By Mike Busch
The Long Island Wildlife Photography Group continues to grow like a weed, surpassing 18,000 members this week! With all the chaos in the world right now it is great to have a great community like this to provide a little diversion. Thanks to everyone that contributes to the page with their photography and knowledge. Not a week goes by where you don’t see something for the first time or learn something new.
I also want to give a shout out to Jim Botta. Jim not only helps pick out the photos in this feature every week but does a fantastic job behind the scenes keeping everything running smoothly and keeping the spammers at bay. In the last month alone we declined over 1200 people that had either suspect accounts or had no connection to Long Island. My life has been extra hectic lately and I don’t think I could get this together every week without his help.
This week features our first leaping Blacktip Shark, Minke Whale, Humpback Whales, Screach Owl and a Great Horned Owl taking a bath. Natalie Ann also has some fantastic videos of three Eaglets getting ready to fledge on the last page.
This week’s cover shot goes to Mitchell Steinhardt with an incredible photo of a Humpback Whale just about to gorge on a pod of Bunker.
Try to check out all 9 pages and feel free to share with your friends. Most people have no idea that Long Island has thriving habitats and abundant wildlife on both land and sea.
Bald Eagle – Barbara Lash
Baltimore Oriole – Jim Botta
Black Skimmer – Eric Dunetz
Cooper’s Hawk & Claw – Benny Lokos
Black-Crowned Night Heron – Jeanne Eggers
Blacktip Shark – Brian Doherty
Eastern Screech Owl – Richard DiScalfani
Bunker – Brian Doherty
Gray Squirrel – Laura Dietrichson Helf
