Songbirds – Page 13 – Orange Birding

Bring on the Warblers!

~A Common Yellowthroat on the west side of the Liberty Loop Trail, 4/24/15.~

I had some decent passerine movement today at the Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge’s Liberty Loop trail. I walked the west side of the loop, highlights included: Blue-headed Vireo, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Yellow-rumped Warbler, BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER, and Common Yellowthroat. All were my first of the year with the exception of the Yellow-rumped Warbler.

~To me, this is a tough bird to photograph, so I was pretty happy with this shot. Black-and-white Warbler at Wallkill River NWR, 4/24/15.~

~An Eastern Bluebird earlier in the afternoon in some good light. Warwick, NY 4/24/15.~

Black Dirt Sunday and Weekend Catch Up

~A Northern Harrier shot through the grasses out at Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge, 1/31/15.~

I spent an enjoyable morning birding in the black dirt; I spent just over three hours hitting many of the usual spots. Notable observations included fewer Canada Geese than I have had in recent days, I’m not sure where all the geese were hiding out. Also, on Missionland Road, where there were hundreds of Horned Larks earlier this week, I did not have one lark. I did manage to relocate 4 Lapland Longspurs in small flock of mixed sparrows. And, on Onion Avenue in New Hampton I had my first American Robins of the year:

~One of a group of 8 American Robins on Onion Avenue, 2/1/15.~

It was a good morning with a total of 32 species identified:

~American Goldfinch on Missionland Road, 1/31/15.~

Canada Goose
Mallard
Turkey Vulture
Northern Harrier
Red-tailed Hawk
Rough-legged Hawk
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)
Mourning Dove
Short-eared Owl
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Merlin
Blue Jay
American Crow
Horned Lark
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Eastern Bluebird
American Robin
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
Lapland Longspur
American Tree Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Northern Cardinal
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow

~An American Tree Sparrow leaves its perch, Missionland Road, 1/31/15.~

~I had 8! Eastern Bluebirds in my yard as I left in the morning – not a bird I see in our yard very often. Goshen NY, 2/1/15.~

~Gray Ghost at Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge, 2/1/15.~

~I had heard about the Merlin that was hanging around Liberty Marsh at Wallkill River NWR, I finally saw it today, 2/1/15. You had to see this bird fly, absolutely incredible, so fast!

Eastern Meadowlarks, 1/25/15

~One of three Eastern Meadowlarks at the Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge, 1/25/15.~

I was pleasantly surprised when three Eastern Meadowlarks landed and perched in the tree in front of the north blind at Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge. I knew that there were some meadowlarks present at the refuge this winter because I’ve caught fleeting glimpses a couple of times this January. But this was not a quick look, the birds perched in the tree for a little while and then dropped into the grasses in front of the blind to feed. Before any of the meadowlarks gave me a clear shot for a photo, a female Northern Harrier flushed the birds and they relocated to a tree behind the blind. Again, they dropped down from the tree to forage through the grasses behind the blind which were not as thick as they were in front, allowing me to get some photos.

~I wonder if the new snowfall allowed these birds to reach where they couldn’t before? EAME at the Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 1/25/15.~

I looked at the range maps in the Crossley Guide, Sibley Field Guide, and on the All About Birds website. Both the Sibley and All About Birds range maps include Ulster County, New York as part of the year round range for Eastern Meadowlarks, while the Crossley Guide has it just as “typical breeding range” but not very far from the year round range. According to the Stokes Guide to Bird Behavior II, Eastern Meadowlarks gather into flocks in the late summer after breeding. Some flocks move southward while others remain to winter and “forage in old fields of corn, stubble, and weeds. At night they roost together, often in the tall grasses of marshes. Occasionally they join with grackles to roost”.

~An Eastern Meadowlark perches briefly at the Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 1/25/15.~

As much as I love to go to the grasslands for the raptors in the winter, the meadowlarks were a wonderful surprise for me this morning. There was plenty of raptor activity as well (Rough-legged Hawks, Red-tailed Hawks, American Kestrel, Northern Harriers, Black Vultures), and I will prepare a post for them in the next day or so.

~I was happy to get some photos that were pretty much in focus, it was tough with all the vegetation. Eastern Meadowlark at the Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 1/25/15.~

~Tough to catch these birds in flight. EAME at the Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 1/25/15.~

~Eastern Meadowlark at the Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 1/25/15.~

Sunday 12/14/14

-Short-eared Owl hunting at the Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 12/14/14.

So, as I mentioned in my post yesterday, I had a full day of birding in before the Short-eared Owl extravaganza at the Shawangunk Grasslands. In the morning I did a tour of the Black Dirt Region, mostly hoping to find a Snowy Owl or perhaps an interesting goose. I failed to locate either, but instead had an interesting morning with a good number of passerines at various locations. I had nearly 30 species in the black dirt, and for me the hightlight was a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker which was seen on Onion Avenue in Goshen.

A Yellow-bellied Sapsucker climbs the trunk of a tree, Black Dirt Region, Orange County NY 12/14/14.

BLACK DIRT REGION 12/14/14

I haven’t posted a shot of a goldfinch in a while. Black dirt, 12/14/14.

Canada Goose
Mallard
Great Blue Heron
Black Vulture
Northern Harrier
Bald Eagle
Red-tailed Hawk
Rough-legged Hawk
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)
Mourning Dove
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
American Kestrel
Blue Jay
American Crow
Horned Lark
Black-capped Chickadee
White-breasted Nuthatch
European Starling
American Tree Sparrow
Song Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
American Goldfinch

-Ring-billed Gull, head on. Newburgh Waterfront, 12/14/14.

In the early afternoon I headed over the Newburgh Waterfront to try and pick up a couple of county birds that I needed – with the end of the year looming, I am trying to maximize my Orange County species list. I was looking for a Great Black-backed Gull and a Great Cormorant (both of which Bruce Nott had reported being there earlier in the week), and I was successful on both counts:

Great Cormorant at the Newburgh Waterfront, 12/14/14.

A Great Black-backed Gull flies over the Hudson River, Newburgh Waterfront 12/14/14.

After Newburgh, I headed over to the Shawangunk Grasslands as I wrote about in yesterday’s post. I stopped at Blue Chip Farms long enough to get this shot of a European Starling:

I’m still trying for a good European Starling photo. Blue Chip Farms, 12/14/14.

And finally, here are a few more shots of the Short-eared Owls at the Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, all on 12/14/14:

A Short-eared Owl and a Northern Harrier tangle, Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 12/14/14.

I believe this SEOW was trying to make itself seem bigger (and meaner!) because it was being buzzed repeatedly by a Northern Harrier. Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 12/14/14.

Head on Short-eared Owl, Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 13/14/14.

Black Dirt, 11/09/14

Male Horned Lark in the Black Dirt Region, 11/09/14.

Quick Post: I tooled around the Black Dirt Region for a little while this morning, mostly in hopes of relocating a Lapland Longspur that had been reported from the Mearns Bird Club field trip the day before. I dipped on the longspur, but there were plenty of Horned Larks and American Pipits to sift through. The birds were in loose flocks and most were quite distant, but I did have a few closer birds which allowed for some photos. I really enjoy seeing and photographing these birds, and although it didn’t happen for me today, it’s really exciting because there is always the possibility of finding Lapland Longspurs and Snow Buntings among them.

An American Pipit stands at attention, Black Dirt Region, Orange County NY, 11/09/14.

Female Horned Lark in the Black Dirt, 11/09/14.

Winding Waters Trail, 10/16/14

The Winding Waters Trail out at Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge continues to be loaded with birds. Sparrows dominate, lead by Song Sparrows and to a lesser extent Swamp Sparrows. I particularly enjoyed seeing several Field Sparrows and three Lincoln’s Sparrows.

I am seeing Field Sparrows in a new light this fall. I think they are a pretty good looking bird. Winding Waters Trail, 10/16/14.

A Lincoln's Sparrow in the shadows at Winding Waters Trail, 10/16/14. This is a bird that I would like to get a decent photo of. — A Lincoln’s Sparrow lurks in the shadows at Winding Waters Trail, 10/16/14. This is a bird that I would like to get a decent photo of.

When I entered my observations into eBird, I was surprised that I only had 19 species for the day. I guess with the high number of sparrows (they were everywhere!), I thought I would have more birds for the day. Here’s my list for the evening:

Canada Goose
Great Blue Heron
Northern Harrier
Lesser Yellowlegs
Belted Kingfisher
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Tree Swallow
American Robin
European Starling
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Field Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Lincoln’s Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow

I finally got a shot of the Belted Kingfisher that has been hanging around WW Trail. Not a good one, but what can you do? Belted Kingfisher at Wallkill River NWR, Winding Waters Trail, 10/16/14.

Fall Sparrows 10/12/14

White-crowned Sparrow on Haven Road at the Bashakill WMA, 10/12/14.

I got out a fair amount this weekend, and sparrows seemed to be everywhere. The hottest spot for me was definitely Winding Waters Trail at Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge, which I visited three times and where I totaled 8 different sparrows:

Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Lincoln’s Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow

I am, of course, still struggling with my sparrow identifications; at times I felt confident and capable and at other times I felt clueless. Here are my photos from the weekend – I am confident with all my IDs with a couple of exceptions which I have noted in the captions. Also noteworthy, I had my first Dark-eyed Juncos of the season on Saturday morning at Cascade Lake (which was also loaded with Ruby-crowned Kinglets – 15+).

Savannah Sparrow at Winding Waters Trail at the Wallkill River NWR, 10/11/14.

This bird has me a little stumped. I was thinking first winter Swamp Sparrow, but now I am leaning towards and hoping for Lincoln's. Any thoughts on this bird would be appreciated. This was taken Winding Waters Trail at the Wallkill River NWR, 10/10/14. — This bird has me a little stumped – I am thinking it is a hatch year Swamp Sparrow. Any thoughts on this bird would be appreciated. This was taken Winding Waters Trail at the Wallkill River NWR, 10/10/14.

It was great to see several Field Sparrows at Winding Waters Trail at the Wallkill River NWR, 10/10/14.

This photo is not very representative of how it looked when I saw this bird. This was taken on Friday night and it was nearly dark out. I had my ISO cranked up to 3200 and somehow the photo is not too noisy. White-throated Sparrow,Winding Waters Trail at the Wallkill River NWR, 10/10/14.

THIS, I believe is a Lincoln's Sparrow. I did not ID it as such in the field, but looking at the photos I am thinking Lincoln's. Taken Winding Waters Trail at the Wallkill River NWR, 10/10/14. — THIS, I believe is a Lincoln’s Sparrow. I did not ID it as such in the field, but looking at the photos I am thinking Lincoln’s. Again, any thoughts on this bird please comment! Taken at Winding Waters Trail at the Wallkill River NWR, 10/10/14.

Swamp Sparrows in the Rain 6/12/14

Swamp Sparrow singing in the rain, Appalachian Trail Pochuck Section, 6/12/14.

After work today I walked the Appalachian Trail Pochuck Section for the first time this year. I had forgotten how good the trail was for Swamp Sparrows, so in spite of the poor light and the rain I got some decent shots. I was hoping that the Marsh Wrens would have nested near the boardwalk like they did last year, but no such luck. In addition to the the SWSPs and MAWRs, all the birds I saw were expected species, with a highlight being a couple of Green Herons.

I love the long legs on these Swamp Sparrows. AT Pochuck Section, 6/12/14.

SWSPs are a beautiful sparrow, I love the colors on the back of this bird.

Swamp Sparrow at the AT Pochuck Section, 6/12/14.

Yellow-breasted Chat Fail

In the past week, I made it out to Sterling Forest State Park FIVE times in hopes of seeing one of the Yellow-breasted Chats that has been reported out there. Last Saturday, Maria Loukeris and I walked several of the trails at the park, after seeing several reports on eBird the week before. We came up empty-handed. Our best bird of the day was a Prairie Warbler located on the trail at the end of Ironwood Drive.

Prairie Warbler singing at Ironwood Drive in Sterling Forest SP, 5/31/14.

On Monday I received a text from Rob Stone; he had located a YBCH on the road that leads into Laurel Meadow Ponds in Sterling Forest SP. After work, as I raced over to the park, John Haas phoned to let me know he had located the bird as well. When I arrived, I immediately heard what I believed was the bird. Try as I might, I never located the bird. At one point, I identified the tree that the bird was in. I was catching glimpses of movement but never got a good look at the bird. Eventually, I wasn’t hearing the bird anymore and even later still, I started to doubt if I had heard it in the first place! On Tuesday, it was more of the same, I heard the bird early on and never located it, then the doubts crept in again. I tried again on Wednesday and Thursday evenings, but on both days I never even heard the bird. The highlight of Thursday’s outing was having two pairs of Blue-winged Warblers giving chase all around me on the trail at high speed. They were completely oblivious to my presence, whipping right by my head many times and perching (very briefly!) very close by. I managed to get a couple decent shots:

Blue-winged Warbler, Sterling Forest SP, 6/5/14.

One of four Blue-winged Warblers that made my day. Sterling Forest SP, 6/5/14.

Of course, I took photos all week as I was going for the Yellow-breasted Chat, but really it was sort of an uneventful week of birding. Here are some shots from the week:

Yellow-billed Cuckoos are plentiful out at Sterling Park SP. This one was seen on 6/2/14.

Another bird that I saw in high numbers this week - Cedar Waxwing at Sterling Forest SP, 5/31/14. — Another bird that I saw in high numbers this week – Cedar Waxwing at Sterling Forest SP, 5/31/14.

I feel like I took more photos of mammals than birds in the past week. Beaver at Laurel Meadow Ponds, 6/5/14.

Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 6/1/14

I finally made it out to one of my favorite places to bird this weekend – the Shawangunk Grasslands. On Saturday evening, Tricia and I met Karen Miller out there for a brief visit before going out to dinner. Then, I made it back out this morning and for over three hours, I walked the trails (which are now called the Tabor Trace – named for Ralph Tabor who does everything that needs to be done out there). It is a great time of year to be at the grasslands, the place is loaded with great birds: Bobolinks, Eastern Meadowlarks, and Savannah Sparrows are numerous and offer plenty of photo opportunities. There is also the possibility to see fantastic birds like Upland Sandpipers and Grasshopper Sparrows, and these two species were at the top of my list this morning. My best birds at the grasslands were by far the 4 GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS I had out there. The highlight of the day, however, did not occur at the grasslands. There is a spot, not far from the grasslands, that is good for getting Upland Sandpipers. I followed Ralph, Scotty Baldinger, and Gene McGarry over, and Ralph immediately located an UPLAND SANDPIPER! I jumped out of the car to see the bird and get some photos. Sadly, I am disappointed in my results, but still it was great to get such a good look at the bird. Shortly after that, Ralph and Scotty moved further up the road and located 2 more UPLAND SANDPIPERS! They were a bit distant for photos but still awesome to see.