~Yellow-bellied Sapsucker on the Indian Hill Loop at Sterling Forest State Park, 4/24/16. You can see the first hole the bird made above its head, and the second one is behind its bill with sap dripping out of it.~
QUICK POST: I got an early start this morning and hiked Indian Hill Loop at Sterling Forest State Park. It was a nice hike with some scenic overlooks and it was just birdy enough to keep it interesting. I had Blue-gray Gnatcatchers throughout the walk, heard two Louisiana Waterthrushes, and I was happy to find Black-and-White Warblers at two different high points in the walk. However, the definite highlight of the day was when a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker came in and landed in a tree less than 20 feet from me. I froze as the bird went about its business; I watched as the bird carefully created a hole and then fed on the sap. The bird did this two times while I stood only yards away, and I just relaxed and enjoyed every minute of it, not knowing when I would ever get another opportunity like this.
~One of three Black-and-White Warblers I saw on the trail today, Indian Hill Loop at Sterling Forest, 4/24/16.~ ~I included this photo because I was impressed with the feet on this bird, which seem large to me, but also seem to barely be holding on to the tree. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker at Sterling Forest, 4/24/16.~~I took this shot earlier this week – Yellow-rumped Warbler at Reservoir #3 in Port Jervis NY, 4/19/16.~
~Louisiana Waterthrush perched at Pochuck Mountain State Forest, 4/23/16.~
I met Linda Scrima out at Pochuck Mountain State Forest early on this cloudy morning. In the beginning of the trail, it was not very birdy, but we continued further up the mountain until we got to a small pond and that’s where things got interesting. Our first good bird was my FOY BLUE-HEADED VIREO. Shortly afterwards, we located another personal FOY, a BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER. As we worked our way around the pond, I heard a call that sort of sounded familiar but I couldn’t put my finger on it. Linda, however knew it immediately – it was a LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH. We followed the call, located the bird, and got fabulous looks and pretty decent photos, especially considering the poor lighting. We ended up having a good morning at Pochuck; we hiked probably about 4 miles and had 28 species.
Afterwards, we walked the Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge’s Liberty Loop. Highlights included our second Louisiana Waterthrush of the day, which was located by Linda on the west side of the loop, just off the trail. We also did pretty well with shorebirds with several Killdeer, 2 Greater Yellowlegs (FOY), 1 Lesser Yellowlegs (FOY), and a pair of Wilson’s Snipe. All in all, a good day with some good year birds for both of us.
~This was exciting to me… Black-and-white Warbler at Pochuck Mountain SF, 4/23/16.~~My personal FOY Blue-headed Vireo, Pochuck Mountain SF, 4/23/16.~~Another shot of the Louisiana Waterthrush, Pochuck Mountain SF, 4/23/16.~~This was Linda’s first good look at an Eastern Towhee this year, Pochuck Mountain SF, 4/23/16.~
~I love this pose! A super cute Pied-billed Grebe at Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge, 4/15/16.~
I birded in Orange County all weekend, starting at the Winding Waters Trail at Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge on Friday afternoon. I met Linda Scrima out there, we were following up on a tip from Rob Stone; he’d had Vesper Sparrows there earlier in the day. VESP is a nemesis bird for Linda. Or should I say WAS a nemesis bird for her. We relocated at least two, with a possible third Vesper Sparrow present and got great looks at the birds. Congratulations to Linda on the lifer, and what a super looking bird.
~Vesper Sparrow at Winding Waters Trail, Wallkill River NWR, 4/15/16.~
Saturday morning I walked out at Goosepond Mountain State Park. I had never walked the entire trail before, so that’s what I did. I started at Laroe Road and walked to route 17M and then back. It was a nice walk which was very birdy. I had 35 species on the day, which included 6 personal first of the year birds: Field Sparrow, Eastern Towhee, HERMIT THRUSH, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Broad-winged Hawk, and Yellow-rumped Warbler.
Sunday morning I decided to try something a little bit different and go on a hike that would not necessarily be loaded with birds. I walked the loop at Storm King State Park. It was probably not a difficult or strenuous hike by most people’s standards, but I quickly learned how out of shape I am these days! I started at the trailhead on route 9W north, and I huffed and puffed my way up to the summit of Storm King. The views were pretty great and there were some raptors flying as well (Red-tailed Hawk, Turkey Vultures, Sharp-shinned Hawk). I had more birds than I would have expected, tallying 17 species, the most interesting to me being a Hermit Thrush I saw about 100 yards into the trail. Thankfully, the back end of the loop was a little bit easier going. Afterwards, I made a quick stop by Kenridge Farm where I saw many of the usuals and also picked up my FOY Barn Swallow.
~At the top of Storm King, I ran into a small group of birds: Mourning Doves, a Northern Flicker, a couple of Chipping Sparrows, and a couple of Black-capped Chickadees.~~My FOY Hermit Thrush at Goosepond Mountain SP, 4/16/16.~~A Chipping Sparrow singing in the spotlight at Storm King State Park, 4/17/16.~~A nice look at an American Coot, Wallkill River NWR, 4/15/16.~The view of the Hudson River from the highest point of Butter Hill at Storm King State Park, 4/17/16.~
~I enjoyed seeing this Red-tailed Hawk; I pulled over to listen for songbirds and then saw it sitting low in the woods. Port Jervis, NY 2/21/16.~
After a disappointing Saturday of birding, I did much better on Sunday. I started the day in Port Jervis, hitting several spots. I added four birds to my Orange County year list, including two birds that I feel are pretty good birds for the county: GREATER SCAUP and COMMON GOLDENEYE. The other two birds were a Peregrine Falcon and a small flock of Cedar Waxwings. The highlight of the morning, however, was first hearing and then seeing a skein of approximately 75 SNOW GEESE fly overhead as I walked down a trail. This got me thinking about the possibility of finding some Snow Geese in the black dirt, which would be my next stop.
~One of my first birds of the day – Greater Scaup at Laurel Grove Cemetery in Port Jervis, NY 2/21/16.~~An adult Bald Eagle flies over the Delaware River, Port Jervis NY, 2/21/16.~~Nice bird to see, a single Common Goldeneye, Laurel Grove Cemetery 2/21/16.~~SNOW GEESE! Nice flyover of a skein of SNGOs in Port Jervis, NY 2/21/16.~~Peregrine Falcon perched high over the Delaware River, Port Jervis NY, 2/21/16.~
I made my way out to the Black Dirt Region, where I met up with Bruce Nott and Linda Scrima. We sifted through a nice sized group of Canada Geese and found some gems: 6 Snow Geese, 1 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE, and I was finally able catch up with a CACKLING GOOSE (there have been many reports in the region). Afterwards, Bruce and I continued to the Pine Island Turf Nursery, in search of pipits. We didn’t have any luck with the pipits, but we had a good sized flock of Horned Larks and a good collection of songbirds that provided some photo ops. It was a really good day of birding for me, something that I certainly needed.
~Cackling Goose in the black dirt 2/21/16. I like this for a Cackling because of the smaller size, small bill, shorter neck, and blocky head. ~Terrible photo here, but I included it because I think it shows the size of this bird better than the photo above. Cackling Goose, 2/21/16.~~A Red-bellied Woodpecker shows off its namesake (and it’s tongue!). Pine Island Turf Nursery, 2/21/16.~~That’s a blue Eastern Bluebird! Pine Island Turf Nursery, 2/21/16.~
~American Robin feeding at 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary, 2/14/16.~
I spent a couple of cold hours this morning walking the Heritage Trail at 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary. It was quite birdy and I tallied 20 species for the walk; I’ll include my species list below. The best and most surprising bird for me was a female Northern Harrier which was cruising the open area below the Orange County Jail. I also enjoyed seeing 2 Great Blue Herons, one that flushed as I walked along the trail and the second was all tucked in on the bank of the stream alongside the trail. It was a brisk -3 degrees Fahrenheit when I started my walk, and it warmed up to a balmy 1 degree Fahrenheit by the time I got back to the car.
A male Eastern Bluebird shows a little wing, 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary, 2/14/16. This is a species that I seem to see often when it’s very cold like this.~~It was really cool to see this Great Blue Heron all hunkered down on the bank of the stream which runs parallel to the Heritage Trail, 2/14/16.~
Great Blue Heron 2 Northern Harrier 1 Red-tailed Hawk 2 Ring-billed Gull 1 Red-bellied Woodpecker 2 Downy Woodpecker 6 Hairy Woodpecker 1 Pileated Woodpecker 1 Blue Jay 8 American Crow 1 Black-capped Chickadee 2 Tufted Titmouse 2 White-breasted Nuthatch 1 Eastern Bluebird 4 American Robin 12 American Tree Sparrow 25 Dark-eyed Junco 65 White-throated Sparrow 6 Song Sparrow 1 Northern Cardinal 1
A pair of White-throated Sparrows forage on the trail in front of me at 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary, 2/14/16.~~A puffed up American Tree Sparrow, 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary, 2/14/16.~~Downy Woodpeckers were plentiful during my walk and also very accommodating. 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary, 2/14/16.~~One more shot of the American Robin feeding, 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary, 2/14/16.~
~A Lesser Scaup in Playland Lake at the Edith G. Read Wildlife Sanctuary, 2/7/16.~
I had planned to get to Rye, NY for some birding at the end of 2015 or early January of this year, but somehow I never made it out there. So, today I finally took the trip to the Edith G. Read Wildlife Sanctuary, a spot that always seems to deliver a good amount of birds in the winter compared to what we are getting in Orange County. I had a pretty good day, with a total of 34 species (this is ten fewer than I had during a trip late last February but only two fewer than Karen Miller and I had in January of 2015). The highlight for me was getting relatively good views of Long-tailed Ducks – they were still distant, but typically at the sanctuary the LTDUs are miles out into the Long Island Sound. Another highlight was a distant look at a pair of Horned Grebes, a species I’ve never had at the sanctuary before. I was mostly surprised by the number of species that I expected to get but did not: Brant, Double-crested and Great Cormorant, Great Blue Heron (I remember large numbers on the islands at Playland Lake in the past), American and Fish Crow. I’ve also typically done well with photos at the sanctuary, and that was not the case today. Still, it was good day – gorgeous, seasonably warm, with enough birds to keep it interesting. I’ve included my species list at the bottom of this post.
~One of my favorites, Long-tailed Duck out beyond the rocks, Edith G. Read Wildlife Sanctuary, 2/7/16.~~Keeping my Species Photos 2016 page in mind, I spent some time with this Northern Cardinal, Edith G. Read Wildlife Sanctuary, 2/7/16.~~I stopped at the town park to have my lunch and I was joined by numerous gulls looking for a handout. Ring-billed Gull mooching in Rye, NY 2/7/16.~~Herring Gull close up. This bird was so close to me that I didn’t think my camera would focus on it. The bird eventually joined me on the bench. Rye Town Park, 2/7/16.~
Canada Goose
American Black Duck
Mallard
Greater Scaup
Lesser Scaup
Long-tailed Duck
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Hooded Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Horned Grebe
Red-tailed Hawk
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Belted Kingfisher
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Blue Jay
Common Raven
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Carolina Wren
European Starling
American Tree Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Common Grackle
House Finch
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow
~A White-breasted Nuthatches strikes the usual pose, Port Jervis NY 2/6/16.~
I woke up early this morning and made it out to Port Jervis just after it started getting light out. I’ve spent nearly all my recent birding time in the black dirt, so I was looking for a change. I started at a spot just outside of Port Jervis that allows for a quiet walk with enough birds to keep it interesting. My first bird of the day was a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, my first of the year in Orange County. One of the last birds I had was a Common Raven which was another to add to my Orange County list for 2016. I saw or heard 14 species on what ended up being a very cold walk; when I got back to my car and I was thinking it had finally warmed up, I looked at the temperature and it was only 19 degrees! I had an interesting experience with a group of maybe 8 White-breasted Nuthatches (it was hard to keep count!). I’ve never seen that many together at once, and they were calling and flying all around me, landing on nearby trees and on the road as well… it was pretty cool.
From there I made a couple of brief stops as I made my way into Port Jervis to bird Laurel Grove Cemetery. I parked at the far end and then made a loop to eventually end up back at my car. It was a birdy walk and I added another 3 birds to my Orange County 2016 list: Hairy Woodpecker, Eastern Bluebird, and Brown Creeper (a drastic improvement over last year, when it took me 11 months and 27 days to find a creeper!). I walked for just about an hour and had 19 species.
~I didn’t realize it until I stopped to think about it, but I had 4 Bald Eagles today, all of them adults. Orange County Bald Eagle, 2/6/16.~
I headed home for lunch with Tricia, winding my way through the black dirt without any remarkable sitings. After lunch I headed up north to see if I could do any good with waterfowl. I made three stops: Tomahawk Lake, Brown’s Pond, and Lake Washington. I only had any luck at Lake Washington, where I had 42 distant Common Mergansers and 8 Mallards. My more notable sitings were not waterfowl, I had an American Kestrel on the way to Tomahawk Lake in Hamptonburgh, and then when I arrived, I added my sixth bird of the day to my Orange County list, a Northern Flicker.
I left the county at the end of the day and headed out to Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge to try for the Short-eared Owls. I had a Red-tailed Hawk as I entered the refuge, which was absolutely packed – it was the first time I’ve had to parallel park at the grasslands! I talked to Ralph and he said that three different groups had outings at the refuge that evening. I had 7 Northern Harriers including one Gray Ghost, and then, up pretty late in the fading light, I had 4 Short-eared Owls – which was a nice way to end a super day of birding.
**I’ve updated the Species Photos 2016 page. I now have 25 species on the page, I think I need to start focusing on this page a little more.**
~I’m really not so crazy for White-breasted Nuthatches, so I can’t really remember seeing one on the ground like this. WBNU in Port Jervis, NY 2/6/16.~~White-breasted Nuthatch, Port Jervis, NY 2/6/16.~~I saw this bird fly in and thought “please be a hairy!”, and it was. Hairy Woodpecker at Laurel Grove Cemetery, 2/6/16.~~On my way to Tomahawk Lake, I pulled over to get a better look at a bird on a distant hay bale. It was an American Kestrel. And it flew towards me and perched in the tree in front of my car! Lucky day! AMKE in Hamptonburgh, NY 2/6/16.~
~It was a less than ideal morning for photos, this shot was taken at ISO 3200. Hermit Thrush at Goose Pond Mountain, 12/24/15.~
I took a nice walk at Goose Pond Mountain this Christmas Eve morning in the unseasonably warm weather. While there were plenty of birds on my walk, the variety was not great and I had a modest 17 species. The highlight for me was seeing this Hermit Thrush. Conditions were not great for photography, but I was still very happy to photograph this bird since it was only the second HETH I’ve had this year in Orange County and my first was just a brief look with no time for photos. It was a nice way to spend Christmas Eve morning; I’ll take this opportunity to wish a Merry Christmas to everyone who is celebrating.
Here’s my list for the morning:
Mallard
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Ring-billed Gull
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
Blue Jay
American Crow
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Hermit Thrush
Cedar Waxwing
American Tree Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
White-throated Sparrow
~Kyle got his lifer Yellow-rumped Warbler today and took this amazing shot to prove it. Mount Peter Hawkwatch, 10/24/14, photo by Kyle Dudgeon.~
Sharpies and sharp eyes were the story today at Mount Peter Hawkwatch. I counted 41 migrating Sharp-shinned hawks, but I don’t know how many of them I would have missed without a little help. Many of the birds today were passing by to the east of the viewing platform. For those who have never been to Mount Pete, the view on that side is obstructed by a number of trees, so it can be difficult to pick up the birds as they pass through the smaller windows between the groups of trees. Kyle Dudgeon spent most of the day at the watch with me, and this guy can find and see hawks naked-eye better than I can with binoculars. Oh to have young eyes! Then, in the afternoon, Ryan MacLean, official counter at Quaker Ridge Hawkwatch joined me, finding several birds during the hour or so he was there. By the end of the day, I had totaled 62 migrating raptors – a pretty good day! Here’s my report:
Observation start time: 08:00:00
Observation end time: 16:00:00
Total observation time: 8 hours
Official Counter Matt Zeitler
Observers:
Visitors:
Kyle Dudgeon, Karen Miller, Diane Bliss, Linda Scrima, and Ryan MacLean.
Weather:
Cloudy and cool with temperatures starting at 3 degrees Celsius and rising to 11 degrees. There was a northeast wind for most of the day, which shifted to southwest in the afternoon.
Raptor Observations:
Migrating Raptors: (2) Adult Bald Eagles. Red-shoulded Hawks included (2) adult, (1) immature, and (2) unknown. Non Migrating Raptors: (1) Adult Bald Eagle flew northeast.
Non-raptor Observations:
American Robin (25), Blue Jay (18), American Goldfinch (7), Black-capped Chickadee (5), Tufted Titmouse (2), Eastern Bluebird (3), American Crow (12), Yellow-rumped Warbler (12), Northern Cardinal (1), Common Raven (5), Dark-eyed Junco (10), Ring-billed Gull (2), Canada Goose (18), Pileated Woodpecker (1), Northern Flicker (1), and Rock Pigeon (3).
~VESPER SPARROW at Wickham Woodlands Town Park area, 10/20/15.~
As I left Mount Peter Hawkwatch this evening after work, I received a call from Rob Stone. He had several VESPER SPARROWS in the area near Wickham Woodlands Town Park earlier in the day. I was heading to the park already, so I went to check it out. After a little bit of searching, and just before the sun got too low for photos, I located one and then two Vesper Sparrows, skulking in the grass. The bold eyering was seen very easily, even without binoculars. In my photos, other identifying features can also be seen: white outer tail feathers on a fairly short tail, large bill, and pale-centered dark ear coverts. I mistakenly thought that this was a life bird, but when I got home I entered the observation into eBird and I saw that I had one when I was in Colorado back in 2013! I can barely remember that bird and I was unable to get photos, so today was much more fulfilling since I got such good looks and photographs too. Plus, it is nice to be able to add the bird to my Orange County year list and life list. Huge thanks to Rob Stone for the heads up!
~VESPER SPARROW, Wickham Woodlands Town Park area, 10/20/15.~
