~What a super consolation prize! Barred Owl on the side of the road near the Neversink Reservoir, 3/24/15.~
After work today, I decided to go for the the Red Crossbills that John Haas had located at the Neversink Reservoir earlier in the day (see John’s post HERE). Karen Miller and Lance Verderame were also out looking for the crossbills, but unfortunately the three of us came up empty-handed. Fortunately for me, I had quite a sweet consolation prize. On my way out to the reservoir, not long after getting off Route 17, I found a Barred Owl perched on the side of the road! So lucky!
Later, after trying for the crossbills I took Karen back to the spot where I had seen the owl – it would be a life bird for her. The bird was no longer present; we scanned the surrounding area for a little while and then I got back in the car to head home. A few minutes later, Karen called – she had the bird! It was perched on a wire just up the road from where I had seen it; I must have driven right under it! Thinking back, I realized that once I started for home, I had immediately begun scanning the radio for the Pittsburgh Penguins game, so I wasn’t looking up! I went back to see the bird for a second time, but unfortunately a Good Samaritan with a bad muffler on his car had stopped to see if Karen needed help and doing so flushed the bird.
Oh, and I also had an additional consolation prize – my first Red-breasted Nuthatch in over a year!
~A Male Northern Harrier, the Gray Ghost, in flight at Missionland Road, 3/21/15.~
I spent a long day on Saturday birding in the Black Dirt Region. I started the day by getting my first Killdeer photo of the year when I came upon 5 Killdeer on the side of the road on Onion Avenue…
~One of five Killdeer in the freshly fallen snow on the side of Onion Avenue in New Hampton, NY 3/21/15.~
…And the day ended with nearly 1500 Snow Geese at Skinner Lane.
~I can’t get enough of these birds. Snow Geese in flight over Skinner Lane, 3/21/15.~~More SNGOs at Skinner Lane, 3/21/15.~
But I did a lot of birding in between, hitting most of the regular spots and some of them twice. Missionland Road was a good stop; I ran into Kyle Dudgeon and another birder named Jason that I had met once before. We had good photo opportunities with a pair of Gray Ghosts, and I found what I believe was Cackling Goose in a flock of maybe 2,000 Canada Geese. The bird was distant and never seemed to have its head up, making it tough for photos. Here is my best effort:
~A likely Cackling Goose (at center with head pointed down and to the left) among many Canada Geese at Missionland Road, 3/21/15.~~I’m not sure what’s going on here with the grasses in this bird’s grasp. Prey within? Male Northern Harrier in flight at Missionland Road, 3/21/15.~~Not a great photo, but I included it because the bird not only has prey but is tagged. Northern Harrier on Missionland Road, 3/21/15.~
I made a stop at Scenic Farms Golf Course, sifted through a couple thousand Canada Geese (and came up empty-handed), and then saw a distant Coyote hunting in the field across the street from the golf course.
~Coyote across the street from Scenic Farm Golf Course in Pine Island, NY 3/21/15.~
Another productive stop was the Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge, where I walked the Liberty Loop Trail with Kyle. It took us ages to make our way around the loop, mostly because the birding was so good. Waterfowl is what I was hoping for, and we did well. Most of these birds were seen in the Sussex County portion of the loop:
Snow Goose
Canada Goose
Mute Swan Tundra Swan (2)
Wood Duck
American Wigeon
American Black Duck
Mallard
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Ring-necked Duck
American Coot
~I was pretty psyched to see a pair of Tundra Swans fly in and land in the refuge. Walkill River NWR, 3/21/15.~
We also did well with raptors, with the highlight (for me) being a very active Peregrine Falcon that spent the entire time we were there terrorizing the waterfowl. I’m not sure, but I think the highlight for Kyle was the three (possibly 4) Bald Eagles that we had. In all, we had seven species of raptors: Turkey Vulture, Black Vulture, Bald Eagle, Northern Harrier, Red Tailed Hawk, American Kestrel, and Peregrine Falcon.
~An adult Bald Eagle flies over the eastern leg of the Liberty Loop, 3/21/15.~~I wish I had gotten a better shot of this bird, what a gorgeous creature. Northern Harrier at Wallkill River NWR, 3/21/15.~~An explosion of ducks – Green-winged Teals and Ring-necked ducks mostly, with a few American Wigeon thrown in for good measure. Wallkill River NWR, 3/21/15.~~Bald Eagle at Wallkill River NWR, 3/21/15.~~There were plenty of Northern Pintails at the refuge, Liberty Loop 3/21/15.~~It’s a lousy photo, but I had to include it because I was so excited to see this Peregrine Falcon doing its thing at the Wallkill River NWR, 3/21/15.~
~A couple of Ring-necked Ducks made my day today. Glenmere Lake, 3/9/15.~
QUICK POST: It’s not much, but it’s a start. I stopped by Glenmere Lake after work today and I was pleased to find two Ring-necked Ducks (first of the year for me) and one Common Merganser in one of the thawed areas in the lake. Afterwards, I made my way over to the Liberty Loop viewing platform. Kyle Dudgeon was there already, Linda Scrima and Maria Loukeris showed up not too long after I arrived. It was nice to be out in the warmer temperatures, and we enjoyed watching a male American Kestrel hunting. The bird went two for two, successfully catching (and then eating) what I assume were voles on his first two attempts. Also of note, we heard my first Orange County Killdeer of the year.
~American Kestrel with prey at the Wallkill River NWR Liberty Loop viewing platform, 3/9/15.~~Common Merganser at Glenmere Lake, 3/9/15.~
~Immature Bald Eagle at Croton Point Park, 3/8/15.~
To be honest, I was feeling pretty uninspired about my birding for this weekend. I think I might just be tired of winter birding and ready for spring migration to get into full swing. It will be nice to get out of the car and back onto the trails, which is certainly my preferred type of birding.
That being said, I did get out quite a bit. On Saturday morning I went up to Ulster County to try for the Gyrfalcon but came up empty. The highlight of the morning was running into and catching up with fellow birder/photog/nice guy Eddie Rodriguez, who I had not seen in ages. In the afternoon, Tricia and I stopped by Piermont Pier on our way to my Aunt Judy’s 75th birthday party in the Bronx. I picked up two year birds – Greater Scaup and White-winged Scoter, but the highlight of the stop was getting photos of a male Ruddy Duck with some blue on his bill. I’m not really sure how it works, but I imagine that this bird is just starting to show his breeding colors.
~This male Ruddy Duck made Tricia’s day – she always wanted to see a Ruddy with a blue bill. Piermont Pier, 3/7/15.~
On Sunday I went over to the Hudson to look for Bald Eagles. I typically don’t go out of my way for Bald Eagles, but I like to go at least one day in the winter when they congregate at the river. On my way there, I was worried if I had waited too long, it has finally warmed up a bit and I wasn’t sure how successful I would be. I had a total of 51 Bald Eagles as seen from the following four locations: the scenic overlook off route 9 near Bear Bridge, the Peekskill Metro North Station, Charles Point Pier Park, and Croton Point Park. At the scenic overlook I picked up two more year birds: Wood Duck and Common Raven, and at Croton Point I saw my first two Killdeer of the year.
~One more shot of the immature Bald Eagle that flew over me at Croton Point Park. I like the nice blue background in this photo, but the bird is a little soft.~~Twenty-three Great Cormorants seen from Charles Point Pier Park, 3/8/15.
On Sunday afternoon I did a brief tour of the black dirt and did not have any unexpected birds. I was happy with a couple of photos, however:
~I didn’t want to post a Horned Lark photo unless I got something a little different. I sort of like this shot, HOLA at Onion Avenue, 3/8/15.~~Eastern Bluebird on a rock on Onion Avenue in New Hampton, 3/8/15.~
I finally caught up with the Ulster County Gyrfalcon again this evening. I got really good looks at the bird as it perched in an evergreen briefly on Bates Lane before heading in the direction of Old Fort Road. This is just a super bird that I feel very fortunate to be able to see at all, nevertheless so close to home. The down side is that photos were a bit tough – by the time I saw the bird, the gorgeous afternoon light was gone. It had clouded over a bit as it was getting late, pushing 4:30. Regardless, my day was made!
On my way home, I went to Lippencott Road to look for waterfowl. During a brief visit, I saw: Common Goldeneye (8), American Black Duck (5), Common Merganser (6), Hooded Merganser (2), Canada Goose (45), and Mallard (10). I also had a Cooper’s Hawk on my way over and an adult Bald Eagle perched on the ice in the river.
As a side note, I was happy to see that the number of birders out for the Gyrfalcon appeared to be down a little bit this evening (which may have been simply because it was so late in the day). If you go for this bird, PLEASE be courteous and aware of the locals. I have gotten some feedback that indicates that Gyrfalcon Circus might be wearing thin for some folks, so I think it would be helpful if everyone put there best foot forward while enjoying this fabulous bird.
~The Ulster County Gyrfalcon on a nice perch on Bruyn Turnpike in Wallkill, NY, 2/10/15.
I received word from Denise Farrel that the Gyrfalcon had been relocated for the fourth straight day while I was at work today. It was a beautiful day out with nice light, so I headed up to Ulster County right after work to see if I could see the bird. I knew when I saw the first traffic jam ever on Bruyn Turnpike that I would indeed be able to see the bird. The bird was perched on a fence post way out in a field, where it stayed for some time but then eventually headed back north. Karen Miller had also come straight from work and finally caught up with the bird (third times a charm). We both went to the Grasslands to see what was going on there, but there was not much activity, just one distant Rough-legged Hawk. After Karen left, I sat with Ralph Tabor and we waited for the Short-eared Owls. It was a gorgeous night with a fabulous sky and although they got up a little late for photos, Ralph and I enjoyed watching 7 Short-eared Owls put on a nice show. What a great way to end the day.
~Perched Gyrfalcon in Ulster County, New York, 2/7/15.~
I had slow start to the day birding-wise. I joined Ken Witkowski and we headed up to the town of Hancock in Delaware County, NY. We were participating in a Golden Eagle Survey and due to the weather most likely (we had snow showers on and off), we had a very slow day with very few raptors and no Golden Eagles. It was still a great morning; Ken is very knowledgeable and super interesting to talk to.
I got back to Goshen just before 2:30 and immediately headed up to Ulster County to try for the Gyrfalcon that had been located by Karen Maloy Brady the day before (huge thanks Karen!). On the way I spoke with John Haas to see how the morning had gone – apparently there were plenty of birders out looking for the falcon, but the search had been unsuccessful. I wondered if it was worth the trip up there, but then I figured the worst thing that could happen would be that I didn’t locate the bird and then headed over to the Shawangunk Grasslands NWR to go for the Short-eared Owls. So, I decided to try for it and boy am I glad I did. There is a saying that it’s better to be lucky than good. Well, boy did I get lucky. As I was nearing Bates Lane (which is where the bird had been seen the day before), I noticed a perched bird in a tall evergreen tree. I stopped and took a quick look through my binoculars and nearly had a heart attack – it was the GYRFALCON! I took some quick photos and then put the word out; I was praying that the bird would stay put for others to see. The falcon had other ideas and after some time flew from its perch, heading north and over a little hill where I lost sight of the bird. Less than a minute later Curt McDermott showed up and I explained the situation. Curt relocated the bird inside of 5 minutes just north of where I was on Old Fort Road, and it was on a fresh kill! Many birders arrived (I would guess between 40 and 50) and got to see this beautiful creature. The falcon finished its meal, and then returned to its perch on the evergreen, then to a telephone pole on Old Fort Road where it stayed for a good while. Just after 5:00 the bird was flushed by a Red-tailed Hawk and headed north.
The Gyrfalcon was life bird #317 for me. What an exciting afternoon of birding, one I will never forget. And what a magnificent bird – really and truly remarkable.
~Gyrfalcon hunched over prey, Shawangunk NY, 2/7/15.~~It took a while for the bird to finish eating. Gyrfalcon in Ulster County NY, 2/7/15.~~Photos were tough as the light was not great. The bird was however, Gyrfalcon in Shawangunk NY 2/7/15.~~And one final shot of the Gyrfalcon with prey, Shawangunk NY 2/7/15.~~A distant flight shot as the Gyrfalcon returned to Old Fort Road, Shawangunk NY 2/7/15.~~Happy Birders~
I made out to the viewing platform at Wallkill River NWR Liberty Marsh this evening and it was COLD night! There were not many birds flying close, but I got lucky with the one bird that came close enough for photos – a male Northern Harrier or “Gray Ghost”. This was the only bird I took photos of tonight, but there were several hunting Northern Harriers, two distant Rough-legged Hawks, and at least one Red-tailed Hawk while I was there. It was not quite dark when I left, honestly I just was getting too cold to stay out, and the Short-eared Owls were not yet up.
~Male NOHA at Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge, 2/5/15.~~Northern Harrier in flight. Wallkill River NWR, 2/5/15.~
~A Northern Harrier shot through the grasses out at Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge, 1/31/15.~
I spent an enjoyable morning birding in the black dirt; I spent just over three hours hitting many of the usual spots. Notable observations included fewer Canada Geese than I have had in recent days, I’m not sure where all the geese were hiding out. Also, on Missionland Road, where there were hundreds of Horned Larks earlier this week, I did not have one lark. I did manage to relocate 4 Lapland Longspurs in small flock of mixed sparrows. And, on Onion Avenue in New Hampton I had my first American Robins of the year:
~One of a group of 8 American Robins on Onion Avenue, 2/1/15.~
It was a good morning with a total of 32 species identified:
~American Goldfinch on Missionland Road, 1/31/15.~
Canada Goose
Mallard
Turkey Vulture
Northern Harrier
Red-tailed Hawk
Rough-legged Hawk
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)
Mourning Dove
Short-eared Owl
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Merlin
Blue Jay
American Crow
Horned Lark
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Eastern Bluebird
American Robin
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
Lapland Longspur
American Tree Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Northern Cardinal
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow
~An American Tree Sparrow leaves its perch, Missionland Road, 1/31/15.~~I had 8! Eastern Bluebirds in my yard as I left in the morning – not a bird I see in our yard very often. Goshen NY, 2/1/15.~
~Gray Ghost at Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge, 2/1/15.~~I had heard about the Merlin that was hanging around Liberty Marsh at Wallkill River NWR, I finally saw it today, 2/1/15. You had to see this bird fly, absolutely incredible, so fast!
~This dark morph Rough-legged Hawk took this low line across the grasslands several times. It was nice to get a RLHA flight shot with a decent background. Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge, 1/25/15.~
While the Eastern Meadowlarks were the highlight for me this past Sunday morning, I also did relatively well with raptors. Especially since I was out for only two and a half hours. One interesting observation I made was that since it was a windy morning with the wind coming from the west, most of my shots ended up being at least partially backlit. It seems to me that, at least when it comes to Northern Harriers, these birds tend to hunt while flying into the wind. With a west wind, that means most of the time when I had a bird flying towards the blind it had the sun at its back.
Here is a list of raptors that I had for the morning, and I should mention that when I got back to my car, Ralph let me know that about a dozen Short-eared Owls got up for about twenty minutes – not too far from the parking area. I never saw them since I have my back to the parking area when I’m in the north blind.
Black Vulture 7
Northern Harrier 5
Red-tailed Hawk 3
Rough-legged Hawk 4
American Kestrel 1
~This Northern Harrier must have heard the camera and shot a look back as it passed the blind. Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 1/25/15.~~NOHA at the Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 1/15/15.~~This bird flew straight at the blind and got quite close. Northern Harrier at the Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 1/25/15.~~This Rough-legged Hawk with a damaged primary feather was near my blind for most of the time I was there. I took this shot from directly below the bird as I walked back to the car. Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge, 1/25/15.~
