This Northern Harrier spent a lot of time near the blind I was in. This might be my favorite photo of 2013 so far. NOHA at the Shawangunk Grasslands NWR 2-16-13.
Today was a memorable day of bird photography for me out at the Shawangunk Grasslands. We received a heavy dusting of snow the night before and the grasslands looked beautiful. The light was not exceptional, but the birds were flying pretty good, mostly Northern Harriers and Rough-legged Hawks. The highlight of the day for me was this Rough-legged Hawk that landed right next to the blind. The RLHAs are usually so aware of human presence and stay pretty far away so I was glad to get this photo:
Rough-legged Hawk at Shawangunk Grasslands 2-16-13.
The Northern Harriers seemed to be exceptionally acrobatic on this day:
NOHA at the Shawangunk Grasslands 2-16-13.NOHA at the Shawangunk Grasslands NWR 2-16-13Look at the legs on this Marsh Hawk! NOHA all stretched out at the Shawangunk Grasslands NWR 2-16-13.NOHA going in for prey, Shawangunk Grasslands 2-16-13.Cruising by but keeping an eye on me – N. Harrier at Shawangunk Grasslands NWR 2-16-13.
And I finally got a shot of an adult male that I like pretty well:
Gray Ghost out at the Shawangunk Grasslands 2-16-13.
There are plenty of Red-tailed Hawks out at the grasslands, but they seem to spend the majority of their time along the perimeter of the reserve. This one perched temporarily in the tree right behind the blind.
A Red-tailed Hawk leaves its perch right behind the blind. Shawangunk Grasslands NWR 2-16-13.
The Rough-legged Hawks were very active on this day. These two were mixing it up pretty good. One of them had a clump of grass that I assume contained some prey and the other wanted it pretty badly. They made their way across the grasslands chasing and tangling as they went.
Two RLHA going at it pretty good at the grasslands 2-16-13Here’s one more of the two RLHAs. All of these photos were underexposed and/or heavily backlit, so it took some post processing to get them to this point. They’re not good photos, but it was interesting behavior to watch and document.
And in case all of that was not exciting enough, at the end of the day a coyote made its way across the reserve…way out in the distance but still a joy to see. What a day!
Today was the day after Winter Storm Nemo. Approximately 14 inches of snow fell here in Goshen, so I donned my snow shoes and hit the Heritage Trail that leads to 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary. It was a tough walk, but very enjoyable. I did not find any out of the ordinary birds, but many of the usual suspects made a good showing.
The most interesting aspect of the day for me was noticing how the snow lit the underside of the birds as they flew over. The amount of detail I could see on this Red-tailed Hawk was fascinating to me. And as the crows flew over I was seeing colors and highlights I never really noticed before. For both of these birds, what I was seeing came through in my photos. I also had several Black Vultures that looked SO different to me, it was amazing – unfortunately it did not come through in my photos. I also had several Ring-billed Gulls fly over that were the brightest, cleanest white I’ve ever seen; none were very close so I was unable to get any photos.
A young Red-tailed Hawk with plenty of details showing. 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary, 2-9-13.One more of the same Red-tail, 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary 2-9-13.An American Crow flies over, well lit from the fresh snow fall. 6 1/2 Station Rd Sanctuary, 2-9-13.
I was interested in getting some photos of birds in the snow, but it never really panned out. Here are a couple decent shots from the day.
This is one of my best shots of a Downy Woodpecker. For some reason I just haven’t gotten a good one yet…Song Sparrow in the snow on the Heritage Trail near 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary, 2-9-13.
Update: I was thinking today that I have not included many species lists in my posts lately. I think it’s probably because my lists have been pretty sparse. On this day I did pretty well, totaling 15 species for the day. I also used the app Birdlog on my iPhone for the first time. It is actually pretty cool and it allows you to easily keep track the species and their numbers while in the field. I enjoyed using it on this day, but I am interested to see if I start to use it all the time. Here’s my list for the day:
Black Vulture 5
Turkey Vulture 7
Red-tailed Hawk 2
Ring-billed Gull 4
Belted Kingfisher 1
Downy Woodpecker 3
Blue Jay 3
American Crow 38
Black-capped Chickadee 4
Tufted Titmouse 1
European Starling 12
American Tree Sparrow 1
Song Sparrow 1
White-throated Sparrow 3
Dark-eyed Junco 1
I made a quick stop by Skinner Lane today and got lucky with this beautiful Rough-legged Hawk.
What a surprise to find this beautiful very dark Rough-legged Hawk today at Skinner Lane.Here’s a good look at the under wing pattern. RLHA at Skinner Lane 2-3-13.
From my car I watched this bird hunt over a small field for nearly 45 minutes and it did not seem bothered by my presence, but as you can see from this photo, the hawk definitely knew I was there. When I left the bird was in the same tree looking away from me and scanning the field below.
Here’s a couple more:
RLHA at Skinner Lane 2-3-13RLHA at Skinner Lane 2-3-13.
This was such a pretty bird to see – Leucistic Red-tailed Hawk in Warwick NY 1-27-13.
Sunday afternoon I had to resist the urge to go back to the Shawangunk Grasslands and sit in the blind. I decided instead check a few spots in Orange County and see what I could find. My first stop was in Warwick to look for a leucistic Red-tailed Hawk that my friend and fellow hawk counter Carol Linguanti had recently told me about. I was thrilled just to find the bird and see it, but what was really exciting was to be able to get some photos of this incredible bird. It was amazing to see this bird in flight; what a beauty. Huge thanks to Carol for helping me out with this one.
It really was something to see this hawk in flight.
There was one Northern Harrier that was flying low and hunting and so many Red-tailed Hawks that this one had to find a perch on the top of a house:
A Red-tailed Hawk perched on the roof of a McMansion in Warwick, NY.
My next stop was Missionland Road. I drove the length of the road and tallied 7 Red-tailed Hawks, 8 Black Vultures, many crows and one American Kestrel (which, of course, was on a wire).
I also got some photos of this bird in flight, but they were all silhouettes. Male American Kestrel at Missionland Road 1-27-13.I really enjoyed seeing these Black Vultures at Missionland Rd.
For my final stop I figured I would hit my favorite – Wallkill River NWR. I had an enjoyable walk around the Liberty Loop; I did not see anything out of the ordinary but I did get a good showing of “regulars” and took the opportunity to take some photos:
One more Junco. They were kind enough to sit for some photos.I’m still in search of a good one of these – Downy Woodpecker at Wallkill River NWR 1-27-13.These guys are never too shy. Song Sparrow at Wallkill River NWR 1-27-13.
I made it out to the grasslands yesterday afternoon into the evening and spent some time in one of the blinds. I am finding it hard to resist going there when the light is good because you all but guaranteed to get some birds up close and plenty of good photo opportunities. I knew the day had some possibilities when I got this Merlin from the parking area.
This Merlin was preening in one of the trees closest to the parking area.
And this Northern Harrier flew right over head as I made my way to the blind.
I wasn’t in the blind for more than ten minutes when the Gray Ghost came pretty close by. As both of these photos are a little soft, I feel like I still haven’t gotten a good photo of a male Northern Harrier.
The Northern Harriers were really flying, at one point I counted eight that I could see in one sweep. Some where flying VERY close to the blind.
Here’s a sequence of a NOHA chasing a Red-tailed Hawk that dared to perch in one of the trees near the blind.
I was hoping the Short-eared Owls would come out early, but they did not. I spoke to Ralph, who opens and closes the gate there every day (among many other responsibilities), and he said they haven’t come up early in a couple of weeks. I’ve noticed the same thing with the SEOWs in Orange County as well. I’m not sure why this would be.
Northern Harrier at Wallkill River Wildlife Refuge 1-19-13.
I feel like it has been forever since I got out for a full day of birding with any success. Karen Miller and I met out at Wallkill River Wildlife Refuge right around sunrise this morning. It was really cold out, 25 degrees Fahrenheit with a substantial wind chill. We sat in the car for a while and then on the platform for a bit until it got too cold. There were many raptors to be seen – Red-tail Hawks, Rough-legged Hawks, a juvenile Bald Eagle, and several Northern Harriers. We decided to follow up on a post seen on the Mearns Bird Club site; we went to Greenwood Lake.
Neither one of us had ever been birding at Greenwood Lake, so it was a bit of an adventure for us as we drove around and explored the lake. We ended up having a great visit with many birds. The highlight for me was a large raft of Common Mergansers that we estimated at approximately 500 individuals:
There was no good spot to get a clear photo of these Common Mergansers. It was really a thrill to see all these birds at once. Greenwood Lake 1-19-13.
We stumbled upon Browns Point Park, in West Milford NJ. I totally missed the sign, but Karen saw it and had me turn around. Thank goodness too, because the park provided the best look at ducks that we had all day. We got very good close looks at: Buffleheads, Ring-necked Ducks and Mallards.
Ring-necked Duck at Browns Point Park 1-19-13.A female Bufflehead makes her way down the canal at Browns Point Park, 1-19-13.Buffleheads at Browns Point Park.
After Greenwood Lake, Karen and I headed back to Wallkill River Wildlife Refuge. We decided to walk the Liberty Loop trail; it had warmed up considerably but it was still really windy. Walking through the wind and snow was tough but we were rewarded by seeing many sparrows, Northern Harriers, and a surprise showing of a Short-eared Owl at 12:45 pm. What a great day of birding! Pretty good for January nineteenth.
Evidence of the high winds out at Wallkill River Wildlife Refuge, a wind blown song sparrow on the Liberty Loop.I am still trying to get a good photo of a “gray ghost”. This is the best I could do today…One more Northern Harrier out at Wallkill River Wildlife Refuge, 1-19-13.
Barred Owl at the Great Swamp NWR in Basking Ridge NJ, 1-4-13.
It is really amazing to me when you go out looking for a specific bird and you actually get to see it. Tricia and I were on our way to a wedding in New Hope Pennsylvania. I checked the map and our route took us right past the Great Swamp NWR. I was there not too long ago and had a conversation with a local birder. He told me that there are a pair of Barred Owls that are pretty regular at the reserve, he even told me where they are likely to be found. Well Tricia and I went to the reserve and looked where he had said, but had no luck. On our way out however, we saw a stopped car. The driver was out and had his camera set up on a tripod…I figured it had to be something good. The photographer (I was so excited I never got his name!) told me he had found a Barred Owl. This was the first owl he had ever found on his own, so he was pretty excited too. He showed us where owl was and we got really good looks in our binoculars. Photos, however were pretty tough because the bird was deep in the woods and there were so many little branches between myself and the bird. The photographer had set up his camera in the only clear shot at the bird. I took a couple photos right along side with some success, but then he surprised me by removing his camera body off the lens and asking me if I wanted to take some photos using his lens! He had a monster lens set up, and the result is the above photo. Huge thanks to that photographer – how generous!
Red-tailed Hawk at Wallkill River NWR 11-4-12.A close-up of the same hawk – this bird was perched on a wire and was extremely accommodating.My first Dark-eyed Junco of the season. Shawangunk Grasslands 10-27-12.I played a hunch and stopped at the parking lot of a cafe on route 207 north of Goshen. It payed off with this adult Bald Eagle in the field across the street.This might be my favorite photo of the year. Ruddy Duck at Kiamesha Lake 10-27-12.This Golden-crowned Kinglet was very cooperative on my first visit to the Wood Duck Trail at the Wallkill River NWR 11-4-12.
An immature Bald Eagle flies right over the Mt. Peter Hawkwatch, 10-14-12Osprey at Mt. Peter 9-23-12
I have been spending much of my birding time this fall hawk watching. I volunteer at Mt. Peter Hawk Watch, which is located on Kain Road in Warwick NY (just across the street from Bellvale Farms Creamery), so I have been out there on many days. I have been thinking about why I enjoy hawk watching so much and I came up with a few good reasons. It is really amazing how many birds you can see if you sit in one spot for a while. On September 20th, Mt. Peter had its highest count of the year – 1,281 migrating raptors! Over a thousand of them were Broad-winged Hawks! And this is not even considered a “big day” for Broad-winged Hawks. You don’t just see hawks either, I have seen Brant, a Great Blue Heron, Gulls, Common Ravens, Common Loons, and even Glossy Ibis fly over hawk watches! There is also plenty of time to look for songbirds when there is a lull in the hawk activity.
I also find hawk watching to be extremely challenging. It is certainly a different way of birding for me. Some days it is difficult just to to find any migrating hawks in the sky, depending on wind and weather conditions, how high the birds are flying, and what the cloud cover is like (among other things). An all blue sky is the most difficult sky to find hawks in. Sunny with some clouds seems to make the hawks most visible for me. Some days it can be tough to just locate the birds, but identifying the raptors is by far the most challenging and rewarding aspect of Hawk Watching. It is so much fun trying to figure out what species of bird you are looking at – sometimes at a great distance, often in silhouette, usually with no size comparisons to be made.
Finally, there is an aspect of hawk watching that would never have guessed would become so enjoyable to me – the camaraderie. I always enjoyed birding alone – sort of an escape, but I am finding more and more that I am enjoying birding with other people. Mt. Peter is extraordinary, the people there are amazing – so friendly, knowledgeable, generous. I highly recommend a visit.
If you are interested in seeing the data collected by the Mt. Peter volunteers, please visit: http://www.hawkcount.org/.
A busy day out at Mt. Peter Hawk Watch 9-23-12One of the local Red-tail Hawks at Mt. Peter 9-23-12
Tricia and I also made it out to Hawk Mountain for the first weekend of October. The highlight for me was 9 Peregrine Falcons on Saturday.
Me at Hawk Mountain. Photo by Tricia.An Osprey flies on the West side of the North Lookout at Hawk Mountain.At Hawk Mountain, many of the looks are from above. I have this as a Cooper’s Hawk 10-6-12.One more Osprey. They counted 55 Osprey migrating over Hawk Mountain on 10-6-12
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:
Merlin on Haven Road at the Basha KillTwo 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:
Eastern Phoebe at the Basha Kill Deli FieldsA sad looking American Goldfinch at the Deli FieldsSong Sparrow posing at the Deli Fields
