Avalon Park & Preserve- Part I

Hey guys, I am so excited for this weeks article! This most recent adventure caught me very much by surprise. We had been hearing warnings of rain and thunderstorms all week and so we put off picking out a park to visit, then Saturday came and suddenly things were beginning to look more hopeful and the clouds were starting to shift. Late that night I scrolled through my list of parks and picked one out that was close to home, partly because we had already set plans for later in the day on Sunday but also to avoid taking a long trip just to be sent home due to a storm. Without thinking much of my decision, I landed on Avalon Park and Preserve in Stony Brook, NY. I figured it would be a good way to cross a park off my list pretty quickly without missing out on much if we had to leave early. I was so wrong! This park was unbelievable, so much so that I am officially labeling this “Part I” because I need to go back next weekend to be able to truly say I gave this location enough attention to give it a fair review.

My husband, Steven, and I first pulled up to the park with the sight of fishermen trying their luck along glimmering waters of a pond teaming with a cornucopia of Wild and Domestic Mallard ducks and a family of Mute Swans. We parked on the road alongside Grist Mill where a small stream ran under the road from the pond to Mill Creek. There was no shortage of parking though some spots may have required a bit longer of a walk along side-streets than others. Before entering the park we took a few moments to admire the creek and the pond, there was a grassy area with a few benches and people feeding ducks (despite multiple signs explaining how detrimental it is to the environment and the bird alike. The park strictly forbids feeding waterfowl but alas there was no park official around to see). A lone Snowy Egret took flight over the creek towards the harbor while a Double-Crested Cormorant circled around the pond. The usual parade of Canada Geese marched along the grass leading us towards a park map and the entrance to the park.

An elegant wooden gate stood beyond a posted park map, marking the entrance to the park and the beginning of the trail. This first leg of the trail was primarily uphill with views of the pond through the trees where a Common Grackle hoped about logs and stones along the shoreline. From within the trees, a beautiful Red-Bellied Woodpecker clung to a hallowed trunk feeding its young.  A very small pond, which had once been a hazard when the property had long ago been a golf course, housed a mother Mallard with her fluffy new babies. A stone staircase carved into the earth led us up the steep hill and brought us upon an exploring Gray Catbird hunting through the brush along the path. Following the path further, the land leveled out and led to a flat area of a sculptural “labyrinth”, and beyond that another set of wooden gates leading us across a road to the beginning of the red trail. An American Robin perched on a power line along the road like a feathered doorman seeing in the days visitors. About halfway through the red trail, we branched off to the left to meet up with the orange trail which would lead to a series of grasslands, gardens and a barn.

The view of the first field when we emerged from the thickly wooded trail was like stepping into another world. Our eyes squinted to adjust to the warm shining sun and the green that painted the land was so lush you could almost smell it. Butterflies and swallows zipped over the thick field of tangled grasses like acrobats in a circus, flipping and flying to the applause of the crowd. Chipmunks darted across the pathways from the cover of green to the shade of trees that walled each section of the grassland and an elegant female Northern Cardinal sang down from the treetops.

Exploring the first section of grassland was magical, feeling as if we were the only two people discovering a secret garden not seen in decades. The soft coo of a Mourning Dove fell down from branches of bordering trees and the flash of Baltimore Orioles seemed almost neon against the ocean of green grass before us. White-Tailed Deer munched on greens along a wooden fence as Red-Winged Blackbirds hopped along its posts and Song Sparrows serenaded from outstretched branches. Towards the far end of the field, along our left side, a small clearing housed a large reflective sphere sculptural installation and a few rocks on which people could sit and rest. Two Chipmunks squeaked as they rolled and fought playfully about a wooden fence and an American Goldfinch hid within a shading tree. The barn stood quietly amongst the grass, looking so small and unassuming amidst the vastness of the landscape. Another white-tailed Deer hid within a blanket of brambles and Blue Jays shined like sapphires amongst the trees. Within the fields were scattered nesting boxes, most being tended by pairs of House Wrens, watching from its shelter as we passed.

After crossing yet another small street we were led to the second group of grassland fields, passing by a small parking area, the trail to the East Farm Preserve (which we would have to save for another day, as we were quickly starting to run short on time) and a large tree with a sign stating “active hive”. Again Baltimore Orioles flew about from tree to tree, this time continuously landing beside a nest hanging high in a branch. Tree swallows darted about, zipping too and from a group of nesting boxes. The familiar flash of yellow drew our eyes to the wall of leaves in search of Warblers, spotting only a few Yellow Warblers hiding within their coverage. Ahead of us on the dirt path strolled a lone Chipping Sparrow with a particularly rich colored crown. We walked along, admiring the beauty of this isolated little paradise and began to realise that time was getting away from us and we would soon have to call an end to the day, but then, a fellow birder walked by and told me something that caught the air in my chest, he had spotted an Indigo Bunting, and it was still close by. Steven could tell by the excitement in my eyes and the grin on my face that we were going to be late for our other plans and with a quiet laugh we set off on the hunt for one of the most beautiful North American birds a person could have the pleasure of seeing. It didn’t take long before we heard its call and shortly later, there it was, perched high in the sky on the trunk of a towering tree, then, a second flew in to join him. We stood, silent and still as statues for several minutes waiting for it to come down and give us a better look, and finally, just before I thought we may need to give up and move on, it did. The two Indigo Buntings fluttered down to the branch of a nearby tree, posing for us as I snapped photo after photo until eventually, they felt we had had our fill and they moved along.

Feeling thrilled and completely content, and as though I could spend the entire week exploring and still have not seen all there was to see, we headed back towards the park entrance and the car. I had to try to refrain from looking too hard as we were already running quite late but could not resist at least a little peak once we arrived back at the pond. A group of Double-Crested Cormorants dried themselves on a fallen log. The mother Mallard huddled sleeping with her babies in the small hazard pond and a pair of Wood Ducks swam along the waters towards shore. After a few more shots, reluctantly, we left for the car with the promise to return very soon fresh on our lips.

I don’t think I need to say how much I recommend this park, or how much I want to return. I fully plan on revisiting this coming weekend to explore the gardens again and see the rest of the trails we never got a chance to walk. I absolutely recommend you take a trip out to see this one for yourself and bring anything you may need because I promise you, you are going to want to stay for a while! Be sure to check in soon for Part II to this article! Until next time my friends, Happy Birding!

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