Dazzled by nature: Readers share their photos of Long Island

The cold season draws Long Islanders outdoors to capture comings and goings — of the sun, moon, wildlife, even an intrepid fisherman.

The moments can be fleeting, said Wayne Kiesel of Huntington, who has increased his outdoor photography during the pandemic. “These moments don’t last forever, then the light changes,” he said of his photo of the misty marshes of Crab Meadow in Northport.

His message: Seize the moment.

Nancy Hassel of Babylon agreed, saying she hopes her photo of the sunset over the Great South Bay “inspires people to get out and watch a sunset this year!”

And when you do, snap a photo and share it with us at newsday.com/readerphotos.

SANDSPIT AT SUNSET. The days are so short in autumn that the photographer says she sometimes has trouble getting to her favorite South Shore spots (Sayville, Bayport, East Islip) before the sun puts on its show. But something told her to try on Nov. 26, “and I was not disappointed,” she says. “Nature is amazing, and we are so lucky here on Long Island to be able to see and appreciate sunrises and sunsets.”

FLOCK OF BIRDERS. This little Southern bird — identified by admirers as a juvenile painted bunting — made an unusual stop last month at the Marine Nature Study Area in Oceanside. Images of it were posted on birding apps, bringing many bird-watchers to the preserve. “She put on a show for them,” says Linda Karlin, who called the bunting a “lifer” for her — a bird she would probably see only once in her life.

SEA OF PINK. The photographer was at the harbor-side park in Northport when a sailboat quietly motoring by the village pier caught her focus.

THE CHILL WAS BITING. And maybe the fish were, too, writes the photographer, who has tried his hand at surf casting and could imagine the exhilaration of the Fire Island fisherman in late November.

SAVING THE BEST FOR LAST. The sunset over the frozen Great South Bay was stunning, the photographer writes, but “it just got better and better after the sun actually set.” She says she hopes the photo, taken from the Babylon Pool property, “inspires people to get out and watch a sunset this year.”

FIRE ISLAND VISITOR. This buck was part of a trio enjoying their breakfast on a mild December morning, says the photographer, who was drawn to the calm demeanor of the buck and two does. 

COLD MOON RISING. The photographer titled this photo for the December moon rising behind the Fire Island Lighthouse — an image he had been seeking for some time. “I finally got my chance on Dec. 9, 2022, at 5:48 p.m.,” he told Newsday. He took the photo from Field 5 at Robert Moses State Park, guided there by his PlanIt Pro app for landscape photography.

CLOUDS OF LIGHT. The photographer and her mother, Cathy, arrived at Heckscher State Park just before sunset on Dec. 27. Christina quickly found her spot. “All of a sudden the clouds appeared as the sun touched the horizon,” Cathy says.

MYSTICAL MARSHLAND. “Sometimes you’re just in awe of nature,” says the photographer, who captured this moment at the wetlands near Crab Meadow Beach in Northport shortly after sunrise Oct. 30. “That morning was magical,” he says. “These moments don’t last forever, then the light changes.”

WAVES OF 'FIRE.' “I like to capture the ‘big sun’ during the winter when it sets on the ocean,” says the photographer, who took this picture at Little Plains Beach in Southampton. “I also enjoy watching people walking the beach, capturing silhouettes in this light.”