photos – Orange Birding

Sunday Shots, 01/05/25

It’s been a nice start to the new year of birding. I started with a nice 5-gull afternoon at the Newburgh Waterfront (Ring-billed, Am. Herring, Great Black-backed, Lesser Black-backed, and Iceland). Then, yesterday, it was exciting to see the Eurasian Wigeon. And I had some more excitement today, chasing a Clay-colored Sparrow that Bruce Nott found in the Black Dirt Region. Unfortunately I was unable to relocate that bird (I don’t think anyone has), but it was exciting to try for a good bird like that. I did get my first Lapland Longspur and Snow Buntings of the year, so that was nice. Anyways, here’s a handful of shots from the past week or so.

~Male Northern Harrier in the black dirt on 01/05/25.~

~Adult Lesser Black-backed Gull at the Newburgh Waterfront, 01/01/25.~

~Adult Bald Eagle at Wickham Lake, 12/30/24.~

~American Tree Sparrow in the Black Dirt Region, 01/05/25.~

~One more shot of the “Gray Ghost”, a male Northern Harrier in the Black Dirt Region 01/05/25.~

2024 Year in Review

Looking back at it, it was a pretty remarkable year of birding in our area. We had an extraordinary number of what I would consider REALLY GOOD BIRDS. Fortunately, I was able to catch up with a good number of them. Here’s the list that I came up with, in chronological order. I’m sure there are additional birds that could have made the list; if you have any, feel free to add a comment to fill in the gaps.

01/01/24: Red Crossbills flyover at Reservoir 3, near Port Jervis. It was good to get this bird on my year list on the first day of the year, and I was able to photograph one gritting on the road several weeks later:

~Red Crossbill in Huguenot, NY 02/24/24.~

01/06/24: Northern Shrike at Wallkill River NWR’s Winding Waters Trail. It’s always good to see one of the coolest birds we get in our area.

~Northern Shrike at Wallkill River NWR’s Winding Waters Trail, 01/06/24.~

01/07/24: I found a Yellow-throated Warbler at the Newburgh Waterfront trail See photo below in top 10 pics.

01/21/24: GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL!!! An absolutely fantastic find by Bruce Nott. Bruce originally found the bird at the Newburgh Waterfront; I was personally able to catch up with it in Beacon a day later.

~GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL at the Beacon Waterfront, 01/21/24.~

02/11/24: Ross’s Goose on Wisner Road, found by Maria Loukeris. Another Ross’s Goose was located in the fall by Silas Wareham.

03/02/24: I found a Red-headed Woodpecker at Brown’s Pond.

04/13/24: I finally caught up with the Great Cormorant that had been in the Newburgh area. I believe Bruce Nott was the original locater of that bird.

04/20/24: LITTLE GULL!!! Extraordinary find by Jeanne Cimorelli, originally at Washington Lake, and then later relocated by Bruce Nott on the Hudson River by Plum Point.

~I have been desparate to see this bird, and finally we got one in Orange County. LITTLE GULL at Plum Point, 04/20/24.~

05/12/24: The NEOTROPIC CORMORANT spent its 3rd year in a row at the Newburgh Waterfront area. I was able to catch up with it on this date.

05/13/24: TRICOLORED HERON!!! Another great OC find by Linda Scrima. It was really something to see this species in our area, and just minutes from my house.

~TRICOLORED HERON at Beaver Pond, 05/13/24.~

06/01/24: I was able to see and photograph the Kentucky Warbler on Mine Road, originally found by Bruce Nott.

~Kentucky Warbler at Mine Road, 06/01/24.~

06/30/24: I was thrilled to find an AMERICAN AVOCET at 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary.

~AMERICAN AVOCET at 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary, 06/30/24.~

07/12/24: I found a Blue Grosbeak in the Black Dirt Region. It had been a while since we’ve had one, and I believe a lot of birders got this one.

07/06/24: Borderline extralimital; Jeanne Cimorelli made another extraordinary find – she identified a PACIFIC LOON among a group of Common Loons at Ashokan Reservoir in Ulster County. I was able to catch up with the bird a day later, and then I went back a week later and got some decent photos.

~PACIFIC LOON with Common Loons at Ashokan Reservoir, 07/14/24.~

08/02/24: A Yellow-crowned Night Heron was found by Mary B. at Majestic Park in Gardiner NY. I did not get this bird unfortunately.

08/09/24: Jeanne had a remarkable 21 Laughing Gulls at the Newburgh waterfront, and later in the evening, I found a pair of Willets in the Black Dirt Region. A day later, John Haas had a Laughing Gull at Rondout Reservoir.

~One of two Willets in the black dirt, 08/09/24.~

11/24/24: A CAVE SWALLOW was found by Patrick D. at Roundout Reservoir. I unfortunately did not have any opportunity to run for this bird.

OUT OF OUR AREA

In early February, I went on a 12 hour pelagic trip out of Brooklyn. While we did not have any extraordinary birds, we did do very well with good numbers of our target Alcid species, including Atlantic Puffin, Razorbill, Dovekie, and Common Murre. I also enjoyed some great photo ops with Iceland and Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

*~ICELAND GULL during the American Princess Cruise 12-HR Pelagic, 02/10/24*. ~

In early May, Tricia and I spent a long weekend on Cape Cod. Again, I didn’t have anything out-of-the-ordinary, but but it was super birdy with loads of photo ops.

~White-winged Scoters in flight at High Head Beach on Cape Cod, 05/05/24.~

And then, in late August, I joined Rob Stone and we did an overnight pelagic out of Cape Cod. During this trip, we had several extraordinary birds, and I got 5 new life birds, including my #1 target for the trip, SOUTH POLAR SKUA. My other lifers were: Long-tailed Jaeger, Pomarine Jaeger, White-faced Storm-petrel, and Audubon’s Storm Petrel.

~*The bird of the trip for me – one of two South Polar Skuas. BBC Overnight Pelagic 08/26/24.~*

TOP TEN PHOTOS OF THE YEAR

And finally, to my favorite part of this post each year: my top ten photos of the year. I love to look back over a year of bird photography and try to whittle it down to my favorites. I feel like this year’s top ten is a little bit weaker than some that I’ve had in previous years, but hopefully I’m being overly critical of my own work, and readers will find them appealing.

#1: American Kestrel in the Black Dirt Region, 12/01/24.~

#2: I loved this photo from the moment I took it. Willow Flycatcher in the Black Dirt Region, 08/03/24.~

#3: A snow covered White-tailed Deer at Reservoir 3, 02/17/24.~

#4: A Semipalmated Plover marches through the dirt in the Black Dirt Region, 08/10/24.~

#5: Northern Gannet in flight during the American Princess Cruise 12-HR Pelagic on 02/10/24. This photo has always been a little bit of a mystery to me – I love the image, but I don’t know why it has such a pastel-y quality to it.~

#6: Louisiana Waterthrush does a balancing act at Black Rock Forest, 06/08/24.~

#7: Cedar Waxwing at Mount Peter Hawkwatch, 09/28/24.~

#8: Yellow-throated Warbler at the Waterfront Trail in Newburgh, 01/07/24.~

#9: It’s not very often you get to see a Red-necked Grebe up close like this. Greenwood Lake, 04/18/24.~

#10: A sharp looking Horned Lark in the Black Dirt Region, 11/17/24.~

Sunday Shots, 12/29/24

It was a relatively uneventful weekend of birding for me. Friday was my best day and the only day that I got any photos; I started at Greenwood Lake, where I had a Common Loon and an American Coot as my best birds. Then I went to the black dirt, where everything was frozen and covered with ice crystals, which made for some decent photo ops. On Saturday I birded the Reservoir 3 area near Port Jervis but had only the usuals. On Sunday I hiked at Black Rock Forest in the rain, and it was more of the usuals. Afterwards, I stopped at the Newburgh Waterfront, where Bruce Nott and I had 2 Iceland Gulls.

~Savannah Sparrow in the black dirt, 12/27/24.~

~Song Sparrow in the Black Dirt Region, 12/27/24.~

~American Coot at Greenwood Lake, 12/27/24.~

~Common Loon at Greenwood Lake, 12/27/24.~

~I was just starting to go through this flock of Canada Geese, when a car came by and flushed them. Black Dirt Region, 12/27/24.~

Sunday Shots, 12/22/24

It was a cold but enjoyable weekend of birding. I mostly had the usual suspects, with a couple of exceptions. First thing Saturday morning, I went to Wickham Lake, where I found a Common Loon, always a favorite. Afterwards, I hit the Black Dirt Region; I enjoyed being out in the fresh snow, but found only the expected species. Then, on Sunday morning I headed back out to Highland Lakes State Park to try for the Ruffed Grouse again (I can’t help myself!). It was super cold out (9 degrees Fahrenheit), but I still managed to enjoy a nice walk around the park. Of course I had no luck with the grouse, but I did score with a beautiful puffed up Hermit Thrush; I believe this is only my second Hermit Thrush in Orange County this year. I also hit the Newburgh Waterfront on Sunday, but had just the usuals.

~Hermit Thrush at Highland Lakes SP, 12/22/24.~

~Common Loon at Wickham Lake, 12/21/24.~

~Red-tailed Hawk in the black dirt, 12/21/24.~

~White-throated Sparrow at Highland Lakes SP, 12/22/24.~

~American Tree Sparrow in the black dirt, 12/21/24.~

Sunday Shots, 12/08/24

My birding time was a little bit limited this weekend, so I spent most of it just birding the black dirt. For the most part it was just the usual cast of characters for this time of year, however one highlight was relocating the Ross’s Goose. It was associating with a flock of Canada Geese still; I found it swimming in a small pond off Little York Road. I also had a nice look at a handful of Snow Buntings in a small flock of Horned Larks. I’ve been hoping the arrival of some more exciting winter species; hopefully there will be a pleasant surprise in the coming week.

~Ross’s Goose off of Little York Road, on the edge of the black dirt region, 12/07/24.~

~White-crowned Sparrow in the black dirt, 12/07/24.~

~I saw more than a few Northern Harriers in the black dirt over the weekend, including several Gray Ghosts. But it was this beautiful female that came in close enough for a shot on Saturday 12/07/24.~

Sunday Shots 12/01/24

Regular readers of the blog may remember that I am a big fan of winter birding. While this weekend didn’t offer up anything too exciting, there were plenty of birds around to enjoy. My favorite moments included a decent sized flock of Snow Buntings in the black dirt on Friday afternoon (approximately 65 birds or so). On Saturday afternoon I enjoyed watching and photographing one of the tightest packed large flock of mixed blackbirds that I’ve ever seen. It was so much fun to see, and I find the photos fascinating to examine. As far as I can tell, three different species were present (mostly Red-winged Blackbirds, with some Brown-headed Cowbirds and European Starlings sprinkled throughout), and the images vary wildly depending on species present, orientation of the birds, and the light (among other variables). And finally, I had a brief but productive experience with an American Kestrel; usually a skittish species, this male was super focused on hunting something in the vegetation roadside, which allowed for some good photo ops.

~American Kestrel in the black dirt, 12/01/24.~

~Snow Buntings in the black dirt, 11/29/24.~

~More Snow Buntings. Black Dirt Region 11/30/24.~

~Living up to their name, Red-winged Blackbirds predominate this image. Blackbird flock in the black dirt, 11/30/24.~

~Now that’s a lot of blackbirds! Mixed flock in the black dirt, 11/30/24.~

~Blackbird flock in action, Black Dirt Region 11/30/24.~

~Mixed flock of blackbirds in the black dirt, 11/30/24.~

~I love this shot. It was a mostly gloomy afternoon, but the sun did poke out from time to time. Blackbirds in the black dirt 11/30/24.~

~American Kestrel hunting roadside in the Black Dirt Region, 12/01/24.~

~In hover mode – AMKE in the BDR 12/01/24.~

Good Birding in the Black Dirt, 11/17/24

This weekend I enjoyed some really good “winter” birding in the Black Dirt Region. Horned Larks are currently present in good numbers; among them, at a couple different locations, I was able to locate a total of at least (5) Lapland Longspurs and (8) Snow Buntings. There are very likely more than that, as the birds were quite active and I was hearing both species calling in flight quite a bit. American Pipits are still around, but I heard and saw fewer birds this weekend than last weekend. I also saw my first Rough-legged Hawk of the season, as well as my first Cackling Goose of the year.

~I don’t know what it is about this species, but I just love finding them, seeing them, and photographing them. Lapland Longspur in the black dirt 11/17/24.~

~Horned Lark in the Black Dirt Region, 11/17/24.~

~This is a sharp looking individual, in my opinion. Horned Lark in the black dirt, 11/17/24.~

~American Pipit in the black dirt, 11/16/24.~

~I’ve come to expect to see hot air balloons over the black dirt on calmer days. These Canada Geese were probably not enjoying it quite as much as the passengers. BDR 11/17/24.~

~This bird has not been confirmed on eBird just yet, but I think it’s good for Cackling Goose. Breeze Hill Road, New Hampton 11/17/24.~

First thing Saturday morning, I really felt like I needed a break from everything, so I took a 5 mile hike around Reservoir 3. It was windy and cold, and I really enjoyed my walk. The birding was what you would expect, with just the usuals being seen and heard. My best birds were Brown Creeper and my final bird of the day, an adult Bald Eagle circling over the reservoir as I neared my car in the parking area.

~An acrobatic White-breasted Nuthatch at Reservoir 3, 11/16/24.~

~One of three Hairy Woodpeckers I saw at Res 3 on Saturday morning, 11/16/24.~

~There is a wonderful network of trails around Reservoir 3, just outside of Port Jervis. That’s Reservoir 2 in the upper right corner.~

Interesting Weekend, 11/03/24

I was up at Mount Peter at my usual time on Saturday morning, but I left early. It’s too bad too, because the birds were flying and I feel like the afternoon had some potential. I had 14 migrating raptors during the 2 1/2 hours I counted. I cut the count short for a good reason, however. Tricia and I were heading up north to SUNY Oneonta to see Orange County’s own Kyle Dudgeon give a talk and then show his latest short film To See The Sky. To say that the film is moving is an understatement. Between ornithologist Lorenzo Sympson’s remarkable life story and Kyle’s incredible images, I was really quite moved and feeling borderline weepy by the end. I’m not sure at this point when and where it can be seen next, but when I hear something I will post a follow up.

~Always a good bird to see. American Bittern at the Liberty Loop, 11/03/24.~

On Sunday, I did some local birding in the afternoon, after our drive back from Oneonta. I checked a couple of local lakes and found nothing noteworthy, so I decided to go to Liberty Marsh to see if I could find the American Bittern that’s been reported there recently. I spent some time at the viewing platform, and eventually I was rewarded with some very nice looks at the bittern. On my way back I checked 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary to check for shorebirds. I had no luck with shorebirds, but there was a young Snow Goose present, up close and in some nice late afternoon light.

~A nice up close look at a Snow Goose at 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary, 11/03/24.

~One more shot of the American Bittern at Liberty Marsh, 11/03/24.~

~Kyle Dudgeon at SUNY Oneonta for the showing of his latest short film To See The Sky, 11/02/24.~

~iPhone snap of one of the posters on the SUNY Oneonta Campus.~

~A young Bald Eagle mixing it up with a Red-tailed Hawk at Mount Peter Hawkwatch, 11/02/24.~

Sunday Shots, 10/20/24

I woke up this morning and I was feeling terrible. I had a bad sore throat, you know the kind where it feels like you are swallowing glass? I thought about just getting back into bed, but then I figured since I was up I would try to get out for a little bit. I decided to forego any birding on foot and instead birded the black dirt from the comfort of my car. My decision paid off before I even left the village; I found a Red Fox in the cemetery and was able to get some photos. The black dirt was birdy, but with what I would consider the usuals. American Pipits are around in good numbers; I enjoyed seeing and photographing them. On my way home, I took the long way and it paid off; I found another Red Fox who did not seem too disturbed by my presence.

~American Pipit in the black dirt region, 10/20/24.~

~Heat shimmer was tough for this fox. Red Fox in the black dirt, 10/20/24.~

~This cutie kept dozing off in the sun, which made me smile. Red Fox in the black dirt, 10/20/24.~

~It’s always nice to catch a Sandhill Crane flyover. Missionland Road 10/20/24.~

Sunday Shots, 10/13/24

I walked the Heritage Trail at 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary first thing this morning. I had 34 species; of note was a pair of Blue-winged Teals and several Rusty Blackbirds. I was hoping for shorebirds, but unfortunately conditions are still not great for them and I had only one Killdeer.

Afterwards I birded the black dirt for a while. It was birdy, with lots of sparrows around (Savannah, Song, Chipping, & White-throated mainly). The surprise of the day was a YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO feeding in some low roadside brush. For shorebirds, I had a number Killdeer and 2 distant American Golden Plovers. American Pipits were around, but would not cooperate for photos.