Greg's Blog

AUGUST 28, 2010: PURPLE FINCH AT OUR FEEDER AT HOME

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AUGUST 22, 2010: FLIGHT TO AND AROUND CASABLANCA, MOROCCO

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AUGUST 7, 2010: SOUTH DAYTON, NEW YORK SCENERY

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August 1, 2010: Flowers In Our Yard

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JULY 25, 2010: AKRON FALLS STATE PARK, NEW YORK

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JULY 18, 2010: PHOTOS FROM OUR YARD

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Lily
Our hostas
White flowers in the back of the yard

A huge thistle plant in our yard

Pinkish white flowers in our backyard

Jewelweed

Queen Anne's Lace

Red berry bush

Gooseberries

Sea Holly

Coneflower

Closeup

Drooping white flower

Close up seeds

JULY 9, 2010: 1,000 ISLANDS AND ALEXANDRIA BAY, NEW YORK

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JULY 8, 2010: PHOTOS AT HOME THEN 1,000 ISLANDS

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JULY 4, 2010: 1,000 ISLAND PHOTOS

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JULY 3, 2010: 1,000 ISLANDS PHOTOS

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JULY 2, 2010: 1000 ISLANDS PHOTOS

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JULY 1, 2010: PHOTOS FROM THE 1000 ISLANDS

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February 14, 2010: The Niagara Falls Aviary and Southern Ontario Birding

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Today we visited the Niagara Falls Aviary, and visited the Hamilton, Ontario area for birding later.

First, some nice shots of Aviary Birds

Now we headed to the Hamilton area for some birding

White-Winged Scoter

Above and Below - Lots of Long Tailed Ducks

Above: Lots of scaup, Below: Close up of Greater Scaup

Common Goldeneye

Above and Below: Red-Breasted Merganser

A scoter and merganser flies

Leucistic Mallard

January 23, 2010: Birding Southern Ontario

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Today we visited Southern Ontario for birding again, the primary purpose being to seek out the King Eider at Fifty Point Conservation Area in Stony Creek

We found the Eider! Along with some other nice shots at Fifty Point Conservation Area..

Female Common Goldeneye

Above and Below: Some nice shots of the juvenile King Eider

Above and Below - Common Goldeneye

Above and below: Long-Tailed Duck

Rough-Legged Hawk in Grimbsy

American Kestrel in Grimsby

Next was a visit to the park at the mouth of the 40 Mile River in Grimsby

Above and Below: A nice closeup from an American Wigeon

We ended up the day birding along the Niagara River

Flying White-Winged Scoters at Niagara-on-The-Lake

Northern Mockingbird along the river

American Black Duck

Tundra Swan

January 14, 2010: Washington, D.C. and Flight Home

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Some more shots from around Washington DC

Washington Monument

Above and Below: Shots of the U.S. Capitol

Winter Cabbages near the U.S. Capitol

Northern Mockingbird

A cool shot of some glass windows on a building

Flying over our house in Alden!

January 13, 2010: Visiting Washington, D.C.

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We spent today touring the Mall area of Washington, D.C.

A Northern Mockingbird on the mall near the Korean Memorial

House Sparrow near the Holocaust Memorial

White House

The Smithsonian Museum of Natural History had some great mounts:

Carolina Parakeet

Passenger Pigeon

Hooded Warbler

Eastern Towhee

American Woodcock

Bobcat Catching a Quail

A variety of warblers

Ovenbird

Black and White Warbler

Yellow-Headed Blackbird

A nice aquarium shot

More shots along the mall

Above and Below: Washington Monument

Lincoln Memorial

Washington Monument from the Lincoln Memorial

Korean Memorial

National Museum of the Native American

U.S. Capitol Building at Dusk

December 29, 2009: Birding Southern Ontario / Lake Ontario

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We spent time today birding along the Lake Ontario shore from Grimsby to Mississauga in Southern Ontario, and got some nice photos!

First some shots at JC Saddington Park in Mississauga, Ontario

Above and Below: Trumpeter Swans

Some awesome views of Harlequin Ducks

A black Grey Squirrel in the park

Now, some photos at Spencer Smith Park in Burlington, Ontario

Above and Below: Awesome photos of Long-Tailed Ducks very close!

There was also a Brant at the park

Common Goldeneye (above 2)

Below: Some nice Surf Scoters

A few photos from the mouth of Forty Mile river in Grimbsy, Ontario

A Hybrid Goose named "George"

Grimsby Harbour Lighthouse

Above and Below: Some interesting mirages across Lake Ontario

Toronto, Ontario

December 28, 2009: Home Birdfeeders

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Quite a bit of activity at the feeder today as we try out my Bird Cam for the first time!

December 27, 2009: Winter At Home

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Ice and frost on our Holly Tree

December 25, 2009: Merry Christmas from the Pets!

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The 2009 Tree

Above and Below: Deidra

Above and Below: Mystic

Mojo

Cat/Dog Standoff!

December 24, 2009: Our Christmas Tree This Year

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December 19, 2009: Birding Eastern Lake Ontario

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We spend some time birding the Eastern Lake Ontario shoreline today.

First some birds seen near Pulaski, New York

Long Tailed Duck

Flying Red-Breasted Merganser

Bald Eagle

Flying Long Tailed Duck

Mirage over the lake

Ice at Fair Haven State Park

December 6, 2009: Niagara River Birding

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Today we spent this cold day birding along the Niagara River..

Above and Below: Flying Bonaparte's Gull

Common Goldeneye

Flocks of gulls on the river

Skylon Tower

Rainbow over the falls

Above and Below:Water rushing down a spillway just above the falls

Gadwall

Hooded Mergansers

Long Tailed Duck

Bufflehead

Above and Below: Some nice Tundra Swans

Bonaparte's Gull

Canada Goose

Female Goldeneye

Common Loon

Common Goldeneye (above and Below)

Above and Below: Large Bufflehead flocks

November 29, 2009: Buffalo Bills vs. Miami Dolphins

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Today we went with my family to see the Buffalo Bills play the Miami Dolphins

November 27, 2009: Orleans County

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We made a quick stop along the Lake Ontario Parkway where there's a nice view of the Lake in Orleans County

Red-Breasted Merganser female

Below: Ross' Goose:

November 14, 2009: Birding Kenneglenn Scenic Nature Preserve

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A few photos from Kenneglenn Scenic Nature Preserve

A dormant Red-Eyed Vireo nest

Hairy Woodpecker

November 1, 2009: BIrding Batavia and Montezuma NWR Area

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We started out with some waterfowl photos at the Batavia Wastewater Treatment Plant

American Black Duck

Below: Four shots of Northern Shoveler

Now on to Montezuma NWR in Central New York

American Tree Sparrow

Below: Two shots of American Green Winged Teal

Northern Pintail

Ruddy Duck

Above and Below: Red-Tailed Hawk

Flock of Snow Geese

Northern Shrike

October 11, 2009: Buffalo Ornithological Society Fall Bird Count - Alden, New York

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Today I took some picture while counting birds around Alden, NY for the Buffalo Ornithological Society annual October count

Fall scenes around Joe Panza Nature Trail

Grey Catbird

White Throated Sparrow

Winter Wren

Billo Road in Alden:

Field Sparrow

Horned Grebes

Great Egret

Brown-Headed Cowbird

October 10, 2009: Apple Picking and Touring Ithaca and Central NY

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Today we started visiting the apple farm Little Orchards in Newfield, NY, just south of Ithaca

Lilies in the water

Yellow flowers

Some photos from the apple picking, and of fall colors

Now, some photos from Taughannock Falls State Park (Upper Falls)

This Turkey Vulture flew by

Now the Montezuma NWR area:

(The "Main Pool")

Pectoral Sandpiper

Greater Yellowlegs

Northern Shoveler

From the Savannah Mucklands:

Greater Black Backed Gull

Snow Geese flying

Bald Eagle

Sandhill Crane

Horned Lark

Swamp Sparrow

Song Sparrow

September 24, 2009: Autumn Trip to Iroquois NWR

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A fall walk along the Onondaga Trail at Iroquois NWR, Genesee County, NY

A Northern Flicker flew by

A plant with small yellow flowers

Knappweed

Fall colors

Virginia Creeper

New England Aster

White Aster

Sumac

Above and Below: Fall colors in the Onondaga Marsh

September 20, 2009: 1,000 Island Photos

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A few more photos from our final trip to the island in 2009

The Birch tree

Mystic

September 19, 2009: Photos From Our Island

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Two photos from our last trip to the Islands this autumn:

The Birch Tree changing color

The Common Loon still remains but is changing color a bit

September 7, 2009: Plants and Fire in our Yard

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This evening we took some photos in the backyard, and enjoyed having a bonfire

Unknown flower

Black and Yellow Garden Spider

Unknown bush in our yard

The Elderberry is doing nicely!

Shots of our bonfire

September 6, 2009: On Our Island in the 1,000 Islands

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A few more shots from the island before we head home:

Birch Tree

Below: Mojo and Mystic

September 5, 2009: On Our Island in the 1,000 Islands

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Another beautiful day in the 1,000 Islands

Butter and Eggs

A Bumblebee enjoying one of the coneflowers

Above: Cosmos, Below: Unknown Leaves

Below: Autumn Joy Sedum

Below: Nighttime photos on the island

September 4, 2009: On The Island

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Some photos from our Island on this beautiful September

Smoke bombs on the island!

This bush was blooming quite a bit today

Cosmos with bumblebee

Herring Gull with a fish!

Moss along the islands' rocks

Jimson Weed

The Common Loon was still around

Nighttime on the island

August 30, 2009: Plants in Our Yard

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Here are some plant shots from our yard

Bottle Campion

Bladder Campion

Yellow World Sorel

Joe Pyeweed

Jewelweed

Ground Ivy

The grass / sedge growing everywhere!

Above and Below: Japanese Day Flower

Above and below: not sure what these bushes are

August 29, 2009: Birding at Montezuma NWR

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We spent a little time at Montezuma NWR in Central New York. The highlight was an American Avocet, our first New York State sighting...

American Avocet

Great Egret

Lesser Yellowlegs

August 24, 2009: Kilkee, Shannon Airport, and flight home

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We took a few photos at Nature Quest and near the Shannon Airport before our trip back home today...

Nature Quest:

Whimberel

a variety of shorebirds

Above and Below: Eurasian Oystercatcher

Goodbye Nature Quest!

At the Airport

Blue Tit

Reed Bunting

Eurasian Wren

the way home

Hooded Crow

The Shannon River

The Irish Coast between Kilkee and Doonbeg

Plum Island, New York

Jamaica Bay near JFK Airport

August 23, 2009: Galway, Cliffs of Moher, and Burren, Ireland

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Today saw very rainy weather, so we drove north an hour and a half to tour the city of Galway. To start I have some pictures from the road - then Galway itself...

Now from the Nimmo's Pier area in Galway

Black-Headed Gull

Common Gull

Mute Swan

Hooded Crow

Ruddy Turnstone

Above and Below: Redshank

Eurasian Oystercatchers

Scenes from around Central Galway

Inside the Galway Mall

Leaving Galway and heading towards the Cliffs of Moher and the Burren

The Burren area was beautiful

The Poulnabrone Dolmen

A Chaffinch at the Dolmen

A Bullfinch at the Dolmen

A flying Eurasian Kestrel

At the Cliffs of Moher

Rook (above and below)

Fulmars along the cliffs

This Peregrine Falcon flew over

flyover Fulmar

Rook

White Wagtail (above and below)

On the way back to the hotel...

Jackdaws on a wire near Lisdeen

A Blue Tit at the B&B

August 22, 2009: Birding Clare County, Ireland with John Murphy

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Today we birded with Clare's John Murphy. It was a pleasure to meet John and bird Western Clare. John is also part of the website "Clare Birdwatching" - more great information about this beautiful region of Ireland and its birds. John's contact info is here.

We started out with one photo at Nature Quest:

Red Admiral

We started out heading south on R487 from the Nature Quest, heading towards "Loop Head". These photos were taken around Kilbaha

Eurasian Oystercatcher

Eurasian Curlew

Old Ruined House above Kilbaha was once owned by theLandlord Marcus Keane.

White Wagtail (above and below)

Eurasian Robin

Some photos between Kilbaha and Loop Head

Meadow Pipit

Found this confused young Barn Swallow (he was okay)

Pictures from the beautiful Loop Head Lighthouse area. This was one of the coolest places we have ever been!

Lots of Sea Aster

Flying Eurasian Oystercatchers

Black-legged Kittiwake

Common Raven

Shag

More flying oystercatchers

Northern Gannet (above and below)

Above and Below: Manx Shearwater

Manx Shearwaters

flying Dunlin

Common Gulls flying

Manx Shearwater

Above and Below: Rock Pipit

Shag

Bar Tailed Godwits

Some of the cool landscape found around the lighthouse

Rock Pipit

More flying Bar and Black Tailed Godwits, and Whimberel

Northern Fulmar

a young gull

young and adult Lesser Black Backed Gull

The large flock of shearwaters, gannets, gulls, etc. that we saw!

The Loop Head Lighthouse

Above and below: Northern Fulmar nests

Beautiful shot of the Irish coast from Loop Head

Now we drove to the nearby Bridge of Ross. It was quieter there

Winter Wren

Meadow Pipit

Devil's Bit Scabious

Interesting geological formations at the Bridge Of Ross

Below: The sea crashes against the rocks

The "Bridge Of Ross"

Another 'bridge' here that fell

Oarweed

Above and Below: Eurasian Kestrel

White Wagtail

Flying Chough

Eurasian Collared Dove

Common Raven

Ringed Plover

Black-Headed Gull

Eurasian Curlew

We had a great lunch at the Long Dock in Carrigaholt

The village of Carrigaholt

Our rental car license plate

Guinness and flowers!

On the road again, heading north

Grey Heron

a scenic road along the coast

Connemara Pony

Old hermitage on Bishop Island

Chough

On the coast near Quilty

Ringed Plover

Cormorant

Another old castle at Carrowmore Point

Bar-Tailed Godwit

Redshank

Dunlin

Black-Headed Gull

Bar-Tailed Godwit

Greenshank

Ruddy Turnstone

A wild chicken running around!

Tubridy's in Doonbeg

Flying Teal in Doonbeg

A distant view of Lapwings was our only one this trip

Heading north from Doonbeg we found this fight between a Hen Harrier and Hooded Crow

Peregrine Falcon

We found this shag around Quilty

John Murphy holding an injured Dunlin

Dunlin

Ringed Plover (above and below)

Common Gulls

Ruddy Turnstone

Molting Black Headed Gull (above and below)

West Clare Railway in Moyasta

Jackdaws at the Railway site

Later that evening we went into Kilkee for dinner

August 21, 2009: Shannon and Kilkee, Ireland

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Today was the first day of our short trip to Ireland! We flew into Shannon this morning and drove from there to the seaside village of Kilkee (Clare County West). We stayed at a wonderful nature lodge, "Nature Quest". http://www.naturequest.ie. just outside of Kilkee on the Blackweir Bridge.

We started out our trip birding the Shannon Airport Lagoons with Clare County birder John Murphy. It was a pleasure to meet him and bird with him! He offers bird guiding services - which we would highly recommend!

Shannon Airport Rook

Shannon Lagoon photos

Painted Lady
Blue Butterfly

A butterfly

A dragonfly

Deer Island in the River Fergus

Grey Heron

Northern Wheatear

Flying Black-Tailed Godwits

Flying Northern Shoveler

Flying Teal

Meadow Pipit

Stonechat

Hooded Crow

Chaffinch

Jackdaw (from Gallagher's in Bunratty)

Shots from Nature Quest B&B near Kilkee

A butterfly

The Blackweir Bridge

A distant view of Kilkee

Melissa on the bluffs at Kilkee

European Starling

Photos of the cliffs at Kilkee

Shag

A view of the Countryside around Kilkee

Chough (above and below)

Hooded Crow (above and below)

Jackdaw (above and below)

Back to Nature Quest:

House Martin

Barn Swallow

White Wagtail (Pied Wagtail) (above and below)

August 16, 2009: Birding the Island (1000 Islands)

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Photos from our island in the 1,000 Islands

Pine Warbler

Common Loons

August 15, 2009: On Our Island in the 1,000 Islands

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Two photos from the island today

The lilies

Mystic

August 8, 2009: Baby Baltimore Oriole at Home

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This young Balitmore Oriole was in the corner of our yard

August 1, 2009: Birding the Hamilton, Ontario Area

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We started out with some photos of Waterfowl at La Salle Park in Hamilton, Ontario

Domestic Goose

Common Goldeneye

Red-Breasted Merganser

Yelling Herring Gull

Now on to some photos of the Red-Necked Grebe family in Bronte Harbour, a little ways up the QEW towards Toronto.

July 19, 2009: Flights Home (San Diego-Atlanta-Buffalo)

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Only one photo on the flight back of these cool cirrus clouds