photos – Orange Birding

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.

~This is from a couple of weeks ago, but I forgot I’d taken it. Female Scarlet Tanager in our yard on 10/03/24.~

~Yellow-billed Cuckoo on Onion Avenue, 10/13/24.~

~Friday evening 10/11/24 in my backyard. Ruby-crowned Kinglet. ~

~These dudes seem to be everywhere right now. Cedar Waxwing in the black dirt, 10/13/24.~

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.