QUICK POST: Today would have been a good day to get out of work early. As it was, I had a hellacious work day and ended up working pretty late. I did make it out the Newburgh Waterfront in time for one darn good bird late in the evening: a hatch year LAUGHING GULL. The bird was hanging out with a number of Ring-billed Gulls on the docks by Blue Pointe restaurant. Earlier in the evening, I missed some good birds. Rob Stone had two SOOTY TERNS fly south along the river, as well as another unidentified tern. Also, Bruce Nott, after putting in a lot of time at the river, went to Washington Lake and located a Common/Forster’s Tern there. And finally, while not not on the river, Linda Scrima had a Short-billed Dowitcher in the puddles at Turtle Bay. Once again, bad weather = good birds.
~Juvenile Laughing Gull at the Newburgh Waterfront, 08/0420.~ ~One more shot of the Laughing Gull at the Newburgh Waterfront, 08/0420.~
Since returning from Maine, work has been busy, and I’ve also been busy with projects at home. So, while I’ve gotten out a fair bit, I haven’t really had time to look at photos or do any posts.
The big news this week was on Thursday, when Bruce Nott finding an adult LITTLE BLUE HERON at Beaver Pond on Pines Hill Road in Chester. I ran for the bird on my lunch hour and was able to get a brief, distant look. I got better looks (not much) yesterday; I’ve included a severely backlit and distant photo of the bird at the bottom of this post.
~A young Eastern Towhee peers through the vegetation, Goosepond Mountain State Park, 07/24/20.~
Other than that, for me it’s been mostly more of the usuals. Shorebirds are on the move, but it’s usually tough to get good shorebird shots in Orange County. In the last couple of days, I’ve had the following shorebirds:
Citgo Pond: Least Sandpipers, Solitary Sandpiper, Spotted Sandpiper, Killdeer.
Beaver Pond: Least Sandpipers, Solitary Sandpipers, Killdeer, and Semipalmated Plovers.
Camel Farm: Lesser Yellowlegs and Killdeer.
Skinner’s Lane: Killdeer.
~Singing Hermit Thrush at Schoolhouse Pond Preserve in Boothbay Region in Maine, 07/22/20.~
I’ve also include some shots from Maine, where Red-breasted Nuthatches and Hermit Thrushes were pretty easy to come by. I also had a nice pile of harbor seals loafing on the rocks at Porter Preserve and Roberts Wharf.
~Another Hermit Thrush at Schoolhouse Pond Preserve in Boothbay Region in Maine, 07/22/20.~~Always a favorite, Red-breasted Nuthatch at Porter Preserve, 07/22/20.~ ~Fittingly, it has been the year of the yard bird for me. Ruby-throated Hummingbird in my yard on 07/13/20.~~A young Red-winged Blackbird checks me out as I take its photo. This is a shot that I just love for some reason. 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary, 07/26/20.~~Eastern Kingbird at Owens Station Road in Sussex County NJ, 07/25/20.~ ~Swamp Sparrow singing at the Liberty Loop, 07/13/20.~ ~Harbor Seals at Porter Preserve in Maine, 07/22/20.~~Silhouette of a beautiful LITTLE BLUE HERON, 08/01/20.~
Tricia and I spent the past week on vacation in East Boothbay, Maine. On Monday, we went on a Puffin Watch cruise to Eastern Egg Rock Island. The watch is run by Hardy Boat Cruises, and we headed out on the Hardy III from their dock located in New Harbor. The watch is only 1 1/2 hours long, but because Eastern Egg Rock is only five miles out, most of the time is spent viewing the birds.
~Atlantic Puffin in flight, Eastern Egg Rock Island 07/20/20.~
I wasn’t sure if they would be operating due to Covid-19, but fortunately they were. As a precaution, they were only filling the boat to 43% capacity, and masks were mandatory, so that made me comfortable with going. Plus, puffins. The watch we attended was not sold out, so we ran at less than 43%, which allowed for ample social distancing. My one complaint is that they start at noon, which is the worst time of the day for photos. If the demand calls for it, they will do a second watch in the evening, but unfortunately, that wasn’t the case while we were there. And, it was a hot, bright, sunny day. But, I was happy with my photos in spite of the harsh light.
~Atlantic Puffin on top of a wave, Eastern Egg Island 07/20/20.~
The Atlantic Puffins, of course, stole the show. The island now has 188 breeding pairs of puffins on it. As we neared the island, it became apparent how numerous the puffins were; they were on the island, in the water, and flying through the air. It’s always exciting to see puffins, and to have so many around us was awesome. I was clicking away, hoping to get some decent shots and hoping that my settings were okay for the harsh sun.
~Atlantic Puffin taking a bath on a wave. Eastern Egg Rock, 07/20/20.~
Also breeding on the island are Black Guillemots and 3 three species of terns: Common, Arctic, and Roseate. I enjoyed the Black Guillemots; they were regularly zipping past the boat in quick direct flights. I did terribly with tern photos and tern identification – it’s hard when things are happening so quickly and plus I was mostly focused on the puffins. We went on the same watch back in 2014, and at that time they had an Audubon Naturalists on board who were able to easily ID the terns in flight and point them out. This year, due to Covid-19, that wasn’t the case, so I struggled. I tried to take as many photos of terns as I could, but all my shots appear to be Commons except one Arctic. In lieu of the naturalist, the Captain narrated the watch. He was knowledgeable and he was able to maneuver the boat deftly even though we had high winds and it was quite lumpy. At one point he was explaining how Great Black-backed Gulls were the number one puffin predator, and just as he finished saying it, a Great Black-backed Gull snatched up a Common Eider duckling, only to be chased off by a ferocious mother eider.
~Black Guillemot in flight at Eastern Egg Rock, 07/20/20.~
This was by far my best experience with Atlantic Puffins to date. In 2014 we had a more diverse species list, but the dense fog made for tough viewing once we got out to Eastern Egg Rock Island. I believe the puffins on EER are the southernmost breeding Atlantic Puffins and for many of us the best chance to see these wonderful birds. If you are heading up to Maine, definitely put this watch on your list.
~ATPU at EER, 07/20/20.~~A pair of Atlantic Puffins in flight over Eastern Egg Rock Island, 07/20/20.~~This was definitely the closest I’ve ever been to a pufffin. Eastern Egg Rock Island, 07/20/20.~~ATPU at EER, 07/20/20.~ ~I love this shot. Atlantic Puffin head at Eastern Egg Rock Island, 07/20//20.~ ~Harbor Seal with Black Guillemot in the background. This was taken not far from the dock in New Harbor, Maine 07/20/20.~ ~This is another one I really like – I’d like to get this printed for my house. ATPU in flight over EER, 07/20/20.~ ~Atlantic Puffin taking off, Eastern Egg Rock 07/20/20.~
The weekend wasn’t very exciting compared to Friday. I went to the Hudson River early on Saturday morning and met up with Bruce Nott and then Karen Miller joined us a little later. Bruce and I had 3 distant Caspian Terns and the three of us had another unidentifiable distant tern after that. This morning I went to Goosepond Mountain SP to do some atlasing. I did well and confirmed 4 additional species (Baltimore Oriole, Tufted Titmouse, Red-bellied Woodpecker, and one that really made my day – Blue-winged Warbler). I have had rotten luck with photos at that place. I was close to having several opportunities with Blue-winged Warbler and Worm-eating Warbler, but the birds, while close, just never showed well. Anyways, here are some shots from the week.
~Mallard Duckling at the Newburgh Waterfront, 07/11/20.~~I FINALLY caught up with one of the YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS in Middletown. I believe this was my 6th attempt at these birds, 07/09/20.~ ~American Redstart at Goosepond Mountain, 07/12/20.~ ~We have had 3 fawns and 3 does frequenting our yard recently. Two of the three fawns, Goshen NY 07/11/20.~~I am a fan of photos where somehow the camera gets the subject in focus through whatever is in the foreground. Indigo Bunting female at Goosepond Mountain, 07/12/20.~
I have to thank birding bud Maria Loukeris. This morning she forwarded a Birdcast email about Tropical Storm Fay. At that point, the storm wasn’t even on my radar, but I soon learned that Fay was forecasted to pass right through our area this afternoon and into the night. With that in mind, I headed over to the Hudson River after work, hoping the storm would bring in some interesting birds.
~Yes! FRANKLIN’S GULL in flight over the Hudson River, Plum Point, 07/10/20.~
My first stop was at Plum Point, where I used the pavilion to stay dry and still be able to scan the river. After about forty minutes or so, I had an interesting gull fly by. UPDATE 07/11/20: The ID of the interesting gull in question has been corrected; the bird is not a Laughing Gull but rather a FRANKLIN’S GULL! I was up early and out at the Hudson River when John Haas gave me a call. He was looking at the photos on the blog (rather than an iPhone shot of the back of my camera), and he was having his doubts about the bird being a Laughing, and that he was leaning towards it more likely being a Franklin’s. He wasn’t very familiar with the bird in this plumage, but he mentioned the white tips on the primaries, as well as the more extensive white on the nape. A little later, Richard Guthrie reported on the Mearns app that the bird was in fact a Franklin’s Gull. I’m going to go back now and look at my photos vs the books and see what I can learn. The good news for me is that the FRGU is a life bird for me, number 422 worldwide!
~Caspian Tern overhead at the Newburgh Waterfront, 07/10/20.~
My plan was to just bird from Plum Point, and then head home. But, I got some more help, this time from Rob Stone. He said I should definitely head over to the Newburgh Waterfront before heading home. There was a break in the weather, so I decided to do just that. Before I left , though, I also had an Osprey, which I thought was interesting.
At the riverfront, shortly after my arrival I located a tern flying high overhead. I actually wasn’t sure what kind of tern it was, I guess I was kind of freaking out and I was taking photos in an effort to document. The bird stayed at a pretty good height and eventually disappeared from view, heading south along the river. Looking at photos afterwards, it became clear that it was a CASPIAN TERN. I’m surprised I didn’t get the ID right away, but that’s how it goes sometimes. What a night! And, with the storm continuing through tonight, I’ll be back at the river at first light, hoping for more goodies.
~One more shot of the Franklin’s Gull, Plum Point 07/10/20.~ ~Ring-billed Gull giving me the stinkeye. Newburgh Waterfront, 07/10/20.~
I did a lot of hiking this holiday weekend; I walked a total of around 15 miles in the three mornings. I love hiking this time of year, it’s fun to cover a lot of ground as you never know what you will come across. Highlights included Acadian Flycatcher at two locations in Sterling Forest State Park: the Appalachian Trail near Little Dam Lake, and on the Sterling Loop trail. Also on Sterling Valley Loop trail, I saw my second ever Five-lined Skink this morning. It was a little too quick for me to get a photo, but click here to see the one I had at Silver Mine Lake last year.
~I have this as a young female Baltimore Oriole. I took this shot out my back door, into the crabapple tree we have there. I love the late evening light. I don’t know if this is just a good year in my yard, or if I’m just more in tune with the birds in the area because I’m home much more often (since I’m working from home). BAOR in my yard, 07/04/20.
The AT near Little Dam Lake was a nice surprise, it’s a beautiful hike with nice views of the lake, and it’s quite birdy. I had a close encounter with a Red-shouldered Hawk there – I was looking out over the lake and the bird flew past my right shoulder, very close, I don’t think it knows about social distancing. And just beyond the lake, there is a rise in elevation, and I had a singing Hermit Thrush there, which was nice.
~Also in the crabapple tree in my yard, House Wren on 07/02/20. I hear and see these birds constantly, but they never seem to pose for pics. Until now.~
The only thing I don’t like about hiking – it’s not very productive for photos. Most of the trails I was on are through relatively dense woods, so the light is terrible (see Acadian Flycatcher, below). Plus, the birds aren’t numerous, nor are they close to the trail very often. Still, a bad day on the trail beats any day in the office.
~Common Yellowthroat at Sterling Forest SP, 07/04/20.~ ~Always a favorite of mine – Acadian Flycatcher on the Sterling Loop Trail, 07/05/20. I think I missed the boat when I did my cool birds post; this bird should have been included. Any bird that screams “PIZZA” in the dark woods is okay by me. This photo was taken at ISO 5000, so some creative noise reduction was necessary.~ ~I love this shot, it’s dreamy, mysterious, and maybe even a little sinister. Baltimore Oriole in my yard on the Fourth of July, 2020.~ ~I believe this is a Canada Lily, Tricia looked it up and came up with that ID for me. Ironwood Drive power cut, which I took up to join the Sterling Loop Trail, 07/05/20.~
I inadvertently made a really good choice of places to bird this morning.I was tired from the week, and a little uninspired, so I ended up sleeping in a little late for me (7:30), especially for a hot summer day when it’s good to bird early to beat the heat. I dragged my self out of bed and and made a coffee. Then I decided to head over to the Mongaup River Trail just outside of Port Jervis. I hadn’t been there in a while, and I remembered that it was a pretty good spot for summer birding.
~I think this little dude is going places, I’m sensing some attitude in that pose. Four of the five young Common Mergansers at Mongaup River Trail, 07/03/20.~
What I didn’t remember is that it’s also a very cool (temperature-wise) place to bird. The sun doesn’t get up over the ridge to the east of the trail until a little later, plus it’s just nice and cool walking along the river. The trail winds alongside the Mongaup River for just over a mile and a quarter, ending at a small cemetery in the woods.
~These two were inseparable. While the other four young birds were doing their own thing, this one stuck close to mom. Common Merganser at Mongaup River Trail, 07/03/20.
It was a nice cool walk, not exceptionally birdy, but still enough birds to keep me interested. I’d forgotten how loud the river can be, especially at the beginning of the trail, making pretty difficult to hear the birds. I had a modest total of 26 species for the morning. There were a couple of birds I was surprised to have missed: Louisiana Waterthrush and Northern Parula. I don’t think I’ve ever been there in the summer and not gotten both species.
~Nap time. Common Mergansers at Mongaup River Trail, 07/03/20.~
The highlight of the day was having a Common Merganser family swim up to where I was birding on the shore. I was hoping to see Common Mergansers, but every other time I’ve been there, the birds were very aware and kept their distance. Maybe it was because I was standing still for a good while, so they weren’t aware of my presence. They swam up river, feeding as they went. Then they stopped and climbed on some rocks and began preening and then eventually took a little snooze. I sat on the shore, trying to stay motionless other than taking photos, while they did their thing less than 45 feet away, seemingly oblivious to me.
~Young Common Merganser swimming and feeding on the Mongaup River, 07/03/20.~
On the way back, I found a secondary trail that I’d never noticed before. It doubled back the way I had come, at first climbing up and then flattening out and continuing parallel to the lower trail and the river. I added a few species to my list, and it was just nice to explore a new trail.
I haven’t posted in a couple of weeks – it’s not that I haven’t gotten out, it’s just that time of year where the birds are basically all expected breeding species, doing their thing, so there’s not as much excitement (at least not locally). Still, I’ve enjoyed getting out, taken some hikes, and continued atlasing in my priority block. I struggled last week to get many post-worthy photos, but I did a little bit better this week.
~Red-winged Blackbird coming in for a landing. Knapp’s View, 06/25/20.~~Common Gallinule peeking out of the vegetation, Wallkill River NWR, 06/26/20.~ ~This is a bird that I haven’t gotten a good look at nor a photo of in ages. Marsh Wren at Wallkill River NWR, 06/26/20.~~I was messing around with my 1.4x extender on this night – it’s a lot harder to get on a flying Least Bittern, I can tell you that! This one’s a little soft, but I still like it. LEBI at Wallkill River NWR, 06/26/20.~~Puffed up and calling Common Gallinule at Wallkill River NWR, 06/16/20.~~Song Sparrow with a bill-full at Wallkill River NWR, 06/26/20. This one was also taken with the 1.4x extender.~~Female Bobolink at Knapp’s View, 06/25/20.~ ~It’s not very often that you’ll see a snapping turtle with a pile of rocks balanced on its head. Goosepond Mountain S.P., 06/21/20.~
I birded Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge this morning. It was a cool, sunny morning and it felt good to be out there, since I haven’t been there in a while. I did fairly well for birds with 30 species, all expected, including some pretty darn good looks at one of my main target birds – GRASSHOPPER SPARROW. Photos were another story because I didn’t locate either of the two that I had until later in the morning, when the sun was a bit too high and the heat shimmer had already kicked in. It’s so worth it if you get up and out early. This morning I arrived at just before 8 o’clock, and the window for good photos is just so narrow arriving at that time, even on a nice cool day like today. Another target, BOBOLINKS, were plentiful, and as usual offered some good photo ops.
~Bobolink at Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 06/14/20.~~Another male Bobolink at the Grasslands, 06/14/20. You don’t have to try for these birds, they land right near you.~ ~Grasshopper Sparrow singing its heart out at the Grasslands, 06/14/20.~ ~Calling Bobo at the Grasslands, 06/14/20.~
I enjoyed getting out early on both mornings this weekend. On Saturday I spent some time in my NYS Breeding Bird Atlas priority block (Warwick_CE), and I was able to confirm two additional species (Mute Swan and Red-winged Blackbird), bringing my block total to 9 confirmed species. That number pales in comparison to other blocks I’ve looked at in Orange County, but little by slow I’m confirming birds.
~Field Sparrow with a bill-full. Hamptonburgh Preserve, 06/07/20.~
This morning I had my plans foiled. I wanted to hike out to Jupiter’s Boulder in Black Rock Forest, hoping for Ruffed Grouse (like last year at this time). I woke up early and drove to the trail head only to find that the trail has been closed due to the pandemic. It’s a popular trail, and I can imagine it was getting many visitors since everything has shut down. So, I headed to the Orange County Airport, where I was able to get my first GRASSHOPPER SPARROW of the year. From there I went to Hamptonburgh Preserve. I’ve never walked the whole trail there – it’s a really nice walk through tree-lined fields. It continues all the way to the Wallkill River, where I enjoyed watching a pair of Northern Rough-winged Swallows feeding over the river. It was a pleasant, if not exciting, weekend of birding.
~Female Red-winged Blackbird at Citgo Pond on Friday night, 06/05/20. The trail is already very overgrown, but fortunately I did not see any ticks.~ ~Gray Catbird at Goosepond Mountain, 06/06/20.~
