where it hangs in large bundles some-
times six feet long. it does no harm to the host plant because it makes its own nutrients.
and Mrs. Mockingbird through harsh winter monthm
with a splash of red on their forehead — and the
As we walked around we spotted a dozen vul-
small, fuzzy, tan chicks feeding in and around their
tues held in a thermal's upheaval. As they circled
parents' long legs. They paid no attention to us or
they reminded me of scenes from old westerns
anyone else around, even though the pond was
where some poor soul had met his maker and
only a short distance from the busy highway.
the vultures were starting to move in. Round and
We were told that later the cranes would go to
round they went, hardly moving their wings; one
spend the rest of their day in a large open field.
never tires of watching these gliders in the sky.
How lucky we were to finally get to see this family
On our way back we decided to drive down
up close; we had seen the one that visits the farm
Creekwood Boulevard, where wed heard there was
fields in Orient a few times, but only at a distance.
a pair of sandhill cranes with two young. And, sure
We were in no more hurry on to move on than
enough, after we pulled up to the municipal pond,
the sandhill cranes. They took their time in the sun,
it didn't take five minutes for us to spot the family
wandering and feeding at the pond's muddy edge,
probing in the soft mud.
among purple pickerelweed and tall arrowhead
How interesting to see the contrast in size
plants with white flowers swaying in the wind - And
between the stately, four - foot -tall adults — gray
we just relaxed and watched them.
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Temple Israel of Riverhead
'.tM1IDaT Sbn,ers. RafrW
Community Passover Seder
Monday, April 18, 2011, 7:00 p.m.
Please Call 631 - 727 -3191 by 4112 to Reserve.
Members. $40 per adult. $20 per child 12 or younger.
Non- members: $50 per adult, $25 per child 12 or younger
Holocaust Memorial Day weekty shabbat Services:
Observance Fridays 7:00 p.m.
Followed by Oneg shabwl.
Sunday, May 1, 2011, 7:30 PM Saturdays 9:30 am
Followed by Kiddush.
With speaker, Monody Tot shabbat
Holocaust Survivor, Werner Reich APN 90th. May 28'°. 11'00arn
S 490 Northville Turnpike at Ostrander Ave.
A Conserve(e Egalitanen Congregatron- P.O. Box 1531. Riverhead, NY 11901
We arelcome P.O. M7 -3191
wvrva.T— plelsraelRiverhead.org TemplNsrasIRH @opt*nlim.neI