photos – Orange Birding

Sunday Shots, 09/15/24

Outside of my day at Mount Peter Hawkwatch yesterday, I didn’t do all that much birding this weekend. I cruised the black dirt both mornings, hoping for shorebirds. I didn’t have any luck with my targets, but I was able to get some nice Savannah Sparrow and Palm Warbler shots in the early morning light.

I looked back at the last few years, and typically we would still have some shorebirds in the black dirt (American Golden and Black-bellied Plovers and Buff Breasted Sandpipers), but the only shorebirds I was able to locate this weekend were Killdeer, a single Greater Yellowlegs, a single Spotted Sandpiper, and a single Wilson’s Snipe.

Overnight Pelagic, 08/26/24

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.~

Sunday Shots, 09/01/24

Sunday Shots: Overnight pelagic teaser edition. On Monday and Tuesday of this week, I enjoyed some really excellent birding on Brookline Bird Club’s overnight pelagic out of Hyannis, Massachusetts. We found all of my target birds for the trip, and I added an incredible five birds to my life list. I have loads of photos to get through still, but I will be publishing a full post with details and tons of photos, as soon as I can.

Meanwhile, back in Orange County, the excitement for me this weekend was finding a BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER in the black dirt on Saturday morning. BBSA is definitely one of the coolest birds that we can expect in our area each fall, so it was great to catch up with one.

~Corey’s Shearwater, BBC Overnight Pelagic 08/26/24.~

~Not a great shot, but it’s always great to see a Buff-breasted Sandpiper. Black Dirt Region 08/31/24.~

Sunday Shots, 07/28/24

I wish I was reporting on a fabulous bird today, but alas, it wasn’t in the cards this weekend. I birded both mornings, staying local, and trying mostly for shorebirds. Killdeer, Least Sandpipers, Solitary Sandpipers, and Spotted Sandpipers were all I could come up with. I heard (but did not see) the Blue Grosbeak in the black dirt on Saturday morning. Anyways, here are several shots from the weekend, a couple from the black dirt, couple from the backyard, and I’m even throwing a selfie in.

~Northern Cardinal in our yard, o7/26/24.~

~A young Horned Lark in the black dirt, 07/28/24.~

~Killdeer enjoying a snack. Black Dirt Region, 07/28/24.~

~House Finch cuteness in our backyard, 07/27/24.~

~Beautiful morning in the black dirt, 07/28/24.~

Sunday Shots, 07/21/24

It was an uneventful weekend of birding for me; pretty much what you would expect in late July. My focus was looking for shorebirds in the county, but I was unable to turn up any new species. Good conditions continue at 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary, in spite of the recent rainfall, but I was only able to locate Killdeer, Least Sandpipers, and Spotted Sandpipers. Bullville Pond looks pretty good too; I only had a couple Killdeer and and single Least Sandpiper there. And in the black dirt, I was only finding Killdeer as far as shorebirds go.

~This is a beautiful beast. Red-tailed Hawk on Missionland Road this morning, 07/21/24.~

~Peregrine Falcon in the black dirt, 07/20/24.~

~European Starlings in the black dirt, o7/20/24.~

Sunday Shots, 07/14/24

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.~

~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.~

~Wood Duck at 6 1/2 Station Road, 07/11/24.~

Sunday Shots, 06/23/24

We are in the summer doldrums of birding. Especially with the heat wave that we are currently experiencing. That said, it didn’t stop Bruce Nott from finding two exciting birds this week at the Newburgh Waterfront: a Lesser Black-backed Gull and a LAUGHING GULL. I ran for the birds Saturday morning and while I was successful with the Lesser Black-backed, I dipped on the Laughing.

On Sunday I birded the black dirt, including Liberty Marsh, where I first heard, and then saw my first Least Bittern of the year. It sounded like the bird was pretty deep in the marsh, but when I eventually found it, while it was a little bit out there, it was in plain sight and scope views were excellent. Photos not so much, but that’s how it goes sometimes (I’ve included a doc-shot at the bottom of this post). Regardless, I was out and about and taking photos as usual this weekend, so I hope you enjoy this week’s Sunday Shots.

~Nice find by Bruce Nott – Lesser Black-backed Gull at the Newburgh Waterfront, 06/22/24.~

~Lesser Black-backed Gull in flight, Newburgh Waterfront 06/22/24.~

~I believe this is a young Orchard Oriole at Winding Waters Trail last weekend, 06/16/24.

~It’s that time of year again. Killdeer chick in the black dirt, 06/23/24.

~Killdeer close-up. Black dirt 06/23/24.~

~This was a first for me – a Grasshopper Sparrow singing on a perch on the ground. Black dirt region, o6/23/24.~

~Green Heron at 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary, 06/16/24.~

~Least Bittern at Liberty Marsh, 06/23/24.~

Sunday Shots, 06/02/24

The most exciting bird of the weekend was definitely yesterday’s KENTUCKY WARBLER. Aside from that, it was just the usuals as we start slipping into summer birding mode. Fortunately the mornings were still cool which made for very enjoyable birding conditions. I had one exciting sighting which was not bird related – I witnessed a Gray Fox run across the road as I was driving on Route 50 in New Hampton. It was the first time I’ve ever seen one. Here’s a handful of shots from the weekend.

~One of many Bank Swallows at Hoops Road in Middletown, NY 06/02/24.~

~Goldfinches appear to everywhere right now. This one was in the black dirt, 06/01/24.~

~Horned Lark just after sunrise in the Black Dirt Region, 06/02/24.~

~A young European Starling on a pile of onions in the black dirt, 0601/24. I love all the flying insects in this shot!~

~One more Bank Swallow shot. Hoops Road 06/02/24.~

Sunday Shots, 05/26/24

With songbird migration winding down, and no real weather moving through, my expectations for this weekend were relatively low. And maybe because of that, I really enjoyed the past couple of days. In addition to several songbird locations, I tried for shorebirds in the county – in primarily three locations:

6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary: Conditions are quite good at this location right now, but unfortunately I haven’t had much variety. Shorebirds included Killdeer, Semipalmated Plover, Least Sandpiper, and Spotted Sandpiper.
Camel Farm: Conditions are not great (water is a little high), but I was thinking it might still be good for phalarope species. I had no luck with phalaropes, in fact on Saturday I had no shorebirds at all. On Sunday I faired a tiny bit better and had Killdeer, Least Sandpiper, and Semipalmated Sandpiper (my first of the year).
Hudson River Near Newburgh: I arrived at Plum Point right at low tide on Sunday morning and scanned the sandbar. I came up empty at first, but then the highlight of my weekend, a pair of CASPIAN TERNS flew in and landed. I joined up with birding bud Bruce Nott and we checked the sandbar at the mouth of the Quassaick Creek, where we found a single Killdeer and a Least Sandpiper. Afterwards, Bruce relocated the NEOTROPIC CORMORANT near the ferry, so I went over and enjoyed excellent looks but battled a backlit situation for photos.

~Neotropic Cormorant continues at the Newburgh Waterfront, 05/26/24.~

As we’ve come to expect, good photos for shorebirds in Orange County are tough to come by. But, I did take a lot of other photos, and I’m also playing a little catch up with some photos that I never got to last weekend.

~Belted Kingfisher at 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary, 05/18/24.~

~American Redstart at Pochuck Mountain. I haven’t birded this location much in recent years, so I decided to spend some time there on Saturday morning. It was birdy enough to keep me interested, but really there was not much too exciting. Four Yellow-billed Cuckoos was a highlight.

~Ruby-throated Hummingbird, our yard, 05/18/24.~

~This pair is kind of cracking me up. I keep seeing them way out in the same field in the black dirt region. I took this shot on 05/18/24.~

~Great Blue Heron at Beaver Pond on 05/21/24. I was trying for the Tricolored Heron, but I had no luck.

~A pair of Snapping Turtles (yes there is another one under the water), presumably mating at 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary, 0/26/24.~

~Gray Squirrel with a nut in our yard earlier this week.~

Cape Cod 2024

Tricia and I enjoyed a five day weekend on Cape Cod last weekend. The weather was a mixed bag and it felt like we had all four seasons during those five days and the birding was very enjoyable and relatively productive. I had 63 species for the trip (see complete list at the bottom of this post). This is up 11 species from when we last visited during the same week back in 2022. That said, nearly all the birds where what I would consider ‘expected’ species; the only out of the ordinary birds I had for the entire trip were a handful of very distant, unidentified flying alcids at Race Point on 05/07/24. The bird of the trip for me, was Red-throated Loon. I went to Race Point on 05/04/24 & 05/07/24 and High Head Beach on 05/05/24, and both places were absolutely loaded with Red-throated Loons (and a pretty good showing of Common Loons as well). What I really enjoyed about the RTLOs, was that many were in or nearly in breeding plumage – something that I’ve never seen before.

~A Red-throated Loon just off shore at High Head Beach, 05/05/24.~

As readers of the blog know, gulls are maybe at the top of my favorite types of birds. I was disappointed with the trip in this regard -in addition to the 4 expected species (Laughing, Herring, Great Black-backed, & Ring-billed), I only had a handful of distant Bonaparte’s Gulls. Two years ago, I had absolutely loads of Bonies, as well as Lesser Black-backed, Iceland, and Glaucous!

As for mammals, in the water I had Gray Seals, Humpback Whales, and a Fin Whale. I met an old timer at Race Point – he had a Right Whale feeding before I ran into him, but unfortunately I was unable to relocate it. I was bummed, because that would have been amazing. On land, of note I had two Coyote sitings, both on my drive out to Race Point very early in the morning on 05/07/24.

~Red-thoated Loon in nice plumage at Race Point, 05/04/24.~

One final thing. It struck me during this trip was how different being at the shore is aesthetically, as compared to Orange County. There is an airy, light feel to the surroundings and regardless of the weather, the palette seems to have more of a pastel quality to it, which I really enjoyed, both just existing in it and photographing it.