~An adult Red-headed Woodpecker at Fancher Davidge Park, 3/24/16.~
I received a text from Karen Miller while I was at work today; she and Bruce Nott had relocated two RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS (one adult and one juvenile) at Fancher Davidge Park in Middletown, New York. The birds were originally located by Gef Chumard, who birds the park on a regular basis. I talked to Karen on my way home and she provided details, which helped me find the park and the spot pretty easily. I parked and headed down the Nature Observation Trail, which leads to a rather large and beautiful swamp. I was there for about twenty minutes, I hadn’t had any luck, when Gef showed up. He showed me a tree where he had seen one of the birds on a couple of occasions, and while we were talking I located the juvenile Red-headed Woodpecker on a distant dead tree. Gef had someplace to be, so he left me to it. I eventually located the adult as well, and managed to get some ID photos of both birds. It was great fun to bird in a new spot, and the place was loaded with birds (I had 29 species for the afternoon).
Huge thanks to Karen for the heads up, and congratulations to Gef on a great find!
~A juvenile Red-headed Woodpecker at Fancher Davidge Park, 3/24/16. According to the Crossley ID Guide, the juvenile “molts through the winter so that by spring it is similar to adult, but often slightly duller…” ~
~Another highlight of the afternoon – a Brown Creeper which avoided having its photo taken as much as it could. Fancher Davidge Park, 2/24/16~
QUICK POST: Late Saturday afternoon and into the evening, I enjoyed photographing these gorgeous falcons alongside Kyle Dudgeon, Linda Scrima, and Maria Loukeris. Clear skies provided nice light, which allowed for much better photo opportunities than last weekend. It is challenging and super exciting to photograph these birds; it’s really incredible to see how fast they fly and of course very interesting to watch their behavior. The birds continue to mate, and they share their meals (we’ve seen both the male and female come back after successfully hunting, eat half of the prey and then pass the remainder off to their partner).
~One of at least 5 Fox Sparrows at the Nature Trail at the Bashakill, 3/19/16.~
Kyle Dudgeon and I got an early start and spent the morning and early afternoon birding at the Bashakill Wildlife Management Area. I was sort of stumped on where to bird for the day, and when Kyle suggested the Bash, I jumped at the opportunity – it had been ages since I’d been there. We had a really fun and productive outing as we checked out several of the Bashakill’s hotspots. Our best stop of the morning was definitely the Nature Trail, where from the viewing platform saw the two adult Bald Eagles share a brief flight and then watched a single Red-shouldered Hawk flyover. It got really good on our walk back to the car when we had a nice flurry of activity that included several Purple Finches and at least five Fox Sparrows! Photos were backlit and tough, but it was really exciting to see both species.
~Wow! My first Purple Finch in ages! Nature Trail at the Bashakill, 3/19/16.~
Another good stop was at the Deli Fields. The birding was a little slow (although we did see an additional 3 Fox Sparrows), but we ran into Scotty Baldinger, who I hadn’t seen in a while. I introduce him to Kyle and it was really good to shoot the breeze and catch up with Scotty.
It was a great day, it was awesome to get back out to the Bash, and we ended the day with a total of 37 species. I’ve included our species list below.
~White-breasted Nuthatch at the Deli Fields, 3/19/16.~~Two adult Bald Eagles take a quick spin above the nest at the Bashakill Wildlife Management Area, 3/19/16.~ ~One of the very many Song Sparrow we had at the Bashakill WMA today, 3/19/16.~ ~It was so awesome to see this adult Red-shouldered Hawk. This photo doesn’t do it justice, we got a really good look at this bird. Bashakill, 3/1916.~
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
American Wigeon
American Black Duck
Mallard
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Ring-necked Duck
Pied-billed Grebe
Turkey Vulture
Northern Harrier
Bald Eagle
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Wilson’s Snipe
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Belted Kingfisher
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Eastern Phoebe
Blue Jay
American Crow
Tree Swallow
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Carolina Wren
Eastern Bluebird
American Robin
Fox Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Song Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Purple Finch
American Goldfinch
~A single Bonaparte’s Gull with 4 Ring-billed Gulls in the foreground at Wickham Lake, 3/15/16.~
QUICK POST: Huge thanks to Bruce Nott who texted me to let me know he had located a BONAPARTE’S GULL at Wickham Lake earlier today while I was at work. I ran for the bird after I got out and luckily it was still around, floating in the distance among a large group of Ring-billed Gulls.
~While I was trying to photograph the BOGU, I heard a call that I hadn’t heard before. I looked around and saw that it was from a female Bufflehead. I had photographed her with a male a little bit earlier, but when she called the male was nowhere to be seen. Moments later the male flew in and settled right next to the female. Wickham Lake, 3/15/16.~
~A male Peregrine Falcon shoots by at a rapid pace, Orange County NY, 3/13/16.~
I met up with Kyle Dudgeon this morning to try to photograph Peregrine Falcons. The lighting was tough, so with the exception of a few photos such as the one at the top of this post, we ended up having more success shooting video with the iPhone through my spotting scope. We ended up with what I think is some remarkable footage; I’ve included three short clips in this post. The first one shows the birds mating, which was incredible to see live and Kyle and I were flipping out:
The male left the area for a short while, successfully hunted, and then came back with prey. In this video he eats a portion of the prey and then takes off to share the remainder with the female:
and finally, here is a very short clip of the female finishing up preening and taking flight, flying out of view and then cutting right in front of the scope again.
~This is the best I could do! Barrow’s Goldeneye at Glasco Mini Park in Ulster County, NY 3/12/16.~
After some uneventful early morning local birding, I drove up to Glasco, New York in Ulster Count to meet up with Linda Scrima and Maria Loukeris. We were going for the BARROW’S GOLDENEYE which had been reported at Glasco Mini Park in recent days. We located the bird fairly quickly far out in the Hudson River; it was keeping company with several Common Goldeneyes and a single scaup, which I’m pretty sure was a Greater Scaup. The birds were really quite distant, and additionally it was tough to get good looks because the water was quite choppy and the birds were diving regularly. But, we were patient and eventually we all got good looks in the scope and even managed to take some documentary photos, which was no small feat. One of us would look in the scope and call out when and where the Barrow’s surfaced while the others clicked away, hoping for the best. In spite of the distance and maybe because of the challenge of trying to get good looks, I really enjoyed going for this bird. The Barrow’s Goldeneye was life bird number 345 for me and my 259th New York State bird.
Linda and Maria continued north to do some Adirondack birding and I headed over to the Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge to meet up with Kyle Dudgeon to try our luck with Northern Harriers and Short-eared Owls. Unfortunately, it was a slow afternoon and the then the owls got up on the late side so we did not do very well with photos at all. Still, it was nice just to be out, especially for Kyle who has been away at school since January.
~Northern Harrier with a FULL crop, Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 3/12/16.~~A super grainy shot of a Short-eared Owl in flight. Quite a difference from last weekend! Shawangunk Grasslands, 3/12/16.~~The only thing good about backlit Buffleheads is glowing pink feet! Glenmere Lake, 3/12/16.~~I really enjoyed watching these Buffleheads – six males were vying for the attentions of a single female. They put on a show! Glenmere Lake, 3/12/16.~
~Two of seven Greater White-fronted Geese at Pierce Circle in the Black Dirt Region, 3/6/16.~
One of my first stops this morning was certainly the best of the day. I stopped to check out a group of approximately 500 Canada Geese located on Pierce Circle. I was not optimistic that I would find anything good among the Canadas, first of all because there were not very many birds, and second because the birds were close enough to sort through with binoculars (no scope needed!). I perked up when I located one, then two, then four GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE! Then another – make it five! I put the word out, continued looking and found a sixth GWFG. Maria Loukeris must have been in the area because she joined me pretty quickly. Shortly after her arrival, I located the SEVENTH GWFG! Scanning left to right, a group of four, then a pair, and then a single Greater White-fronted Goose sitting in the field on its own. Also present was a single Cackling Goose, close enough for some decent, if backlit photos.It was very exciting, and I particularly enjoyed when the group of four flew into the next field calling the whole time. After a few minutes, they rejoined the flock. It was hard to tear myself away from such great birds, but eventually I did.
I spent the rest of my morning and early afternoon in southern Orange County, but I did not have any additional notable sightings. I will mention that there is a huge group of Common Mergansers at Wickham Lake – I estimate 900 birds. The forecast for the afternoon and evening was clear skies, so I decided to try my luck at the Shawangunk Grasslands NWR…
~This photo shows six of the seven Greater White-fronted Geese, can you find them? Pierce Circle, 3/6/16.~~Cackling Goose at Pierce Circle, 3/6/16.~
…and I got lucky! The Short-eared Owls got up early (around 5:00), the light was fantastic, and the birds flew close enough for some decent photos. I’ve said it many times before, but you cannot beat photographing SEOWs from the photo blinds out at the Grasslands. I got there early and waited a good while with very few birds. There were several Northern Harriers foraging the throughout the reserve and once in a while they would get close enough for photos, but there were large chunks of time with no birds at all. It was all totally worth it, of course, when the owls got up and put on their show. I counted a total of 5 Short-eared Owls, 7 Northern Harriers, and 2 Red-tailed Hawks. And I also saw my first Eastern Meadowlarks of the year. What a great day of birding!
~Short-eared Owl in flight at the Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 3/6/16.~~A nice look at a Northern Harrier, Shawangunk Grasslands NWR 3/6/16.~~A SEOW shoots through the grasses at the reserve. Shawangunk Grasslands, 3/6/16.~~I love getting a good look at the top side of these birds. Short-eared Owl at Shawangunk Grasslands, 3/6/16.~~SEOW in flight, Shawangunk Grasslands, NWR 3/6/16.~~NOHA giving a look in my direction, Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 3/6/16.~
Third time’s a charm. This afternoon I went for the BULLOCK’S ORIOLE that has been visiting a homeowner’s feeder in Ulster County, and after two unsuccessful previous attempts, I finally got to see the bird. I was joined by a Connecticut birder and we were able to locate the bird in a nearby tree relatively quickly. It fed on the far side of the suet feeder for a short time and then flew into a large evergreen where I lost track of the bird. Moments later, a Sharp-shinned Hawk shot through the yard and scattered all the birds. The Connecticut birder moved on; I stayed and the oriole returned one more time to the yard, perched for a few moments in a tree, fed very briefly and flew off. I was happy that I stayed because I was able to get a couple decent shots when the bird perched in the tree. The bird was not as large as I was for some reason thinking it would be, and the yard is mostly in shade so the bird also did not stand out as much I would have thought. It was and my 345th life bird and my 258th bird in New York State.
The homeowner welcomes birders to come try for the bird – email me for the address if you want to go for it (it has been published before, but I feel strange putting the address here). Please ring the doorbell and ask for permission and he will tell you where to best view the feeders.
~I love this shot, it’s a little bit of a different look at a Ruddy Duck, Shark River in Monmouth County, NJ 4/27/16.~
I spent a full Saturday of birding on the Jersey Shore with Maria Loukeris and Linda Scrima. The day started a little extra-early – I met up with Linda at the Liberty Loop platform to try and relocated the GYRFALCON that she had found the night before. We spent just under a half hour scanning the area, but no luck. As far as I know there were no reported sightings of the Gyrfalcon all day.
Our first stop was Manasquan Inlet in Ocean County, with the recently sited RAZORBILL as our target bird (though we would all be happy just to see some different water birds and to be by the ocean). We walked the south side of the inlet and had incredible looks at Common Loons and Long-tailed Ducks, both of which were present in large numbers. At the end of the jetty we met a local birder, Alex, who told us the Razorbill had been seen earlier that morning in the channel, as had a RED-NECKED GREBE. The grebe did a fly-by shortly after he told us that, and I was lucky enough to have gotten a documentary shot of the bird. We didn’t locate the Razorbill, but we had great photo ops with many of the close in birds, and we got some distant looks at both Surf and White-winged Scoters. Another target bird for us was Purple Sandpiper; when a group of shorebirds flew in to the far side of the north jetty and Alex said they looked like Purple Sandpipers, we knew we had to drive around and check it out. It was a great decision because not only did we relocate and get photos of the Purple Sandpipers (life bird for Linda!), we ran into more birders who told us they had just seen the Razorbill in the channel. We took only about twenty paces in that direction when Maria located the bird, which was on the far side of the channel. It was a life bird for both Linda and Maria; we got very good looks at the bird but unfortunately it was heavily backlit so photos were not great.
~One of my favorites, close-up of a Common Loon. I’ve never seen so many loons in my life, it was hard to keep count but I’d say we had well over 25 COLOs just at Manasquan Inlet, 2/27/16.~~COLO at Manasquan Inlet, Ocean County NJ 2/27/16.~~The Common Loons were going to town with these crabs. Manasquan Inlet, 2/27/16.~~Target bird located! RAZORBILL at Manasquan Inlet, 2/27/16.~~Red-necked Grebe fly-by, Manasquan Inlet 2/27/16.~
From there, we headed to Shark River Inlet in Monmouth County, where I had my first warbler of 2016 – a group of 10 or so Yellow-rumped Warblers. We walked out on the jetty and experienced what was the highlight of the day for me. A Red-throated Loon was fishing north of the jetty and resurfacing very close to us. What a beautiful and elegant bird, even in winter plumage. There was a Common Loon nearby as well, and I was struck at the size difference between the birds. We had our first Black Scoters of the day, just a fly-by off in the distance and also a flock of shorebirds flew by, which I am thinking were likely Sanderlings having looked at the photos.
Our final stop was at the Shark River estuary, and it was unexpectedly good. The spot was loaded with waterfowl and the viewing is really great with the sun at your back in the afternoon. We had close up looks at Ruddy Ducks, Buffleheads, a Red-breasted Merganser, and a single Great Blue Heron on the shore right at sunset. It was a fabulous day of birding and just what I needed; I’ve been stressed out at work lately and it had been carrying over to life after work and even interfering with the joy I normally get from birding. A day at the beach with so many great birds and great company was the perfect medicine.
For the day, at three locations, we had a total of 37 species. I’ve included a list at the bottom of this post.
~Another favorite (I know I say that a lot!), Long-tailed Duck in flight at Manasquan Inlet, 2/27/16.~~Like a little puppy dog – Long-tailed Duck at Manasquan Inlet, 2/27/16.~~LTDU cuteness. Manasquan Inlet, 2/27/16.~~Brant in flight down the channel at Manasquan Inlet, 2/27/16.~~This might be my first half way decent shot of a Surf Scoter. Manasquan Inlet, 2/27/16.~~Purple Sandpiper on the north side of the north jetty at Manasquan Inlet, 2/27/16.~~It was the highlight of the day for me to get such great looks at this Red-throated Loon, Shark River Inlet 2/27/16.~~RTLO at Shark River Inlet, 2/27/16.~~Beautiful bird. Red-throated Loon at Shark River Inlet, 2/27/16.~~I was hoping we would get all three scoters for the day, and we did when we had these Black Scoters in flight over the water, Shark River Inlet, 2/27/16.~Sanderlings? in flight at Shark River Inlet, 2/27/16. Any thoughts on this ID would be appreciated. Click on the photo once and then a second time to see the photo enlarged.~
~My first warbler of the year, Yellow-rumped Warbler at Shark River Inlet, 2/27/16.~~This bird kept coming closer to us! Red-breasted Merganser at Shark River Estuary, 2/27/16.~~We had a group of twenty or so Ruddy Ducks right in front of us. They must be being fed by people because they just kept coming in close. Shark River Estuary, 2/27/16.~~RUDU at Shark River Estuary, 2/27/16.~~Our final bird of the day, a Great Blue Heron at sunset. Shark River Estuary, 2/27/16.~
Species List For the Day:
Brant
Canada Goose
Mute Swan
Gadwall
American Wigeon
American Black Duck
Mallard
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Black Scoter
Long-tailed Duck
Bufflehead
Hooded Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Red-throated Loon
Common Loon
Horned Grebe
Red-necked Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Turkey Vulture
Purple Sandpiper
Sanderling
Razorbill
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Fish Crow
European Starling
American Robin
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Song Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
House Sparrow
~I enjoyed seeing this Red-tailed Hawk; I pulled over to listen for songbirds and then saw it sitting low in the woods. Port Jervis, NY 2/21/16.~
After a disappointing Saturday of birding, I did much better on Sunday. I started the day in Port Jervis, hitting several spots. I added four birds to my Orange County year list, including two birds that I feel are pretty good birds for the county: GREATER SCAUP and COMMON GOLDENEYE. The other two birds were a Peregrine Falcon and a small flock of Cedar Waxwings. The highlight of the morning, however, was first hearing and then seeing a skein of approximately 75 SNOW GEESE fly overhead as I walked down a trail. This got me thinking about the possibility of finding some Snow Geese in the black dirt, which would be my next stop.
~One of my first birds of the day – Greater Scaup at Laurel Grove Cemetery in Port Jervis, NY 2/21/16.~~An adult Bald Eagle flies over the Delaware River, Port Jervis NY, 2/21/16.~~Nice bird to see, a single Common Goldeneye, Laurel Grove Cemetery 2/21/16.~~SNOW GEESE! Nice flyover of a skein of SNGOs in Port Jervis, NY 2/21/16.~~Peregrine Falcon perched high over the Delaware River, Port Jervis NY, 2/21/16.~
I made my way out to the Black Dirt Region, where I met up with Bruce Nott and Linda Scrima. We sifted through a nice sized group of Canada Geese and found some gems: 6 Snow Geese, 1 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE, and I was finally able catch up with a CACKLING GOOSE (there have been many reports in the region). Afterwards, Bruce and I continued to the Pine Island Turf Nursery, in search of pipits. We didn’t have any luck with the pipits, but we had a good sized flock of Horned Larks and a good collection of songbirds that provided some photo ops. It was a really good day of birding for me, something that I certainly needed.
~Cackling Goose in the black dirt 2/21/16. I like this for a Cackling because of the smaller size, small bill, shorter neck, and blocky head. ~Terrible photo here, but I included it because I think it shows the size of this bird better than the photo above. Cackling Goose, 2/21/16.~~A Red-bellied Woodpecker shows off its namesake (and it’s tongue!). Pine Island Turf Nursery, 2/21/16.~~That’s a blue Eastern Bluebird! Pine Island Turf Nursery, 2/21/16.~
