Sunday Shots, 03/24/19

~I got my first OC Tree Swallows of the year at Laurel Grove Cemetery on Saturday, 03/23/19.~

The highlight of the weekend was, of course, the Yellow-headed Blackbird on Saturday in the black dirt. But, I did a bunch of running around all weekend and had some pretty good birds. Here’s some highlights by day:

Saturday: I had both a Red-necked Grebe and a Horned Grebe at Glenmere Lake. At Laurel Grove Cemetery, I had my first Orange County Tree Swallows of year; I watched a group of approximately 20 feeding on the river. The best stop of the day, however, was at the Westtown Pond on Route 284, where I had 8 species of waterfowl (including a Common Goldeneye) and in the field across the street – 25+ Killdeer and my FOY Wilson’s Snipe.

~This bird was close to the shore, but I struggled to get a shot because it was blocked by vegetation. Horned Grebe at Glenmere Lake, 03/24/19.~

Sunday: I made a tour of many of the lakes in southern Orange County (Glenmere, Wickham, Greenwood, Sterling, Blue, Walton, and Tomahawk) as well as whatever small ponds I saw along the way. I had a total of 16 species of waterfowl:

  • Canada Goose
  • Mute Swan
  • Wood Duck
  • Gadwall
  • American Wigeon
  • Mallard
  • Green-winged Teal
  • Greater Scaup (Round Lake)
  • Ring-necked Duck
  • Bufflehead
  • Common Goldeneye (Glenmere Lake & Round Lake)
  • Hooded Merganser
  • Common Merganser
  • Horned Grebe (Glenmere and Greenwood Lake)
  • Red-necked Grebe (Glenmere)
  • Double-crested Cormorant
~It won’t be long before these guys are on the sparse side. Dark-eyed Junco at Reservoir 1 in Port Jervis, 03/23/19.~
~Perched Peregrine Falcon, Orange County NY 03/23/19.~
~Before a couple of weeks ago, I’d somehow never seen a grebe in flight. These guys were the 3rd time in that time span – Horned Grebes being flushed by a boat at Greenwood Lake, 03/24/19.~
~This cat nearly gave me a heart attack. I was convinced, I mean totally convinced, when I saw it naked eye that it was a bobcat! It was a really large cat and it wandered out of the woods…wishful thinking I guess. House cat in the black dirt, 03/23/19.~

4 thoughts on “Sunday Shots, 03/24/19”

  1. I passed the Westtown pond on my way to Photograph a wedding and I got a quick glimpse of the waterfowl and it killed me not being able to stop.

    1. Yeah it was loaded on Saturday. I don’t remember that spot being so good, but this late winter/spring it’s been hopping. Matt

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