This week’s photos are a great example of just how beautiful, exciting and dynamic our surrounding Open Spaces are! These incidents occurred Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday of last week and were all rather conveniently located adjacent to or above a roadway! It just took a moment to notice, so as I always say, BE AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS. What made this really fun and special was that I was doing various chores and going to and fro when nature just gave me some nice ‘heads-ups,’ which culminated in these photos!!!  Before I get started describing each incident, let us realize that we are running the gamut, or looking at almost one end of the spectrum to the other, as far as size is concerned with our Wildlife Trilogy in our Open Spaces! 

THANK YOU MOTHER NATURE for bringing the show to me!!!

My stories begin:

TUESDAY, lunch hour.  I was just leaving Allamuchy Town Hall, approaching my car and noticed this small, sun-lit, vibrant red object dart and land in the vines directly across the street! That’s a cardinal!  Perfect lighting, grabbed my camera and started taking photos from the car!!  What luck, I mentioned lunch hour and I am witnessing him (remember, male birds have the bright colors) eating the berries.  Couldn’t wait to get home and check out the pictures!  Remember, ‘running the gamut’ size-wise, well Tuesday, we are starting our spectrum on the small size end.  What we lack in size, visibility wise, is made up for with blazing red, highlighted with bright sun rays!!

Cardinal photos at my Flickr site (NOTE:  the last photos and video in the album are this cardinal.)

WEDNESDAY, midday and I am returning home, traveling down Youngs Island Road, going through the sod and farm fields.  Suddenly, I am watching two hawks, sparring for a moment, then going their own ways.  The hawk being chased was a Northern Harrier; I recognized his white tail markings as he flew away.  The other hawk landed in a small pine tree right off the road near a tiny pond.  Pulled off the road onto a dirt lane by the tree and get a couple of photos before it takes off!  It is my resident Red-tailed Hawk; I see this guy all the time!!  Pretty nice size bird, really quite a handsome bird!!  Checking in on our size chart, definitely getting larger.  Our Wild Life Trilogy is making its gradual crescendo to the larger end of the spectrum.

Red-tailed Hawk photos on my Flickr site

THURSDAY, morning. Traveling up Maple Lane by the Gibbs Farm in Allamuchy and suddenly notice this very large object with a big bright white head in the tree!!  That is a Bald Eagle, what a majestic bird!!  Take a few photos, move forward and take a couple of photos looking up from inside the car and then stop and get out to get a better photo through the branches!!  He didn’t last too long after me exiting the car, took off, flying over the beautiful scene of, farm fields with the large barn and silos!!  (We live in a gorgeous area!!!)  Well, I think I am safe in saying, we have arrived at the far end of the size spectrum with this magnificent adult Bald Eagle!!  NOTE:  It takes about four years for the Bald Eagle to get its white head and white tail. 

Bald Eagle photos on my Flickr site

A Day of Eagles on my Flickr site

And that is my Wild Life Trilogy in our Open Spaces!!

Enjoy Your Open Space

Charlie Fineran

Director Open Space
Allamuchy Township Environmental Commission – Chairman
Allamuchy Historical Society – President