Today was a Saltmarsh Sparrow kind of day at the Marine Nature Study Area in Oceanside, NY. I was very happy to see that these endangered birds produced many surviving offspring this summer.
Salties are iconic salt marsh birds, restricted to these habitats along the U.S. east coast. They are also iconic for the biodiversity crisis, since they are threatened with extinction as a result of the double whammy of habitat loss and sea-level increase, all driven by never-ending capitalist growth. MNSA backs up to suburban residences, so as the sea level rises, they will literally have nowhere to go at this site.
On this occasion, maybe four or five Salties (adults and juvies) were playing hard to get, flushed out of some Phragmites along the path every time someone walked by, diving into the Spartina further in, and then returning within a short time, but never perching. Then this adult and a friend came quite close, perching tranquilly on this concrete ledge for a few minutes.
#birds #birding #birdphotography #marshbirds #wildlife #nature #naturephotography #wildlifephotography #biodiversity #extinction
