The Burgeoning Bald Eagle Population of Long Island (featuring photos and personal excerpt by Meredith McCarthy)

While most of the chatter in the Long Island wildlife photography community turns to Snowy Owls this time of year, they are far from the only large raptors we have in the area. Over the past decade or so, Bald Eagles have reestablished a population on Long Island. There are few sights more majestic than a Bald Eagle soaring above the treeline, fishing, or perched high in an old growth tree.

One of the best photographers on Long Island at capturing that majesty is Meredith McCarthy (@merecat_photography). Over the past year, she’s chronicled one of the breeding pairs of Bald Eagles that have made their home on Long Island. For this article, Meredith and I took a look at Long Island’s Eagle population, including her amazing photography and a guest section from Meredith speaking to her experience witnessing them throughout the year. Hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed Meredith’s photography and hearing her story.

Was 2021 A Particularly Shark-y Summer on Long Island?

Over the past few years, a lot has been made of the fact that the waters around Long Island have seemed a bit “sharkier” than usual. Several videographers shared regular drone footage of the near daily feeding frenzy of sharks attacking menhaden along the south shore. As Tim Regan pointed out to me, you could actually stand on the shore and witness hungry sharks launching themselves from the water consistently throughout the summer as well - something unprecedented on Long Island. A few weeks ago, a sighting at Lido Beach marked the 20th shark confirmed near-shore at Nassau beaches this summer, which is more than triple the numbers by this time last year. All this begs the question: Are there more sharks lurking in our waters?

While an increase in shark population is likely true, the degree to which we’re seeing it play out in the media may be a bit misleading. Factors such as social media allowing each sighting to reach a greater audience and our increasingly sophisticated monitoring systems raising awareness of sharks where they had previously gone undetected may also be playing a role in the perception that sharks are patrolling the waters ever closer to our favorite beaches and in greater abundance.

This article will take a look at why we may be seeing more sharks around Long Island, the types of sharks that call our waters home, and what it actually means for our marine ecosystem. I’m fortunate enough to be collaborating with two of my favorite content creators on the subject - wildlife photographer and mate on Triton Charters, Shane Etter (@BigOleMrKanish), and East End Surf/Fly Fishing Guide/On The Water Magazine Field Editor, Tim Regan (@southforksalt). I am very grateful that both lent their content and insight to the piece!

A Guide To Responsible Wildlife Photography (From Some of My Favorite Long Island Photographers)

There are pros and cons to the surge in interest around wildlife photography that has been sweeping Instagram over the past few years. On one hand, that need to get as close to the subject as possible “for the gram” can cause serious stress to the subject - affecting every aspect of their life from hunting to raising their young. On the other side of the trend is the amazing platform it creates for raising awareness around important issues like local conservation and species awareness. Those who take it up as a hobby can find grounding in being outdoors in close proximity to the wide array of species that we share Long Island with. This becomes particularly important in a day-and-age where we are constantly overstimulated by too much screen time and often miss out on the beauty in these intimate moments.

It’s important that we as a community try to steer people towards the latter and do our best to welcome and educate photographers interested in wildlife as their subject. For that reason, I wanted to talk to some of my favorite Long Island-based wildlife photographers about what makes it such a special hobby (or profession) and how we can all be responsible in our approach.

Long Island Canines: The Native (Red Fox) and the Newcomer (Coyote)

Over the past decade, coyotes have began to conquer their final frontier here on Long Island. While much is being made in the news about their expansion, this newcomer is not the only wild member of the canine family to call Long Island home. The red fox (and the elusive gray fox) have made their home here for as long as humans have. With no other large predator around, the red fox plays an integral role in our ecosystem and it will be interesting to see how their role evolves now that their larger cousins are moving into the neighborhood.

The Perception of Stripers Vs. Blues: An Oral Account from Respected Long Island Anglers

Bluefish and Striped Bass are two iconic species that inhabit the waters around Long Island. They’re both top-tier predators integral to our marine ecosystem and prized targets for anglers throughout the northeast. Despite playing a similar role in the food chain, they are vastly different fish. I was lucky enough to speak with a handful of anglers that I have a lot of respect for in order to get a better idea of how blues and stripers are perceived by anglers and where the similarities and differences lie.

Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation on Long Island Featuring the Photography of JR Aurature

The diversity of Long Island’s wildlife is dramatically underrated. From its year round residents to seasonal visitors, our bountiful habitats are full of beautiful creatures ranging from insects to mammals; birds to amphibians and lizards. That doesn’t even factor in the important marine ecosystems that exist along our shores and inland lakes, ponds, and rivers.

With so much life and vibrancy right in our backyards, it’s important for Long Islanders to be responsible guardians of our land. Our actions can have a myriad of consequences, and when they cause harm or distress to the other creatures who call Long Island home, it’s important that we proactively work to remedy the situation. Wildlife Rehabilitation Centers are integral to successfully assuming this responsibility.

#NTVArtists - Made in Menhaden: How an Unassuming Baitfish Fuels NY’s Marine Ecosystem (featuring footage + photos from Tim Regan (@SouthForkSalt))

They go by many names - Bunker, Menhaden, American Sardine, Pogy (not Porgy!), Mossbunker, Bug-head, Fat-back. No matter the nomenclature, it is indisputable that these pedestrian-looking baitfish are an important cog in the machine of the marine ecosystem around Long Island. They filter our water, they are an amazing source of omega-3 proteins with a myriad of human-based uses and, perhaps most importantly, menhaden are the primary food source for a lot of our ocean’s top predators. As Paul Greenberg pointed out in his 2009 NY Times Op-Ed, “Nearly every fish a fish eater likes to eat eats menhaden”.

The Fall Run Is Upon Us! A look at the Fall Striper Blitz with Photos and Video from Tim Regan (@southforksalt)

Long Island fisherman, rejoice! The summer doldrums are behind us and soon enough those monster Stripers are going to be hitting your line like a freight train again. Of all of the amazing species we have in our waters at various points in the year, few garner more respect than New York’s official State marine fish, The Striped Bass.

Morone saxatilis is an incredibly dynamic species - athletic and complex in their behavior - that deserves every bit of their reputation as a prized game fish. For this month’s #NTVBlog, we take a deeper look at the Striped Bass and the sacred Fall run Long Island gets every year.

Luckily, we are honored to have photography and video content from a great Long Island fisherman and photographer, Tim Regan (@SouthForkSalt). In addition to his amazing Instagram and YouTube pages, Tim also does a weekly Long Island Fish Report for On The Water Magazine, which you can check out here.

#NTVartists: Owls of Long Island Through the Lens of Shane Etter

Shane Etter is one of the most talented bird photographers on Long Island. His patience and keen eye has resulted in breathtaking shots of some of our Island’s most elusive residents and winter visitors, owls. It’s not uncommon for Shane to spend hours in search of his muse - fighting the biting coastal winds of the frigid south shore or navigating the woods in search of these beautiful birds.

Those willing to brave the cold have seen an increase in owl sightings on Long Island over the past few years. For this month’s blog, we are highlighting Shane’s beautiful owl photography from around Long Island and giving some background on his incredible subjects.

For more of Shane’s photography, please follow him on Instagram.

Long Island’s Trees of Christmas Past, Present & Future

In the dead of winter, very few traditions help cope with the cold better than snuggling up by a fire, admiring a beautifully decorated Christmas Tree.

In the spirit of Christmas, this article will discuss Long Island’s evergreens at Christmas time from three angles: (1) Christmas past - The Long Island Pine Barrens, (2) Christmas Present - The environmental benefits of real trees and where to cut your own on Long Island and (3) Christmas future - How to recycle your Christmas tree.