the hudson valley endured a long winter. the weather kept me indoors during most of it. i haven’t been out with my camera as much as much as i would have liked.
i reached out to a friend who i knew could use some time outside as well and we spent a blustery saturday morning documenting the start of spring.
our morning began at ramshorn-livingston bird sanctuary in catskill, which is a great spot for birding. we were immediately greeted by the familiar sounds of the red-winged black bird. i know spring is on the way when i hear their song. we took it as a sign that our morning would be filled with the sights and sounds of the sanctuary emerging from its winter slumber.
i have had great luck seeing great blue herons at ramshorn in the past. it’s a favorable habitat for them. i spotted one flying in from the tree line and landing right where we were heading. there is a bridge to cross the ramshorn creek, a spot where i have set my camera up many times to document the herons hunting for fish. we didn’t get a chance to see it hunt, but i did manage to catch it in flight. i find myself thinking about dinosaurs when i see and/or hear them.
while we were chatting along the trail, i spotted a large body flying through the air. it was difficult to make out in the messy canopy, but it made me think adolescent bald eagle. the area is also home to turkey and black vultures. i remember thinking the bird looked pretty haggard, as if it had just traveled through a storm.
i pointed my camera towards it but never was able to get focus. even though the photo isn’t in focus, i still find myself drawn to it. blake and i call these types of photos “happy accidents”.
what species do you think it is?
this is the time of year when migrating birds begin to return from the south. it’s always a cool experience hearing them off in the distance, scanning the sky, and seeing a tiny V shape heading in your direction. we heard this group before we saw them emerge over the trees. they were heading northeast towards the hudson river. it’s extra special when a flock is flying low enough above you to hear them flapping their wings. it helps you truly understand the effort it takes to cover the distances they do.
after a lap around ramshorn, we decided to relocate across the river to greenport conservation area. i spend a lot of time at greenport. the majority of my wildlife photography has been taken at the 700+ acre property. i also have a trail camera that has been there for the past few years. i haven’t checked it as often as i would like, so it’s always exciting heading out to retrieve new footage.
we arrived in the early afternoon, noting the lack of bird activity. the first large field we encountered is a known hunting area for northern harriers and red-tailed hawks. i’ve recently spotted a kestrel there (a first in the four years i’ve visited the area). we didn’t see anything scouring the field, but it was hard to miss the male cardinal further down the path. its majestic red plumage was catching great light. i have found that cardinals tend to scare easily so i was surprised i was able to get close enough for a photo.
i mentioned earlier that i have a trail camera set up at greenport. i’ve moved it a few times over the years, but it’s all been along the same creek that runs into a bay (which is connected to the hudson river). it’s a pretty active spot for all types of wildlife. i think of it as an animal superhighway. raccoons, possums, deer, turkeys, coyotes, and foxes are some of the species that have been seen traversing the path.
my latest obsession are the bobcats that pass through. i’ve captured them on video for the past few years. the current location of the camera is pointing towards a rotted tree stump, which a lot of animals like to mark, especially bobcats. i was even able to document a mother bobcat and her two cubs last summer! it will take some time to sort through all the footage so i’ll leave one of the more recent videos of what i believe to be a mating pair passing north along the creek.
*note: the cold weather reset my camera so the time/date are not correct. this video was recorded sometime during january 2026.
i’m going to try and compile all the bobcat footage into one video. i guess this would be a good time to plug my new video section. i have other wildlife footage there that i think is pretty sweet.
speaking of pretty sweet things… on our way back from recovering the sd card from the trail camera, blake pointed to the center of the large field. there, hovering almost perfectly still, was a kestrel! this has been the second time i’ve seen one at greenport now. next step will be to capture one on video. these photos aren’t great in terms of sharpness and there’s not much going on in the background besides sky, but i adore their feather pattern and colors and wanted to share.
here are some photos i took of a kestrel back in december 2025 in the same area. i wonder if it’s the same one.
if you’ve made it this far down, thanks for coming along the ride with me. it was great to get out with my best friend and spend time together in nature. i truly believe it can heal. i know i always feel mentally untangled after spending some time walking in the woods.
blake is a great photographer. check out his work here. he snapped this photo of me at greenport towards the end of our day and i really like it.
hope you can find some time to spend in nature.