Super Summer Sampler

Seeking relief from the intense heat, I made a trip out to Long Beach Long Island. From the boardwalk I spotted numerous black-backed and herring gulls. Periodically, groups of lesser and common terns would dive past the breakwaters. On hand were many laughing gulls who sat in tight groups, occasionally heckled by the brazen ring-bills.
Occasionally the beach would fall silent and I soon saw why. An intrepid Osprey was flapping hard, making sudden dives towards the water. It made several sorties from the bayside over to the beach...I was lucky enough to watch it stoop!

and crash headlong into the ocean in a way I'd never seen before!

It then powered above the surf...

and turned towards me!

Looks like we both caught something!

Back in Morningside Park, a sudden thunderstorm brought all the crawdaddies out to spawn. I guess this guy just finished!

And one of the hawklets seems to be getting on just fine.

I watched him hunt a catbird, robin and sparrow with great vigor and abandon. Although not successful, I did noticed that this silenced the songbirds and as a result, this reliable way of locating hidden hawks was silenced.
Man have I seen the hugest hornets this year!