# Birding with Clark at Sandy Hook



## cnycharles (Sep 21, 2011)

Last weekend I went down to NJ to meet up with Clark, so that we could head over to the NYC Century Bike Tour, which was sunday the 18th. We had a good time, and the next morning Clark had the idea that we could drive over to Sandy Hook where he has taken quite a few excellent pictures of birds and other things. He told me about the different shore birds that he'd seen there, and other details about the old Fort Hancock that used to protect NYC Harbor in both WW's 1 and 2, and afterwards during the Cold War. It sounded pretty interesting, and though I'm not generally a birder I appreciate seeing different things/birds or whatever so decided to head to the beach.

Clark was looking around for different birds and not seeing much, and I was looking at shells and digging in the sand where bubbles were coming up after the waves had receded (I thought I might have clams for dinner  ). He didn't think there were too many interesting birds (just lots of seagulls and distant, flying osprey), so we walked towards a dune area where beyond he had seen dippers and skimmers and all of those other beach birds. One of us spotted what looked like a raptor sitting on a log, facing the water watching the gulls etc, so Clark decided that we would try taking a few pictures while slowly sneaking up on it. It's back was to us, so it didn't really see us on the other side of the short dune. Clark thought at first it was an osprey, and since I don't look at bird books too much lately, didn't know any differently. We took a few pictures and slowly inched forward, exchanged cameras, and then Clark said "Dude, you are sooo lucky! I think that's a Peregrine Falcon!". I thought, 'well, that's cool!' Clark had told me that he'd only seen one a few times before, usually flying low and very fast, not really allowing for any decent pictures. It was very content to sit on the log, looking around, for quite a while! We were both surprised that it didn't bolt at any time, until a little later a couple came walking along the dune and it flew off a short distance. Interestingly, when it flew away it headed towards a small cove and harassed a few of the gulls that were sitting on the water. They all flinched, but none tried to fly away and eventually the falcon flew off when the couple approached it's perch.

I took some pics with my camera and one of clark's lenses, he took some with his camera and then we switched cameras.

Clarks' pics






peregrine falcon preening (his camera)





pic of verrazano-narrows bridge, coast guard cutter, me (my camera)





peregrine watching birds fly overhead





me looking through clark's camera





clark's pic of the bird and I looking at each other (that's my ear to the left)

My pics





bird, surf and brooklyn





my camera (grass is waving in between, causing blurs)










falcon sizing up seagull for the freezer





falcon stretching after long siesta
clark's camera





preening after stretch; sees couple walking towards beach 
clark's camera





taking off





turning to harass the seagulls; they are just becoming aware that it's headed their way


I was watching a youtube video the other night about peregrine falcons as it 
turns out! It said that after ww2, peregrine falcons on the east coast were 
very few, and the gene pool severely depleted. as a result, conservation groups
decided to raise some captive falcons from other regions and introduce them 
into the east coast populations. Peregrines have now rebounded very nicely,
but there are many intermediate forms between the former eastern forms
and other western and northern species. Some groups think that this is 
blasphemous, but I don't think the birds care and are happy to be alive!

there are some other Sandy Hook pics that i'll include in a follow-up post


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## cnycharles (Sep 21, 2011)

*a few more pics around fort hancock/sandy hook*

I have a few pictures of mostly non-avian interesting things also found around Fort Hancock and the beach at Sandy Hook






a nice colony of native opuntia (clark has posted pics of the same plant)





great blue heron in one of the tidal marshes





a very large, very prehistoric looking horseshoe crab shell





the old lighthouse at the fort





a true example of green energy! (a tree growing out of one of the 
barracks' chimneys at the old fort hancock)


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## eggshells (Sep 21, 2011)

Those are amazing shots.. Very very nice. I like the stretching falcon.


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## SlipperFan (Sep 21, 2011)

I agree. Good shot!


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## emydura (Sep 21, 2011)

Nice photos Charles. They are not easy to get close to. Love the one where it is stretching in particular.

This species was particularly affected by DDT poisoning and it numbers crashed right across the world. Not so bad in Australia though. Australia is considered the Peregrine Falcons last great stronghold. I regularly see them in Canberra, often from my workplace window. I never tire of sighting one. They are the most magnificent fliers.

David


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## Yoyo_Jo (Sep 21, 2011)

Enjoyed your photos! Thanks.


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## JeanLux (Sep 21, 2011)

Cool pics, thanks you 2!!!! Jean


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## Shiva (Sep 22, 2011)

Nice shots! I love the falcon.


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## NYEric (Sep 22, 2011)

Thanks for sharing.


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## Ernie (Sep 23, 2011)

I've heard stories that the NJ/NY DOT used to use Limulus (horseshoe crab) shells in their concrete for the highways (particularly the NJ turnpike) because they used to wash onto shore in massive quantities. 

Is that true???


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## Clark (Sep 23, 2011)

Sweet!

Ernie- I'll look into it when I get home. Their eggs were shorebird food.


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## Clark (Sep 27, 2011)

The horseshoe crab thing seems to be false.
When the story was told to Christine and I(3rd or 4th grade), it was seashells.

The old sandpits were close to the bay, that's it.
One sandpit, was/is loaded with amber. And fossils...


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## Clark (Oct 4, 2011)

Seems the pros are having a hard time. About a third down the page.

http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NJBD.html

birding on the net works for every state in the US.
I got the X-bills from this sight.


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