On a birding outing during the weekend, my husband and I layered up and headed out to Ponquogue Bridge, Hampton Bays. A few lonely black ducks dotted the shoreline. As the bay was frozen, there was little chance of seeing any more wading birds so we headed down Dune Road.

There is something so austere about birding in the winter in an otherwise bustling summer town. Only one or two cars passed us along the strip. Houses stood abandoned for the season, boarded up, forbidding. There was seemingly nothing going on until we caught a fleeting glimpse of the "Gray Ghost." This elusive being is not easy to come by and when it does, you don't forget it.

The adult male harrier, also known as the gray ghost because of its ashen feathers, is a stunning bird of prey. It hunts in marshes, looking for rodents and other tasty treats. Its face has the look of an owl with a lean, slender body. A distinct white patch on the rump and ... Read More »

Many birders think that spring is the best time to get outdoors. That's true to a certain extent. But winter is the best time for birding in my mind...because of winter ducks!

Most ducks are in prime breeding plumage in winter. The drakes, or males, are out there strutting their stuff to the ladies and boy, oh, boy, are their feathers spectacular. Take the majestic harlequin duck or the beautiful black-and-white bufflehead. Or the large number of scoters found just off-shore.

And who can't help but giggle at the entertaining call of the long-tailed duck as he bobs up and down on the waves?

Grab a hot cup of joe, a friend and your birding scope and go see some ducks!

A glorious, sunny 65 degree day. Open sunroof. Drive to Main Beach. Christmas music playing on the radio. What?!  Uh, it's December! Is New York becoming the new L.A.? Will palm trees line the road to Main Beach someday in the near future?

I'm not necessarily complaining, but this weather isn't normal.  Maybe we can all take a little time to think about what we can do to slow the pace of global warming. Check out The Nature Conservancy's website for tips on how you can get involved. www.nature.org/initiatives/climatechange

I’ve been humbled by a 12-year-old boy...in a good way. The Long Island boy painted watercolor images of animals, sold them, and donated the proceeds to conservation. This young "John James Audubon" then donated a $1,000 to the Nature Conservancy!

I also found out that half a world away, in Hong Kong, a 5th grader sold badges reading “I Saved a Tree” and donated to the Nature Conservancy’s Plant-a-Billion Trees campaign www.plantabillion.org.  The young lady also sold lemonade while summering in Sag Harbor, in order to raise more money for Brazil’s Atlantic Forest.

And then there is a 10-year-old who decided to forgo birthday presents for two years to protect nature. He explained that “living creatures are more important than birthday presents. I feel good about helping to save species from dying out.” 
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Yesterday, I heard the sound of a bobwhite – a distinct birdcall that many longtime East End residents know well.  Bob WHITE, bob bob WHITE, it sang again. Since I work at the Nature Conservancy, I thought someone was playing it on the computer. But, then I heard it again, farther away this time. Was it the real thing? The reason for my skeptism was twofold: 1. bobwhites and other grassland-dependent birds are on the decline, and 2. I’m a skeptical birder by nature.

But then it clicked. A colleague and his wife have been restoring a once-native wildflower meadow in the office yard. Every year, they diligently plant more native grasses and flowers like milkweed, liatris, switch grass, and a delicate, yellow flower called partridge pea.

Native plants bring so many benefits, such as not needing fertilizer or watering, and attracting butterflies, bees and hummingbirds. But native plants are hard to find in garden and landscaping centers. You ... Read More »