Finding Feathers Long Island

Sans Souci County Park

Hello again! This past Saturday my husband Steven and I bundled up and headed out to visit Sans Souci County Park. Hidden unassumingly in a quiet residential area of Sayville running alongside a fire department sat this hidden treasure. There is a small parking lot that could hold about a dozen vehicles, clearly marked on the road with a County park sign. Before entering there is a park information board to the left which displays a trail map and key along with information on the fishing regulations and variety of flora and fauna. The first trail that leads you into the park eventually breaks off into two other trails that people can decide between. We chose to take the orange trail which is a long straight path that runs the length of the park ending in a small loop that sets you back on the path to the parking lot. Start to finish this trail was just shy of two miles and a very easy hike for any skill level. There is little to no elevation and the entire trail is fairly level and even. The park is meticulously kept and the walkways are clearly marked making for a very low stress hike, which in turn left us able to focus on searching for birds in the abundance of trees, brambles and grasses.

Sans Souci County park is actually a 316 acre nature preserve. There is however a portion of land fenced off that belongs to the Girl Scouts of America and is set up as a private summer camp. Do not panic however (like I did at first lol) there is plenty more water to explore further along the trail. Once one continuous lake, in the mid 1800’s the waters of Sans Souci were damned off to turn the land into a cranberry farm. Today the park is dotted with a line of beautiful small ponds feeding into one another. Unfortunately due to the extreme cold and time of year we did not see much action on the water besides a gaggle of Canadian Geese and one shy Northern Shoveler hiding along the shoreline.

Despite the cold and it being winter the preserve was far from desolate. Tons of people seem to visit this park. From joggers to people out walking their dogs we were never far from other people. For the most part those whom we ran into were all business however the few people, and dogs, we were lucky enough to meet were incredibly nice and eager to tell us about the area, the park and the birds they have seen close by. A giant piece of advice to those of you reading this, If you walk around outside with a camera hanging around your neck and a smile on your face people are always excited to tell you about birds they have spotted and often even lesser known spots nearby to explore! One Very nice gentleman out for a stroll with his adorable pup explained how he and his wife often see a pair of Bald Eagles flying over the water in search of food!

I am going to be perfectly honest with you (that is the point of this after all) not all outings can be a home run. Sadly this trip was pretty slow. In no way do I blame that on the park though! The grounds are beautiful and the water is breathtaking! I have every confidence that when I return in warmer weather this will be a completely different experience. I can only imagine how gorgeous this preserve must be when everything is lush and in bloom!

When we reached the loop at the end of the trail there was a clearing with high grasses and shrubs, a place I eagerly await exploring when we return again. For the first time on this entire hike, believe it or not, we heard the call of a bird hiding in the brambles. soon, a beautiful Hermit Thrush hopped out and showed himself. I followed him around for a while snapping photo after photo until we had both had our fill, then we started heading back. Despite desperately searching and wanting to find more, there simply wasn’t much else as far as birds until the parking lot was back in view and we could hear the drilling of a woodpecker overhead. One Downy Woodpecker chipped away at a bare tree branch and bid us farewell for the day.

So, was this the best birding outing I have ever had? Absolutely not. Would I do it again? Without a doubt! This Preserve is beautiful and must be spectacular when in full bloom. This park has some areas that are without question prime birding spots, the weather was against us and it just wasn’t our day. This will definitely be a place to revisit though and I will be sure to tell you all about it when I do!! Until then, Happy Birding!

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