~I got a great look and spent some time photographing this Brown Thrasher, Highland Lakes SP 9/4/16.~
Yesterday morning I made a brief stop at Highland Lakes State Park in Middletown before heading up to Mount Peter Hawkwatch to participate in cleanup day. I was initially saving the report and photos to do an end of the weekend post, thinking I could add any birds I had today to it. The problem is that the birds did not cooperate today; it was pretty dead out there for me, from Mt. Pete Hawkwatch to the black dirt. So, back to my Sunday morning at HLSP. It was a brief but birdy stop; I had 26 species in less than an hour of birding. Most noteworthy was my FOY PURPLE FINCHES, which put my total for my Orange County year list at 199. I also had a great photo op with a Brown Thrasher, which is a bird I don’t seem to see very often these days.
~These birds made my morning – one of two PURPLE FINCHES at Highland Lakes SP in Middletown, NY, 9/4/16.~~I tried like heck to turn this into a Philadelphia Vireo, but it wouldn’t happen. Warbling Vireo at Highland Lakes SP, 9/4/16.~
~This was very exciting to me – Red-breasted Nuthatch at Mount Peter Hawkwatch, 9/3/16. This is my 197th bird in Orange County for the year.~
The hawkwatch season at Mount Peter finally began this past Thursday. I made my first visit on Friday, joining the official counter for the day, Denise Farrell in the early afternoon. Raptor migration was on the slow side for most of the day, but she had been entertained by the several RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES that were in the area. I was excited to hear about these birds because I did not have them in Orange County for the year. It took a little while, but one finally made an brief appearance, I didn’t get any photos, but still, I was happy. Meanwhile, the hawks were starting to move through. In the 2 1/2 hours I was there, we had 22 raptors migrate through, giving Denise a total of 27 for the day. The highlight for me was a ‘mini-kettle’ of five Broad-winged Hawks observed over the valley.
~Time to start with the obligatory Turkey Vulture shot from the mountain. I plan on doing better than this one. TUVU at Mt. Peter Hawkwatch 9/2/16.
Today was my first day of the season as official counter. Right off the bat I knew it could be a good day when I had two very close Red-breasted Nuthatches on the trail from the parking lot to the viewing platform. And I was able to get some photos!
Being so early in the year, I figured I would not have any company. I could not have been more wrong. I had plenty of help, especially early in the day, with visits from Rob Stone, Beverly Robertson, Will Test, Diane Held, Maria Loukeris, Sharon Ayling, Tom Mitchell, and PJ Singh. It was a pretty good day especially for being so early in the season; I had a total of 31 migrating raptors in 7 hours. The highlight for me was watching a local adult Bald Eagle escort an immature migrant Bald Eagle through the area. Once the young bird had gone far enough, the adult turned back and headed north. Here is my report for the day:
Official Counter: Matt Zeitler Observers: Beverly Robertson, Rob Stone, Will Test
Visitors:
Sharon Ayling, Tom Mitchell, Maria Loukeris, Diane Held, and PJ Singh.
Weather:
Warm, sunny with clouds. Gentle winds mostly out of the North/Northeast. Temperatures ranged from 18 to 22 degrees Celsius.
Raptor Observations:
Migrating Raptors: One unknown American Kestrel migrated in the first hour. In the 6th hour an adult Bald Eagle escorted an immature Bald Eagle through the territory. The immature migrated and the adult went back north. Non-migrating Raptors: Two local Red-tailed Hawks and many local Turkey Vultures and Black Vultures.
Non-raptor Observations:
Other bird species observed: Blue Jay (15), Red-breasted Nuthatch (3), Cedar Waxwing (24), Common Raven (1), American Robin (18), American Crow (3), American Goldfinch (15), Gray Catbird (2), Red-bellied Woodpecker (2), Scarlet Tanager (1), Black-capped Chickadee (4), Northern Flicker (2), Rock Pigeon (1), Ruby-throated Hummingbird (3), Pileated Woodpecker (1), Chimney Swift (3).
~Pretty shot of a Yellow-rumped WarblerCape May Warbler at Mount Peter Hawkwatch, 9/2/16. UPDATE:thanks to Marianne O. who emailed me to point out that I had misidentified this bird. This an exciting mistake for me as CMWA is #198 on my OC year list!~~I did not have many photo ops for migrating raptors, so I’ve included this distant shot of an Osprey that passed right over the viewing platform. Mt. Peter Hawkwatch, 9/3/16.~
SHOREBIRD UPDATE: I’ve also checked 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary for new shorebirds the past couple of days. The only new birds that I have observed were a couple of SEMI-PALMATED PLOVERS. I have not been in the black dirt but have received reports that Buff-breasted Sandpipers and American Golden-Plovers are still being seen.
~These little dudes are the cutest! Semipalmated Plover at the Citgo Pond, 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary, 9/2/16.~~I was getting a kick out of watching this Greater Yellowlegs feeding frantically. Nice, muddy bird. Citgo Pond, 9/3/16.~
I went out and walked the Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge’s Liberty Loop trail to follow up on an eBird report of a Short-billed Dowitcher in the Sussex County portion of the trail. I relocated the SBDO, but I also was fortunate enough to find a STILT SANDPIPER. The bird was feeding most of the time I saw it, head going up and down like a sewing machine. I was feeling lazy and walked the trail without hauling my scope with me, and I really regretted it as the birds were far enough out to make IDing them with binoculars tough. The pond was loaded with shorebirds, in addition to the STSA and the SBDO I also had Least Sandpipers, Killdeer, Lesser Yellowlegs, Greater Yellowlegs, Solitary Sandpipers, and Pectoral Sandpipers. Other highlights included a quick look at a young Black-crowned Night-Heron and a beautiful male Northern Harrier hunting over the marsh.
~Thanks to the water droplet, you can see the length of the STSA’s bill in this shot. Wallkill River NWR, 9/1/16.~~I’ve included this shot to give a sense of the size of the bird, as compared to the Lesser Yellowlegs on the left and the Short-billed Dowitcher just to the right. Stilt Sandpiper at Wallkill River NWR’s Liberty Loop, 9/1/16.~
~I used my car as a blind (hiding behind it rather than being in it, in this case), and this Northern Harrier made a close pass. Black dirt, 8/29/16.~
QUICK POST: It’s late so I have to make this quick. I had some great birds and some darn good photo ops while birding the black dirt this evening. Highlights included: 2 BUFF BREASTED SANDPIPERS, 9 American Golden-Plovers, a Northern Harrier close encounter, and a late evening Common Nighthawk flyover. Here’s some of my shots from the day.
~A plane doing stunts overhead actually flushed several American Golden-Plovers closer to me! Black Dirt, 8/29/16.~~And this blew my mind. Two Buff-breasted Sandpipers flew all the way across a field to land approximately 30 yards in front of me. I was freaking out and trying to take photos without moving a muscle! Black dirt, 8/29/16.~~BBSA in the Black Dirt, 8/29/16.~~American Golden-Plover in golden light. Black Dirt 8/29/16.~~I was not really happy about the lack of sharpness in my BBSA shots; I think the camera has a hard time picking up the bird versus the similar background. Black Dirt, 8/29/16.~~One more Buffie. I love this bird. Black Dirt 8/29/16.~
~A Lesser Yellowlegs feeds at 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary’s Citgo Pond, 8/27/16.~
I spent nearly all my birding time this weekend looking for shorebirds in Orange County. Saturday was a bit of a bust, in spite of favorable overnight winds. Today was another story. I got out to the black dirt early while it was still on the cool side. At my first stop I had a small shorebird flyover with a small flock of Killdeer. I watched the bird in my binoculars until it was out of sight, never to be identified. At my second stop, I had a similar experience, but this time the bird put down about three fields over. I got on it with my scope and it looked like a BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER! I followed the bird, walking on the road as the bird worked the field. I would stop every so often when the bird would come to an area unobstructed by grasses and put down my scope for a look or to take some photos, becoming more and more convinced that it was a BBSA. I eventually lost the bird, so I walked the road to the other side of the field to try and relocate it. At first I could not find it, but I did see in the middle of the field, a single AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER! Very exciting! Of course, at the time I wasn’t sure exactly which plover it was (American Golden or Black-bellied), I figured that out later. I eventually relocated the Buff-breasted Sandpiper and it was with a second Buffie. Then I heard a call I was unfamiliar with – I looked away from the scope to see 3 more American Golden-Plovers coming in! I took photos as the birds came in to land on the field – showing clear wing pits (not black as would be seen in Black-bellied). I had put the word out earlier, but unfortunately, before anyone arrived to see the birds, a low flying plane flushed first the plovers, followed shortly afterwards by the Buffies. Kathy, Scotty, Bruce, and I combed the area but came up empty. Sorry for the poor photos of these birds, but they were extremely distant and the heat shimmer was terrible.
I did check 6 1/2 Station Road’s Citgo Pond in the early afternoon, but I did not locate any new birds – I found basically the same birds as were present on Thursday, minus the Baird’s Sandiper and the Greater Yellowlegs.
~One of the hundreds of Killdeer in the black dirt, 8/28/16.~ ~American Golden-Plover in the black dirt, 8/28/16.~ ~Three American Golden-Plovers coming in for a landing. Notice the lack of black wing pits, indicating AMGP. Black Dirt 8/28/16.~ ~A distant partially obstructed shot of a Buff-breasted Sandpiper. Note the small squarish head on a slim neck and the bird’s erect stance. Black Dirt 8/28/16.~ ~In the scope the bird’s yellowish legs could be made out. BBSA in the black dirt, 8/28/16.~ ~A young Cooper’s Hawk seen while searching for shorebirds. No wonder there were none at this location. Black Dirt 8/27/16.~ ~It was good to see some Horned Larks this weekend. Black Dirt 8/28/16.~
~Very exciting! BAIRD’S SANDPIPER at 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary’s Citgo Pond, 8/25/16.~
I ran into Karen Miller and Diane Bliss this afternoon – we were all heading in to check out 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary’s Citgo Pond. We arrived at the pond and set up our scopes, and as luck would have it, the first bird in my scope was a beautiful BAIRD’S SANDPIPER! We were all super excited and enjoyed great looks in our scopes as we put the word out. John Haas, Bruce Nott, and Kathy Ashman all ran for the bird, which ended up being very confiding, allowing for great looks and some decent photos too. Shorebirds were numerous at the pond, here is our count:
What an excellent afternoon/evening of birding! I love this time of year!
~One more shot of the BAIRD’S SANDPIPER, Citgo Pond 8/25/16.~ ~Look at all those scopes! These birders come prepared! Checking out the shorebirds at the Citgo Pond, 8/25/16.~
~I got my lifer Cory’s Shearwater today on the Viking Fleet’s Whale Watching Excursion, 8/21/16.~
I joined John Haas, Karen Miller, and Lance Verderame on what has been called ‘the poor man’s pelagic’. We took a whale watching trip through Viking Fleet in Montauk, New York. It was a long day; we left Goshen at 5 a.m. and I didn’t get home until after 9 p.m., but it was worth it. We had basically 4 pelagic birds for the day:
For John and Lance, they each added 4 birds to their New York State year lists. For Karen, all 4 were life birds. And for me, I also added three birds to my NYS life list (I’d had RNPH in NY before) and, most excitingly, I got my lifer Cory’s Shearwater.
I need to keep this short, but I have to mention that the water was a little bit rougher than they predicted, and many folks got seasick. And not everyone made over the side of the boat either. The real kicker, for most people on the boat, was that we never did get to see any whales! Which didn’t matter much to us – it was a great day with some excellent birds, but I’m exhausted, I’m still rocking to the ocean waves, and it’s past my bedtime.
~Five of the 12 Red-necked Phalaropes we had off the coast of Long Island, 8/21/16.~~Photos were taugh today, so this is a crop of the above shot, RNPH off shore from Montauk, NY 8/21/16.~~Wilson’s Storm-petrel over the water. These birds are TOUGH to photograph! Especially today, because most birds were not very close to the boat. Viking Fleet Whale Watch, off the shore of Montauk, 8/21/16.~~A look at the backside of a WISP – note the legs and feet extend past the tail. Off the shore of Montauk, NY 8/21/16.~~This was the 2nd COSH of the day. Note the pale upper parts. Offshore from Montauk, NY 8/21/16/~~We saw plenty of Double-crested Cormorants and we left and returned to the dock in Montauk. 8/21/16.~
Okay, so I guess I can keep calling the blog Orange Birding. This evening I just wanted to make a quick stop at 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary’s Citgo Pond to check the water levels, because when I was there on Friday the levels were too high and there were no shorebirds present. Well, the water levels were still high and there were still no shorebirds, but I found a welcome surprise: a BLACK TERN! When I arrived the bird was perched on the ground, but it took flight not long after I got on the bird and never set down again. The bird flew around the pond, hunting continuously and splashing into the water from time to time. I put the word out and John Haas, Karen Miller, and Diane Bliss were all able to run for the bird. Bad weather was moving in quickly, so we ended up having to hustle out of there to beat storms. It was a nice looking bird and we got good, if slightly distant views – all my pics are cropped within an inch of their lives. This is my 193rd species for Orange County this year.
~BLTE, wings down at Citgo Pond, 8/16/16.~~Black Tern right after splash down on the water. Citgo Pond, 8/16/16.~
~Love, love, loved this bird! WILSON’S PHALAROPE at DeKorte Park, 8/15/16.~
Okay, so at what point do I change the name of this blog to Bergen Birding? Over the weekend, another GREAT bird – a WILSON’S PHALAROPE, was located at DeKorte Park in Lyndhurst, New Jersey. I didn’t go for it then, I but today after work, I ran for the bird and luckily the bird not only stuck around, it was very accommodating for photos. I was talking with Chris Takacs while viewing the bird, and he indicated that this was likely a young bird. The bird is absolutely beautiful, white as white can be with a long very thin and pointy bill. It fed nearly the entire time I was there, only stopping to preen and then relax for a short time. This is the second time I’ve seen a Wilson’s Phalarope, my lifer was at the Liberty Loop back in April of 2013.
Huge thanks to both Maria Loukeris and Denise Farrel, who kept me posted with the alerts for this bird today.
~Beautiful bird. Wilson’s Phalarope at DeKorte Park, 8/15/16.~~WIPH at DeKorte, 8/15/16.~~I had to include at least one water flick shot. Wilson’s Phalarope at DeKorte Park, 8/15/16.~~There were many other shorebirds close by too, but I barely paused to take their photos. Lesser Yellowlegs at DeKorte Park, 8/15/16. ~~And for comparison, a Greater Yellowlegs at DeKorte Park 8/15/16.~~This is not a bird I’ve been this close to before. Short-billed Dowitcher at DeKorte, 8/15/16.
Just a week and a day after getting decent photos of an adult Black-crowned Night-Heron at DeKorte Park, I was pleasantly surprised by this juvenile that I saw this morning at Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge. I inadvertently flushed the bird when I paused on the trail to watch an American Kestrel hunting. I watched as the heron briefly flew, then landed and stashed itself in the heavy vegetation. The bird does not look very hidden in this photo, but I can tell you that it took me a long while searching with my binoculars to relocate the bird, and that was after having seen where it had flown in. BCNHs are one of my favorites and it’s always a thrill to see one, especially in Orange County.
