My FOS in Orange County Black-crowned Night Heron. Wallkill River NWR, 7/21/14.
I had two sets of birding plans for this morning that were foiled. I was initially going to go down to New Jersey to chase the European Golden-Plover that had been reported, but all the reports I read and received indicated that it was likely that this bird had moved on. My second plan was to get out to Sullivan County with Linda Scrima to try for the Stilt Sandpiper that Karen Miller found yesterday – you can read about it at the Bashakill Birder. That plan was cut short with a couple of phone calls this morning from John Haas, letting me know that the bird had not been relocated. With a change of plans, we decided meet up with Maria Loukeris and walk the Liberty Loop at Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge. What a good decision that turned out to be; it was a very active morning with wading birds stealing the show. It started with Linda locating a BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON from the viewing platform moments after our arrival. This was my FOS BCNH in Orange County so that was a bonus for me. In the distance we could see three Great Egrets in flight and as we began to walk the loop, it was apparent that Great Blue Herons were present in numbers. We eventually caught up with the egrets and they were quite accommodating, allowing for many photos. I am not thrilled with my results, but still it was great to see them.
I love how thin this bird looks from this perspective. Great Egret at Wallkill River NWR, 7/21/14.Deuces wild! Two Great Blue Herons fly over two Great Egrets. Wallkill River NWR, 7/21/14.A pair of Great Egrets in flight on the Liberty Loop, 7/21/14.
The big news of the day, however, was a nice collection of shorebirds:
One of three Lesser Yellowlegs at Wallkill River NWR, 7/21/14.
It was exciting to see that some shorebirds are moving through and it was a great morning of birding with a large variety of species being seen and heard – we had 47 birds on our list for the walk.
We had many Orchard Orioles while we were out. Wallkill River NWR, 7/21/14.
Last night, Tricia and I were fortunate enough to be present for the release of not one, but three EASTERN SCREECH-OWLS. The owls were all injured in the Warwick area and rehabilitated by Missy Runyan at the Friends of the Feathered and Furry Wildlife Center. Our friend Carol Linguanti, who is also a wildlife rehabber, was given the wonderful task of releasing the birds and invited me along to witness and take some photos. This, of course made me nervous about getting good shots, but I was thrilled to have the opportunity. Our first stop was at Homestead Village, where one of the birds was found on the lawn of a resident. Since the bird was brought in for rehabilitation a short time ago, it was released in the same spot where it was picked up. Here are some shots from the release:
An Eastern Screech-owl seems to be waiting for its eyes to adjust to the light before being released. Warwick, NY 7/18/14.The EASO was out of the box before I knew it, but I did manage one silhouetted flight shot.Tricia faired much better from the other side, getting this shot.The owl perched on a nearby branch for probably less than a minute and then seemed to get its bearings and took off.
The second and third owls apparently had been in rehab for a longer period of time, during which, they bonded. They were to be released together on a large tract of land that Carol owns in Warwick. This release was made even more exciting with the sighting of TWO BEARS! How good can it get? Here are the photos from that release:
Getting ready to be free again, one rufous and one gray Eastern Screech-owl. Photo by Carol Linguanti, Warwick, NY 7/18/14.This EASO behaved similarly to the first release, perching nearby for a short period of time before taking off into the woods.The first bear we saw was relatively small, presumably a young bear.The second bear was huge and Carol’s husband Bobby was very excited when we watched the bear use the bridge that Bobby had built to get over a stream.
I really cannot thank Carol enough for inviting me to be part of this. It was so exciting to get to see these owls up close and fulfilling to know that they had been successfully rehabbed and now were back where they belonged.
American Redstart at Wolf Brook Multi-use Area, 7/11/14.
This morning I met John Haas out in Sullivan County and we birded Wolf Brook Multi-use Area and Neversink Unique area. We left my car at Katrina Falls Road Access and then took John’s car to the Wolf Brook Access. We hiked approximately 4 1/2 miles back to my car and I have to say that this place is loaded with birds. If you threw a rock you would certainly hit an Eastern Towhee as they were present in high numbers. Here’s a distant shot of a young towhee:
A young EATO at Wolf Brook Multi-use Area, 7/11/14.
One highlight for me was seeing a mother Common Merganser with two young on the Neversink River. Our look was distant and partially obstructed, so no photos of those birds. Worth mentioning is that we did really well with warblers, with 12 species:
Yellow Warbler Pine Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler Prairie Warbler
Magnolia Warbler Black-and-white Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler American Redstart
Black-throated Green Warbler Ovenbird
Blackburnian Warbler Common Yellowthroat
Chestnut-sided Warbler at Wolf Brook Multi-use Area, 7/11/14.This Black-and-white Warbler found one patch of bright sunlight on the trail. Of course my camera was set for being in the low light of the trail so this shot is overexposed but I tried to salvage it. Neversink Unique Area, 7/11/14.
As birdy as the walk was, the best part of the hike was certainly seeing the falls. At about 30 feet high, they are really spectacular to see and my photos don’t do justice in the slightest. Also, it is wonderfully cool with a nice mist coming off the falls, accompanied with small rainbows. It’s really a great experience and I recommend it highly.
This panoramic shot was taken with the Photosynth app on my iPhone.
I want to thank John for showing me this great hike, one that I will surely take for years to come, and also for all his help identifying birds by ear today. As we walked, I wondered from time to time just how many birds I would be able to identify if I was doing it on my own? I guess I’ll find out next time….
I made it out briefly this evening to the trail on the Route 17M side of 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary and got some shots of young Wood Ducks.
A young Wood Duck at 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary, 7/9/14.This looks like a young male WODU, 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary, 7/9/14.
Another hightlight for me was a Least Flycatcher which I was able to identify by its “whitt” call. I was not able to get any good photos, but here’s a soft shadowy shot along with my list for the afternoon:
Canada Goose 35
Mute Swan 2
Wood Duck 10
Mallard 8
Great Blue Heron 2
Killdeer 3
Belted Kingfisher 1
Least Flycatcher 1
Eastern Kingbird 4
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 10
Tree Swallow 8
Marsh Wren 6
American Robin 5
Gray Catbird 4
Northern Mockingbird 1
European Starling 5
Cedar Waxwing 6
Yellow Warbler 2
Song Sparrow 4
Swamp Sparrow 8
Red-winged Blackbird X
Common Grackle X
Brown-headed Cowbird 1
A Laughing Gull trails the ferry between Lewes DE and Cape May NJ, 6/15/14.
So, Tricia and I spent a three day weekend down at the shore, and although the trip did not revolve around birding, we got plenty in. Our first stop was in Rehoboth Beach Delaware, where we paid my Aunt Kathy and her wife Muriel a long overdue visit. We had a great time while we were there and we all did some birding early Saturday afternoon while walking the newly completed trail in Cape Henlopen State Park that connects Rehoboth Beach to Lewes.
CAPE HENLOPEN STATE PARK, 6/14/14
We were not on the trail very long when we had one of the highlights of the day – I reached a birding milestone by seeing my 300th life bird, which happened to be a Blue Grosbeak:
I would have liked to get a better shot of my 300th lifer, but the early afternoon sun was a bit harsh, so this is my best effort. We were excited to see good numbers of Snowy Egrets, several Osprey, and a single Black Skimmer. There were many terns present, and I believe most of them were Forster’s Terns, with at least one Common Tern also. These are not birds that I am very familiar with, so there is a lot of uncertainty there. Willets were numerous and often in close enough for photos:
Another highlight of the afternoon was second life bird for me which also presented the best photo op of the day: a Brown-headed Nuthatch.
CAPE MAY POINT STATE PARK, 6/16/14
On Sunday, the only birding we did was during the ferry from Lewes DE to Cape May NJ. The only noteworthy birds during the ferry ride were three likely Wilson’s Storm-petrels. I say likely because these are birds that I have no experience with. Looks were very distant and at the time I had no idea what they could be. I snapped some ID shots with the camera and later found out that the Wilson’s is the most likely storm-petrel to be seen on those waters, and also that their flight style, which is low and back and forth across the water stopping from time to time, helps to rule out Leach’s Storm-petrel (which flies more like a nighthawk with deep jerky wingbeats).
Monday morning we headed over to Cape May Point State Park and walked the trails for a bit, where the highlight was a tern I could actually identify. We had a single BLACK TERN that proved to be one of the most difficult birds I’ve ever tried to photograph. For some reason, when that bird was in flight, my camera could not distinguish it from the background. The result was MANY blurry photos. And, even if the bird was in focus, it was tough to get the catch light in the bird’s eye. Anyway, enough whining about it, here are my best shots:
While shooting the Black Tern, we also had a Great Egret come in close:
EDWIN B. FORSYTHE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, 6/16/14
The Edwin B. Forsythe NWR was by far our most productive birding of the weekend. Things started out well when just off the dock at the start of the loop, we got super looks at a Marsh Wren doing the splits:
Moments later we saw a pair of CLAPPER RAILS, yet another life bird for the weekend:
As we started our way around the loop, I was hearing a call that I’d never heard before. We stopped the car and I found the source: a SEASIDE SPARROW! Another life bird!
We continued around the loop and although we did not have any out of the ordinary birds, we got plenty of great looks at some fabulous birds. I finally got a decent shot of a tern, I believe this is Forster’s Tern:
I also got decent shots of a couple of my favorites; a Black-crowned Night Heron and a Glossy Ibis.
Most of the way around the loop, I was hoping for a close look at a BLACK SKIMMER. Finally, while shooting the above night heron, a skimmer flew in nearby…
…and I was able to get a shot of it doing its thing:
What a great weekend with some awesome birds! It was a shame for it to be over and have to drive home on a Sunday night…
An early morning Grasshopper Sparrow out at Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 6/1/14.
I finally made it out to one of my favorite places to bird this weekend – the Shawangunk Grasslands. On Saturday evening, Tricia and I met Karen Miller out there for a brief visit before going out to dinner. Then, I made it back out this morning and for over three hours, I walked the trails (which are now called the Tabor Trace – named for Ralph Tabor who does everything that needs to be done out there). It is a great time of year to be at the grasslands, the place is loaded with great birds: Bobolinks, Eastern Meadowlarks, and Savannah Sparrows are numerous and offer plenty of photo opportunities. There is also the possibility to see fantastic birds like Upland Sandpipers and Grasshopper Sparrows, and these two species were at the top of my list this morning. My best birds at the grasslands were by far the 4 GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS I had out there. The highlight of the day, however, did not occur at the grasslands. There is a spot, not far from the grasslands, that is good for getting Upland Sandpipers. I followed Ralph, Scotty Baldinger, and Gene McGarry over, and Ralph immediately located an UPLAND SANDPIPER! I jumped out of the car to see the bird and get some photos. Sadly, I am disappointed in my results, but still it was great to get such a good look at the bird. Shortly after that, Ralph and Scotty moved further up the road and located 2 more UPLAND SANDPIPERS! They were a bit distant for photos but still awesome to see.
Super bird, lousy photo. One of three UPLAND SANDPIPERS today in Ulster County – 6/1/14.
I did better with photos while I was at the grasslands, so here they are, by species:
Yellow-billed Cuckoo at Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge, Liberty Loop, 5/29/14.
After work today, I made it out to the Liberty Loop. I wanted to follow up on an eBird report from last night that included a King Rail and (5) Sora. When I arrived, Linda Scrima was already there having just walked out Liberty Lane. I heard what I believed was a Sora from far out into the marsh as soon as I got out of my car. I have never heard or seen a Sora before, so I was listening to the call on my phone app to be sure. We walked the east side of the loop out and back, and Sora intermittently called as we walked. The calls could still be heard as we pulled out of the parking lot just after 7:00 pm. From what I could tell, there were at least two Sora present. Out on the trail, I tried clacking rocks together to see if the King Rail would respond – the first time I did it both Linda and I thought we heard a response. It was distant and faint and we only heard it the one time, and again, this is a bird that I have no experience with, so I am hoping to get another opportunity to see or hear this bird and hopefully get a good ID on it.
The highlight of the evening was seeing my first Green Heron of the season. That’s right, my FOS Green Heron. I feel like I have been out quite a lot this spring, but somehow I have not seen a GRHE until today. Unfortunately, no good photos of the bird. Another highlight was seeing and getting photos of a beautiful Yellow-billed Cuckoo, my current favorite bird. The lowlight was definitely the lack of shorebirds, with only a couple Killdeer and a single Spotted Sandpiper being seen.
White-rumped Sandpiper at the Liberty Loop, Wallkill River NWR, 5/19/14.
Quick post: I walked the Liberty Loop at the Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge tonight and had a good collection of shorebirds, including the highlight of the night – a single WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER. Other shorebirds included:
A very cooperative American Redstart that we took many photos of. Wallkill River NWR, Winding Waters Trail, 5/4/14.
I was running a little bit early to meet Karen Miller at the Winding Waters Trail, so I decided to make a quick stop at the Pine Island Turf Nursery. There was a good collection of shorebirds present, so I called Karen and she joined me there. We had three Bald Eagles, a Gadwall and did pretty well with the shorebirds, with 12 Semipalmated Sandpipers, 3 Greater Yellowlegs, 8 Lesser Yellowlegs, and a single Pectoral Sandpiper. Our intention was to go for warblers on this morning, so we did not linger and headed over to Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge.
Yellow Warbler at Winding Waters Trail, 5/4/14.Karen and I chased this House Wren around for a while, and I was finally able to get a shot that I like.
In spite of the windy conditions, Winding Waters Trail was full of birds. The area to the right of the trail, for the first 500 yards or so, is flooded and there are some Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs as well as Solitary Sandpipers there. As we walked the trail, we had plenty of birds to look at, and since I haven’t really gone for warblers year, I got several first of the season birds (FOS). Karen was very sharp all day and was finding many of the birds we saw. Karen headed home after we got back to the cars, and I went back to look at the shorebirds with my scope, and then went over to the viewing platform by the Liberty Loop and I walked out Liberty Lane, where the fields were flooded and I was hoping for more shorebirds. It was only somewhat productive; I had 1 Greater Yellowlegs, 1 Lesser Yellowlegs, and 3 Spotted Sandpipers. I ended the day with 45 species and 10 FOS birds. Here’s my list:
A female American Kestrel takes flight, Liberty Lane 5/4/14.
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
American Black Duck
Mallard
Green-winged Teal
Turkey Vulture
Northern Harrier
Bald Eagle
Red-tailed Hawk
Killdeer
Spotted Sandpiper
Solitary Sandpiper
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs (FOS)
Mourning Dove
Belted Kingfisher
Red-bellied Woodpecker
American Kestrel
Eastern Phoebe
Eastern Kingbird (FOS)
Warbling Vireo (FOS)
American Crow
Common Raven
Palm Warbler at Winding Waters Trail, 5/4/14.
Tree Swallow
Barn Swallow
House Wren (FOS)
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Eastern Bluebird
American Robin
Gray Catbird (FOS)
European Starling
Louisiana Waterthrush (FOS)
Common Yellowthroat (FOS)
American Redstart (FOS)
Yellow Warbler (FOS)
Palm Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Eastern Towhee (FOS)
Field Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
American Bittern, my FOS at Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge, 4/20/14.
Tricia I spent the holiday weekend up in Syracuse visiting her family, so my future brother-in-law Bill and I got out to Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge on Saturday afternoon. I’m in late on Sunday, so I don’t have time to complete the post, but suffice to say it was one of the better birding days I’ve had recently with plenty of photo opportunities – complete post to follow tomorrow.
