Photo Hunters: Birds

Ugh, I am TERRIBLE at photographing live birds. Either I need a better camera, a quicker and steadier hand, or slower moving birds… because they always come out blurry!

So I fudged.

Here’s a nice bird. HA! Taken at Syracuse Hancock Airport.

I DID try to snap photos of the cute wrens flying around the airport! To no avail…

Here’s a cute new bird hat we got yesterday! We were asked to try out the Tofurkey Soda, which tastes like turkey and gravy. Ummmm…. it was awful! You can read our entertaining review here.

Oh WAIT! I DID photograph a bird, once! Here’s our visit to the Utica Zoo. This is a Whooping Swan. He tried to eat my camera (probably because it takes such lousy photos of his buddies).

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Birding, Big Time

This is it. The time when hundreds of different species of migrating birds return to Upstate New York for nesting. Western New York, specifically Wayne County, and more specifically the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge, is a bird-lovers paradise. This is from the I Love NY Newsletter, the Beat:

Hot off the presses and just in time for the busy migration season, the Wayne County Office of Tourism is now offering a comprehensive guide to assist professional and amateur birders find the songsters. The nine page guide book easily fits in your pocket or camera bag, and features 10 “Best Bird Locations” in Wayne County.

The back page is a map which easily directs you to each location. Some areas are directly in the Atlantic Flyway, while others are in the deep woods, where the elusive Veery Thrush hides. Bird watching is the number one hobby for outdoor lovers, and with this exciting and informative guide, you can now locate hundreds of birds in Wayne County.

The Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge is HUGE, and it’s probably the closest thing to an American “safari” if there ever is one. The guide is free. The Refuge is a MUST SEE! For your free guide contact the Wayne County Office of Tourism at 800-527-6510, or email tourism@co.wayne.ny.us.

Great Places: Montezuma Wildlife Refuge

When I was a little girl and my grandmother took me for drives across western New York, we always passed signs that said “Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge.” My grandmother always pointed out the place. I thought it extremely odd that anything in New York would be called “Montezuma.” I also thought it odd that my grandmother expressed interest in it. Years later, I realized that my great-great grandfather helped create the Montezuma marshes into park, and that the name “Montezuma” was the name given by Dr. Peter Clark; he’d named his estate that because he liked the Aztec leader Montezuma.

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The Noisy New York Blue Jay

Since owning our own house and land, we love birds. My young son is a budding ornitholigist (and yes, he knows what that word means. Did you know that ornith is Greek for “bird”? Ornithology is the study of birds). Birds have been very helpful to our gardens, too. New York State has loads of birds! We’ve spotted the goldfinch, the cardinal, the bluebird, the hummingbird, even the purple martin! And there is a wildlife refuge behind us, so the occasional goose, duck, and peacock sometimes show up in our yard. And of course, we have the resident birds like the crow, the hawk, and the starling.

This is the time of year where the aggressive BlueJay takes over. They have chased all the other songbirds away from the property now. And they absolutely love dog food! My lazy dog refuses to chase the BlueJays away. I took a video of how bold these birds are. They scold ME for interfering with their breakfast!

I wonder if setting out bird feeders would help? Bird seed is probably cheaper than feeding the birds with the dog food.