LIWINEDAD

  A new summer, new Volleyball games to watch.  We are back at Cedar Beach in the Town of Babylon ( Google Map ) to watch the kids' Volleyball games which are becoming a summertime tradition.   The first stop, of course, is the Salt Shack (Fig 01) for a quick meal beachside (Fig 02), including Calamari (Fig 03), a Caesar salad (Fig 04), a buffalo chicken wrap (Fig 05), and drinks shared between the two of us.  Following dinner, it was game time on the beach (Fig 06) with a multitude of courts (Fig 07).  Overall, a fantastic Thursday night on Long Island.  #cedarbeachbabylon #saltshackny FIG 01 - SALT SHACK UPPER DECK BANDSTAND 28 JULY 2022 FIG 02 - SALT SHACK BEACH DINING 28 JULY 2022 FIG 03 - SALT SHACK CALAMARI 28 JULY 2022 FIG 04 - SALT SHACK CAESAR SALAD 28 JULY 2022 FIG 05 - SALT SHACK BUFFALO CHICKEN WRAP 28 JULY 2022 FIG 06 - CEDAR BEACH VOLLEYBALL 28 JULY 2022 FIG 07 - CEDAR BEACH VOLLEYBALL CLIP 28 JULY 2022

  While we are not Ornithologists, the picture sure looks to be that of a Bald Eagle (Figure 1).  I am confident the photo is not fake, as Jo snapped the shot on her walk around the Seamans Neck Park yesterday.  Last year the Hawks popped up, and one even sat on our fence until it decided to make a meal of one of the Quaker parrots that have invaded the park.  So now we have the return of a Bald Eagle; how cool and testament to the progress we all have made in improving our local environment. FIG 1 - BALD EAGLE SEAMENS NECK PARK 06 MAR 2022 

 We here on Long Island pay some of the highest taxes and sometimes wonder what we get in return.  One place that I can see my tax dollars going, and for a good reason, is the park behind my house.  I took an early morning stroll to capture all the pictures before most people showed up as this is a busy and well-used town park.  It is well maintained, and except for too many geese sometimes, it is a beautiful place to play.  In addition to the Canada Geese are Egrets, Cormorants, and Quaker Parrots. The Parrots are an invasive species, and they have taken over the park, building Parrot Condominiums in most trees and the tops of stadium lamp poles.  However, nature does have a way of compensating for this invasion.  We now have large blackbirds returning to the park and breaking into the Parrott condos to enjoy some eggs for breakfast.  In addition, the raptors are returning, circling overhead, and diving down to capture a green feathered lunch.  On one occasion, a large Hawk sat on our