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Barnegat Lighthouse State Park

I was fortunate enough to be invited to join what I call “the New Jersey Crew” on an outing this past Sunday to Barnegat Lighthouse State Park. The “crew” includes: Judy Cinquina, Tom Millard, Denis Farrell, B.A. McGrath, Gene Tappan, and honorary New Jerseyan, Dennis Murphy. I really enjoy birding with these folks because they are all very good and experienced birders that are extremely generous with me, taking the time to teach me the ins and outs of birding, bird identification, and birding locations. Plus they are all just nice people to spend time with.

Dennis Murphy, Gene Tappan, Judy Cinquina, and Denise Farrell go to work atI can't get enough of these Long-tailed Ducks. Definitely the cutest duck out there. Barnegat Lighthouse State Park, 1/19/14. — Dennis Murphy, Gene Tappan, Judy Cinquina, and Denise Farrell go to work at Barnegat Lighthouse State Park, 1/19/14.

I cannot express strongly enough what a great birding location Barnegat is. As soon as we got on the beach, until it was time to leave, there was ALWAYS a large number of birds to observe. Additionally, while some of the birds were a bit distant, most birds were quite close and gave great views. It was a super day for photography with so many birds near and far and the light was beautiful. For me, the icing on the cake was the fact that six (!!!) of the over 30 species that we had for the day were life birds: HARLEQUIN DUCK, COMMON EIDER, PURPLE SANDPIPER, ICELAND GULL, CAROLINA CHICKADEE, and BOAT-TAILED GRACKLE.

So I took tons of photos and I was happy with many of them:

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. — This Iceland Gull was probably my favorite bird of the day. It was a life bird for me, and 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.

It was great to finally get the Purple Sandpipers. Barnegat Lighthouse State Park, 1/19/14.

Ruddy Turnstone at Barnegat Lighthouse State Park, 1/19/14.

Here's a nice look at female Harlequin Duck, Barnegat Lighthouse State Park, 1/19/14. — Here’s a nice look at female Harlequin Duck, Barnegat Lighthouse State Park, 1/19/14.

I was fighting a backlit situation for this Common Eider, so not a great shot, but what an interesting duck. Barnegat Lighthouse State Park, 1/19/14.

I can't get enough of these Long-tailed Ducks. Definitely the cutest duck out there. Barnegat Lighthouse State Park, 1/19/14. — I can’t get enough of these Long-tailed Ducks. Definitely the cutest duck out there. Barnegat Lighthouse State Park, 1/19/14.

Male Harlequin DuckI can't get enough of these Long-tailed Ducks. Definitely Barnegat Lighthouse State Park, 1/19/14. — Male Harlequin Duck at Barnegat Lighthouse State Park, 1/19/14.

After Barnegat Lighthouse State Park, we made a quick stop at the “Bridge to Nowhere”, which is basically small road (Stafford Avenue) that ends in a destroyed bridge. It also borders along the Manahawkin Wildlife Management Area. It was here that I got my life Carolina Chickadee and Boat-tail Grackles.

My life Carolina Chickadee, at Manahawkin Wildlife Management Area. While it looks very much like our Black-capped Chickadee, there are some differences, the most notable being their call. It is the same "chick-a-dee-dee-dee" but much more rapid than the Black-capped Chickadee. — My life Carolina Chickadee, at Manahawkin Wildlife Management Area. While it looks very much like our Black-capped Chickadee, there are some differences, the most notable being their call. It is the same “chick-a-dee-dee-dee” but much more rapid than the Black-capped Chickadee.

What a fabulous day of birding, with great company and tons of great birds. Hard to ask for anything more than that.

Barnegat Lighthouse (preview)

Long-tailed Duck at Barnegat Lighthouse State Park, 1/19/14.

I had an AMAZING day of birding today at Barnegat Lighthouse State Park today. I do not have enough time tonight for a complete post, but I always try to post on Sunday evenings, so here is one shot from the day. Please check back tomorrow for the full post, it really was an incredible day of birding – tons of photos and six (!!!) life birds!

SNOWY OWL!

Huge thanks to Rob Stone once again for alerting me that he had located a SNOWY OWL in the Black Dirt Region today. As far as I know, this is the first Snowy Owl reported in Orange County since early December. Additionally, in the same field, not far away, were 5 TUNDRA SWANS. I saw Ken McDermott while I was there and he told me that Judy Cinquina had seen 21 (!!!) Tundra Swans there earlier in the day. Another great day for birders in Orange County!

One of 5 Tundra Swans that I saw in the Black Dirt Region today (1/16/14).

2013 – The Year In Review

Wow, another year is in the books! I had a great year of birding, I saw so many birds and I feel like I learned quite a bit. It’s time to take a quick look at the year that was here at Orange Birding. First of all, here are my species totals for the year. I have included my numbers from 2012 for comparison:

2013 2012

World: 240 199
United States: 240 171
New York State: 211 167
New Jersey State: 107 85
Orange County: 176 126
Sullivan County: 133 112

I started 2013 with 215 Life Birds. By the end of the year my total had grown to 284, an increase of 69 species! I feel like that’s a lot of life birds in a year, indicative of where I am with my birding, really still just beginning with so much to see and learn. Twenty-two of those birds were from our trip to Colorado, giving me Western birds that I had never been exposed to before.

Bird of the Year: SNOWY OWL

The Snowy Owl invasion at the end of 2013 was certainly one of the top stories in birding for the year. For me personally, the Snowy Owl was a bird I thought I would hopefully see one day, but I figured it would likely have to be a bird I would have to chase down. I did not think it would be remotely possible that I would be seeing a total of 6 Snowies in 2013, two of which were right here in Orange County only 15 minutes from the house. It was incredible really, and it’s possible that we may not be done with them for the season yet.

Favorite Photo of the Year: COMMON LOON AT FOLLENSBY CLEAR POND

I just cannot resist this photo of a young Common Loon. I love the sweet expression and the water droplets on head and back are a clincher. Runner-up for photo of the year is this shot of two Black-crowned Night Herons, taken at Wallkill River NWR. I really love the dreamy quality of this photo:

Favorite Birding Location of the Year: SHAWANGUNK GRASSLANDS NWR

The Shawangunk Grasslands NWR is a hotspot that I returned to again and again this year. There are many amazing species to be seen there, and the photo opportunities are off-the-charts good. In the colder months I spent many hours in a blind trying for Short-eared Owls, Northern Harriers, Red-tailed Hawks, and Rough-legged Hawks. In the Spring, American Kestrels were nesting in the refuge and many folks (including myself) were able to see the SMITH’S LONGSPUR that was present for several days at the end of April. I got great shots of the many Bobolinks present in June and also saw and heard the Grasshopper Sparrows. It is always great to run into Ralph Tabor while I am out there, and I would like to thank him for all he does at the refuge, putting up nesting boxes, moving the blinds into prime locations, putting up posts for the birds to perch on, and reporting bird activity on the Mearns Bird Club site.

Most Exciting Birding Experience: SNOWY OWL AT WARREN SOD FARM

The Snowy Owl at Warren Sod Farm on November 26, 2013 was my life bird Snowy, and the way it went down was truly exciting. The night before, Elizabeth McKnight posted on the Mearns Bird Club site. I tried for the bird early the next morning but failed to locate it, so I went in to work. Just before noon, Bruce Nott called to let me know the bird had been relocated. A moment of panic set in at first, but after that passed I knew what I had to do. I called my boss and he totally got it; his parting words were for me to try and get a good photo of the bird. Additionally, Tricia and her brother were supposed to be on their way to Syracuse for Thanksgiving week, but they were running late and were able to see the bird before they got on the road. It was really an incredible day, I could barely sleep for days after that!

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone in the birding community, their generosity truly astounds me; everyone is consistently very helpful. Special thanks to Rob Stone, John Haas, Judy Cinquina, and Karen Miller for all their help this year. I’d also like to wish everyone a Happy New Year, let’s hope that 2014 brings more amazing birding experiences!

Long Island – South Shore

Long-tailed Duck at Oak Beach, 12/15/13.

Tricia and I went to Long Island on Saturday afternoon to attend my sister’s annual Christmas Caroling Party. We left a little early to beat the worst of the snow that was coming, so we joined up with Tricia’s brother-in-law Bill to do some birding on the south shore. Bill has a nice “birding by car” loop that he does, which includes Robert Moses Park, Captree Island, Gilgo Beach, Oak Beach, Cedar Beach, Cedar Beach Marina, and various other stops. We did the loop while the snow got heavier and the winds started to pick up. I think due to the high winds, it was not overly birdy; our best birds where several Northern Harriers and a Merlin fly-by. We went to Cedar Beach Marina to look for the Gyrfalcon that had been reported there, but had no luck.

Nothern Harrier, I think this bird was at Oak Beach, 12/15/13. — A Northern Harrier that had recently had a meal – look at the size of that crop! I think this bird was at Oak Beach, 12/15/13.

The party was a blast on Saturday night, but we were still up relatively early, ready to try Bill’s loop again in some better weather. Tricia’s sister Carolyn and her niece Cameron also joined us. The highlight of the day was, without a doubt, finding a SNOWY OWL on Captree Island. It was really exciting because this was a life bird for Bill, Carolyn, and Cameron. Although the bird was very distant (see photo!), we got some decent looks in binoculars and in the scope as the bird changed perches from time to time.

SNOWY OWL on Captree Island, 12/15/13. I can't get enough of the Snowies, this is my fourth! — SNOWY OWL on Captree Island, 12/15/13. I can’t get enough of the Snowies, this is my fourth!

Other highlights of the day included: 2 Peregrine Falcons, Several Northern Harriers, a flock of Brant, many Buffleheads, a handful of Northern Shovelers, several Common Loons, 3 Red-throated Loons, and my personal favorite birds of the day – 4 Long-tailed Ducks. We struck out on the Gyrfalcon once again, but really it was a great day of birding. Huge thanks to Bill and Carolyn for taking us around and showing us all the spots; it’s so good to have the local knowledge and good company too.

I feel like it's been a while since I've gotten close enough to a Great Blue Heron for a photo. This one was on Captree Island, 12/15/13. — I feel like it’s been a while since I’ve gotten close enough to a Great Blue Heron for a photo. This one was on Captree Island, 12/15/13.

I have this as a first winter Herring Gull. Oak Beach, 12/15/13.

Here's a shot of me taking a photo of the Long-tailed Duck. Photo by Bill Martocci. — Where am I? Here’s a shot of me taking a shot of the Long-tailed Duck. Photo by Bill Martocci – thanks Bill.

Cyber Monday

It’s Cyber Monday, so it’s a good time to head over to The Basha Kill Area Association’s website to order John Haas’ book for the birder or nature lover on your list. All proceeds go to the association, and the book is really amazing – perfect for birders in the area as well as those that might be planning to visit Sullivan County to do some birding.

Sandy Hook 11/10/13

Sunday morning I joined Judy Cinquina, Tom Millard, Denise Farrell, B.A. McGrath, and Gene Tappan on a birding trip to Sandy Hook NJ, which is part of the Gateway National Recreation Area. All the folks I went with are experienced birders, and most are also official counters out at Mt. Peter Hawk Watch. It was really great to be able to spend the day birding with this group; the company was excellent and I also saw it as a good opportunity for me to learn. I tried to observe and listen to the other birders in the group as much as the birds in a effort to see how others go about their birding.

The wind was blowing pretty good when we arrived and it got stronger as the day passed. This seemed to keep a lot of the birds down, so it was not as active as we had hoped. I counted a total of 37 species for the day, but I may have missed a few. We did well with raptors, seeing plenty of Turkey Vultures, eight Black Vultures, many Sharp-shinned Hawks, maybe a half dozen Red-tailed Hawks, and at least a couple Cooper’s Hawks.

Sharpies were zipping around all day. I managed to get a shot of this one as it passed right over the group.

The highlight of the trip for me was looking for birds out in the ocean, with the New York City skyline off in the distance to our left. As Sanderlings shot back and forth at the water’s edge, we had many birds in the distance: Black Scoters, White-winged Scoters, Surf Scoters, Common Loons, Red-throated Loons, Royal Terns, and Northern Gannets. I particularly love watching the few gannets that came in a bit closer, they are a fantastic bird to watch in flight.

Sandy Hook is a bit of a trip from Goshen NY (over 2 hours), but well worth it. I certainly plan on getting back there again, hopefully on a day with better conditions.

The view of NYC from Sandy Hook. Not a bad way to do some birding!

Birding at Sandy Hook, — 11//10/13 – Birding at Sandy Hook with (from left to right): B.A. McGrath, Tom Millard, Denise Farrell, Gene Tappan, and Judy Cinquina.

Eastern Phoebe in a pretty setting at Sandy Hook, 11/10/13. — Eastern Phoebe at Sandy Hook, 11/10/13.

6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary

After work today, I walked both the Heritage Trail alongside 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary and also the trail off of Route 17M, which leads to the pond that is located to the south of the Heritage Trail. I did well with sparrows, seeing Song Sparrows, Swamp Sparrows, Savannah Sparrows, White-throated Sparrows, and my best birds of the day, four White-crowned Sparrows. At the pond, shorebird numbers where down. I did not locate any yellowlegs and the dowitcher may have moved on. Still present were a half dozen Killdeer and a single Pectoral Sandpiper. Duck numbers seemed down a little bit too, but it was nice to see seven Northern Shovelers present. Here’s my list for the day:

6 1/2 Station Rd. Sanctuary, Orange, US-NY

Red-bellied Woodpecker at 6 1/2 Station Road, 10/24/13.

Oct 24, 2013 4:15 PM – 5:30 PM
Protocol: Traveling
1.5 mile(s)
24 species

Canada Goose 25
Mute Swan 2
Mallard 9
Northern Shoveler 7
Green-winged Teal 30
Great Blue Heron 2
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1
Bald Eagle 1
Red-shouldered Hawk 1
Killdeer 6
Pectoral Sandpiper 1
Rock Pigeon 20
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Hairy Woodpecker 1
Blue Jay 2
American Crow 10
American Robin 2
European Starling 150
Savannah Sparrow 3
Song Sparrow 12
Swamp Sparrow 4
White-throated Sparrow 3
White-crowned Sparrow 4
Red-winged Blackbird 8

Basha Kill Area Association Benefit 9/29/13

A very animated Bill Streeter doing his fabulous raptor talk.

Well, this post is a couple days late, but certainly worth posting. Sunday evening, Tricia and I went to the Bashakill Vineyards where we met up with Karen Miller to attend the Basha Kill Area Association annual Benefit. This year’s event was really great – well attended, and the brick oven pizza, wine, and hors d’oeuvres provided by members of the BKAA were all delicious.

Bill Streeter from the Delaware Raptor Center did his live raptor talk which included a Peregrine Falcon, a Red-tailed Hawk, a Northern Saw-whet Owl, a Snowy Owl, and a magnificent Golden Eagle. The talk was very entertaining and informative.

For me, the highlight of the event was John Haas having his book signing for the release of his book “A Birding Guide to Sullivan County New York”. The book was for sale and John was, of course, signing copies. If you are a birder in this area or if you are just interested in great spots to hike, kayak, or just see nature you have to get this book. It is available at the Bashakill Vineyards and also at the Basha Kill Area Association website. This book will make you a better birder I guarantee it, AND all proceeds from the book are being donated to the Basha Kill Area Association. You can’t lose!

The cover of John Haas' book, "A Birding Guide to Sullivan County". — The cover of John Haas’ book, “A Birding Guide to Sullivan County New York”.

John Haas signs a copy of his book at the event.

Arlene Borko, Karen Miller, and Tricia Davis enjoy themselves at the Benefit.

Bill Streeter with my favorite bird of the show, a Northern Saw-whet Owl.

Weekend Wrap Up – 6/9/13

A Marsh Wren builds its nest at the Appalachian Trail Pochuck Creek Section, 6/9/13.

I was out of town for work this week, so I did not have the opportunity to do much birding (actually the hotel we stayed at had a nice swampy area surrounding it and I walked the perimeter a number of times). I made up for it by doing quite a bit of birding this weekend, hittting five spots in two days.

Saturday Morning – Sterling Forest State Park, Sterling Lake Loop.

Highlights: Although I had 31 species for the walk, I did not see anything extraordinary. I was lucky enough to get a decent photo of my first of season Red-eyed Vireo:

I spent some time with this bird, waiting for it to get into some sunlight. Red-eyed Vireo at Sterling Forest SP 6/8/13.

Saturday Afternoon: Basha Kill WMA

Highlights: My latest favorite bird, the Yellow-billed Cuckoo made an appearance at the Nature Trail again. I also had a brief but good look at a male Scarlett Tanager there as well.

Yellow-billed Cuckoo at Basha Kill WMA, 6/8/13.

I had to include this shot of an Eastern Kingbird snagging a dragonfly from its perch. Deli Fields at Basha Kill WMA 6/8/13.

Sunday Early Morning: Appalachian Trail near Route 94 in Sussex County NJ

Highlights: I was fortunate enough to be invited to join Judy Cinquina, Tom Millard, B.A. McGrath and Gene for a day of birding. It was certainly good company and I felt like I learned quite a bit. My best bird for the morning (for the whole day really) was the GRASSHOPPER SPARROW! This was a life bird for me, and although we got several very good looks, I was not satisfied with any of my photos. The light was on the harsh side for some reason and most of my photos where overexposed. Here is my best effort:

Grasshopper Sparrow at the Appalachian Trail near Route 94, 6/9/13.

Sunday Late Morning: Appalachian Trail Pochuck Creek Section

Highlights: Watching a Marsh Wren build its nest was amazing I was really happy to get the photo at the top of this post. I also really enjoyed the Swamp Sparrows perching on cattails and singing.

Swamp Sparrow at the Appalachian Trail Pochuk Creek Section, 6/9/13.

Willow Flycatcher at the Appalachian Trail Pochuck Creek Section, 6/9/13.

Sunday Afternoon: Wallkill River NWR

Highlights: For the heat of the day, we saw many birds while we walked the east side of the Liberty Loop. I really enjoyed the distant but good looks at four male Bobolinks, and I managed to get a photo of a male Orchard Oriole that I like:

Orchard Oriole at Wallkill River NWR 6/9/13.

Cedar Waxwing at Wallkill River NWR, 6/9/13.

I finally got a shot of a Common Yellowthroat - for some reason I have not gotten good looks this year. Wallkill River NWR, 6/9/13. — I finally got a shot of a Common Yellowthroat – for some reason I have not gotten good looks this year. Wallkill River NWR, 6/9/13.