One of the reasons to go birding, and there are many, is you never know what bird you’re going to see next. November is always the month when most of the out of area birds show up. This November is no different. From the Common Ground-Dove and Western Kingbird of the last post to a Lark Sparrow (medium rare) to Fork-tailed Flycatcher (rare) the hits keep coming. Lark Sparrow is seen most years in late Fall but Fork-tailed Flycatcher is a completely different story. In 25+ years of birding this is only the second one I’ve seen in the US. The first one was in Cape May, NJ 16 years ago. That bird had lost its tail so this one was really special to see. It is still in a small park in Stamford, CT. Click on photo for larger view.

Captree State Park, here in NY is situated at the eastern end of the Jones Beach barrier island. It often attracts rare birds this time of year. On Sunday, Halloween day, Shai Mitra and Pat Lindsay found a Common Ground-Dove, a first NYS record. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to get there until the following morning. Upon my arrival, I was told the bird hadn’t been seen for an hour but instead there was a Western Kingbird. A few show up each Fall but still a really good bird for this area. Kiddingly, I said “I didn’t drive an hour to see a Western Kingbird” and then proceeded to take 100 photos or so. People were getting a little anxious that the dove wasn’t going to reappear. I started walking down the hedgerow away from the crowd and all of a sudden the bird appeared out of the foliage. As I called out to everybody the mood quickly changed and I was fortunate to get several images. The following day I received an email from Newsday, the Long Island newspaper, wanting to use my photo for an article. It ran on Nov. 3rd and shortly after I received a call from our local Fox news channel. That evening I was interviewed by phone, while the photo was being shown on the 10 o’clock news. Here is the image and also one of the kingbird.

Having been so busy, I finally have a small lull before I start choosing photos that will be going in my new book. There is a Dec. 31 deadline so I’d better get to work soon.

The first thing to catch up on is the famous Prothonotary Warbler at the New York Public Library. It hasn’t been seen for a few weeks so don’t waste your time going there to look for it. This bird behaved more like a sparrow than a warbler and had no fear of people. Here are a few images of this “crazy” bird.

On October 20th the Nature and Wildlife Photographers of Long Island (from now on NWPLI) held their annual captive raptor shoot. I’ve been a member of the group for the last year. What a great group of very talented guys and gals. Many have won national awards for their excellent images. I was looking forward to this shoot for months and  wasn’t disappointed.

There were Barn, Barred and Great Horned Owls, Ferruginous and Rough-legged Hawks,  American Kestrel, Peregrine Falcon and Bald Eagle. We couldn’t have asked for more.

Some of you might have seen  images on my website www.lloydspitalnikphotos.com so here are others not published yet.

image taken by Grace Scalzo ©

It isn’t often you find a company that goes the extra mile to help their costumers with a problem. ColorEyes (http://www.integrated-color.com) stands at the top of the list. Jack, of ColorEyes, spent several days with me to resolve a problem I was having. Who does that in this day and age? Nobody!

If you aren’t familiar with this product, you should be. As a photographer, it is essential to calibrate your monitor to get proper colors and brightness. The instrument you bought to do this like Eye-One, Spyder, Color Munki or Huey to name a few colorimeters come with software that do, at best, an adequate job. Coloryes, a stand alone program, gets it perfect. If you’re serious about processing your images to their fullest potential than this is an essential ingredient  to attain that goal.

I have absolutely no financial stake in this company. I’m just a very satisfied customer and thought I’d share  my experience with you.

I’m very pleased to announce a new book available through Amazon by my very close friend, Kevin Karlson. It’s “The Birds of Cape May” a beautiful coffee table book with over 250 pages of the most superb photos. I’m extremely proud to have several of my images included in the book. Here is a copy of both the cover and cover page.

After finishing up a very busy 3 weeks, with the Jamaica Bay Shorebird Festival and then another shorebird festival at the Meadowlands in New Jersey I finally have time to start posting again. Grasspipers are shorebirds that you find on sod farms and other grassy areas. These two birds were at Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn. For those of you that don’t know, it is an old air field no longer in use for airplanes but the runways still exist. Wiley Post, Amelia Earhart, Howard Hughes and “Wrong Way” Corrigan are famous for using Floyd Bennett. There are a few large puddles on one of the runways that gather several shorebirds each year. I’ve seen Baird’s there in years past and this year 2 Buff-breasted Sandpipers joined it along with Semipalmated  and Least Sandpiper plus many Kildeer.

I thought I’d post some recent images to give you an idea what’s being seen at Jamaica Bay. I hope you enjoy them. Click on each photo for sharper version.

We’ve been working hard getting everything together for the upcoming festival on August 14th and 15th. On the 15th we’re offering a unique opportunity to learn shorebird ID up close and personal. Groups will be limited to 15 people and will be led by Kevin Karlson – co-author of the “Shorebird Guide” and Lloyd Spitalnik. The workshop is $40.00 per person. See below for description.

In the afternoon we’ll be conducting another workshop, this time on photography. Limited to 15 people at $40.00 per person. Again see below for description.If interested contact me at lloyd or call between 9am and 1opm any day at 917-301-8744.

Shorebird Identification Workshop: A More Complete Approach (JBAY) (Maximum 15 participants)  Meet 8:30am at the Visitor’s Center parking lot

This hands-on workshop emphasizes a more complete approach to shorebird identification using both non-changeable physical impressions and details of plumage and feather patterns. Kevin and Lloyd will explain how to build a solid foundation for shorebird ID using basic impressions of size, shape and body language, and then combine detailed study of plumage and feather patterns to fine tune your ID conclusion. This workshop is suitable for birders of all levels, but sometimes includes advanced tips. Kevin’s book “The Shorebird Guide” will be available for sale and a personal inscription. The small class size allows for personal instruction and one-on-one interaction with both instructors that is not possible with larger workshops.

Outdoor Photography Workshop: Focus on Composition, Portraits and Action (JBAY) Meet 3:30pm at the Fisherman’s parking lot This is the lot just over the bridge as you leave Howard Beach on the east side.

Maximum 15 photographers

Join professional photographers Lloyd Spitalnik and Kevin Karlson on this small, interactive photography workshop to Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. Topics covered during this short session include basic and artistic composition; approach techniques for shorebirds and open space wildlife subjects; different perspectives of ground level versus elevated photography; and fundamentals of capturing flight and action. This location is one of the best anywhere for getting great backgrounds and portraits of shorebirds, and a good outdoor classroom setting for learning how to shoot flight and action against varied backgrounds. The small group size allows for individual attention by each instructor, and a more personal setting to ask questions and learn the professional tips for getting the perfect shot.

August 14th  -  5th Jamaica Bay Shorebird Festival agenda

Please note new starting time of 8:30am

8:30am   Coffee and Donuts

9:o0am Don Riepe slide show presentation on history of the bay and problems we’re facing.

9:30am Lloyd Spitalnik slide show on “The Shorebirds of Jamaica Bay”

10am – 12:00pm Guided walks to both the East and West Pond.

12pm Break for lunch (bring you own, there are picnic tables or both Howard Beach and Broad Channel have several places to find food and drink.

12:45pm Guided walk on the north end of the East Pond (bring rubber boots or the like.

4pm Kevin Karlson will present Shorebirds by Impression: A Different Approach to Field ID,  (60 minutes)

Agenda is subject to change
Suggested donation of $20.00 per person to cover our costs.

For reservations please call the American Littoral Society at 718-318-9344 or email Don driepe