Songbirds – Page 6 – Orange Birding

Hickok Brook Multi-use Area, 06/23/19

Since I have Ruffed Grouse on the brain this weekend, I headed out early this morning to the only other location where I’ve seen the bird: Hickok Brook Multiple Use Area in Sullivan County. I didn’t have any luck with RUGR, (I knew I’d have to get lucky to come across one), but I was happy to get back to a spot that I’d only been to one other time, two years ago. It was a sunny, cool morning with a little bit of a breeze blowing. I took a nice, long, comfortable walk; the trails are mostly wide open and flat which makes for some good birding conditions. It was a birdy morning and I had 35 species on my list, with most birds being heard and not seen. I remembered having a similar experience last time I was there, but really, to me it’s pretty normal for summertime birding. Highlights for me were mostly raptors, including my second Barred Owl of the weekend, this one was heard but not seen. I also had a pair of Red-shouldered Hawks calling and also a pair of Broad-winged Hawks – I heard them first and then watched one shoot through the woods in the distance. I know that I missed some birds out there today – it’s hard to bird by ear for me when I’m a little bit outside of Orange County as I’m not entirely sure which birds to expect. I decided to not worry about it too much and just enjoyed a nice walk in the woods.

~I felt a little snake-bit when it came to photos today; the birds were either not seen, in the dark, or completely backlit. This Scarlet Tanager was an exception, Hickok Brook Multi-use Area 06/23/19.~

~This was the first bird that I saw this morning, and it wasn’t camera shy in the least. Gray Catbird at Hickok Brook Multi-use Area, 06/23/19.~

~I was torn between my two best shots of this bird, so I decided to include both. Scarlet Tanager at Hickok Brook Multi-use Area, 06/23/19.~

Back At It, 06/22/19

It’s been a little bit of a rough late spring for me – I’ve been going through a serious family issue and I am having some health problems. Between the two, my birding and blogging have been limited to the greatest extent since I started the blog in 2012. But, this morning I was finally able to get out. I made a long overdue trip to Black Rock Forrest in search of Ruffed Grouse. The good news is that I didn’t see any bears, and I also didn’t wipe out on the trail. The bad news is that I had no luck with my target species. It was still a nice hike; birdy with over 30 species seen or heard. The birds of the day was for sure the Ovenbird, with many being seen and heard throughout my hike. Highlights for me included catching a glimpse of a Barred Owl as I inadvertently flushed it as I walked the trail, getting my first Acadian Flycatcher of the year, and getting a nice photo op with a pair of Field Sparrows. It’s nice to be back at it.

~Field Sparrow at Black Rock Forrest, 06/22/19.~

~Ahhhh! It was really great to hear first and then see this Prairie Warbler at Black Rock Forrest, 06/22/19.~

~Here’s something you don’t see every day. This groundhog scrambled partially up a tree as I made my way up the trail past it. This was taken pretty early this morning, so there wasn’t much light, ISO = 16000! Black Rock Forrest, 06/22/19.~

~Ovenbird with a bill-full. I was a little disappointed – I had several opportunities to photograph Ovenbirds today but most came out blurry for some reason. Black Rock Forrest, 06/22/19.~

Break 100, 05/18/19

I was a little too busy to officially participate in this year’s Mearns Bird Club‘s Break 100, but I was able to join up with my previous team for a few hours this morning. I met up with John Haas, Karen Miller, and Lisa O’Gorman at Laurel Grove Cemetery in Port Jervis just after 8 am. I know it’s stating the obvious, right now is really good time of year to look for birds. I think with how busy I”ve been with work and in my personal life lately, lost track of that to some extent. It came back to me when I arrived at the cemetery and the team was having a great morning, with several CAPE MAY WARBLERS, Blackpoll Warblers, and at least a couple BAY-BREASTED WARBLERS. One male Cape May was very obliging for photos:

~CAPE MAY WARBLER at Laurel Grove Cemetery, 05/18/19.~

~CAPE MAY WARBLER with a snack. Laurel Grove Cemetery, 05/18/19.~

Our next stop was at Elks Brox Memorial Park, where the team added several birds to their tally. I don’t want to say exactly where they stood, but suffice to say they had a good Friday Evening and early Saturday morning and were well on their way to breaking 100. Highlights at Elks Brox included Prairie Warblers, Great Crested Flycatchers, good looks at another couple of Bay-breasted Warblers, and a nice photo op with a male Scarlet Tanager.

~I’m not sure why, but I sort of like this shot. I feel like this bird has some personality. Scarlet Tanager at Elks Brox Park, 05/18/19.~

From there we headed to Hawk’s Nest; the team added Peregrine Falcon, White-throated Sparrow, and Bald Eagle to their list. The traffic and the loud cars and motorcycles at that place make me absolutely crazy, so I was happy to head up to Reservoir 3 where the only new bird for the team was Brown Creeper. That’s where the team and I parted ways. They were headed to Sterling Forest, I went back to Laurel Grove where I located a CANADA WARBLER before heading home for the day. It was a great morning, and I’ll be curious to see how many species the team finishes with. I’ll update this post when I find out.

*Update: Our team ended the break with a total of 116 species – pretty darn good in my opinion!

~Great-Crested Flycatcher hawking bugs from a high perch at Elks Brox Park, 05/18/19.~

~This is a bird I don’t think I’ve ever taken a good photo of . Prairie Warbler at Elks Brox Park, 05/18/19.~

Weekend Wrap Up, 05/12/19

It was an interesting and productive weekend of birding for me. It started on Friday evening after work at Ironwood Drive at Sterling Forest State Park. I had over 40 species in total; highlights included an up-close look at a Hooded Warbler, 2 American Woodcocks peenting and in flight, and several Eastern Whip-poor-wills calling. I had an exciting moment when 2 Whip-poor-wills took flight after sunset, calling as they flew right into the parking area at the end of Ironwood Drive. I could barely see them but I picked them up as they flew through and then disappeared into the night.

~I didn’t think I got a shot of this bird – I didn’t think I was quick enough. I was thrilled when I was going through my pics and saw this shot. HOODED WARBLER at Sterling Forest, 05/10/19.~

On Saturday morning, I woke up unsure of where to bird, or even what type of birding I should do. I had thoughts of shorebirds at the Route 207 Marsh, but instead I headed to Port Jervis to try for passerines. I went to Laurel Grove Cemetery first and it was birdy, but without many warblers present. New birds for the year (for me) included: Brown Thrasher, Least Flycatcher, and Chimney Swifts. From there, I headed up to Elks Brox Memorial Park, where it was also birdy, but with many more warblers. I had 10 species of warbler: Ovenbird, Worm-Eating Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, Northern Parula, BAY-BREASTED WARBLER, BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Pine Warbler, Prairie Warbler, and Black-throated Green Warbler. Best of all, I got some decent looks and photo ops of several species. Other good birds at Elks Brox included: RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES (FOY), Yellow-throated Vireo, Blue-headed Vireo, and my FOY Eastern Wood-Peewee.

~A singing Northern Parula at Elks Brox Memorial Park, 05/11/19.~

In the afternoon I joined Karen Miller and we headed to the Bashakill to volunteer for Nature Watch. A pair of BLACK TERNS had been located and reported earlier in the day by the Mearns Bird Club outing, so we stopped at Haven Road first to try for the birds. When we arrived, several other birders were also looking for the birds, which hadn’t been seen in nearly 45 minutes. Birding bud Bruce Nott was there and I told him I had a feeling we would see the birds… five minutes later Bruce located them, north of the bridge and quite distant. Karen and I looked at them briefly but then had to head to the Main Boat Launch for Nature Watch. The terns eventually made their way all the way to us, and we enjoyed viewing them for most of our shift.

~This was a pleasant surprise – One of at least 2 RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES at Elks Brox Park, 05/11/19.~

Today (Sunday) was yet another cold and rainy day. It rained ALL day long. I got out early and was optimistic that it wouldn’t rain too hard. I went to the 207 Marsh to try for shorebirds. I didn’t stay as long as I would have liked because the rain was relentless and my optics were just saturated. Every time I went use the scope or my binoculars they would instantly fog over. I did add a new shorebird for the year: SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS. I went home to dry off and then headed back out in the afternoon, again in search of shorebirds. I went to Lynch Ave (Least Sandpipers, Solitary Sanpipers, Lesser Yellowlegs, and Killdeer) and then to the Camel Farm (same species plus Greater Yellowlegs). The Camel Farm is loaded with shorebirds right now, but sadly there really isn’t a good spot for viewing. My final stop made all the wet weather birding worth it – I located a GLOSSY IBIS at Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge. I’ve included a documentary shot at the bottom of this post. I have to say it feels good to be home, warm and dry!

~This is one of my favorite passerines and I fee like I find them relatively often. Yellow-throated Vireo at Elks Brox Park, 05/11/19.~

~Blue-gray Gnatcatcher at Elks Brox Park, 05/11/19.~

~One of 2 BAY-BREASTED WARBLERS at Elks Brox Park on Saturday, 05/11/19.~

~I always think Laurel Grove Cemetery lends itself to some interesting pics. Carolina Wren, 05/11/19.~

~This dude looks mean! Brown Thrasher giving me the evil eye at Laurel Grove Cemetery, 05/11/19.~

~Magnolia Warbler on Friday night 05/10/19 at Sterling Forest.~

~The bird of the day on Sunday, 05/12/19: GLOSSY IBIS at Walkill River NWR.~

A Good Couple of Days

~My first Eastern Kingbird of the year in Orange County, at Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge, 05/04/19.~

The last couple of days were very busy birding-wise, with many birds moving into and through our area. On Friday after work I went to Sterling Forest State Park. I birded the Ironwood Drive area and I did pretty well, getting 15 new county birds for the year:

Eastern Whip-poor-will
Yellow-throated Vireo
Wood Thrush
Gray Catbird
Baltimore Oriole
Ovenbird
KENTUCKY WARBLER
Common Yellowthroat
Hooded Warbler
American Redstart
Cerulean Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Prairie Warbler
Scarlet Tanager
Rose-breasted Grosbeak

~Wood Thrush at Pochuck Mountain State Forest, 05/04/19. Photo by Linda Scrima.~

This morning I met up with Linda Scrima and we birded Pochuck Mountain State Forest. It was a slow start, but then it got pretty busy; at times it was hard to know which bird to look at there were so many. We had a total of 37 species; highlights included my FOY Great-crested Flycatchers and Veery, Scarlet Tanagers, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, and 10 Species of Warbler:

Ovenbird
Worm-eating Warbler (FOY)
Black-and-white Warbler
American Redstart
Northern Parula (FOY)
Magnolia Warbler (FOY)
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Prairie Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler

~Scarlet Tanager at Pochuck Mountain SF, 05/04/19.~

~Yellow-rumped Warbler at the Route 207 Marsh at Stewart Forest, 05/04/19.~

Afterwards, we went over to the Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge. Highlights included my first Orange County Eastern Kingbirds of the year, a flyover of 2 SANDHILL CRANES, hearing a couple of SORA calling, and a handful of shorebirds (Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Solitary Sandpiper, Wilson’s Snipe, and Killdeer).

~It was nice to see the Sandhill Cranes at Wallkill River NWR, 05/04/19.~

I spent the afternoon trying to find more shorebirds. At the Camel Farm I had more yellowlegs and although they were distant, I believe I had 3 Pectoral Sandpipers. On Lynch Avenue in the black dirt I had the same shorebirds that we had at Wallkill River NWR, plus I added my FOY Spotted Sandpiper. My final stop was at Stewart Forest; I stopped quickly at Ridge Road (one Solitary and one Spotted), and then spent some time at the 207 Marsh, where there were many shorebirds present, but I did not add any new species.

For the day today, I added 9 more county year birds – that’s a total of 24 new birds in 2 days, which sure makes for some fun birding.

~Greater Yellowlegs at Lynch Avenue in the black dirt, 05/04/19.~

~Here’s a nice comparison of a Greater Yellowlegs and a Lesser Yellowlegs, in flight at Wallkill River NWR, 05/04/19.~

Snowy Morning at the Grasslands, 03/02/19

~Northern Harrier hunting in the snow at Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 03/02/19.~

I arrived at Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge just after sunrise this morning. I was happy – a steady snow was falling, it was cold but not uncomfortably so, and I was the only one there. I walked the trails for a little while; I heard coyotes off in the distance. As the sun started to rise, I noticed a few of the Northern Harriers had started to fly, so I headed into the “Bobolink” blind and waited. But, the snow seemed to keep the harriers from flying like they have been recently, and it was songbirds that stole the show for me. I had several American Tree Sparrows just off to my right; every once in a while one would perch up on a bush. A Savannah Sparrow flew in front of the blind, perched briefly and then disappeared into the grasses. A trio of Northern Flickers spent some time in the tree directly in front of the blind, before flying south and finding another tree out in the middle of the grasslands. Then I heard a call I was hoping to hear all morning – Eastern Meadowlarks! A group of nine had landed in the ‘flicker tree’ and were gently calling.

~One of 9 Eastern Meadowlarks in one tree, Shawangunk Grasslands NWR 03/02/19.~

I then walked the trails for a while, covering a good portion of the north end of the refuge. The snow eventually stopped and the refuge had a different feel, much brighter and warmer. The harriers remained relatively sparse on my walk although I did see a distant “Gray Ghost” flying over near Galeville Park. An Eastern Bluebird perched in a tree right alongside the trail. Four Black Vultures circled directly overhead. When I arrived back near the parking area, I ran into one of my favorite people: Ralph Tabor. We caught up for a while and enjoyed the birds at the feeder station. A Brown Creeper made its way up a tree just to the right of the feeders; I’m pretty sure it’s the first one I’ve ever had in Ulster County. Ralph then spotted a Short-eared Owl in the distance, being harassed by some American Crows. As I walked back towards my car, the crows flushed a second Shorty and I was able to get some photos before both owls settled down again. It was great morning of birding; it far exceeded my expectations when I headed out this morning.

~It’s been ages since I’ve gotten any Short-eared Owl photos; Shorty in flight at Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 03/02/19.~

~This might be the bird of the day for me – BROWN CREEPER at Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 03/02/19.~

~One of 4 Black Vultures I saw overhead as I walked the trails at Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 03/02/19.~

~Short-eared Owl, Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 03/02/19.~

~Eastern Bluebird at the Grasslands, 03/02/19.~

~I ran into this Red-tailed Hawk on the way home, I think it was in Wallkill NY, 03/02/19.~

Two Life Birds, 02/02/19

~Here’s a beautiful bird – PACIFIC LOON at Manasquan Inlet in Ocean County, NJ 02/02/19.~

Early this morning, Linda Scrima, Maria Loukeris, and I headed to Manasquan Inlet to try for the PACIFIC LOON that has been seen there. This was definitely one of the easier rarities we’ve run for – we parked the car and the bird was in the channel right in front of us! And what a beautiful bird, a nice dark loon with a lovely chin strap. It was also very cooperative, swimming quite close and the light was pretty nice too. This bird alone was definitely worth the trip, but we also had some really nice photo ops with some Long-tailed Ducks (which are apparently a garbage bird around there!) and a gorgeous RED-THROATED LOON. We checked for gulls from Red’s Lobster Pot and got lucky with a 1st winter ICELAND GULL. Unfortunately that bird was just too far for pics. Then we walked out onto the jetty, where we enjoyed seeing many of the usuals – highlights included a Common Goldeneye flyby, a flock of Dunlin, and 2 Horned Grebes.

PACIFIC LOON at Manasquan Inlet, 02/02/19.~

~The puppy dog of ducks, and one of my favorites, Long-tailed Duck at Manasquan Inlet, 02/02/19.~

~I know I write this a lot, but ANOTHER favorite of mine – Red-throated Loon at Manasquan Inlet, 02/02/19.~

We then headed to the Trenton Sewage Ponds in Mercer County to try for the TOWNSEND’S WARBLER that has been there. We were informed as soon as we arrived by other birders that the bird was still present, and we got on it not too long after that. It was a good looking warbler, but unfortunately the lighting was absolutely horrible and the bird was severely backlit from our vantage point. We tried for a while to get shots of the bird as it foraged around the pools, and eventually the bird perched in a nearby tree. It was still backlit, but closer to us and with a natural setting made the difference for me. Also present was a Eastern Phoebe, several Yellow-rumped Warblers, a handful of Ruby-crowned Warblers, and a Palm Warbler.

Both birds were lifers for all three of us – it’s not too often we get lifers these days, so it was AWESOME!

~Photos were tough, this was the best I could do – TOWNSEND’S WARBLER at the Trenton Sewage Ponds, 02/02/19.~

~A nice look at a Palm Warbler at the Trenton Sewage Ponds, 02/02/19.~

Successful Birding in Sullivan County, 12/09/18

~A male EVENING GROSBEAK takes a break from the feeding platform. Woodard Road in Sullivan County NY 12/09/18.~

This morning I headed up to Sullivan County. All week John Haas and others had been reporting some really good birds in the Liberty area of SC. I was especially ready for some good birding after a pretty disappointing Saturday birding locally in Orange County. The day was saved by a single bird – a PINE SISKIN at Linda Scrima’s feeding station – thanks so much Linda!

I connected early with John and he met me at Rayano’s feeder station, where I was able to briefly get on a single EVENING GROSBEAK. It was my lifer EVGR, so I was pretty pumped (#415). I snapped a few distant, documentary shots before the bird flushed. And then, while we waited hoping the bird would return, Karen Miller called John to report that she had COMMON REDPOLLS on Clements Road. We raced over (and when I say raced, I mean it – I didn’t know the way and I was trying to keep up with John, who was on a mission! Let’s just say I’m glad I recently got new tires.). Fortunately the birds were still present. We had great looks and I tried for pics but they were just a bit out of range for good ones.

~Female EVENING GROSBEAK on a nice perch, Sullivan County NY 12/09/18.~

Afterwards, I headed back to Rayano’s, hoping for a better look and maybe some photos of the grosbeaks. Karen joined me, as did a trio of birders from Rockland County as well as Ken McDermott and Lisa O’Gorman. We all waited for a good while and I was the first to leave. I figured I’d check the feeders at Woodard Road before heading back, and I’m glad I did. When I arrived there were nearly a dozen EVENING GROSBEAKS at the feeder station. I put out the word and then took photos. The whole crew from Rayano’s joined me, but unfortunately the birds flushed just as they pulled up. I couldn’t believe it! I waited a little while, but the birds did not seem like they were coming back any time soon so I left. Ken notified me later that 16 EVGRs showed up not too long after I left and everyone got them. Excellent day of birding!

~COMMON REDPOLLS! This is a sharp looking bird, in my opinion. Clements Road 12/09/18~

~Female Evening Grosbeak at Woodard Road, 12/09/18.~

~How about that!?! It was really excellent to see these birds today – hard to beat a life bird! EVENING GROSBEAKS at Woodard Road, 12/09/18.~

Onondaga Lake Park, 11/23/18

I had to break tradition this year on Black Friday. Due to the recent substantial snowfall, Wildlife Drive at Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge was closed, so I decided to try a new spot. I headed to Onondaga Lake Park’s West Shore Trail to follow up on recent eBird reports of COMMON REDPOLLS there. I’d never been to the park; I found the parking area easily enough and as soon as I got out of my car, a local photographer named Tim was kind enough to give me the lay of the land. There is a network of trails that run along the shore of the lake and around the amphitheater. Tim went off on his own, but we met up not too much later and we ended up spending the rest of the day birding together. The trail was birdy with many of “the usuals”, with American Robins being the most prominent. Raptors were around in decent numbers; we had several Red-tailed Hawks, a couple of young Bald Eagles, and a Cooper’s Hawk (which I misidentified in the field as a Sharp-shinned Hawk) that did a very nice, close flyby. The lake didn’t have as much waterfowl as I’d hoped, but we did have six species, including a distant large flock of what looked to me like Scaup, but I’m not sure which one. We saw fresh Coyote tracks in the snow, as well as some scat; it would have been excellent to catch up with one of them!. The highlight of the day, however, was coming across a small flock of COMMON REDPOLLS just off the trail. It’s been a long while since I’ve seen them, back in 2013 at the Shawangunk Grasslands. I’ve seen one report this year already in Orange County, let’s hope they continue. It was a good day of birding, it was a cool, crisp day and we hiked maybe 5 miles and totaled 28 species.

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~Cooper’s Hawk in flight. This bird chased a mixed flock of American Robins and European Starlings across the trail right in front of us. Onondaga Lake Park, 11/23/18.~

~Red-tailed Hawk in flight, Onondaga Lake Park, 11/23/18.~

~COMMON REDPOLLS! Nice to see these birds, and nice to get my target species – it feels like a while since I’ve done that. Onondaga Lake Park, 11/23/18.~

~I got my first good looks at American Tree Sparrows for the season. Onondaga Lake Park, 11/23/18.~

~White-tailed Deer at Onondaga Lake Park, 11/23/18.~

~This was taken on my trip up, on Thanksgiving. Cooper’s Hawk perched somewhere outside of Cortland NY, 11/22/18.~

Excellent Day of Birding in OC, 10/06/18

~Cape May Warbler at Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge’s Liberty Lane, 10/06/18.~

Saturday was a busy day for me, so I’m finally getting around to writing this post early Sunday morning. First, the bad news: hawkwatch at Mt. Peter was a total bust as the mountain was completely fogged in all day. The good news, was that I did some more traditional birding and it was very productive.

~Just look at the markings on this beautiful bird. I especially lover the white around the eye. Swamp Sparrow at Liberty Lane, 10/06/18.~

My first stop was Skinner Lane. It was supposed to just be a pit stop, but since the fog was showing no sign of lifting and the birding was good, I stayed for a good while (actually, I ran up to Mt. Pete at 10:30 thinking it might be clear; it wasn’t so I headed back to Skinner). When I first arrived, I was impressed by the number of Tree Swallows present. I was pleasantly surprised to find a pretty good sized flock of Horned Larks had moved in, among them several AMERICAN PIPITS. The big surprise came when I was scanning the larks and came across a LAPLAND LONGSPUR! This is a bird that is certainly one of my favorite, has a certain inherent coolness to it, and I just seem to have a knack for tracking them down. I was pumped, and although the bird was not really close, I was able to get some documentary photos; I’ve posted one at the bottom of this post. Kyle Dudgeon joined me shortly after I’d located the LALO, but unfortunately we were unable to relocate it.

~Very exciting – AMERICAN PIPIT at Skinner Lane, 10/06/18. I was happy to have this bird close enough for some photos.

Shorebirds were, of course, my initial target for my stop at Skinner. I’d had 6 American Golden-Plovers earlier, and Kyle relocated them as soon as he arrived. Then, we had a single shorebird flying and calling. We tracked the bird in our binoculars, waiting for it to put down. But, it never found a spot that it liked and it rose up and flew out of range. We thought that was the last we would see of the bird, but minutes later it returned and did the same routine but this time it put down in the distance. We relocated to try to get a better vantage point, but alas we were unable to relocate the bird. Based on the overall coloring, size, and its call, we believe that it was a SANDERLING. Karen Miller had arrived, and she was able to get the American Pipits and the American Golden-Plovers, but we were unable to relocate the Lapland Longspur nor the Sanderling.

~Palm Warbler at Liberty Lane, 10/06/18.~

Kyle and I had an unproductive stop at the Pine Island Turf Nursery, a single Solitary Sandpiper and several American Kestrels were our best birds. Kyle had to head home, but I continued, heading over to Liberty Lane; Rob Stone had let me know it was pretty active earlier in the morning. It was still hopping when I was there. I had a nice walk with loads of birds with almost every step. Swamp Sparrows and Song Sparrows dominated, but there were also some highlights: 4 White-crowned Sparrows, a Palm Warbler, a Blackpoll Warbler, and a CAPE MAY WARBLER. The Cape May Warbler was super accommodating and I was able to take many photos of it. On my way out I had a single Lesser Yellowlegs flying and calling overhead, which was a nice way to end a good day of birding.