Sketching Out Blog: Sketches of art, watercolor, photos, recipes, books, interviews, Jewish topics, and Highland Park, New Jersey

Birds of Cape May

gull_laughing
My local birding expert thinks this is probably a laughing gull that I photographed at the Cape May Migratory Bird Refuge.

purple_martin_house
I learned a lot about birds at the museum near the Cape May lighthouse. Can anyone guess what this is for? OK, I’ll tell you: it’s for housing purple martins. Which apartment would you take if you were a purple martin? To me, a purple martin looks like someone dunked a bird in a oil slick.

osprey
This big stuffed thing in the museum was the closest I got to photographing an osprey.

For more Nature Notes, visit Rambling Woods:
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See all my Cape May posts.

Carver says

You did a great job capturing the bird in flight. So lovely against the sky and I love the purple martins house. That's great to be able to learn about birds in the museum. I always have trouble with stuffed animals but I guess I understand the benefit to a museum for educational purposes. I have mixed feelings about it.

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leoraw says

Interesting that you say that, about the stuffed bird...it just seems part of the scenery to me. Two people, two different reactions.

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ramblingwoods says

I too was taken back a bit by the stuffed bird but I can see why it would be good for educational purposes. Thank you so much for posting that info about goldenrod. I am going to try to figure out what kind I have in the back. You mentioned milkweed and I understand that it can be really pretty and smell beautiful so that it can be in a regular garden or you could do some in container plants which I may try. I would LOVE to be able to watch a butterfly from egg to adult. I bet your daughter would love that too... Michelle

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leoraw says

Maybe next spring we will buy the butterfly kit, if my daughter is still interested.

Now she keeps asking for a guinea pig. Sigh.

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Arja says

Love the high rise tenement! I'd really like to see the Martens swooping in and out of that.

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leoraw says

see the Martens swooping
Me, too! Too many humans roaming about in the middle of the hot summer day when we were there.

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lawstude says

it is really hard to capture a bird in flight. you need lots of patience and of course luck. and you certainly have both. great job.

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leoraw says

Thank you. I have one more photo I saved for next Thursday's Thursday Challenge, as the theme will be "flight."

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Robin from Israel says

So that's an osprey! We saw a bunch of them from a distance in Maine, but we weren't close enough for a good look.

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leoraw says

I've seen them in Manasquan, at the reservoir. But that was before I had a big camera with the "birding" lens as I call it.

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Caron says

That photo of the bird in flight is marvelous!

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Jew wishes says

What a nice photo of the bird in flight. Lovely captures...all three of them. Each one is a nice study in texture and light.

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Julia says

Great shots, I love the martin house. My son left his guinea pig here when he moved out and I must admit to having fallen in love with it. Such a gentle little sweet animal. It actually loves to cuddle and never bites and they make the most interesting noises.

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leoraw says

Does anyone ever hire nannies for guinea pigs? The only person who has offered to care for the guinea pig is my daughter (who is 7). I think a guinea pig nanny would make the whole proposition quite expensive.

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moosh says

LOL a nanny for a guinea pig. Nice shot of the bird in flight. I think your daughter just wants a pet. Any pet.

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leoraw says

Yes, we know!

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Vicki says

I've never heard of a "laughing gull" but I like it already. Great photo of it in flight.

My dad and grandfather used to put up martin houses in the gardens, as martins eat tons of insects. They're not particularly pretty birds, but are very useful.

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