Playing Catch Up

~What a cutie! A Snow Bunting chows down on some spilled corn in the black dirt, 12/30/16.~

I’ve gotten out a good amount in the past week, but really haven’t had anything all that amazing. I’ve spent much of my birding time chasing a couple of mixed flocks of Horned Larks, Snow Buntings, and Lapland Longspurs hoping for photographs. A farm truck spilled some corn on the road and it was a mixed blessing. It was great because for a few days the birds were actively feeding on the the spilled corn. It was not so great because, in my opinion, the corn does not really make for good pics.

~Lapland Longspur in the black dirt, 12/30/16.  My best count was 6 of these beauties, but Ken McDermott had a remarkable 13!~
~Ah ha! Got a Snow Bunting with no corn involved. Black Dirt 12/30/16.~

My only other noteworthy observations involved some good local waterfowl. On Wednesday evening after work, I went to the Newburgh Waterfront looking for gulls. Instead, I found Ken McDermott, who told me he had 2 Horned Grebes at Kowawese Unique Area at Plum Point. I ran for the birds and relocated them, pretty far out into the Hudson River, but I had good scope views. Then, on Friday after work, I went to Wickham Lake to try for a couple of Common Goldeneyes that Rob Stone had seen there earlier in the day. The birds were still present and I was able to take some documentary photos. I also stopped by Warwick Town Hall where I had a really good mix of waterfowl: Canada Goose (2), Gadwall (18), American Wigeon (1), Mallard (25), Northern Pintail (1), Ring-necked Duck (2), and Greater Scaup (1). By the time I got there it was too dark for photographs, but good birds for sure!

~Two Common Goldeneyes at Wickham Lake on 01/06/17.~

Otherwise, I’ve just been doing lot of running around, seeing mostly the usuals, and taking loads of photos. Here are several I felt were worth sharing:

~A young Bald Eagle flies over the Delaware River at Laurel Grove Cemetery, 12/30/16.~
~On Saturday 01/07/17, I took a trip to the Lackawaxen, PA Eagle Watch to visit with Ed Morse. It was quite lively at the watch and I had nearly 10 Bald Eagle in the first 15 minutes I was there.
~American Tree Sparrow in the black dirt, 01/08/17.~
~On Sunday, it was this kind of day. Thirteen degrees Fahrenheit for most of the time I was birding, even the Canada Geese were laying low. Wickham Lake, 01/08/17.~
~A Ring-billed Gull on a nice perch at the Newburgh Waterfront, 01/08/17.~
~A Dark-eyed Junco on some farm equipment in the black dirt, 01/08/17.~