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April 21, 2005 - Florida's feathered friendsSA • The Suffolk Times • April 21, 2005 Florida's feathered friends WHAT A PLEASANT SURPRISE when we were invited to travel with our host to a vacation in Florida. We hadn't been to the land of dreams for years and were looking forward to it. Our destination was a vacation island on the west coast, about midway up the state. Of course, like most of Florida's west coast, it is a winter - getaway place for the snowbirds, who flock there to take advantage of the lovely beaches and mild tempera- tures Luckily we flew out of the O N Islip airport so we missed the madness of the west end We were amazed to see how the once-small air terminal had changed and expanded. It reminded me of years ago, when there was a group that wanted to establish an airport up along the Sound Luck was with us and we won that hotly contested battle. Few will remember the years of concern How lucky for Southold Town that there were those who cared and spoke up to stomp out the airport fever. Lucky for Riverhead, too, for there was also a proposal for an airport somewhere in the vicinity of Northville Turnpike.I think most will agree that potatoes and grapes were much better choices Our trip down was smooth as glass The only rough spots were when we went through the layer of clouds that blanketed the whole eastern seaboard. High above, it appeared to be a mysd- cal white sea of fluff. Two and a half hours later, we dropped out of the sky, bounced a bit as we passed through the white fluff; and landed in the busy terminal of Tampa. Everyone was wearing shorts, and my long pants and light jacket now seemed out of place. In no time, we were speeding along the busy expressway toward our desti- nation, one of the islands that face the Gulf of Mexico to the west and the inland wa- terway to the east. We arrived at our destina- tion anxious to stretch our legs The emerald-colored Gulf was but a block away. No sooner had we stepped out of the car than we were bombarded with bird calls, mostly foreign to me. Later I'd identify them as coming from the common fish crow, found along the Florida beaches We get these coarse- sounding crows occasionally on our south side beaches and only rarely along our north shore beaches This fish crow is much more tolerant of people than is our common crow Later we'd see mockingbirds, the same type as we have guarding our ber- ry bushes from outsiders, and with good reason, too, for without its berries as its food supply it would surely perish. After we got in our vacation home I had time to sit outside and observe more closely the calls from other mem- bers of the tropic races. Probably the TO _US NATURE by Paul Stoutenburgh The ChOes are blooming... Snowfountain * Kwanzan * Great White * Yoshino * Japanese Weeping * Hally Jolivette Amanagawa * Sargent * Mt. Fuji * Okame ... and so arespnecial values. Bfo To celebrate the arrival of spring and the beauty of the J flowering Cherries, we have r - ® dug a bunch of different varieties and sizes of clChe/' rries from our 500 acre � , V `� nursery and are offering Great plants. them at amazing values. Only until April 28....or until -Amazing Selection. we run out. Hurry inl11 One of the largest selection of premium quality, landscape - size plant on Long Island. 1 .Great plants. Grown by us, here on our 500 acre nursery. .Excellent value. De rvery and Planting available and we t r r guarantee our trees & shrubs.. 727 -TREE 18733) 2869 Sound Avenue Baiting Hollow most boisterous of all was the over poweringjabbering of two or three pairs of Eurasian collared doves It seemed as if they were arguing about who was going to be the head of the household, with much flying about and chasing one another. They won the prize for loudness These collared doves are another example of how introduced species take over and push aside the native species This dove looks very much like our mourning dove,with the exception that the cohared dove has a black ring halfway around its neck. Then I heard the familiar call of the red - bellied woodpecker. It had landed on the shaggy side of a palm tree and was busy probing for insects of one sort or another. Here was an example of a native species that in my lifetime has moved north to call our area home. They've also found our suet to their liking. We see lots of other buds that move northward each spring to raise their young. Florida and the Gulf states pro- vide that temperate climate for those transients to find enough food to make it relatively easy for them to survive. MOVIE GUIDE A public service of Times /Review Newspapers Shows been Thursday, April 21. Mattituck Cinemas Can 298-SHOW(7469) for daily showffines Werpreter(PG -13) Upside of Anger (R) Sahara (PG-13) Amityville Horror (R) A Lot Like Love (PG -13) The Pacifier (PG) Beauty Shop (PG -13) Fever Pitch (PG -13) Kung Fu Hustle (R) GmenportTheatre Closed for renovations. Reopening Spring 2005 The wood stork Is our only North American stork. Standing 3 1/2 feet high, it Is a hunter of shallow fresh waters, where anything that moves Is fair game. Florida Is the best place to see this stork, which Is considered by many to be one of the most endangered species In that state. T --*/Rc _ prow byy Paul Stoulenburgh Later, as I sat on the back porch in a quiet back yard, I was jolted out of my wits by six green parrots fighting over whatever parrots fight about. I can't possibly describe what was go- ing on. It was a haze of ever - changing green wings and screaming bodies I wonder if they really knew who was winning or who was in it just for the sport of it. It's unbelievable to see some clinging upside down, others diving in to get in the fight, all scream- ing as loud as they can. Then off they flew, taking their an- tics and screaming The emerald- calls with them. colored Gulf I saw this noisy gang later in the was but a afternoon, and block away. thank goodness they were a block away in someone else's back yard. It reminded me of a glimpse I had of a green parrot once before on Gar- diners Island, of all places Somehow one got blown up during a storm and found its way to Gardiners Island It was the first time I had ever seen one of these small, all -green parrots Back on the North Fork, I'd say the most common bird would be that tough rogue of the blackbird fam- ily, the starling. Here on the Gulf of Mexico, the laughing gull comes in first. They are still in their smart attire — black head and contrasting white. We hardly ever see these small gulls in their most attractive plumage, yet we see the laughing gull in ever -in- creasing numbers in their dull mottled immature dress all winter long. Here they have become so numer- ous and bold that the restaurant peo- ple have to put up strings of special monofrlament lines over their outside dining tables to prevent the gulls from swooping in and taking the food right off customers' plates We experienced that sort of prob- lem when we camped at Hither Hills State Park in Montauk, where the herring gulls swooped in and took the food right off our grill. Suffolk Times • April 21, 2005 lorida S feathered friends The wood stork is our only North American stork. Standing 3 1/2 feet high, it is a hunter of shallow fresh waters, where anything that moves is fair game. Florida Is the best place to see this stork, which is considered by many to be one of the most endangered species in that state. Times /Review photo by Paul Stoutenburgh WHAT A PLEASANT SURPRISE when we were invited to travel with our host to a vacation in Florida. We hadn't been to the land of dreams for years and were looking forward to it. Our destination was a vacation islanc on the west coast, about midway up the state. Of course, like most of Florida's west coast, it is a winter - getaway place for the snowbirds, who flock there to take advantage of the lovely beaches and mild tempera- tures. Luckily we flew out of the Islip airport, so we missed the madness of the west end. We were amazed to see how the once -small air terminal had changed and expanded. It reminded me of years ago, when there was a group that wanted to establish an airport up along the Sound. Luck was with us and we won that hotly contested battle. Fe will remember the years of concern. How lucky for Southold Town that there were those who cared and spoke up to stomp out the airport fever. Lucky for Riverhead, too, for there was also a proposal for an airport somewhere in the vicinity of Northville Turnpike. I think most will agree that potatoes and grapes were much better choices. Our trip down was smooth as glass. The only rough spots were when we went through the layer of clouds that blanketed the whole eastern seaboard. High above, it appeared to be a mvsti- cal white sea of fluff. Two and a half hours later, we dropped out of the sky, bounced a bit as we passed through the white fluff; and landed in the busy terminal of Tampa. Everyone was wearing shorts, and my long pants and light jacket now seemed out of place. In no time, we were speeding along the bus expressway toward our desti- nation, one of the islands that face the Gulf of Mexico to the west and the inland wa- terway to the east. We arrived at our destina- tion anxious to stretch our legs. The emerald- colored Gulf was but a block away. No sooner had we stepped out of the car than we were bombarded with bird calls, mostly foreign to me. Later I'd identify them as coming from the common fish crow, found along the Florida beaches. We get these coarse - sounding crows occasionally on our south side beaches and only rarely along our north shore beaches. This fish crow is much more tolerant of people than is our common crow. Later we'd see mockingbirds, the same type as we have guarding our ber- ry bushes from outsiders, and with good reason, too, for without its berries as its food supply it would surely perish. After we got in our vacation home I had time to sit outside and observe more closely the calls from other mem- bers of the tropic races. Probably the FOCUS ON NATURE by Paul Stoutenburgh most boisterous of all was the over- powering jabbering of two or three pairs of Eurasian collared doves. It seemed as if they were arguing about who was going to be the head of the household, with much flying about and chasing one another. They won the prize for loudness. These collared doves are another example of how introduced species take over and push aside the native species. This dove looks very much like our mourning dove, with the exception that the collared dove has a black ring halfway around its neck. Then I heard the familiar call of the red - bellied woodpecker. It had landed on the shaggy side of a palm tree and was busy probing for insects of one sort or another. Here was an example of a native species that in my lifetime has moved north to call our area home. They've also found our suet to their liking. We see lots of other birds that move northward each spring to raise their young. Florida and the Gulf states pro- vide that temperate climate for those transients to find enough food to make it relatively easy for them to survive. Later, as I sat on the back porch in a quiet back yard, I was jolted out of my wits by six green parrots fighting over whatever parrots fight about. I can't possibly describe what was go- ing on. It was a haze of ever - changing green wings and screaming bodies. I wonder if they really knew who was winning or who was in it just for the sport of it. It's unbelievable to see some clinging upside down, others diving in to get in the fight, all scream- ing as loud as they can. Then off they flew, taking their an- tics and screaming The emerald- calls with them. colored Gulf I saw this noisy gang later in the was but a afternoon, and block away. thank goodness they were a block away in someone else's back yard. It reminded me of a glimpse I had of a green parrot once before on Gar - diners Island, of all places. Somehow one got blown up during a storm and found its way to Gardiners Island. It was the first time I had ever seen one of these small, all -green parrots. Back on the North Fork, I'd say the most common bird would be that tough rogue of the blackbird fam- ily, the starling. Here on the Gulf of Mexico, the laughing gull comes in first. They are still in their smart attire — black head and contrasting white. We hardly ever see these small gulls in their most attractive plumage, yet we see the laughing gull in ever -m- creasing numbers in their dull mottled immature dress-all winter long. Here they have become so numer- ous and bold that the restaurant peo- ple have to put up strings of special monofilament lines over their outside dining tables to prevent the gulls from swooping in and taking the food right off customers' plates., We experienced that sort of prob- lem when we camped at Hither Hills State-Park in Montauk, where the herring gulls swooped in and took the food right off our grill.