(2/26/10) More snow means more Central Park in the snow photos. This week's storm caused havoc on the roads-my speaking engagement at the Fyke Nature Center was cancelled but it gave me a chance to head into the park again. I really like shooting there at night in the snow--the color temperature of the various lights makes for fascinating photos. This time I set the white balance on the camera to tungsten. Balto looks particularly nice against a snowy backdrop and I even used my fisheye lens (although sparingly).

(2/15/10) There have been several Lapland Longspur hanging out with a flock of Horned Larks at Jones Beach Coast Guard Station. While skittish, they can be approached if you crawl up to them. If you are going to try that I recommend warm clothing. The wind out there is bitter.

(2/12//10) The recent snowstorm left the park covered with a fresh blanket of wet snow. Although it did not stay pristine for long, I was able to go in the night of the big storm and get some interesting shots. Even at 10pm there were lots of people out building snowmen and sledding. The snow was wet, thick, and blowing and it was a challenge to keep my lens clean.

(1/31/10) A very cooperative Dovekie has been swimming around an inlet at Timber Point in Suffolk County for the past week. This small pelagic bird (a member of the family that includes Puffins and Razorbills) is rarely seen near land unless it is in distress. The bird on Long Island seems healthy but it remains to be seen if it can make it back out to the ocean on its own.

(1/23/10) I got back from our very successful Owl Workshop on Amherst Island only to find this livery cab on fire in front of my building. New York's Bravest were quickly on the job and the fire was put out without incident. It was almost as exciting as the Boreal Owl, Northern Saw-whets, Barred, and Snowy Owls we saw on Amherst Island. It was a great group of guys and we got some terrific photos. More about the workshop on my blog.

Thanks to everyone who made my holiday print sales the best ever. I hope you enjoy your prints and, as always, I will refund the purchase price if you are not absolutely delighted with the print.

It was a slow December in the wildlife department but it has given me time to perfect my HDR technique. This stunning High Dynamic Range photo of the George Washington Bridge was created by combining three different exposures and is available in my print gallery. I have others of Central Park, the Brooklyn Bridge, and other sites around the city.

Check out my "Best of 2009" gallery and my new workshop schedule for 2010.

Flocks of Cedar Waxwings have been roaming Central Park this second week in November feeding on crab-apples and other fruit. The park is host to over 100 different varieties of crab-apple but only a few are favored by fruit-eating birds. In my years of shooting birds in Central Park I have learned quite a bit about the trees these fruit eaters prefer and the time of year the fruit ripens so I can be on hand for the feasting. There was a flock of at least two dozen birds at the tree where I shot this series.

It's quite amazing to watch these small birds stuff the rather large berries in their mouths and swallow them whole.

Another summer gone and not a lot of photo opportunities in Central Park this fall. Warbler migration was slow and uneventful. I did get some nice shots of a Nelson's Sparrow (formerly Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow) when I ran into a flock of approximately 10 birds near Floyd Bennett Field. The birds were feeding on Spartina Grass seeds and were very cooperative.

(10/10) There have been a couple of cooperative Merlins hunting in the center strip at Jones Beach West End 2. There was also someone with an owl out in the dunes this week at West End 2 but I watched him for 1/2 hour and didn't see any raptors coming in. I don't think the winds were right. I also checked out Oceanside but Mike said not much is happening there.

I purchased a 7mm Vivitar fisheye lens this fall and have been having great fun with it. The lens is bargain priced at around $300 but although it fits a Canon mount, it does not talk to the camera. This means (like the good old days) everything is manual, including the focus. You also have to think a great deal about your shots before you take them. It's hard work but can be quite rewarding.

I also acquired a Sigma 105mm macro lens. It was given to me several years ago by a dear friend but it never worked properly. For $80 Sigma fixed it better than new. As I was heading to the park to try it out I passed the Museum of Natural History and noticed the "Frogs" banner on the front of the building. Like the "Butterflies" exhibit opening October 10th, "Frogs" features live frogs from around the world in simulated natural environments. At 4 pm on the Thursday afternoon I went I was one of only three people in the entire exhibit and I got to shoot away. The exhibit closes at 5:45 and from 5:00pm until closing I was the only one there. The colorful Poison Dart frogs are my favorites but the Vietnamese Mossy Frog is a close second.

The Poison Dart frogs are, ounce for ounce, the most lethal animals on the planet. Because they advertise (with bright colors) predators know to avoid them. But don't worry, they are behind glass and besides, they are what they eat--their toxins are derived from their food supply and they don't get the same diet in the museum as they do in the wild. (Hint--if you go bring a flash you can remove from your camera to avoid glare)

I have to say it was probably the best $24 I've spent in years. Well worth it and good macro practice.

We had our first Warbler Workshop in Central Park on Saturday, Sept. 5th and, although we did not find a lot of photographable warblers there were all manner of dragonflies in abundance. We had Blue Dashers, Widow Skimmers, and several other species I could not identify. We all got pretty good shots because the dragonflies would actually "pose" for us for extended periods of time on the reeds and other plants lining the Meer.

As we bid farewell to the Dog Days of summer shorebirds are returning to our area. Jamaica Bay has seen phalaropes, avocets, and a Hudsonian Godwit along with the usual array of peeps. Hummingbirds and warblers are also making their way back through the area. I have not been photographing as much because I've been preparing workshops for the Fall and next Spring but now that I've finished I plan to get back into the thick of things.

As Spring quickly became Summer I turned my sights to the shore and salt marshes in the area. Colonies of Black Skimmers and terns nest along the shore of Long Island and Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrows (now sadly, known only as the Saltmarsh Sparrow) and Seaside Sparrows inhabit its marshlands. The endangered Piping Plover also nests on our shores and the chicks from this endangered species can be found running back and forth from the ocean to their nest. Species like Clapper Rail also nest in the salt marshes in our area.

Grassland birds like Bobolinks make their summer home in our area most notably at the Shawangunk National Grasslands in Ulster county and Grasshopper Sparrows can be found in the grasslands of Long Island along with Eastern Bluebirds (our state bird). I have been to all of these places so far this summer and hope to return to them all soon. Although most have fledged a first brood many of these birds produce and second and even third set of offspring. Cliff, Tree, and Barn Swallows also inhabit our area and I was lucky to find an adult feeding its fledglings in early July.