6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary – Page 4

Hawkwatch Begins!

~It’s that time of year! Get ready for some Turkey Vulture photos! Even when the migrating raptors are flying high, these dudes usually give up a photo op. Mount Peter Hawkwatch, 9/5/15.~

MOUNT PETER HAWKWATCH

So the big news of the day is that it was my first day of the season as official counter out at Mount Peter Hawkwatch. For those who don’t know, Mount Peter Hawkwatch is located on Kain Road, just off of route 17A in Warwick. It’s right across from Bellvale Farms Creamery. Every day from September 1st until November 15th, there will be an official counter tallying all the migrating raptors that pass over. The results from each day’s count are reported to the Hawk Migration Association of North America (HMANA) and can be seen at their website HawkCount. They can also be seen on the Mount Peter Facebook Page.

I am excited to be the official counter every Saturday of the season with the exceptions of September 12th and 26th. The season has gotten off to a slow start, but I expect that to change quickly. I had a decent day with only 17 migrating raptors, but plenty of non-migrating raptor action to keep me entertained. For the day I had 10 BALD EAGLE SITINGS! Only four of the birds migrated and went on the official count, but what fun to see so many eagles. The highlight was certainly having one immature and two adult Bald Eagles flying high, directly over the viewing platform. I’ve included a sequence of distant photos of one adult and the immature mixing it up pretty good. I swear, I saw the adult do two barrel rolls! It was fantastic.

~It was great fun to watch this live. An adult and an immature Bald Eagle tangle way overhead. Heavy crop here! Mount Peter Hawkwatch, 9/5/15.~

And here is my report for the day:

THE REST OF THE DAY

I actually got out early this morning and went back to look for the Baird’s Sandpipers that were at Turtle Bay yesterday evening, hoping to get a better look and perhaps some photos. I located one at Turtle Bay, more distant than they were the day before, and then Bruce Nott called to say he had 3 Baird’s Sandpipers at his location and they were pretty close. I hustled over to meet Bruce and was able to improve on my photos from last night considerably. Huge thanks to Bruce for the heads up!

~Baird’s Sandpiper in the grass in the Black Dirt Region, 9/5/15.~

~Two of the 3 Baird’s Sandpipers that I photographed this morning in the black dirt. The photo is backlit but still appeals to me for some reason. 9/5/15.~

After I left Mount Peter, I went to 6 1/2 Station Sanctuary Citgo Trail to see, one if the Stilt Sandpiper was still around, and two, if anything new had come in. When I arrived at the pond, the STSA was still present, a little closer and in nice evening light. I was able to improve on my shots of this bird as well. The pond was quite birdy, with many Least Sandpipers again, plenty of Killdeer, and several Pectoral Sandpipers and Lesser Yellowlegs. It was a nice way to end a really super day of birding.

~Stilt Sandpiper feeding at the Citgo Pond, 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary, 9/5/15.~

~This is what I call a lot of swallows! I ran across these birds in my travels this morning in the Black Dirt Region. From what I can tell, these are basically all Tree Swallows, 9/5/15.~

Orange County Stilt Sandpiper, 9/3/15

~STILT SANDPIPER, on the left with a Lesser Yellowlegs on the right, 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary, 9/3/15.~

I made it out to the Citgo Pond side of 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary this evening after work, and I’m glad I did (it was so hot and humid, I almost bailed on it). As soon as I arrived at the pond, I looked through my scope and immediately saw what I thought was a STILT SANDPIPER. I watched the bird for a little bit in order to be a little more comfortable with the ID, and then put the word out. John Haas joined me first and concurred that it was a Stilt Sandpiper, most likely in first winter plumage. Karen Miller arrived shortly after that and we enjoyed good scope views of the bird as it worked the pond. The bird did not seem all that far out, but it was still a little too far out for quality photos, so what I’ve posted here is the best I could do. There were many shorebirds present at the pond with Least Sandpipers being by far the most numerous (100 birds +/-). Also present were Killdeer (15), Lesser Yellowlegs (5), Solitary Sandpipers (2), and a single Pectoral Sandpiper.

~Stilt Sandpiper at the Citgo Pond, 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary, 9/3/15.~

~One more of the Stilt Sandpiper, with a Least Sandpiper back and to the right. 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary, 9/3/15.~

Shorebird Update, 8/31/15

~One of 3 Wilson’s Snipe at 6 1/2 Station Sanctuary, 8/31/15.~

QUICK POST: Here’s a list of the shorebirds I had tonight at 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary. I got my first Orange County Wilson’s Snipe of the season and my first Greater Yellowlegs for the season at the sanctuary. Numbers are serious guesstimates, as it’s tough to keep count while going back and forth from the Citgo Pond Trail and the Heritage Trail (both myself and the birds!):

Killdeer 10
Greater Yellowlegs 2
Lesser Yellowlegs 4
Solitary Sandpiper 2
Least Sandpiper 35
Wilson’s Snipe 3

~I ran across this little baby on the trail to the Citgo Pond, 8/31/15.~

Weekend Wrap-up, 8/23/15

*Click on photos to enlarge*

I finally got a good look at not one, but two YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOOS! They were located on the west side of the Liberty Loop, Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge, 8/23/15.~

SATURDAY

I spent a good part of the day on Saturday checking many of the usual spots for shorebirds, but the only spot that had any noticeable developments was the Citgo Trail at 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary, where the highlight was 4 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS (Thanks John Haas for the heads up on the PESAs):

Semipalmated Plover 1
Killdeer 8
Lesser Yellowlegs 5
Least Sandpiper 15
Pectoral Sandpiper 4
Semipalmated Sandpiper 1

SUNDAY MORNING

Sunday morning I woke up not entirely sure of where I wanted to go birding, so I ended up doing the usual and walking the Liberty Loop at Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge. It has been the hottest spot recently and the large variety of birds that are possible is always appealing. When I first arrived, I spent some time at the viewing platform with Kevin Kreischer where we photographed the usual cast of characters that have been found there lately: Great Blue Herons, Great Egrets, a Green Heron, and single Black-crowned Night Heron that did a perfect flyby for photos, but sadly, Kevin and I were both caught off guard and missed it. A little later the Green heron did the same, a little further out and I did a little better with that:

~Green Heron in flight in front of the viewing platform at Liberty Marsh, Wallkill River NWR, 8/23/15.~

~A Great Egret hunts in front of the platform in nice light. Liberty Marsh, 8/23/15.~

As I walked the loop with hopes of some shorebird magic in the back pond, it was quite birdy with a good showing of passerines that are on the move: I had a good number of Rose-breasted Grosbeaks (8), Ruby-throated Hummingbirds (12), and Blue-gray Gnatcatchers (7). The back pond was disappointing: only Lesser Yellowlegs (5), Killdeer (7), and Least Sandpipers (9) were present as far as shorebirds go.

~This is a sweet and sad looking bird. Rose-breasted Grosbeak female, a bird that I was happy to finally get a decent photo of. Liberty Loop, 8/23/15.~

~These Wood Ducks were not too bothered by my presence on the trail by the back pond of the Liberty Loop, 8/23/15.~

As I was leaving the back pond, I was pleasantly surprised to find a Green Heron perched in the tree on the right side of the trail. I was already pretty close to the bird by the time I saw it; I wasn’t sure why it hadn’t flushed yet. Then I noticed that it was watching something overhead; the following shots show the bird’s reaction to a Turkey Vulture that was circling not too high overhead:

~Green Heron perched along the Liberty Loop Trail, 8/23/15.~

~The bird watched an overhead Turkey Vulture very intently, Liberty Loop 8/23/15.~

~Including watching as the raptor flew directly overhead. Green Heron at the Liberty Loop Trail, 8/23/15.~

My best bird of the day was actually a pair of birds: YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOOS. They were located on the west side of the loop, just south of “Mosquito Alley”. Cuckoos are truly one of my favorite birds and it has been a frustrating year where I have heard many, many cuckoos but not gotten a really good look at one. It was a really enjoyable morning of birding with several good photo ops and a good number of birds, with total of 46 species on my list.

~This Eastern Kingbird perched right next to me while I was shooting the Green Heron, so I couldn’t resist taking a few shots. Liberty Loop Trail at Wallkill River NWR, 8/23/15.~

~Northern Harrier in flight over the marsh. This photo was actually taken Saturday night but I wanted to include it. Liberty Loop at Wallkill River NWR, 8/22/15.~

~Lesser Yellowlegs in flight over the back pond at the Liberty Loop, 8/23/15.~

SUNDAY EVENING

I went looking for shorebirds at 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary in the evening. I walked out to the pond at the Citgo Trail and found only a handful of shorebirds there. Then I walked the Heritage Trail, and all the shorebirds were on that side of the sanctuary. It was tough to get a handle on the number of birds out there, the birds were distant and moving around a lot, plus it’s tough to get clear looks from the trail these days because it’s so overgrown. I guesstimate 40+ Least Sandpipers, 15+ Killdeer, 3 Pectoral Sandpipers, and 4 Lesser Yellowlegs.

~Shorebirds in flight (likely Least Sandpipers) at 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary, 8/23/15.~

7/23/15 – Shorebird Report…

~This is first raptor I have photographed in a while. Red-tailed Hawk on my way home from 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary, 7/23/15.~

…And a couple additional photos from today’s birding. I made two stops after work looking for shorebirds:

Liberty Loop – Back Pond:

Least Sandpiper 12
Lesser Yellowlegs 9
Greater Yellowlegs 2
Solitary Sandpiper 1
Spotted Sandpiper 3
Killdeer 14
PECTORAL SANDPIPER 1

6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary – Citgo Pond:

Least Sandpiper 14
Lesser Yellowlegs 1
Spotted Sandpiper 1
Killdeer 9

~A little bit of a different look at a Lesser Yellowlegs – taken when all the shorebirds in the back pond at Liberty Loop were briefly alarmed by something which I never located. 7/23/15.~

~Great Egret in flight, Liberty Loop 7/23/15.~

6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary, 5/28/15

I made it out to 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary after work this afternoon. My primary objective was to check for shorebirds at the Citgo Pond; I was only moderately successful with 4 Killdeer (3 adults and one chick), 3 Least Sandpipers, 1 Spotted Sandpiper, and 1 Semipalmated Plover. The highlight of the afternoon was getting my first good look at a Green Heron for the season. Up until now, I only caught glimpses of them, including 2 flyovers on the highway during my commute to work. After birding the Citgo Pond, I continue over to the Heritage Trail side of the refuge. It was not terribly birdy, but it was a nice walk with enough birds to keep me occupied. It occurred to me that I have not included a complete list of species in a post in a while, so here’s a list of the 31 species I had for the day:

This photo was actually taken on Tuesday at Sterling Forest State Park where I walked the Sterling Lake Loop. It's a nice long walk and pretty birdy too - I had 41 species in a 2 1/2 hour walk. Red-eyed Vireo, 5/26/15. — This photo was actually taken on Tuesday at Sterling Forest State Park where I walked the Sterling Lake Loop. It’s a nice long walk and pretty birdy too – I had 39 species in a 2 1/2 hour walk. Red-eyed Vireo, 5/26/15.

Canada Goose 15
Wood Duck 12
Mallard 8
Great Blue Heron 1
Green Heron 2
Turkey Vulture 4
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Semipalmated Plover 1
Killdeer 4
Spotted Sandpiper 1
Least Sandpiper 3
Eastern Wood-Pewee 1
Willow Flycatcher 1
Eastern Kingbird 1
Warbling Vireo 5
American Crow 4
Tree Swallow 8
Marsh Wren 2
American Robin 5
Gray Catbird 3
European Starling 14
Cedar Waxwing 2
Common Yellowthroat 6
Yellow Warbler 4
Song Sparrow 8
Swamp Sparrow 1
Northern Cardinal 2
Indigo Bunting 2
Red-winged Blackbird X
Common Grackle 4
Baltimore Oriole 3

6 1/2 Station Shorebirds, 5/19/15

*Click on photos to enlarge.*

~One Dunlin (second bird in from the right) and twenty-five of the fifty-five Short-billed Dowitchers today at 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary, 5/19/15.~

QUICK POST: Wow, it was a REALLY great afternoon for shorebirds at the 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary Citgo Pond. Here’s my list:

Short-billed Dowitcher (55!!!)
Dunlin (2)
Semipalmated Sandpiper (2)
Least Sandpiper (2)
Killdeer (1)
Spotted Sandpiper (2)

~Short-billed Dowitchers in flight and feeding, as well as a Dunlin, a Semipalmated Sandpiper, what I believe is a Least Sandpiper (bird furthest to the left that is not chopped in half), and a couple of Mallards. 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary, 5/19/15.~

Orange County Weekend

~Greater Yellowlegs at the Camel Farm, 4/2615.~

It was a beautiful weekend to get outside and do some birding. On Saturday morning I got up early and headed over to 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary, where I had my first Green Heron of the year which was distant and in flight, so no photo. From there I made my way to the Bashakill Wildlife Management Area; I was scheduled to volunteer alongside Karen Miller at the Bashakill Area Association’s Nature Watch Program. This is my fourth year participating in the Nature Watch. Most years the program revolves around the Bald Eagles that nest within viewing distance from the main boat launch. Unfortunately, this year the eagles lost their eggs; it is believed that the extended spell of cold weather may have taken its toll. So this year will be a little bit different. We kept at least one scope on the Osprey Nest across the Bash from the main boat launch. The Osprey are in the process of building the nest and it is still on the small side. We saw both perched on or near the nest at different times during our shift. We kept track of all species seen and heard from the boat launch during our 3 hour shift: we had 17 species total. We also kept track of the number of visitors (37) and the number of boats that go out (12). The birding highlight for me was getting my FOY (first of the year) Eastern Kingbird at Haven Road on my way to the main boat launch. The Nature Watch Program runs on weekends (10am – 4pm) from now until the last weekend in June, so stop by if you would like to check out the Osprey nest or anything else seen from the boat launch through the program’s spotting scopes.

~FOY Eastern Kingbird at Haven Road in the Bashakill, 4/25/15.~

On Sunday I went to Glenmere Lake first thing but had no luck. From there I went to Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge to walk the Liberty Loop. I walked the west side of the loop first, and about halfway up that side another birder caught up with me. We started talking and made introductions; his name was Dick Champion. We walked the remainder of the loop together, Dick has a good eye and the birding was good but the conversation was better. The highlight of the walk for me was when Dick located 5 Greater Yellowlegs at the southern end of the loop, they were my first of the year. I ended the walk with a total of 33 species.

~Greater Yellowlegs at the south end of the Liberty Loop, 4/26/15.~

I made a couple more stops after the loop, I walked a little bit at Pochuck Mountain State Forest but it was pretty quiet there. I also made a quick stop at the Camel Farm and although quiet, I picked up a single Greater Yellowlegs for my Orange County list.

~Tufted Titmouse at Pochuck Mountain State Forest, 4/26/15.~

~This was actually my first bird of the day on Sunday, one of three Northern Flickers in my yard in Goshen NY, 4/26/15.~

6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary 4/1/15

I made a quick stop by 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary this afternoon. I am happy to report almost all the ice has finally melted and there was some waterfowl present, including the highlight of the day, a pair of COMMON GOLDENEYES. Here is my list for the afternoon:

~Song Sparrow in nice evening light, 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary, 4/1/15.~

Canada Goose
Mute Swan
American Black Duck
Northern Pintail
Ring-necked Duck
Common Goldeneye
Great Blue Heron
Turkey Vulture
Red-tailed Hawk
Killdeer
Ring-billed Gull
Mourning Dove
American Crow
Tree Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
White-breasted Nuthatch
American Robin
European Starling
American Tree Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle

6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary, 10/17 & 10/19

Two Great Egret perch facing into the wind on Friday night. 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary, 10/17/14.

I made it out to 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary a couple of times over the weekend – Friday after work and then again on Sunday evening. My visits continue to be very enjoyable; I’m not finding many new birds, but there are many birds present. I did not do a list on Friday, but tonight in a short visit, I had 35 species. The light has been nice and I have just been enjoying being out and taking some photos. Both visits I spent some time with the very accessible Yellow-rumped Warblers that are present. Tonight it really paid off, as a Blue-headed Vireo suddenly appeared and I was able to get a shot.

Blue-headed Vireo at 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary, 10/19/14.

And of course, the Yellow-rumps gave me plenty of opportunities. I was enjoying trying to get shots of them through all the branches and leaves. Here’s some shots that I liked:

Yellow-rumped Warbler at 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary, 10/19/14.

Yellow-rumped Warbler at 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary, 10/17/14.

Both Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned Kinglets were present over the weekend. I had ample opportunity with a Ruby-crowned tonight but I did not get any good photos. I did a little better with a Golden-crowned on Friday:

With just a hint of the crown showing, here's a Golden-crowned Kinglet. 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary, 10/19/14. — With just a hint of the crown showing, here’s a Golden-crowned Kinglet. 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary, 10/19/14.

Here’s my species list for tonight (10/19//14):

Canada Goose
American Black Duck
Mallard
Blue-winged Teal
Northern Shoveler
Green-winged Teal
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Turkey Vulture
Red-tailed Hawk
Killdeer
Greater Yellowlegs
Ring-billed Gull
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Eastern Phoebe
Blue-headed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Carolina Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Eastern Bluebird
American Robin
European Starling
American Pipit
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Field Sparrow
Song Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird