Water Hazard for Golfers But Healthy Habitat for Birds - #5 Pond, a Thriving Ecosystem on our Green Course!

While the #5 Pond on the Green Course might not be the most ideal location to hit your ball, it happens to be the perfect site for birds to play! This is no surprise, as this pond is home to a variety of prey for birds; this includes the azure damselfly and the blue dasher dragonfly, both insects that utilize the surface of the water and aquatic plants (such as water lilies) to oviposit, or lay their eggs.

Yesterday, while scouting the pond for native milkweed and other pollinator friendly plants, I was delighted to not only hear but see this beautiful cedar waxwing pair in the pond-side vegetation. In the picture below, you can see that the waxwings were utilizing tall, Joe Pye Weed as a perch, just before they flew off in pursuit of some unlucky insects. 

Viewing this feat is particularly fascinating, especially since cedar waxwings are better known for being voracious berry eaters!

All throughout the year, these passerines can be seen feeding on just about any plant that bears fruits, from serviceberries to hawthorns, to you guessed it... cedar trees! In fact, they eat so many berries (including the seeds, which are not regurgitated like with other birds but dispersed by their droppings), that they run into complications with intoxication! However, not to worry, in the summertime, these hungry birds supplement their diet with nutritious insects...especially here at Bethpage State Park. This is why our #5 pond is a hotspot at feeding time--Check it out!

Eye on the Prize

Predator on the Move

Fresh Snack