QUICK POST: Yesterday morning, Silas Warham found a ROSS’S GOOSE in a field in the black dirt. The bird flew, but was later relocated at a small pond on Breeze Hill Road. I was unable to run for it yesterday, but today I went out during my lunch break and was able to relocate the bird at the Breeze Hill Road pond. It’s not very often I run for a bird during the work day, so I was pretty happy the bird stuck around. Thanks to Silas and Linda Scrima for keeping me posted of the bird’s whereabouts.
~ROSS’S GOOSE, Breeze Hill Road, 11/19/24.~~One more shot of the ROGO at Breeze Hill Road, 11/19/24.~
It was a strange day at Mount Peter. Between the warm temperatures, the very light winds, and a completely cloudless sky, I did not have very high expectations for today’s flight. And for the most part, my low expectations were met. BUT! Just after 1:00, the day was saved. I picked up a dark/silhouetted bird south of the platform; it was heading south. It had a slight dihedral, so I was thinking Turkey Vulture. But then it flapped and I knew it was not a vulture… I picked up some white on the tail and then the bird started to circle and I could clearly see the white on the underside of the wings – GOLDEN EAGLE! This was probably the most unexpected Golden Eagle I’ve ever seen – this bird was a little early for GOEA, and conditions were less than ideal. But I’ll take it, lol, it certainly saved a day where I had only 13 additional migrating raptors.
~Golden Eagle just south of Mt. Peter Hawkwatch, 10/19/24.~~There was a small flock of Purple Finches present when I arrived at Mt. Pete. I thought they would be the highlight of day, but I was wrong. PUFI at Mount Peter Hawkwatch 10/19/24.~~One more shot of the Golden Eagle at Mt. Peter Hawkwatch, 10/19/24.~
At 6:00 am, on Monday of this past week, I joined Rob Stone and we set sail on the Brookline Birding Club’s overnight pelagic birding trip. We boarded the Hellen H, a 100 foot deep sea fishing boat in Hyannis, Massachusetts, and headed out to the Hydrographer Canyon area (east and south of Cape Cod).
As always, I started the trip with my usual anxieties – what would the ship be like? Where would I store my stuff? Where would I sleep? What would the restrooms be like? Would we get any good birds? Some these anxieties were well founded – as we boarded, it was difficult to determine what areas were up for grabs and which had been taken already. I ended up stashing my gear under some occupied benches in the cabin; less than ideal, but at least my gear was out of my hands and I could wander the boat and start doing some birding. I eventually found an area on the deck which looked good for sleeping (and it was, to a point – more on that later). The layout of the lower deck was nice and lended itself to good birding. The upper deck, where I had spend most of my time birding on previous pelagics, was not as accommodating as it was filled with benches and sleeping areas which would allow for easy movement from one side of the boat to the other. And the men’s room. It was a tremendous upgrade to the restrooms I’ve experienced on every previous pelagic. It had both a urinal and a toilet, with plenty of room and handrails.
~The bird of the trip for me – one of two South Polar Skuas. BBC Overnight Pelagic 08/26/24.~
As for the birds, they certainly did not disappoint. We located all of my target birds on the first day, and I enjoyed adding a remarkable 5 species to my life list. Here’s a list of highlighted species, with my life birds indicated:
Red Phalarope
Red-necked Phalarope
Long-tailed Jaeger (life bird)
Pomarine Jaeger (life bird)
South Polar Skua (life bird)
Wilson’s Storm-Petrel
White-face Storm-Petrel (life bird)
Leach’s Storm-Petrel
Band-rumped Storm-Petrel
Black-capped Petrel
Cory’s Shearwater
Great Shearwater
Sooty Shearwater (reported but I did not see)
Manx Shearwater
Audubon’s Shearwater (life bird)
~Thankfully they call out all the bird species as they find them, because it took me some time to (hopefully) correctly identify all the jaegers in my photos. I believe this is a Pomarine Jaeger; what a sharp looking bird this is. BBC Overnight Pelagic, 08/27/24.~
And, sleeping. I ultimately did not get very much sleep. I went to sleep on Monday night somewhere between 9:30 and 10:00, as I was exhausted. I slept for a couple of hours and then woke up and started to toss and turn trying get comfortable on the hard deck. Then, around 2:15am, I was dozing when a crew member woke me up to let me know that there was a storm coming through and I’d have to get off the deck or get soaked. A couple waves of some serious thunderstorms rolled through; we enjoyed some of it from the deck (the lightning was fantastic!) until it started coming down sideways and we took refuge in the cabin. I did not get much sleep (other than dozing off from time to time while sitting up on a bench) after that, and I got gradually more and more seasick with the boat being anchored and just rocking away. It wasn’t until first light, when I could see the horizon again, that I started to feel a little bit better.
~Long-tailed Jaeger, BBC Overnight Pelagic, 08/26/24.~
Tuesday’s birding was as productive as Monday. The first good bird of the day was our second White-faced Storm-Petrel of the trip. We got good looks at both of them, but I’ll tell you that that’s a tough bird to photograph. That didn’t stop me from trying; see my less than stellar result below. On Tuesday we added one really good bird – Black-capped Petrel. The bird was on the move and although I saw it, it was not good looks and I didn’t get any photos. A second South Polar Skua capped off the trip, which was pretty remarkable. In the early afternoon, a thick fog rolled in, and from then on we just were on a steady course heading back to Hyannis. It was an excellent and exhuasting trip.
~Excellent bird, not so excellent photo. Very cool to see this bird and add it to my life list. BBC Overnight Pelagic, 08/26/24.~~As I’ve grown to expect, we got great looks at plenty of Great Shearwaters, both on the water, and …~~…in flight. Great Shearwater during the BBC Overnight Pelagic, 08/26/24.~~Another Pomarine Jaeger zips by. BBC Overnight Pelagic 08/26/24.~ ~Manx Shearwater on the water. BBC Overnight Pelagic, 08/26/24.~~Manx Shearwater taking flight, BBC Overnight Pelagic, 08/26/24.~~I got my best looks at Cory’s Shearwaters during this trip. BBC Overnight Pelagic, 08/26/24.~~~Pomarine Jaeger, BBC Overnight Pelagic, 08/26/24.~~One more shot of Monday’s South Polar Skua. What a bird! BBC Overnight Pelagic, 08/26/24.~~Wilson’s Storm-Petrel on Tuesday morning, not long after sunrise. BBC Overnight Pelagic, 08/27/24.~~I kind of dig this photo. Long-tailed Jaeger banking during the BBC Overnight Pelagic, 08/26/24.~~Pomarine Jaeger, BBC Overnight Pelagic, 08/27/24.~
QUICK POST: This evening I was out late birding until I couldn’t see anymore because the number of shorebirds in the black dirt region was off the charts. Earlier today Kyle Knapp texted me to let me know he had a good number and variety of shorebirds in the black dirt. A little later Bruce Nott let me know he had a Red-necked Phalarope at the Camel Farm. I was working, of course, so at 5 o’clock when I called it a week, I headed out to see how I could do. My highlight was finding two WILLETS – this is only the second time I’ve ever had them in the county, so I was pretty excited. Other shorebirds that I located in the black dirt this evening included: Black-bellied Plover, Killdeer, Semipalmated Plover, Least Sandpiper, White-rumped Sandpiper, Pectoral Sandpiper, Lesser Yellowlegs, and Greater Yellowlegs.
~One of two Willets in the black dirt tonight, 08/09/24.~
I’ll be curious to see how many birds stick around until tomorrow. I know that I’ll be out bright and early, looking. Thank goodness tomorrow is Saturday!
Also, one more note – there was some action at the Newburgh Riverfront today also: Jeanne Cimorelli reported at first a single Laughing Gull, and then later in the afternoon, a remarkable 21 Laughing Gulls! It will be interesting to see if the river provides any more gems tomorrow as well.
~Here they both are together. Willets in BDR, 08/09/24.~~I was really trying to get a shot of their pretty wings, but unfortunately this is the best I could do. Willet in the black dirt, 08/09/24.~~Pretty bird. Willet striking a pose in the black dirt, 098/08/24.~
If you missed it, the big excitement for me this weekend was the BLUE GROSBEAK that I found in the black dirt on Friday evening. Reports indicate that the bird continues today, but I did not try for it.
Instead, I woke up early and headed back to Ashokan Reservoir to see if I could get a better look and photos of the PACIFIC LOON. As luck (and patience) would have it, the Pacific Loon, along with 16 Common Loons, eventually made a relatively close pass on Dike Road . I had been joined Diane Bliss, and the two of us enjoyed fantastic looks at the birds; it was really something.
~Pacific Loon with Common Loons at Ashokan Reservoir, 07/14/24.~~PALO at Ashokan Reservoir, 07/14/24.~~Loons at Ashokan Reservoir, 07/14/24.~~Pacific Loon with a shy Common Loon, Ashokan Reservoir, 07/14/24.~
And as usual, I was taking pics throughout the weekend. I was hoping for some shorebirds, but I wasn’t able to find any new birds in county. I enjoyed spending some time with a pair of cooperative American Kestrels, as well as a Horned Lark that spent some quality time right next to my car on Friday evening. It’s been a good stretch of birding – much better than the summer doldrums I would have expected.
~Female American Kestrel. Apparently it’s difficult to differentiate adult from a first year bird in the field, but based on its behavior (not very skittish), I’m thinking this is a young bird. Black Dirt Region 07/13/24.~~First year male American Kestrel in the black dirt, o7/13/24.~~Horned Lark up close and personal in the Black Dirt Region, 07/12/24.~~HOLA in the black dirt, 07/12/24.~~Wood Duck at 6 1/2 Station Road, 07/11/24.~
Yesterday evening after work I hit the black dirt, looking for shorebirds. I scanned a field containing about a half dozen Killdeer. Convinced that there weren’t any other shorebird species present, I packed up my scope and prepared to move on. I had turned on the Merlin app earlier – I don’t recall what made me put it on initially, but when I looked at it, it indicated that a BLUE GROSBEAK had been identified. As soon as I saw that, I heard the bird call again! I spent some time trying to get a look at the bird, but the bird was uncooperative and I only got a couple brief looks. I put the word out, and Jeanne Cimorelli joined me and got the bird as well – it was a county life bird for her.
I got word from Bruce Nott and Kyle Knapp this morning that the bird continued. I joined Linda Scrima, Kyle, and later Karen Van Dyke came as well and we all got the bird. The bird was still not cooperative for photos, but I did get to see it and to document it with some flight shots. Blue Grosbeak is a very good bird for the county and I haven’t had one for several years.
~Blue Grosbeak in the Black Dirt Region, 07/13/24.~ ~One more shot of the BLGR in the black dirt this morning, 07/13/24.~
Believe it or not, I enjoyed a three-loon morning today. In Ulster County. In July. I can safely say I’ve never had a three-loon day anywhere in our area, at any time of the year.
A little background. Yesterday morning, Jeanne Cimorelli located a PACIFIC LOON in a raft of Common Loons at Ashokan Reservoir. To me this is a just a remarkable find. To begin with, finding nearly 20 Common Loons on a reservoir in Ulster County in July is something on its own. Add to that a rare Pacific Loon, which could have very easily been overlooked, and you have one very impressive observation.
I couldn’t run for the bird yesterday, so I was up and at ’em early this morning and luckily the birds stuck around. The icing on the cake was relocating the Red-throated Loon in breeding plumage at another area on the reservoir, giving a total of 3 loon species for the morning. This is not your typical summer birding, to say the least! Congrats to Jeanne on a great find.
~Pacific Loon with Common Loons at Ashokan Reservoir, 07/07/24. The Pacific is the bird on the far right.~ ~Fourth bird from the right: PACIFIC LOON at Ashokan Reservoir, 07/07/24.
SATURDAY SHOTS: I birded locally on Saturday, hoping that the storms that rolled through early in the morning. would have grounded some shorebirds. The black dirt yielded a couple of Least Sandpipers, several Spotted Sandpipers, and many Killdeer. At 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary, I was able to relocate the Short-billed Dowitcher that I thought was long gone. That bird made my day – it’s always a good bird for the county, and its plumage was striking.
~Short-billed Dowitcher at 6 1/2 Station Rd. Sanctuary, 07/06/24.~~Killdeer chick in the black dirt region, 07/06/24.~~Killdeer in the onions. Black Dirt Region 07/06/24.~~Eastern Meadowlark in the black dirt, 07/06/24.~~Pacific Loon among Common Loons, Ashokan Reservoir, 07/07/24.~
I was feeling uninspired this morning when I woke up, so I looked at my emails to see what the rare bird alerts in our area held. Peter Schoenberger reported a RED-THROATED LOON at Ashokan Reservoir. I clicked on the report, and although distant, the photo he included was amazing – the bird was in beautiful plumage. I knew right then what my plans for the morning were.
A couple of hours later, I was at the reservoir and had relocated the bird. It was distant, as I assumed it would be, but still, I got great scope views of something that who knows if we will ever see again in the area – a RTLO in breeding plumage. I’m half tempted to go again tomorrow morning in the hopes that the bird will be closer to the shore. What a treat!
Anyways, here are my photos – super duper heavy crop here! The bird was out there! Huge thanks to Peter for posting.
I woke up this morning with shorebirds on my mind. My early stops (Camel Farm, Liberty Loop, & and Beaver Pond) didn’t yield any, with the exception of Killdeer. My final stop, 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary, however, had a doozy in store for me – an AMERICAN AVOCET. After scanning for a while and only finding more Killdeer, I was shocked to see an American Avocet in my scope view. I put the word out, and several birders came and enjoyed the bird. Additionally, after I left, Jeanne Cimorelli located a Short-billed Dowitcher, another excellent bird for the county.
~Exciting stuff! American Avocet at 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary, 06/30/24.~~Another look at today’s bird of the day -American Avocet at 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary, 06/30/24.~
In other news, on Saturday morning, I went to Hickok Brook Multiple Use Area to try for Ruffed Grouse. Historically a good spot for grouse, I did not have any luck yesterday. I enjoyed a pleasant 5.25 mile walk, which was birdy and I enjoyed seeing my first porcupine of the year.
~Porcupine chowing on a leaf at Hickok Brook MUA, 06/29/23.~I heard MANY Black-throated Green Warblers at Hickok Brook on Saturday, 06/29/24, but only a few were actually seen. The lighting was terrible all morning so super high ISO for these photos.~~A young American Robin at Beaver Pond, 06/30/24.~ ~Great Blue Heron in flight at Liberty Loop, 06/30/24.~
While I was at work on Wednesday afternoon, birding bud Bruce Nott called me to let me know he had a KENTUCKY WARBLER at Mine Road. I was unable to make it out to try for the bird until this morning, but fortunately the bird hung in there and was still present. This was far and away the best experience I’ve ever had with this species – I’ve only ever had poor/distant looks previously, with no photos. The bird mostly stayed in the shadows while I was there, which made it a little bit difficult for photos – here are my results. Congrats to Bruce for yet another great find.
~Wow! Kentucky Warbler at Mine Road, 06/01/24.~~KEWA at Mine Road, 06/01/24.~
