mattzeit

Saturday 1/10/15 – From Refuge to Refuge

A Northern Harrier takes a turn in the early morning sunlight. Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge, 1/10/15.

I started my day off this morning heading out to the Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge. I was meeting Wayne Hall out there, he wanted to talk to me about a column he is putting together about myself, birding, and bird photography. It was a very cold morning, but Wayne and I walked the trails a bit and talked. We took refuge from the wind in the south blind for a little while, continued our conversation and had a couple of nearby Northern Harriers. Back in the parking lot, I spotted, in the distance, our first Rough-legged Hawk of the day. Shortly after I first noticed the RLHA, it swooped down and flushed 10 Short-eared Owls. The owls did not stay up for long, but it was good to see them. Wayne and I sat in my car for a while and, as we talked, I had an adult Bald Eagle fly over in the distance. It was a pleasure to meet Wayne, and I will be curious to see how his column comes out. It was also nice that we did so well for birds while we were there. I should also mention that on my way out to the grasslands I made a quick stop by Lippincott where I was happy to find what I was looking for: Eleven Common Goldeneyes.

This Rough-legged Hawk stirred up 10 Short-eared Owls before coming in close enough for photos. RLHA at the Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 1/10/15.

I shot this Northern Harrier from the south blind at the Shawwangunk Grasslands NWR, 1/10/15.

In the afternoon, I did a quick driving tour of parts of the Black Dirt Region. My main goal was to hopefully located a large group of geese to sort through, which I did on Onion Avenue in New Hampton, NY. Unfortunately, just as I started to look through them, in a large and loud wave, every last Canada Goose picked up. I estimate that there were approximately 2000 birds present. Most of the geese seemed to relocate to the Wallkill River, right along Celery Avenue; I did not follow them over there, I will try my luck with them again tomorrow.

I really like these types of photos – Canada Geese taking flight at Onion Ave, 1/10/15.

I ended up with 23 species in the black dirt, all expected species, and I took photos along the way. I was particularly happy to run into this young Cooper’s Hawk:

-Cooper’s Hawk on Breeze Hill Road, 1/10/15.

My final stop of the night was the Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge. I met up with Linda Scrima and Maria Loukeris by the Liberty Loop platform where we enjoyed the White-crowned Sparrows that have been hanging out there. Maria headed home, Linda and I walked out on Liberty Lane. We had a super surprise when we came upon a large flock of American Tree Sparrows; I estimate that there were close to 60 birds present. They would perch on the trees and bushes along Liberty Lane, then fly off into the refuge and disappear into the grasses. Then they would all return and perch briefly before heading back out to the refuge. They did this at least a half a dozen times before we headed back to the parking lot.

A sunset shot of an American Tree Sparrow at Wallkill River NWR, 1/10/15.

It was 4:40 and the light was getting low when the Short-eared Owls got up. There was just enough light to get some grainy photos; it was a great way to end a super day of birding from one National Wildlife Refuge to another.

Sunday Shots, 1/4/15

QUICK POST: It was a long weekend for me with a lot of birding; here are a few shots that didn’t make it into previous posts:

This is the first bird that I photographed this year. What a great way to start the year. Eastern Screech-Owl in Sullivan County on New Year's Day. — This is the first bird that I photographed this year, what a great way to start the year. Eastern Screech-Owl in Sullivan County on New Year’s Day.

-I’ve been trying to get a photo of an American Tree Sparrow that I like; I like this one. ATSP on Lynch Avenue in New Hampton, NY 1/4/14.

Northern Harrier at Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, New Year's Day. Conditions were perfect for photos that evening, but unfortunately I did not get many opportunities with the harriers, and the Short-eared Owls got up after dark. — Northern Harrier at Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, New Year’s Day. Conditions were perfect for photos that evening, but unfortunately I did not get many opportunities with the harriers, and the Short-eared Owls got up after dark.

Rye, New York, 1/3/15

- Male Hooded Merganser at Edith G Read Natural Park and Wildlife Sanctuary in Rye NY, 1/3/15. — – Male Hooded Merganser at Edith G Read Natural Park and Wildlife Sanctuary in Rye NY, 1/3/15.

Karen Miller and I got an early start this morning and headed to the Edith G Read Natural Park and Wildlife Sanctuary in Rye, New York. It was a cold morning, but also a productive one, as we had 36 species for the day:

One of many Buffleheads seen today at Edith G. Read Natural Park and Wildlife Sanctuary, Rye NY 1/3/15.

Canada Goose
Gadwall
American Black Duck
Mallard
Lesser Scaup
Bufflehead
Hooded Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Pied-billed Grebe
Great Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Turkey Vulture
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Mourning Dove
Downy WP
Red-bellied WP
Northern Flicker
Blue Jay
Fish Crow
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Carolina Wren
American Robin
European Starling
American Tree Sparrows
Song Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
House Finch
American Goldfinch

Karen and I had an enjoyable morning, Rye is a super location that I would certainly recommend, especially at this time of year. One of the highlights of our day was running into John Haas and Lance Verderame, who joined us briefly before we headed our separate ways. John and Lance are both excellent birders and just nice guys to spend time with. I found out later in the day that it was John’s birthday, so Happy Birthday John!

-Lance Verderame and John Haas, prepared for both the cold weather and the birds at Edith G. Read Natural Park and Wildlife Sanctuary in Rye, New York 1/3/15.

A pair of female Red-breasted Mergansers at Edith G Read Natural Park and Wildlife Sanctuary in Rye, New York 1/3/15.

A Ring-billed Gull in flight, Rye NY, 1/3/15.

Good Birding in Orange County, 1/2/15

-It was a shame to have this Merlin on a wire as far as photographs go. I was hoping to get a shot of the bird as it flew, but I missed out when the bird was flushed by a truck that drove by between myself and the bird. Merlin on Onion Ave in New Hampton, NY 1/2/15.

I was lucky enough to have the day off today, and the weather was perfect, so it made for a great day of birding. I started the morning by taking a tour of the black dirt region, where I had 23 species. Highlights include a MERLIN on a wire seen on Onion Avenue and a LAPLAND LONGSPUR in a large flock of Horned Larks on Mission Land Road in Pine Island.

-I saw these two first winter White-crowned Sparrow from the viewing platform at the Liberty Loop Trail, Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge, 1/2/15.

-Gray Ghost in flight. A male Norther Harrier at Skinner Lane, 1/2/15.

-One of several flocks of Horned Larks that I had in the black dirt region. It was disappointing that I had no Snow Buntings among them, but I did locate a single Lapland Longspur in a large flock on Mission Land Road. Horned Larks in flight on Mt. Eve Road, 1/2/15.

I also made quick stops at Glenmere Lake and Warwick Lake – I added 5 species to my list, and I had a pair of adult Bald Eagles at both locations. My final stop was the Newburgh Waterfront; I stopped first at the Newburgh-Beacon Ferry parking; Fish Crows were calling from the trees as I sorted through the gulls there but found only Ring-billed, Herring, and Great Black-backed Gulls present. From there I went to the parking lot of the old Torches. Immediately, as I got out of the car, I saw a first winter ICELAND GULL on the edge of the parking lot among the other gulls and Rock Pigeons. I was able to get much better photos than I did earlier in the week, but I failed to get any flight photos. Once the gulls picked up, it was very chaotic and difficult to follow where the the Iceland Gull went. I eventually relocated the bird on a piling in the water, but just as I located it, all the gulls picked up again. Ken McDermott joined me shortly after that, but when I decided to head home, we still had not relocated the bird. I added an additional 5 species to my list for the day, giving me a total of 33 species for the day.

-I love this bird, what a pretty gull. Iceland Gull at the Newburgh Waterfront, 1/2/15.

–**ICELAND GULL** alongside a Ring-billed Gull, Newburgh Waterfront, 1/2/15.

-One more shot of the Merlin on a wire in New Hampton, NY 1/2/15.

2014 – Year in Review

It’s hard to believe another year has come and gone! I know I say it every year, but the older I get, the faster the years go by. I’ve decided to start 2015 with a new look for the blog; I am curious about what folks think of the new layout, so please comment if you have any thoughts about it. It was another great year of birding for me, and I really enjoyed doing the blog. Here’s a snapshot of the year 2014 here at Orangebirding.

BY THE NUMBERS

Here are my species totals for the year, with the last two year’s totals for comparison:

Area 2014 2013 2012

World: 244 240 199

United States: 244 240 171

New York State: 209 211 167

New Jersey State: 130 107 85

ORANGE COUNTY: 186 176 126

Sullivan County: 114 133 112

Looking at the numbers, I did not have as good a year as I might have thought. I only increased my total birds for the year by 4, and my New York State and Sullivan County totals were both actually down. Orange County, however, went up by 11. Without really realizing it, I certainly increased the importance of birding in my home county this year.

I started 2014 with 284 life birds and ended the year with 315, that’s 31 new life birds added! This is a lot of new birds, but it is, of course, down from last year when I add 69 life birds to my list. I think there are a couple of reasons for this; last year we travelled to Colorado where many of the birds that I saw were lifers – I picked up 22 life birds in a week and a half. This year we spent two weeks in Maine, which is not quite as far from home, and I only added 6 life birds to my list. The second reason is where I am in my birding; life birds, especially found locally, will become increasingly difficult to see.

I also thought it would be interesting to look at the number of posts I did in the last year – this is my 153rd post of the year. This is up from the 117 posts I made last year. And finally, for what it’s worth, according to Google Analytics the blog had 10,740 visits by 3,925 individuals.

TOP FIVE PHOTOS OF THE YEAR

For the past two years I have included my favorite photo of the year in my end of year post. This year I did not feel like I had a single shot that stood out, so I have decided to go with a top five:

Forster’s Tern at Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge 6/16/14. I love the pastel colors of this shot and also that I got lucky with the catchlight in the bird’s eye.

Blackburnian Warbler at Pochuck Mountain State Forest, 5/11/14. Pretty colors in this one, and the bird is super crisp.

One of my favorite birds to photograph, a male Northern Harrier on Mission Land Road, 1/12/14. I got very lucky with this shot, I was driving on Mission Land and this “Gray Ghost” just flew right alongside my car.

A flock of mixed blackbirds on Onion Avenue in New Hampton, NY, 3/14/14. I got lucky with the light on this one – right place right time. If you can view this one full screen, it makes a difference.

Laughing Gull photographed from back of the Ferry from Lewes DE to Cape May NJ, 6/15/14. I just like this one and I got a terrific reaction when I posted it as well.

BIRD OF THE YEAR: BARN OWL

Barn Owl in flight, Orange County NY, February 2014.

I’ve always put Barn Owl in the category of “Birds I never thought I would photograph”, particularly in Orange County NY. Seeing this bird in the wild and so close to home was amazing; getting some decent photos was the icing on the cake.

MOST EXCITING BIRDING EXPERIENCE OF THE YEAR: ATLANTIC PUFFINS OFF THE COAST OF MAINE

A pair of Atlantic Puffins, Eastern Egg Rock Island ME, 8/4/14.

Tricia and I did not get the best conditions for the two puffin boating excursions we took while we were in Maine; the fog was very thick at both locations. It did not deter us, we got some great birds, including 5 life birds for me: Northern Fulmar (LB), Great Shearwater (LB), Wilson’s Storm Petrel, Northern Gannet, Red Phalarope, Roseate Tern (LB), Arctic Tern (LB), Common Murre, Razorbill, Black Guillemot, Parasitic Jaeger (LB), and Atlantic Puffin. Additionally, I still managed to get some decent photos in spite of the heavy fog.

We also had many Great Shearwaters. Whale Watching Tour off of Bar Harbor ME, 8/1/14. — Great Shearwaters on Whale Watching Tour off of Bar Harbor ME, 8/1/14.

FAVORITE BIRDING LOCATION OF THE YEAR: 6 1/2 STATION ROAD SANCTUARY

A Glossy Ibis picks through the small pond south of the Heritage Trail at 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary, 8/20/14.

6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary is the birding spot closest to my home in Goshen, but that is not why I went there so frequently this year. The reason is, that the birding was flat out good. I saw a tremendous variety of the expected species and a few less expected birds as well, including Virginia Rail, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Stilt Sandpiper, and Glossy Ibis. In all I had 92 species at the sanctuary this year; this includes birds located at what I refer to as the Citgo Trail, which is the trail that leads to the smaller pond south of the Heritage Trail.

This Yellow-billed Cuckoo made my morning. 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary, 9/21/14. — One of my favorites, a Yellow-billed Cuckoo at 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary on 9/21/14.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all the birders in our area; they are such good company and always helpful and generous with their knowledge. I hope as I learn and progress that I can do the same for others. Special thanks to Rob Stone, John Haas, Judy Cinquina, Karen Miller, Linda Scrima, and Maria Loukeris for all their help and good company this year. Happy New Year to everyone out there – may your 2015 be filled with all the birds you can wish for, from Black-capped Chickadees to Pink-footed Geese.

Orange County Iceland Gull, 12/29/14

Iceland Gull with Herring Gulls, Newburgh Waterfront, 12/29/14.

I decided to head up to Newburgh, NY after work tonight to look for gulls. Ken McDermott had reported an Iceland Gull there a week or so ago, so I figured I would try my luck. I tried first from where the ferry goes out. I located a distant floating “white winged gull” almost immediately, but soon lost the bird among all the other gulls while trying to switch between scope and camera. Luckily, I was able to get the above shot from that location. The gulls were also floating steadily north on the Hudson River and out of my view. I jumped in my car and moved to the parking lot near what used to be Torches Restaurant. I relocated the bird from that position, but it was getting dark and the bird was even further out. I gave Ken McDermott a call and he walked me through the ID: a white winged gull that is smaller than a Herring Gull but larger than a Ring-billed. The nearly all black bill indicates that this is likely a first winter bird. Thanks Ken for your help, it is greatly appreciated!

This Iceland Gull was probably my favorite bird of the day. I think it is a very elegant looking gull. The New Jersey Crew was having a discussion about this bird, wondering if it could possibly be a hybrid. The reason for this was that it was very close in size to the Herring Gulls it was found with. According to The Crossley ID Guide, the Iceland is 22" as compared to the Herring Gull at 25". The Iceland Gull was certainly smaller, just not noticeably. — Here’s a better look at an Iceland Gull. I photographed this bird in January of this year at Barnegat Lighthouse State Park in New Jersey.

Orange County Cackling Goose 12/28/14

Cackling Goose with Canada Geese at the Camel Farm in Orange County NY, 12/28/14.

I made the rounds in southern Orange County on this gray, drizzly, Sunday morning. I was a little cranky due to the poor weather and not sleeping well, so I was pretty happy to find a single Cackling Goose among approximately 500 Canada Geese at the Camel Farm in Orange County, NY. I put the word out, and luckily both Linda Scrima and Maria Loukeris were close by and ran for the bird. It was a lifer for both of them, so that was exciting. Another highlight was 8 Snow Buntings in with a large flock of Horned Larks in the Black Dirt Region. Aside from that, I had 34 species for the morning, all birds you would expect to see.

American Tree Sparrow off of Onion Avenue, 12/28/14.

A female Common Merganser in the Wallkill River in Pine Island, NY. It was funny because, although not in this photo, the merganser was hanging out with a Wood Duck. They were the only birds that I saw in this location and they were never more than a few yards from one another.

I was eating my lunch, contemplating my next move, when I I received a text from Maria -She had located a Barred Owl in Vernon NJ! I hustled down and got super looks at the bird and some photos too (in spite of large number of branches in the way). I have no idea how she located this bird, the pics don’t do justice to how well it was hidden. Huge thanks to Maria for the heads up.

It's always awesome to see a Barred Owl. Appalachian Trail in Vernon NJ, 12/28/14. — Awesome bird – Barred Owl. Appalachian Trail in Vernon NJ, 12/28/14.

Point Lookout Town Park, 12/20/14

It was a crazy week at work which left me without much time for birding. On Saturday, however, things worked out pretty well for me. My sister was having a Christmas party at her place on Long Island, and also had to deliver a stained glass window to a residence in, of all places, Point Lookout NY. After making my delivery, Tricia and I stopped by Point Lookout Town Park for a brief visit before the party. Thanks to John Haas and Tom Reichert, both of which helped me out with the lay of the land. I did pretty well for a relatively quick stop, seeing 10 different species of swimming waterbirds:

Brant
Canada Goose
Common Eider
Harlequin Duck
Long-tailed Duck
Red-breasted Merganser
Red-throated Loon
Common Loon
Horned Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant

It was a less than ideal day for photos, very gray and overcast, but many of the birds were quite accessible so that helped. I will be back on the island for Christmas, I am hoping to maybe sneak out to Point Lookout again if the weather is better. I highly recommend this spot – you can get great looks at some super birds.

Common Eiders at the end of the first jetty. Point Lookout Town Park, 12/20/14.

This was certainly one of my best looks at a Red-throated Loon. Point Lookout Town Park, 12/20/14.

A Sanderling works the shoreline. Point Lookout Town Park, 12/20/14.

Female Harlequin Duck, Point Lookout Town Park, 12/20/14.

One of two male Harlequin Ducks located near the third jetty at Point Lookout Town Park, 12/20/14.

Red-breasted Merganser fly-by, Point Lookout Town Park, 12/20/14.

BARNACLE GOOSE!!!

I got out of work a little bit late this afternoon, but I still had time to try for the BARNACLE GOOSE which had been reported in Ramsey, New Jersey on eBird. I tried for the bird yesterday without any luck, but today it worked out great. I got my lifer BAGO and it did not disappoint – what a super bird! I was able to get very good looks and my photos, while quite grainy due to the low light, still made me very happy. The Barnacle Goose has been sort of a nemesis bird for me. There have been a few Barnacle Geese that have been reported in the NY/NJ area in the past several years. There was one in Orange County back in 2012 that eluded me as did the one in the Bronx last year (which I only tried for one time). There was a Barnacle Goose reported at this same location last year and I tried for it several times but struck out each time. So, it was VERY satisfying to finally see this bird. If you are planning to go for this bird, please contact me and I will give you details.

– Another look at the BARNACLE GOOSE in Bergen County today, 12/17/14.

Sunday 12/14/14

-Short-eared Owl hunting at the Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 12/14/14.

So, as I mentioned in my post yesterday, I had a full day of birding in before the Short-eared Owl extravaganza at the Shawangunk Grasslands. In the morning I did a tour of the Black Dirt Region, mostly hoping to find a Snowy Owl or perhaps an interesting goose. I failed to locate either, but instead had an interesting morning with a good number of passerines at various locations. I had nearly 30 species in the black dirt, and for me the hightlight was a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker which was seen on Onion Avenue in Goshen.

A Yellow-bellied Sapsucker climbs the trunk of a tree, Black Dirt Region, Orange County NY 12/14/14.

BLACK DIRT REGION 12/14/14

I haven’t posted a shot of a goldfinch in a while. Black dirt, 12/14/14.

Canada Goose
Mallard
Great Blue Heron
Black Vulture
Northern Harrier
Bald Eagle
Red-tailed Hawk
Rough-legged Hawk
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)
Mourning Dove
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
American Kestrel
Blue Jay
American Crow
Horned Lark
Black-capped Chickadee
White-breasted Nuthatch
European Starling
American Tree Sparrow
Song Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
American Goldfinch

-Ring-billed Gull, head on. Newburgh Waterfront, 12/14/14.

In the early afternoon I headed over the Newburgh Waterfront to try and pick up a couple of county birds that I needed – with the end of the year looming, I am trying to maximize my Orange County species list. I was looking for a Great Black-backed Gull and a Great Cormorant (both of which Bruce Nott had reported being there earlier in the week), and I was successful on both counts:

Great Cormorant at the Newburgh Waterfront, 12/14/14.

A Great Black-backed Gull flies over the Hudson River, Newburgh Waterfront 12/14/14.

After Newburgh, I headed over to the Shawangunk Grasslands as I wrote about in yesterday’s post. I stopped at Blue Chip Farms long enough to get this shot of a European Starling:

I’m still trying for a good European Starling photo. Blue Chip Farms, 12/14/14.

And finally, here are a few more shots of the Short-eared Owls at the Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, all on 12/14/14:

A Short-eared Owl and a Northern Harrier tangle, Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 12/14/14.

I believe this SEOW was trying to make itself seem bigger (and meaner!) because it was being buzzed repeatedly by a Northern Harrier. Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 12/14/14.

Head on Short-eared Owl, Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 13/14/14.