MY NECK OF THE WOODS

Who is counting who?

My participation every spring in the North American Migration Count really has opened my eyes as to how many species of birds call Fishers Island a resting place, a nesting place and home.

I've got my trusty Sibley bird guide in my backpack now, so I can welcome a Northern Parula darting over my bicycle's handlebar, point out the single Belted King Fisher hanging out on a telephone wire by Oyster Pond, and watch diligently for Yellow Warblers that whiz around sprinklers on the golf course up east.

Last May, I soared west along on my bicycle and then through woods filled with a sweet sounding symphony, orchestrated by birds along the Island Recreational Path. I could just imagine the lead conductor bird tweeting: "Look! Look! There goes Yellow-Headed Double Vans Sneakered What's Her Name!"

At the end of the Count, I headed east where I met a juvenile Red-tailed Hawk that welcomed me into its world for just a moment…

"Who is counting who?" we asked each other.

Justine Kibbe is the island naturalist for the Fishers Island Conservancy. A lifelong environmentalist, Kibbe spent six years on Alaska's Island of St. Paul among the native Unungan people to study fur seals. Now a Fishers Island resident, Kibbe offers weekly wildlife snapshots from her observations around the island in "My Neck Of The Woods." You can reach her at bjkibbe@gmail.com.