Wantagh Park
When I lived in Wantagh I spent a lot of time in Wantagh Park. It’s a county park, right on the water, across the bay from Jones Beach. It has a pool, a playground, ball fields, miniature golf, picnic areas …and it’s a nice place for a walk.
Well, the weather yesterday was delightful, more like May than March. A perfect day for a walk in the park.
There’s a memorial to the Vietnam vets.
Not a lot of boats in the marina just yet.
A lighthouse at the picnic area.
And a great view of the water … with the Jones Beach Theater and the Jones Beach water tower.
Very windy there, the trees even bend away from the wind.
I love the gazebo.
Beach grass
Broken clam shells … the gulls drop the clams and mussels onto hard ground to crack the shell, so that they can eat the contents.
A word about Canada geese. Long Island is home to non-migratory geese. They’re here all year round. But the island is also a major stopover for migrating geese. There was a huge flock in the park yesterday, probably migrating geese.
A woman walking her dog got too close, and the whole flock took wing.
While the park is owned by the county, the county officials solicited donations to install benches. When a family donated money in memory of a deceased loved one, they’ll sometimes decorate “their” bench.
There’s a stream that feeds into the bay.
No swans this time, though I did see some fish crows.
And the monk parakeets, of course.
Parakeets? But aren’t they tropical birds?
Well, yes and no. They were not indigenous to Long Island, but began showing up in the area in the 1960’s. Urban legend says a crate of parakeets bound for local pet stores broke open at JFK Airport, the birds escaped and adapted. There are large numbers of them living on Long Island’s south shore.
More gulls … in the parking lot and on the ball field.
You know how I feel about dragons …
That looks like a nice walk, although not so much with the wind. Have you gone in the store? Be there dragons in there?
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