Sussex County – Page 3 – Orange Birding

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.~

Wallkill River NWR, Liberty Loop 8/16/15

~Green Heron at Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge, 8/16/15.~

I drove through a heavy fog this morning, heading out to the Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge – Liberty Loop, so I was pleasantly surprised that there was very little fog present when I pulled into the parking area. I was even more pleased to see the above Green Heron striking a pose on the measuring stick just to the left of the viewing platform.

~It was pretty exciting for me to see this Black-crowned Night-Heron first thing this morning. Walked River NWR, Liberty Marsh 8/16/15.~

I started to think that it might be a good morning when I got over to the platform and saw a Black-crowned Night-Heron hunting just across the water. I had taken some initial photos of the bird and gotten great looks in my binoculars, when Bruce Nott arrived. Shortly after his arrival, Bruce was scanning the marsh when he picked up a Peregrine Falcon in flight. Bruce alerted me and I was able to pick up the bird as it passed right in front of the platform:

~A noisy shot of a Peregrine Falcon in flight. This is the third time I have seen this bird (I am assuming it’s the same bird) in the last week or so. This is the first halfway decent shot I’ve gotten. Liberty Marsh viewing platform, 8/16/15.~

Before heading out to walk the loop, we enjoyed seeing the large group of Great Egrets and Great Blue Herons that have been regulars lately out in front of the platform, especially first thing in the morning. We also had a second Green Heron, several Least Sandpipers, and 2 Lesser Yellowlegs.

We walked the loop and it was quite birdy with many active birds. In the back pond, the shorebird count was a little bit disappointing with only Least Sandpipers, Killdeer, and a single Lesser Yellowlegs being seen. The west side of the loop was a highlight of the loop, with many active passerines being seen or heard. Highlights for me included super looks at: Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, Red-eyed Vireos, Common Yellowthroats, American Redstarts, and Ruby-throated Hummingbirds (several of each!). It was a super morning of birding, and although we didn’t exactly beat the heat (we were out there until 11:00 am), it was totally worth the sweat. By my count we had a total of 46 species for the morning.

~Bruce and I got amazing looks at several Red-eyed Vireos. A nice couple had just walked up to us asking what birds we had been seeing and they got quite the treat when the vireos came close enough for great looks naked eye! Liberty Loop, 8/16/15.~

~Great Crested Flycatcher perched near the back pond of the Liberty Loop, 8/16/15.~

Shorebird Update, 8/6/15

~I’m thinking American Golden-Plover along with this Greater Yellowlegs, but not positive about the ID. It was exciting to see this bird today, I will get out tomorrow and try for it again. Liberty Loop back pond, 8/6/15.~

UPDATE 8/7/15: Since I posted, I have received feedback from several better birders than myself, agreeing with AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER for the above bird. Then this afternoon I saw that my report to eBird had been confirmed by the reviewer. American Golden-Plover it is!

QUICK POST: Karen Miller and I walked the Liberty Loop this evening and had a good showing of shorebirds. The west leg of the loop had the first decent collection of shorebirds that I’ve seen there this season: 1 Killdeer, 6 Solitary Sandpipers, 1 Spotted Sandpiper, 4 Least Sandpipers, and 2 Lesser Yellowlegs. For those who care, all these birds were in Sussex County (they’re edging towards Orange!). Most of the shorebird action, however, was still in the back pond. The highlight was a distant look at a plover that I am thinking was an American Golden-Plover (rather than Black-bellied). Black wing pits in flight are diagnostic for BBPL; I saw this bird take two short flights and did not notice black wing pits. The bird was quite distant and the flights brief, so I am not 100% about this (I wish I was!). One of the reasons I think I am doubting this ID is that the bird appeared to be on the large side for an AMGP My impression of the bill size in the field is that it was small enough for AMGP, but that’s a tough call for me to make, especially at the distance we were viewing the bird. Please comment if you have any thoughts about this bird or if anyone gets out to see it, I would be curious as to what they think.

Here’s a list of all the shorebirds we had for the day:

?American Golden-Plover? 1
Semipalmated Plover 1
Killdeer 25
Spotted Sandpiper 3
Solitary Sandpiper 11
Greater Yellowlegs 4
Lesser Yellowlegs 12
Least Sandpiper 15

~American Golden-Plover? Liberty Loop, Sussex County NJ, 8/6/15.~

A BIG Day Photographing SMALL Birds

~For some reason this is a bird that I have struggled to photograph in the past couple of years – Blue-gray Gnatcatcher at Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge, 8/2/15.~

Well okay, maybe it wasn’t THAT big, but I did do pretty well photographing passerines today. I walked the Liberty Loop at the Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge early this morning, and the birds just seemed to make themselves a little more available than they have lately, particularly two birds that I never seem to get a good shot of: Yellow-throated Vireo and Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. Additionally, the early morning light was nice for photos and I seemed to catch most birds in full or nearly full light on a nice dark background, which is a look I personally like. It was a nice walk with over 50 species seen or heard; I will include a species list at the bottom of this post. As usual, I was curious to see if any new shorebirds had moved in – I was happy to see at least one of the Semipalmated Plovers that Kyle Dudgeon had let me know about earlier this week was still around – that was my first of the season. Other than that, no new shorebirds to report, in fact numbers and variety of shorebirds both seemed to down; I did not located any Greater Yellowlegs, Semipalmated Sandpipers, nor Pectoral Sandpipers. Most the shorebirds were located in the back pond of the loop and in the WAY back of that pond, to boot. I did have one Lesser Yellowlegs just to the left of the viewing platform, where water levels have dropped a bit, so that was nice.

~This was a treat for me! A Yellow-throated Vireo that ventured out of the treetops! Liberty Loop, 8/2/15.~

~Here’s another flycatcher that I’m going to have to leave unidentified. Any thoughts on this bird, please comment! Liberty Loop at Wallkill River NWR, 8/2/15.~

~Common Yellowthroat just off the trail at the Liberty Loop, 8/2/15.~

~A sweet looking Downy Woodpecker at Wallkill River NWR, 8/2/15.~

~Here’s another bird I don’t get too many shots of – House Wren on the east side of the Liberty Loop, 8/2/15.~

~Ruby-throated Hummingbird at the Liberty Loop, 8/2/15.~

Here’s my list for the morning:

~One of only 2 Orchard Orioles I had on the day, they seemed to have moved through for the most part. Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge, Liberty Loop Trail, 8/2/15.~

Canada Goose
Mallard
Wood Duck
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Green Heron
Turkey Vulture
Northern Harrier
Semipalmated Plover
Killdeer
Solitary Sandpiper
Spotted Sandpiper
Lesser Yellowlegs
Least Sandpiper
Mourning Dove
Black-billed Cuckoo
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Eastern Wood Peewee
Unidentified Flycatcher
Eastern Phoebe
Eastern Kingbird
Great Crested Flycatcher
Yellow-throated Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
Am. Crow
Tree Swallow
Barn Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
White-breasted Nuthatch
House Wren
Marsh Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Am. Robin
Gray Catbird
Cedar Waxwing
Common Yellowthroat
Field Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Indigo Bunting
Bobolink
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Orchard Oriole
Am. Goldfinch

~One more shot of the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Liberty Loop 8/2/15.~

Weekend Wrap-up, 7/26/15

~A Great Blue Heron at Clark Pond, New Windsor NY 7/25/15.~

I got out both Saturday and Sunday mornings, mostly looking for shorebirds. First thing Saturday, thanks to Bruce Nott, I went to a new spot for me – it’s a small pond near Stewart Airport that is now a mud flat. Shorebirds present included Killdeer, Least Sandpipers, and a single Lesser Yellowlegs. There were many Great Blue Herons and a couple of Green Herons also present. It looks like a spot with some good potential, so I will keep checking back. Next I went to Lake Washington where I struck out with shorebirds – a quick stop yielded only a Great Blue Heron and a Green Heron. Bruce saw a Great Egret and a Black-crowned Night-Heron out there earlier in the week. My final stop was a total bust – I wanted to check the mud flats on the Hudson River just north of Cornwall-On-Hudson. The problem is that there is no real good spot to view that area, and there are “No Parking” signs everywhere. I eventually got frustrated with the situation and bailed on it.

Sunday morning I went back to the usual – I walked the Liberty Loop. It was a birdy morning where I had over 40 species. Shorebirds in the back pond remained basically the same as my last shorebird report, with the addition of a second Pectoral Sandpiper, and my first 2 SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS of the season. Waders were numerous, particularly Great Egrets (8), and Great Blue Herons (12). I also saw several Green Herons and managed a distant photo of one.

~Great Egret in flight at the Liberty Loop, 7/26/15. This crop doesn’t show very well on the blog – click on the photo to have a better look.~

~Least Sandpiper in the back pond of the Liberty Loop, 7/26/15.~

~Great Blue Heron in flight at Clark Pond in New Windsor, NY 7/25/15.~

~I’m trying to mix it up with all the Lesser Yellowlegs photos – half submerged LEYE at the Liberty Loop, 7/26/15.~

~Green Heron in the ditch alongside the back pond at the Liberty Loop, 7/26/15.~

~An unidentified flycatcher on the west side of the Liberty Loop, 7/26/15.~

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.~

Even More Loop Birding, 7/18/15

~Ah! Finally got a decent shot of one of the Lesser Yellowlegs out at the Liberty Loop, 7/18/15.~

Since my last post on Monday, I’ve made it back out to the Liberty Loop at Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge three times, including a brief visit today. The biggest development was when Linda Scrima contacted me on Wednesday to let me know she had a GLOSSY IBIS in the back pond at the loop. I did not get out there to see the ibis on Wednesday because I was playing in my golf league, but I did get out there to see it on Thursday, when I was accompanied by Kyle Dudgeon who got his lifer Glossy Ibis. The bird was still present this morning when I stopped by; both times I’ve seen the bird it has been in the very back of the back pond. The bird can be seen well with a scope (or even binoculars), but photos were pretty much out of the question. On Wednesday, when Linda first saw the bird, it was closer to the trail and she has provided great shot of the bird for this post – thanks Linda!

~Glossy Ibis in the back pond of the Liberty Loop, 7/15/15. Photo by Linda Scrima.~

The back pond continues to be the best spot in the area (that I know of) for shorebirds. This is what I had there this morning:

Least Sandpiper 15+
Lesser Yellowlegs 6
Greater Yellowlegs 2
Solitary Sandpiper 1
Spotted Sandpiper 2
Killdeer 12

The remainder of the loop also continues to be birdy with the expected species, with a family of Great-crested Flycatchers on the eastern side of the loop being a nice highlight and providing plenty of photo ops. Really, I should have gotten better photos, but sometimes that’s just the way it goes.

NOTE: I’ve checked the Camel Farm a couple of times for shorebirds (I had several Killdeer and 2 Least Sandpipers today finally), and I checked the Citgo Trail at 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary today (4 killdeer and 2 Least Sandpipers). Also, please note that the Citgo Trail is VERY overgrown and ticks are a problem. I do not recommend going there.

~Great-crested Flycatcher on the Liberty Loop Trail, 6/16/15.~

~This one made me happy – Red-eyed Vireo at the Liberty Loop, 7/16/15.~

~On Tuesday, Kyle and I entered the loop from Owen’s Station Road, where I photographed this Killdeer while waiting for Kyle to show up. 6/14/15.~

More Good Birding at the Loop, 7/13/15

~It was pretty exciting to see this BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON at the Liberty Loop Trail, Wallkill River NWR, 7/13/15.~

QUICK POST: It’s getting late, so I will have to make this a quick post. I met Kyle Dudgeon out at the Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge’s Liberty Loop Trail, and the good birding on that trail continues. Most of the action seems to be happening in what I call the back pond – the southernmost pool on the trail. On our way back there, at least 2 Sora could be heard calling in the marsh; they sounded like they were pretty deep into the marsh, much farther out than they were on Saturday. As we approached the back pond, we inadvertently flushed a BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON that was in the ditch to the right of the trail. The bird did not fly far and we got some photos. This is my first BCNH sighting at the loop this year.

In the back pool we saw my first 2 GREAT EGRETS of the year out in the distance, in the company of nearly 10 Great Blue Herons and one Green Heron. Green Herons flew overhead several times while we were there. Most excitedly, shorebird numbers and variety both increased:

Least Sandpiper 20+
Lesser Yellowlegs 5
Greater Yellowlegs 1
Solitary Sandpiper 1
Killdeer 6

~A LEAST SANDPIPER at the Liberty Loop, 7/13/15.~

~Lesser Yellowlegs in the back pool at the Liberty Loop, 7/13/15.~

~Solitary Sandpiper at the Liberty Loop, 7/13/15.~

Good Birding at the Liberty Loop, 7/11/15

~Orchard Oriole on Liberty Lane, 7/9/15.~

I woke up with no real plans for birding, so I decided to head out to the Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge. I wanted to check on the Blue Grosbeak that has been out on Liberty Lane and I was hoping for some southbound migrating shorebirds. I walked out Liberty Lane (which was loaded with Orchard Orioles, Song Sparrows, and Indigo Buntings) to try for the Blue Grosbeak. I heard the bird, but off in the distance and I was not able to locate it.

~One of many Indigo Buntings out on Liberty Lane, Wallkill River NWR, 7/11/15.~ — ~One of many Indigo Buntings out on Liberty Lane, Wallkill River National Wildlife Reserve, 7/11/15.~

I made my way back to the parking lot where I met up with Linda Scrima and we walked the Liberty Loop Trail. We walked the west side of the loop first; we were nearly at the southwest corner of the loop when we heard a SORA calling! As we got closer to where the bird was calling from, the bird went quiet. We scanned for a while but then decided to move on – there are a lot of hiding places in that marsh. We continued down the trail and when we got maybe 100 paces away, the bird started calling again. We decided to try one more time and I’m glad we did. We moved very slowly back towards where the bird was calling from, this time it continued to call and it sounded relatively close. Finally, we saw some movement and across the open water, perhaps 150 yards into the marsh we saw both an adult and a single young SORA tucked away in the vegetation! It was very exciting to seem them, but photos were tough because of the distance, the grasses, and the birds were backlit. Here are a few, for documentary purposes:

~An adult **SORA** stays mostly hidden in the southwest corner of the Liberty Marsh at Wallkill River NWR, 7/11/15.~

~The adult SORA flushed when a trail walker approached us. Liberty Loop, 7/11/15.~ — ~The adult **SORA** flushed when a trail walker approached us. Liberty Loop, 7/11/15.~

~A young SORA at the Wallkill River NWR, Liberty Loop, 7/11/15. Photo by Linda Scrima.~ — ~A young **SORA** at the Wallkill River NWR, Liberty Loop, 7/11/15. Photo by Linda Scrima.~

When we reached the pool at the southern end of the loop, we were pleasantly surprised to find 5 LESSER YELLOWLEGS, and 4 LEAST SANDPIPERS – my first southbound migrating shorebirds of the season. And, after just talking about the dearth of Green Herons this year, we saw two of them there as well.

~One of five **LESSER YELLOWLEGS** at Wallkill River NWR, 7/11/15.~

We finished the loop, with more of the usual suspects being seen, then went out to try for the Blue Grosbeak once again, but this time we didn’t even hear the bird. It was a good day with over 40 species seen or heard, and the first shorebird migrants that I’ve seen this summer.

Note: I was at the refuge on Thursday the 9th as well – two of the photos in this post are from that day.

~Great Blue Heron in flight, shot from the viewing platform at the Liberty Marsh, 7/9/15.~

~It’s always good to see a Northern Harrier! Wallkill River NWR, 7/11/15.~

A Common Yellowthroat surrounded by leaves, Wallkill River NWR, 7/11/15.~

Sussex County Yellow-breasted Chat – YES! – Times 2!!

~One of two (!) YELLOW-BREASTED CHATS at Canal Road in Vernon Township, NJ 6/28/15.~

After getting so close to seeing the Yellow-breasted Chat this morning near the Canal Road bike path in Vernon Township, New Jersey, I had try again this afternoon while the rain had stopped for a little while. I guess third time’s a charm and I finally got lucky, getting to see the bird this time. It was a brief glimpse at first, but eventually I got several good looks and some photos too. The best part is that at some point I realized that there were definitely two chats present, just as Marianne and I were suspecting on Friday afternoon. First, I had both calling simultaneously from two sides of an open area to the left the trail. Then, I was looking at one bird while the second was calling from behind me! It was very exciting! Kyle Dudgeon eventually joined me and picked up an easy lifer YBCH; we got on one of the birds just moments after he arrived! Good birding!

~YBCH with a meal, Canal Road in Sussex County, NJ 6/28/15.~

~There are many Blue-winged Warblers on the trail. Canal Road AT, Vernon Township, NJ 6/28/15.~

~A young BWWA waits for a meal, Canal Road AT, Sussex County NY, 6/28/15.~