The Basha Kill – Page 3 – Orange Birding

Sunday Shots 4/6/14

The big news of the day was that Tom Burke had located a EURASIAN WIGEON at Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge. I was birding at the Bashakill with Karen Miller when I received a call from John Haas, letting me know about it. Tricia and I finally made it out to the refuge in the early afternoon and walked the west side of the Liberty Loop and joined several other birders that were looking at the bird in scopes. We got great looks in the scope, but photos were really tough. On our way out, more birders were on their way in to get a look at the bird. Here is a pretty awful photo of the bird:

Eurasian Wigeon in the top third of the photo a little to the right. Click here to see what the bird actually looks like.

Before the wigeon excitement, I had a nice morning of birding out at the Bashakill with Karen. We started at Haven Road, where my best bird was a Pied-billed Grebe seen in the distance on the north side of the bridge. There was a good number of Tree Swallows present, so I spent some time trying to photograph them in flight. They are not only a small bird, but so quick and unpredictable. Here’s a couple shots:

Tree Swallow in flight at the Bashakill, 4/6/14.

Our next stop was the Main Boat Launch, where I got to see Ed Morse for the first time of the season; it was great to see him back at it, keeping a close eye on the Bashakill Eagles. We checked on the eagle’s nest, saw 12 Horned Grebes in the distance, and then walked the Birch Trail. On the way we ran into Scotty Balding who informed us that he had seen an additional 16 Horned Grebes from the lookout, and a raft of 172 Ring-necked Ducks just a bit further down the trail. I spoke to Scotty again later in the day and his total count for Horned Grebes was 33! Pretty amazing that the Bash has had so many HOGRs for so long. Karen and I enjoyed the walk and had some relatively close encounters with some of the Bashakill’s more familiar residents:

A pair of Wood Ducks flying by the Birch Trail at the Bashakill, 4//6/14.

It's such a thrill when you get a Bald Eagle hunting so close to the trail. Bashakill, 4/6/14. — It’s such a thrill when you get a Bald Eagle hunting so close to the trail. Bashakill, 4/6/14.

This last photo is from earlier in the week but I didn’t have a chance to post it (it was on Thursday, the same day as the Caspian Tern sighting). Rob Stone had called to let me know there was a good photo opportunity for Common Goldeneyes at Greenwood Lake. I never got a Common Goldeneye close enough for good shots, plus the lighting was not great, but I do like this shot of a Bufflehead taking off:

Waterfowl Wednesday

One of 43 (!!!) Horned Grebes at the Bashakill WMA today, 4/2/14.

It started with a phone call from Karen Miller today while I was at work today. She had taken the day off and was birding with John Haas and Scott Baldinger. She called to rub in the fact that they had seen 43 (!!!) HORNED GREBES at the Bashakill Wildlife Management Area. I headed towards the Bashakill after work and when I arrived at Haven Road, I immediately located group of 8 Horned Grebes in the distance. I was able to get some decent shots of a couple of the birds, but then I moved on, heading back to Orange County. For more details on birding at the Bashakill today, go to the Bashakill Birder to read John Haas’ post.

After the Bash, I hustled over to Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge to see if we had had any similar luck in Orange County. I was going to meet Karen at the refuge, and when I arrived, Karen was already there and Joyce DePew was there as well. From the viewing platform we got a good look at a trio of American Coots – my first of the year.

My FOY American Coot, one of three at the Wallkill River NWR, 4/2/14.

We also had a Killdeer fly over in good light:

We walked the loop, and the marsh was loaded with waterfowl:

Canada Goose 80
Mute Swan 4
Wood Duck 2
American Wigeon 35
Mallard 30
Blue-winged Teal 5
Northern Shoveler 2
Northern Pintail 75
Green-winged Teal 85
Ring-necked Duck 100
Bufflehead 4

I was very conservative with these numbers because for me, it becomes difficult to keep track of all the bird numbers when you are also having conversations. I had a great time – good company, perfect weather, and plenty of birds – very hard to beat it.

The Northern Pintails were making a sound in flight that I don't remember hearing before. It was new to Joyce and Karen as well. NOPI at Wallkill River NWR, 4/2/14. — The Northern Pintails were making a sound in flight that I don’t remember hearing before. It was new to Joyce and Karen as well. NOPI at Wallkill River NWR, 4/2/14.

Bashakill WMA, 2/2/14

It’s been ages since I’ve birded the Bashakill WMA, so I picked up Karen Miller early this morning and we headed over. The warm weather was still holding on, so I was looking forward to getting out of the car and doing a little hiking. Our first stop was the Deli Fields which were pretty active, with a nice flock of American Goldfinches and several Eastern Bluebirds being seen before we even got out of the car. We kept hearing a Pileated Woodpecker off in the distance and we finally got a good look in binoculars of the bird flying over the treetops in the distance.

I haven't seen any American Goldfinches in a while, so it was good to see a flock of 25 or so at the Deli Fields. Bashakill WMA 2/2/14. — I haven’t seen any American Goldfinches in a while, so it was good to see a flock of 25 or so at the Deli Fields. Bashakill WMA 2/2/14.

Next, we headed over to Haven Road. Karen showed me where the new Bald Eagle nest is located and we could also see an adult Bald Eagle perched in a tree in the distance. Some mallards flushed and we noticed that the adult as well as an immature Bald Eagle were both in flight. A small flock of Canada Geese came in for a landing in what I’m assuming is some recently opened water north of Haven Road. We also had a single Ring-billed Gull fly over the road.

If you've seen the winners from Audubon Magazine's Photography Awards, you know why I've been enjoying shooting birds on these stark backgrounds. I never really liked it much, but now it is appealing to me. Ring-billed Gull at Haven Road, Bashakill WMA, 2/2/14. — If you’ve seen the winners from Audubon Magazine’s Photography Awards, you know why I’ve been enjoying shooting birds on these stark backgrounds. Ring-billed Gull at Haven Road, Bashakill WMA, 2/2/14.

Our last stop was at the main boat launch, where we walked a good portion of the Birch Trail, in hopes of finding a Hermit Thrush. We didn’t have any luck with the thrush, but we did well with many of the expected songbirds: Black-capped Chickadees, Tufted Titmice, White-breasted Nuthatch, Dark-eyed Juncos, Downy Woodpeckers, and Song Sparrows. We also saw and certainly heard my best bird of the day – a Common Raven flying over the Bash, making a racket while it did so.

I had almost forgotten how beautiful the Bashakill can be in all seasons. If you have not been out there in a while, or if you have never been there, do yourself a favor and visit the Bash in the winter. It’s gorgeous.

Here’s my list for the day:

Canada Goose 25
American Black Duck 2
Mallard 30
Bald Eagle 2
Ring-billed Gull 1
Mourning Dove 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Downy Woodpecker 3
Northern Flicker 2
Pileated Woodpecker 1
Blue Jay 8
American Crow 15
Common Raven 1
Black-capped Chickadee 5
Tufted Titmouse 3
White-breasted Nuthatch 2
Carolina Wren 2
Eastern Bluebird 4
American Robin 5
American Tree Sparrow 1
Song Sparrow 5
Dark-eyed Junco 50
Northern Cardinal 3
American Goldfinch 30

A Foggy Morning at the Basha Kill

A pair of Wood Ducks through the fog. Basha Kill WMA, 8/25//13.

I birded the Basha Kill WMA by kayak this foggy morning. The highlight of the outing was this Blue-winged Teal:

Blue-winged Teal in the channel at the Basha Kill, 8/25/13.

The sun finally broke through in time to get a few raptor photos:

Adult Bald Eagle, Basha Kill WMA 8/25/13.

Osprey in flight. Basha Kill WMA, 8/25/13.

Here’s my list for the day:

Canada Goose 5
Wood Duck X
Blue-winged Teal 1
Great Blue Heron 5
Osprey 2
Northern Harrier 1
Bald Eagle 1
Common Gallinule 6
Mourning Dove 2
Yellow-billed Cuckoo 1
Ruby-thr. Hummingbird 5
Belted Kingfisher 2
Northern Flicker 2
Eastern Phoebe 1
Eastern Kingbird 2
Yellow-throated Vireo 2
Blue Jay 1
American Crow 6
Tree Swallow 30
Barn Swallow 2
Tufted Titmouse 6
White-br. Nuthatch 1
House Wren 1
Veery 1 heard
Gray Catbird 10
Cedar Waxwing 28
Common Yellowthroat 1
Song Sparrow 8
Northern Cardinal 1
Red-winged Blackbird X
American Goldfinch 1

High Waters at the Basha Kill

I love the pose this Red-winged Blackbird was taking - wings stretched out. Basha Kill WMA 7/4/13. — I love the pose this Red-winged Blackbird was taking – wings stretched out. Basha Kill WMA 7/4/13.

I woke up early and took my kayak out to the Basha Kill for a paddle. Due to the heavy rains from earlier this week, the water level was really high, causing Haven Road to become flooded. The high water made an impact on my birding in a few ways. The first is that it made for a very easy paddle with no vegetation to slow me down in the channels. It also allowed me to explore the Bash outside the channels, where vegetation was present but it was still a relatively effortless paddle. Another effect of the high water level was also helpful. One of my target birds for the day was the Common Gallinule, which has been, for me, one of the tougher birds to get a good look at. Today I got several good looks and actually managed to get some decent photos. I believe that with the water up, there was less vegetation to hide these birds. Conversely, the final effect was not helpful at all. Great Blue Herons were out in numbers today, I saw probably 15 or so, but I never got close enough for a photo! Not one! I think that the GBHs were more easily aware of my presence without the vegetation to hide my approach.

I heard this bird long before I saw it. I am thrilled to finally get a decent shot of a Common Gallinule. Basha Kill 7/4/13.

Adult Bald Eagle at Basha Kill WMA, 7/4/13. I had a close encounter with one of the adults bringing in food to the two fledges but I did not manage to get any photos as they flew right over me in my kayak.

One more shot of the many Red-winged Blackbirds out at the Basha Kill, 74/13.

I'm trying to branch out a bit, taking photos of things other than birds. Basha Kill, 7/4/13. — I’m trying to branch out a bit, taking photos of things other than birds. Basha Kill, 7/4/13.

Basha Kill by Kayak 6/23/13

It’s still nice to get a good shot of one of our more common birds. Red-winged Blackbird at Basha Kill WMA 6/23/13.

I was feeling a bit uninspired when trying to figure out where to bird this morning. With migration long over and the summer kicking in, I was looking to do something a little bit different. It was right about this time last year that I started birding by kayak out at the Basha Kill, so I figured I would give it a shot. I put my kayak in the water at the route 209 boat launch just before 7 am. I paddled to Haven Road without seeing very much at all – a huge difference from last year when I had Wood Ducks and duckling at just about every turn, Pied-billed Grebes, and no shortage of Great Blue Herons. I was hearing plenty of birds on the perimeter of the kill, and I also was enjoying watching the Tree Swallows hunt and then perform an apparent mid-air food exchange. I tried to get a photo of this behavior, but I was unsuccessful.

At Haven Road I could see an adult Bald Eagle perched on the other side of the bridge. The water level is still very high, so I had to walk my kayak over Haven Road to continue. I moved very slowly and eventually got in good position to take some photos. This was clearly the highlight of my outing, I snapped away until the Red-winged Blackbirds and Eastern Kingbirds became too bothersome for the eagle and it flew.

Bald Eagle perched near Haven Road, as seen from my kayak 6/23/13.

Here the eagle is starting to get bothered by the small birds buzzing around…

I believe that is a female Red-winged Black bird right behind the eagle as it took off.

An here, it appears that an Eastern Kingbird is hitching a ride! It always amazes me that these small birds are willing to tangle with an adult Bald Eagle.

I took a quick cruise over to the Nature Trail when I finished my paddle, and picked up my best bird of the day by far: a pair of NORTHERN WATERTHRUSHES. This was a life bird for me, giving me two life birds this weekend – not too bad! They were splashing around in a puddle in the parking lot when I arrived, pumping their tails repeatedly. I tried to move closer for a photo and flushed them; I never did see them again. I had a nice photo opportunity at the end of the trail, where I stumbled upon about 10 Wood Duck ducklings. I think they are so sweet.

Pure sweetness – a Wood Duck duckling at Basha Kill WMA 6/23/13.

It ended up being a great morning for birding and for bird photography. Here’s my species list for the day:

Canada Goose 10
Wood Duck 25
Mallard 6
Great Blue Heron 5
Turkey Vulture 1
Bald Eagle 1
Virginia Rail 1
Common Gallinule 2
Mourning Dove 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Downy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker 2
Eastern Wood-Pewee 3
Eastern Phoebe 2
Eastern Kingbird 10
Yellow-throated Vireo 4
Warbling Vireo 3
Red-eyed Vireo 1
Blue Jay 2
American Crow 1
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 1
Tree Swallow 25
Barn Swallow 6
White-breasted Nuthatch 2
Veery 2
Wood Thrush 3
American Robin X
Gray Catbird X
Ovenbird 2
Northern Waterthrush 2
Common Yellowthroat 2
American Redstart 6
Yellow Warbler 10
Song Sparrow 3
Northern Cardinal 1
Red-winged Blackbird X
Common Grackle 8

Basha Kill WMA 5/26/13

Karen Miller and I went out to the Basha Kill WMA this morning and spent five and a half hours enjoying some fabulous birding. We started at Haven Road where we heard but did not see the American Bittern. We could hear a lot of bird activity at the Stop Sign Trail, so we headed there next. Right off the bat we got a good look at a Great Crested Flycatcher, which we had been hearing from the bridge on Haven Road. After that we got a good look at a Yellow-throated Vireo, a bird that I hear all the time but almost never get a look at. Moments later we had a Chestnut-sided Warbler, a beautiful little bird and a life bird for Karen. We walked all the way out to Moosehead Cove where we saw an Osprey cruising for prey. We heard and saw many birds along the way, with the highlight being this cooperative Veery:

Veery at the Stop Sign Trail, Basha Kill WMA 5/26/13.. — Veery at the Stop Sign Trail, Basha Kill WMA 5/26/13. Conditions were really low light for this photo, so it is a bit noisy and soft but I still felt it was worth posting.

Our next stop was the Main Boat Launch to see how the Nature Watch folks were doing. It was really windy there, but we enjoyed some good conversation with Maura and Bob Muller who were volunteering for the morning shift and saw one adult Bald Eagle and we watched the young Bald Eagles on the nest jumping and flapping their wings like mad, getting in as much practice as possible for that first flight that should happen in about a month or so.

Our final destination of the day was the Nature Trail, where we saw plenty of Warbling Vireos, Yellow Warblers, Common Yellowthroats, American Redstarts, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, and Baltimore Orioles.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak at the Nature Trail, 5/27/13.

We also got very good looks at a Cerulean Warbler and a mediocre photo too:

A singing Cerulean Warbler at the Nature Trail, 5/26/13.

The highlight of the day for me, though, was certainly the Yellow-billed Cuckoo. This was the bird I went out looking for today, and to actually see it AND be able to get a photo was amazing.

At the end of the day we had identified 40 species. What an awesome day of birding, honestly, it brings me great joy!

Basha Kill 5/18/13

Chestnut-sided Warbler at the Stop Sign Trail at the Basha Kill, 5/17/13. — Chestnut-sided Warbler at the Stop Sign Trail at the Basha Kill, 5/18/13.

In a brave move, I went out to the Basha Kill solo this morning. As you probably know, I do plenty of birding alone, but in this case I say it is brave because it is warbler season, and this being only my second year of looking for warblers, it still does not come very easily to me. I find both aspects of looking for warblers a challenge: 1. birding by ear, and 2. finding these littlest of birds in the vastness of the rapidly growing foliage. I felt pretty good about it when I was out, I was really enjoying myself. But by the end of the morning, I had only totaled 6 species of warblers, which is not exactly spectacular. Even though I did not get many warblers, I was seeing, hearing and identifying many birds. I ended the morning with 41 species, which a very nice total for me. Here’s my list for the day:

This was one of the highlights of the morning for me, one of two White-crowned Sparrows at the Deli Fields, 5/17/13. — This was one of the highlights of the morning for me, one of two White-crowned Sparrows at the Deli Fields, 5/18/13.

Canada Goose X
Wood Duck 4
Mallard 5
American Bittern 1
Great Blue Heron 10
Green Heron 1
Osprey 1
Bald Eagle 2
Rock Pigeon 10
Mourning Dove 7
Black-billed Cuckoo 1
Chimney Swift 2
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 2
Eastern Phoebe 3
Eastern Kingbird 4
Yellow-throated Vireo 2
Warbling Vireo X
Blue Jay 3

American Crow 1

These little Yellow Warblers are everywhere right now, and I think they take nice photos. This one was at the Nature Trail, 5/17/13. — These little Yellow Warblers are everywhere right now, and I think they take nice photos. This one was at the Nature Trail, 5/18/13.

Barn Swallow 8
Veery 1
Wood Thrush 4
American Robin X
Gray Catbird X
Brown Thrasher 1
Black-and-white Warbler 1
Common Yellowthroat X
American Redstart 6
Magnolia Warbler 1
Yellow Warbler X
Chestnut-sided Warbler 1
Field Sparrow 1
Song Sparrow X
Swamp Sparrow 2
White-crowned Sparrow 2
Northern Cardinal 1
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 1
Red-winged Blackbird X
Common Grackle X
Baltimore Oriole X
American Goldfinch 6

This was my first opportunity to photograph a Wood Thrush. This is a bit noisy and also a little soft because of the low light. Nature Trail, Basha Kill 5/17/13. — This was my first opportunity to photograph a Wood Thrush. This is a bit noisy and also a little soft because of the low light. Nature Trail, Basha Kill 5/18/13.

I had my first of season AMERICAN BITTERN shortly after arriving at Haven Road this morning. For a change, the bird was pretty easy to pick out in the sea of green.

Always photogenic, Eastern Phoebe at Haven Road, 5/17/13. — Always photogenic, Eastern Phoebe at Haven Road, 5/18/13.

Wonderful Waterfowl – A Birding Walk at the Basha Kill with John Haas

John Haas with the group at his Wonderful Waterfowl Bird Walk, Basha Kill 3/23/13. Photo by Karen Miller.

In spite of the cold and windy weather, yesterday morning I attended John Haas’ waterfowl walk along with 18 other hardy souls. We were not disappointed, as there were many bird species present, waterfowl and otherwise. Visit John’s blog, The Basha Kill Birder to see his post which contains his account and a list of all species. Normally for me the highlight of any birding outing has to do with seeing and identifying a particular species, or maybe seeing some sort of new behavior. In this case it was being able to spend a few hours with John, who has a wealth of bird knowledge that is incredible. He is a fantastic teacher; he touched on basics for the beginners in the group, but also got more in depth for some of the more experienced birders in the group. On top of all this, John is a “bird magnet”. We were not on Haven Road for very long when he spotted an accipiter flying overhead…could it be? Yes! A NORTHERN GOSHAWK!

A NORTHER GOSHAWK flies over Haven Road at the Basha Kill, 3/23/13.

We got good looks at most of the waterfowl, but only because John and several other people brought scopes. Most of what we saw was quite distant, making it tough for photos. Here are a couple of Common Goldeneyes, a life bird for me on a visit to the Basha Kill earlier in the week:

The Canada Geese on the muskrat hill in the background sort of steal the show, but there are two C Goldeneyes in the foreground. Basha Kill 3/23/13. — The Canada Geese on the muskrat hill in the background sort of steal the show, but there are two Common Goldeneyes in the foreground. Basha Kill 3/23/13.

Huge thanks to John for a very enjoyable and rewarding outing, and also thanks to my birding buddy Karen Miller for the group shots. Here’s a shot of me and the rest of group:

I'm looking for a pair of Blue-winged Teals that had been reported by Scott Baldinger...I had no luck. — I’m looking for a pair of Blue-winged Teals that had been reported by Scott Baldinger…I had no luck. Photo by Karen Miller.

Later in the day I spent some time out at the Shawangunk Grasslands in the south blind. It was my first time in that blind and it paid off as I got many good looks at the “Gray Ghost”:

Basha Kill 9/15/12

I put my kayak into the water at the Basha Kill right at sunrise this morning. It was a chilly paddle at first, but as the sun made it over the mountain it warmed up quickly. There were many Wood Ducks flying over and I came across at least a half a dozen Great Blue Herons as I paddled the channel. I spotted a couple of falcons that darted behind the trees before I could get a good ID on them. Ironically the highlight of my paddle this morning came when I stopped at Haven Road and got out of my kayak to chat with fellow birder/blogger John Haas (The Bashakill Birder). We watched as a Merlin flew across Haven Road and then chased a Mourning Dove over the kill and around the corner. The Merlin was overhead again shortly after that and then perched on a tree right on Haven road, giving me a good opportunity to get a photo:

_MG_5815 — Merlin on Haven Road at the Basha Kill

_MG_5777 — Two of the many Wood Ducks that flew over as I paddled the channel.

After my paddle, I headed over to the Deli Fields to have a look around: