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View Full Version : Jones Beach (NY) area wildlife areas?



Chris Brennan
05-25-2010, 04:57 PM
I'm heading up to the Jones Beach State Park in NY to photograph my other passion this Friday: The US Navy's Blue Angels and I'm wondering if there are any good wildlife preserves in that area. I'd like to find some osprey and it seems like a perfect locale but I'm not sure. Can someone give me some guidance? Thanks!

Bob Ettinger
05-25-2010, 06:45 PM
You can try Jones Beach by the Coast Guard station for smaller birds but no Osprey to my knowledge. Another close location is Jamaica Bay.

Good luck on the metal birds :D

LouBuonomo
05-25-2010, 09:34 PM
All of the West End of Jones Beach is closed for the airshow.. that is a ditching area.

A bunch of us will be at the show... Nickerson beach is close but will be crowded with beach goers on the weekend as will most of the parks we frequent.

Oceanside preserve is a good bet.. it has an Osprey nest. http://mnsa.webhop.org/ (http://mnsa.webhop.org/) for more info.

Beth Goffe
05-25-2010, 09:54 PM
Nickerson in the early morning is great before the beach-goers start arriving around 10 am. I also second Oceanside Marine Nature preserve. The osprey are fairly well-accustomed to people and there can be quite a variety of other bird life there, too.

Chris Brennan
05-26-2010, 06:29 AM
Thanks for all your comments and suggestions! Although I've been coming up this show for years, this will be the first time I've shot it from the "beach". Usually I've done take-offs and landings at Republic. Most of the show-goers will congregate around "show center" which I understand is near the tower, but I plan to park in the western parking lots. Will they be open or does anyone think they'll limit access?

Bob Ettinger
05-26-2010, 08:01 AM
I don't think the West lots are open at all.

Chris Brennan
05-26-2010, 09:44 AM
I don't think the West lots are open at all.Thanks for the info, Bob...although I'm not thrilled. I always usually like to shoot the jet teams from one side or another of the "show box", and from the least crowded area I can. And I don't like to shoot around sand for obvious reasons...

LouBuonomo
05-26-2010, 10:33 AM
Chris the West End is closed you can go east but that is not optimal. We are always just west of show center 100ft or so from the waterline (the tide will come in during the day) and it is a perfect place to shoot. You can use a 70-200 or a 100-400 and get killer stuff.

http://www.westhighland-imaging.com/Airplanes/2009-Jones-Beach-Airshow/JBAirshow-20090523-342/550295186_bXhQ9-L-1.jpg

Chris Brennan
05-27-2010, 03:23 PM
Lou -

Awesome "vapor" shot! Since I've only shot from Republic in recent years, I have to settle for boring ones like their Soviet L-39

LouBuonomo
05-28-2010, 03:42 PM
Nice.. I hear the practice at the beach was awesome.. F/A 18 50 feet from the deck pulling vapor.

If you aer on the beach look for us.. you can't miss us.

Chris Brennan
06-02-2010, 04:38 PM
Lou -

You mean like this? I was up on Saturday... cloudy start but great ending for the "Blues"

Chris

LouBuonomo
06-04-2010, 12:24 PM
I see you were east on the beach some... yeah the Blues did great. # 5 pulled a full bubble all the way west.