Raptors – Page 20 – Orange Birding

Mt. Peter Hawk Watch – 9/28/13

Well, I had another slow day for migrating raptors at Mt. Peter Hawk Watch today. Overall I think the numbers of migrating hawks at the watch have been good this season, but I only had 21 today. Visit Hawkcount.org to see all the data for the year. Here is my report from today:

Mount Peter
Warwick, New York, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 28, 2013
——————————————————————-

Species            Day’s Count    Month Total   Season Total
—————— ———– ————– ————–
Black Vulture                0              0              0
Turkey Vulture               0              2              2
Osprey                       1            101            101
Bald Eagle                   1             71             71
Northern Harrier             2             26             26
Sharp-shinned Hawk           8            362            362
Cooper’s Hawk                0             21             21
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          1             20             20
Broad-winged Hawk            8           7591           7591
Red-tailed Hawk              0              6              6
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              0              0
American Kestrel             0             86             86
Merlin                       0              5              5
Peregrine Falcon             0              6              6
Unknown Accipiter            0              0              0
Unknown Buteo                0              3              3
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              1              1
Unknown Raptor               0             16             16

Total: 21 8317 8317
———————————————————————-

Observation start time: 08:00:00
Observation end time: 16:00:00
Total observation time: 8 hours

Official Counter: Matt Zeitler

Observers: Tom Millard

Visitors:
Steven Liss and family, several families eating their ice cream.

Weather:
A heavy fog rolled in from the valley shortly after my arrival to the
watch, but cleared up by the end of the first hour. It was a warm sunny day
with some clouds and a gentle NW breeze that shifted to NE during the fifth
hour of the watch. Temperatures ranged from 10 to 25 degrees Celsius.

Raptor Observations:
Migrating raptors included (1) Immature Bald Eagle, (2) unknown Northern
Harriers, and an immature Red-shouldered Hawk.
Non-migrating raptors: Turkey Vultures and Black Vultures were flying for
most of the day as was one local Red-tailed Hawk. Just before noon Eastern
Standard Time an immature Bald Eagle circled west of the viewing platform
but then headed north.

Non-raptor Observations:
Non-raptor species: Tufted Titmouse, Blue Jay (49), Black-throated Green
Warbler (2), Cedar Waxwing (18), Eastern Phoebe, Canada Goose (33), Chimney
Swift (5), Red-bellied Woodpecker, Palm Warbler.

Beautiful marking on this bird. Red-tailed Haw at Mt. Peter Hawk Watch, 9/28/13.

I had a decent Blue Jay flight early in the day, with 49 Blue Jays, Mt. Peter Hawk Watch, 9/28/13.

I really think I should have gotten a better shot of this bird, this was the most accommodating warbler. — I really think I should have gotten a better shot of this bird, this was the most accommodating Black-throated Green Warbler. Mt. Peter Hawk Watch, 9/28/13.

Mt. Peter 9/21/13

-I have this as a Juvenile Broad-winged Hawk, Mt. Peter Hawk Watch 9/21/13.

Wow, today was a slow day at the hawk watch. Just one day after having over 2,700 migrating raptors, I had only 23 today. The good news is that the birds were flying a little lower so I was able to snap a few photos. Here is my report for the day:

Mount Peter
Warwick, New York, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 21, 2013
——————————————————————-

Species            Day’s Count    Month Total   Season Total
—————— ———– ————– ————–
Black Vulture                0              0              0
Turkey Vulture               0              0              0
Osprey                       0             81             81
Bald Eagle                   0             46             46
Northern Harrier             0             11             11
Sharp-shinned Hawk          16            208            208
Cooper’s Hawk                0             15             15
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          1             18             18
Broad-winged Hawk            4           7109           7109
Red-tailed Hawk              0              5              5
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              0              0
American Kestrel             2             49             49
Merlin                       0              4              4
Peregrine Falcon             0              3              3
Unknown Accipiter            0              0              0
Unknown Buteo                0              3              3
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              1              1
Unknown Raptor               0             13             13

Total: 23 7566 7566
———————————————————————-

Observation start time: 08:00:00
Observation end time: 16:00:00
Total observation time: 8 hours

Official Counter: Matt Zeitler

Observers: Bill Connolly, Bill O’Keefe, Rob Stone

Visitors:
Lee Geiger, several families.

Weather:
It was a little cool and very cloudy in the morning but warm and partly
sunny in the afternoon. Temperatures ranged from 15 to 24 degrees Celsius.

Raptor Observations:
For migrating raptors we had one adult Red-shouldered Hawk, one male
American Kestrel, and one unknown American Kestrel. Non-migrating raptors
included Turkey Vultures, Black Vultures, Red-tailed Hawks (2) and a low
flying Coopers Hawk that passed 50 yards to the west of the platform, below
eye level, and darted into the trees.

Non-raptor Observations:
Non Raptor Species: American Goldfinch (1), Cedar Waxwing (15), Blue Jay
(20+), Canada Goose (1), Ruby-throated Hummingbird (1), and Chimney Swift
(13). Non-raptor highlight was a Common Loon to the west of the platform,
heading north.

9/18/13 and 9/19/13

This Belted Kingfisher was very cooperative, perching and fishing in the pond right in front of the viewing platform. Wallkill River NWR, 9/18/13.

Both yesterday and today I left work and spent an hour or so at Mt. Peter Hawk Watch. Yesterday I caught the tail end of a great day – over 1400 migrating raptors passed over. While I was there we had a large kettle of fly over, comprised of over 160 Broad-winged Hawks and one immature Bald Eagle. It was really so cool to see. Today, although over 500 raptors were counted migrating over the watch, I did not fair too well. By the time I got there, things had pretty much dried up. I got a decent look at an immature Bald Eagle that did not migrate, but headed north instead. I also took a shot of one of the local Turkey Vultures, which seem to be the only birds flying low this year:

A bedraggled Turkey Vulture passes over the platform at Mt. Peter Hawk Watch, 9/19/13.

On both days, after the watch, I headed over to Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge. I mostly birded from the viewing platform both days, though I did walk west on the trail yesterday for a stretch. There were a good number of shorebirds present, including Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser Yellowlegs, Pectoral Sandpipers, and a Solitary Sandpiper. Other favorites included Great Egrets, a Great Blue Heron, many Green Herons, a Northern Shoveler and a couple of Northern Harriers. But, the highlight for me was getting some good photo ops with this Belted Kingfisher:

It was great fun trying to shoot this bird, Belted Kingfisher out at Wallkill River NWR 9/18/13.

A hovering Belted Kingfisher at Wallkill River NWR, 9/18/13.

Maybe it's because I haven't seen one in a little while, but I was not sure what bird this was for a while, until I got some help from a fellow birder who joined me on the platform. Solitary Sandpiper at Wallkill River NWR, 9/19/13. — Maybe it’s because I haven’t seen one in a little while, but I was not sure what bird this was for a while, until I got some help from a fellow birder who joined me on the platform. Solitary Sandpiper at Wallkill River NWR, 9/19/13.

Summitville Hawk Watch

This is a couple of days late, but on Sunday I filled in for John Haas at the Summitville Hawk Watch. It was a slow day which I will attribute to a SSW wind for most of the day. Ideal winds would come from the NW. Here’s my report for the day as it appears at hawkcount.org:

2013-09-15 Observation Start Time: 08:00 End Time: 16:00 Observer Hours: 8

Day’s Raptor Counts	TV	BE	OS	NH	SS	CH	NG	RS	BW	RT	RL	GE	AK	ML	PG	UA	UB	UF	UE	UR	Day’s Total
Day’s Raptor Counts	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	51	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	1	56

Official Counter	Matt Zeitler
Observers
Weather	cool and cloudy

Mt. Peter Hawk Watch

Today was my first day counting out at Mt. Peter Hawk Watch. It was a good day for me, we had enough hawks to keep it interesting, but not too many to make it difficult for me as the counter. The birds were flying high, but we had 200 migrating hawks today. Here is my report from hawkcount.org:

Mount Peter
Warwick, New York, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 14, 2013
——————————————————————-

Species            Day’s Count    Month Total   Season Total
—————— ———– ————– ————–
Black Vulture                0              0              0
Turkey Vulture               0              0              0
Osprey                      15             61             61
Bald Eagle                   3             29             29
Northern Harrier             0              8              8
Sharp-shinned Hawk          17             87             87
Cooper’s Hawk                1              7              7
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          1              6              6
Broad-winged Hawk          156            870            870
Red-tailed Hawk              0              4              4
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              0              0
American Kestrel             3             36             36
Merlin                       1              3              3
Peregrine Falcon             1              2              2
Unknown Accipiter            0              0              0
Unknown Buteo                1              2              2
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              1              1
Unknown Raptor               1             10             10

Total: 200 1126 1126
———————————————————————-

Observation start time: 08:00:00
Observation end time: 16:00:00
Total observation time: 8 hours

Official Counter: Matt Zeitler

Observers: Ajit I. Antony, Beverly Robertson, Bill O’Keefe,
Judith C. Cinquina, Rob Stone, Scot Marchal

Visitors:
Penny Whitlick, Enid Hayflick, Mike Ipp., Jan Hesbon, Diane Brown

Weather:
Cool and cloudy for most of the day with a steady NW wind that was strong
at times. Temperatures ranged from 11 to 16 degrees Celsius.

Raptor Observations:
Raptors were flying high today even in the first hour of the watch. (3)
Adult Bald Eagles migrated and we had one adult Bald Eagle that headed
north. Also migrating were (1) Red-shouldered Hawk (unknown) and (3)
American Kestrels (2 unknown, 1 female).

Non-raptor Observations:
Bird Species identified: Tree Swallow (17), Canada Goose (34), Cedar
Waxwing (36), Common Raven (4), Chimney Swift (11), House Wren,
Black-capped Chickadee, American Crow (2), Blackburnian Warbler, Blackpoll
Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, American Redstart, Red-eyed Vireo,
and Magnolia Warbler. Non-raptor highlight was two Common Ravens flying
very close to one another and one of them doing a barrel roll.

After the hawk watch, I headed back to the Pine Island Turf Nursery to try for a better shot of the American Golden-Plovers:

American Golden-Plover out at the Pine Island Turf Nursery, 9/14/13.

9/10/13

I only have time for a quick post. I met Karen Miller over at Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge yesterday evening where, to me, it was really beginning to feel like fall (in spite of the warm temperatures). We had some good ducks – many Mallards, some Green-winged Teals, and a single northern Shoveler. There were still some shorebirds present, including Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser Yellowlegs, and three Wilson’s Snipes. Green Herons are plentiful at the refuge right now for sure. Last week, we had eight (!) perched in one small tree! Here are some photos from the day, click on them to enlarge:

This looks like a first winter Northern Shoveler to me, as shown on page 58 of The Crossley Guide.

Green-winged Teal at Wallkill River NWR 9/10/13.

These Mallards were just packed onto this little island.

One of several Green Herons out at the refuge, 9/10/13.

This photo did not turn out well, but I thought it was worth showing - eight! Green Herons in one small tree. Wallkill River NWR 8/31/13. — This photo did not turn out well, but I thought it was worth showing – eight! Green Herons in one small tree. Wallkill River NWR 8/31/13.

I have also made it out to the Mt. Peter Hawk Watch after work each night this week. It has been a slow week for me, in three visits I have a total of 4 migrating raptors (2 Sharp-shinned Hawks and 2 Osprey). Here’s a shot of one of the Turkey Vultures that hang out on the cell tower near the watch:

Turkey Vulture NOT migrating. Mt. Peter Hawk Watch, 9/10/13.

Hawk Watch Season Begins

I took this shot a couple of weeks ago while looking for shorebirds at the Pine Island Turf Nursery. Seeing this Peregrine Falcon definitely got me pumped to start the Hawk Watch — I took this shot a couple of weeks ago while looking for shorebirds at the Pine Island Turf Nursery. Seeing this Peregrine Falcon definitely got me pumped for the start of Hawk Watch.

Hawk Watch Season officially began for me today; I made my first visit out to Mt. Peter Hawk Watch. Judy Cinquina was the official counter for the day, and while we did not have much action while I was there, she did count 135 migrating raptors for the day – mostly Broad-winged Hawks. To see details of today’s count, or to look up data from past years’ counts, go to Hawkcount.org. This site is a great resource; data from 275 hawk watches in North America can be found there. For daily counts and more raptor posts you can also check out and become a member of the Mt. Peter Facebook Group.

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

Osprey at Winding Hills Park

Osprey in flight over Winding Hills Park, 8/11/13.

Last Sunday, Tricia and I went for a paddle in the kayaks to Winding Hills Park in Montgomery NY. We like to go there for a relaxing paddle; it is very beautiful and the sunsets can be amazing. For birding, it is usually not that great – there is usually at least one Great Blue Heron Present and we have had Spotted Sandpipers there from time to time. Eastern Wood Peewees can be heard and sometimes seen, and Tufted Titmice and a number of other song birds can usually be counted on. On this day, as soon as I got out of the car the first thing I noticed was an Osprey fishing on the lake. I had never seen one there before and I am thinking that this bird was making a stopover during its migration. I took a bunch of photos while the light was good and then afterwards, Tricia and I just relaxed, floating around the lake in our kayaks and enjoying the sunset.

*Click on photos to enlarge*

OSPREY, WINDING HILLS PARK – 8/11/13

This was the Osprey's favorite perch, it kept returning to it... — This was the Osprey’s favorite perch, it kept returning to it…

...then it would take off again in search of a meal. — …then it would take off again in search of a meal.

This Osprey did not catch a single fish while we were there, but none of the people fishing from the shore caught anything either, so maybe it wasn't the bird's fault. — This Osprey did not catch a single fish while we were there, but none of the people fishing from the shore caught anything either, so maybe it wasn’t the bird’s fault.

In this shot the Osprey is flying away from me, but I still like it - the water exploding off the bird and the talon all balled up. — In this shot the Osprey is flying away from me, but I still like it – the water exploding off the bird and the talon all balled up.

I've cropped all these images pretty heavily. While the bird was not very far away, as I looked at the photos I really wanted to convey what an up-close and intimate experience it was watching this bird . — I’ve cropped all these images pretty heavily. While the bird was not very far away, as I looked at the photos I really wanted to convey what an up-close and intimate experience it was watching this bird .

Early Saturday Morning Birding

House Wren out at Denning’s Point State Park, 6/1/13.

I got up early to try to beat the heat this morning and headed out to Denning’s Point State Park. I had not been out there since last year, so I was hoping to have some luck with Green Herons and Black-crowned Night Herons. As it turned out, the park was not extremely birdy on this day and I did not see any herons at all. All told I had 22 species, many of which were only heard. On my way back to the car I enjoyed the highlight of the visit, an amazing Red-tail Hawk with beautiful markings.

I love the markings on this bird, particularly the very light head and the very dark area at the base of the bill – I’m not sure if that would be considered the Mustachial stripe or the Malar (or both?). Red-tailed Hawk on a light post at Denning’s Point State Park, 6/1/13.

I sat on a rock and watched this bird for a good while. Periodically a Red-winged Blackbird would dive-bomb the hawk... — I sat on a rock and watched this bird for a good while. Periodically a Red-winged Blackbird would dive-bomb the hawk…

...eventually the hawk had had enough and took off, giving me a great look at its gorgeous red tail. — …eventually the hawk had had enough and took off, giving me a great look at its gorgeous red tail.

I left Denning’s Point and then headed to Kenridge Farm. I walked the extensive trails there for close to two hours and although I did not see or hear anything our of the ordinary, I did pretty well, identifying 28 species of birds. My “best birds” where: Brown Thrasher, four Killdeer (two of which I believe were immatures), a female Mallard with ducklings, and a pair of Green Herons.

I finally got a good enough look at a Green Heron for a photo. Kenridge Farm 6/1/13.

Three of four Killdeer out at Kenridge Farm, 6/1/13.

The heat was getting pretty unbearable and the harsh sun was making for difficult photography when I wrapped it up at 11:30 am. It was a morning of enjoyable, but not amazing, birding.