I split my time this weekend between Orange and Sullivan Counties. One of my goals this year is to get to 200 birds in Sullivan County, but unfortunately I wasn’t able to add any new species this weekend. I tried two times for the Mourning Warbler(s) which were reported at the Bashakill; I had a near miss (15 minutes or so) on Saturday and no luck on Sunday. I also tried for the Black-bellied Plover that was at Hurleyville Swamp – I missed it on Thursday evening and then by Saturday morning most of the shorebirds had moved on from that location.
Hopefully my luck will change for the better tomorrow; I’m heading out on a 24 hour pelagic tonight through tomorrow. Fingers crossed that it will be a productive trip.
Yard Birds 2022: (49) – I added 2 species this week: Eastern Wood-Pewee and Baltimore Oriole.
~Warbling Vireo at Hurleyville Swamp, 05/19/22.~ ~Willow Flycatcher on a foggy Saturday Morning, 05/21/22.~Red-eyed Vireo at the Bashakill, 05/21/22.~ ~Crappy photo of a good bird. Wilson’s Warbler at the Bashakill, 05/21/22.~
After Friday night’s Arctic Tern excitement, the weekend of birding felt a little hum-drum for me – looking for small birds in the treetops doesn’t always do it for me. But, since I was away last weekend, and I didn’t get out much this week, I was well behind my normal pace. I started the weekend with my lowest number of species in Orange County (at this date), in over 5 years. Because of that, many of the birds I heard and saw over the past couple of days were new birds for the year. I added a good number of new species over the weekend – 35 to be exact. Exciting birds for me included Blackburnian Warble, Worm-eating Warbler, Swainson’s Thrush, and Semipalmated Plover. I’ve included a list of all my new birds at the bottom of this post.
~Worm-eating Warbler singing at Pochuck State Forest, 05/15/22.~
Yard Birds 2022: (47) – I added 4 species since I last reported: Chimney Swift, European Starling, Northern Parula, and Great Crested Flycatcher.
~Swainson’s Thrush at Pochuck State Forest, 05/15/22.~~Ovenbird at Elks Brox on 05/14/22.~~Ruby-throated Hummingbird in our yard, 05/12/22.~~My FOY Eastern Kingbird, at the Liberty Loop 05/15/22.~~Great Blue Heron coming in to land at 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary, 05/15/22.~~A species that I see and hear all the time, but don’t photograph that often – House Wren at Laurel Grove Cemetery, 05/15/22.~
I really enjoyed my birding time in Cape Cod over the weekend. It was an extended weekend for me, as I took Thursday and Friday off work. Birding bud Rob Stone does a lot of birding on the cape, so he provided me with some good intel prior to the trip. Based on this information, the primo spot from my perspective is Race Point, so I went there first thing Friday morning and then, as fate would have it, Rob was also on the cape over the weekend, and we joined up to bird Race Point again on Saturday morning.
~Black Scoters in flight at Race Point, 05/06/22. I believe the fifth bird from the back might be a Surf Scoter with them.~
I really enjoy birding at the shore, and the highlight of the 2 days was getting eight species of gull: Herring, Ring-billed, Great Black-backed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Bonaparte’s Gull, Laughing Gull, Iceland Gull, and Glaucous Gull. The only real disappointment was not also getting Black-legged Kittiwake, which is apparently expected at this time of year at Race Point. We also had plenty of Common Terns, but were unable to locate any Roseate Terns which would also be expected.
~Two Bonaparte’s Gulls lead the larger Laughing Gull into the wind at Race Point, 05/07/22.~
I was also impressed with the high numbers of Red-breasted Mergansers – there were hundreds present on both days. Other waterfowl included large numbers of White-winged Scoters, loads of Double-crested Cormorants, plenty of Common and Red-throated Loons, some Common Eiders, and possibly one Surf Scoter.
Other than several Piping Plovers each day, shorebirds were a disappointment with only a few Willets and a single Spotted Sandpiper observed. Northern Gannets were nearly a no-show on Friday, but Saturday were plentiful.
~Two White-winged Scoters cruise by at Race Point, 05/06/22.~
The weather was another big factor. Friday was calm, with the sun trying to poke out all day; the ocean was like a lake, smooth as glass for the most part. On Saturday, the winds really picked up as the morning progressed. On our way back from the point we were walking into 25 mph winds with gusts which we estimated in the 40 mph range. The sand, which is very course, was up and flying, pelting our faces as we walked into it.
~I saw whales both days. I think this is likely a Humpback Whale, if anyone out there knows please comment. Race Point 05/06/22.~
Yard Birds 2022: (43) – I added 4 new species since last weekend: Nashville Warbler, Hermit Thrush, Gray Catbird, and Yellow Warbler.
~Glaucous Gull on the beach at Race Point, 05/07/22.~ ~Common Eider zipping by at Race Point, 05/06/22.~~Piping Plover at Race Point, 05/06/22.~~Common Eider on the beach right across from where we were staying in Wellfleet, MA 05/05/22.~~Osprey overhead in Wellfleet, MA 05/08/22.~~Willet in Provincetown, MA 05/07/22.~~Iceland Gull alongside a Great Black-backed Gull, Race Point 05/06/22.~
Today marks 10 years since my first ever post here at Orangebirding.com. Back then I included the sub-header ‘The education of a novice birder in Orange County, NY.’ The time has gone by quickly, I’ve learned a lot since then, and I removed that sub-header several years ago at the prodding of several readers of the blog. To commemorate the occasion, I figured I would look back at my personal favorite photo from each of the past ten years. I’ll mention that years ago, the theme I was running the blog on showed portrait cropped photos better than squares or landscapes. Now it is the opposite, and you might notice that the portrait crops don’t fill the screen as nicely now.
2012: Black-crowned Night-heron at Denning’s Point in Beacon. At this time, I didn’t think I would ever get a decent shot of a BCNH, never the less one in beautiful light. It blew me away that I was able to pull this off!
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2013: Common Loon chick in the Adirondacks. Cuteness overload, enough said.
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2014: Foster’s Tern in flight at Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge. This is a shot which just worked out very nicely; I love the pastel colors in the background and it’s always nice to get the catchlight in the eye of a tern.
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2015: Short-eared Owl in the black dirt. At the time I was trying for Short-eared Owls quite a bit and I got lucky with this very cooperative owl on a man-made but visually nice perch.
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2016: Black Vulture in Blooming Grove NY. This was a shot that I almost didn’t even bother to take. It was an overcast day with very poor lighting, but I figured I’d overexpose it and I snapped a few pics. The result struck a chord with me and this remains a favorite of mine.
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2017: Common Loon in the Adirondacks. Common Loon is the only species to make my top photo twice in the last 10 years. It’s quite an experience to kayak with the loons in the Adirondacks – the birds have what seems to be a sense of curiosity and will often come over to check you out. It allows for plenty of opportunities for interesting shots of the birds.
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2018: Horned Grebe at Greenwood Lake. At a location where good photos are few and far between, I got lucky with this HOGR that was getting lucky fishing right near the shore.
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2019: Semipalmated Plover at Stone Harbor Point. My shorebird obsession was well kicked in at this point and I was happy to get a crisp shot of this bird on the move with such an nice background.
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2020: Great Blue Heron in the Adirondacks. I’m realizing as I write this that 3 of my top photos from the past 10 years were not only taken while kayaking, they were all also taken at the same location – Follensby Clear Pond in the Adirondacks. This photo is still my all time favorite and I have it printed large scale and hanging in our living room.
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2021: American Pipit in flight in the black dirt. I just think this is a cool shot of one of my favorite birds.
I can hardly believe it’s May already. Maybe it’s because it’s been unseasonably chilly recently, I don’t know. Anyways, the birds aren’t paying any mind, and it’s that time of year when they are plentiful and it just depends on where you go and what you try for. The highlight of my weekend was certainly the Caspian Tern I found yesterday at Cornwall Bay, but the rest of the weekend was good too, with plenty of new birds to be seen and to add to my year list.
~Palm Warbler at Hurleyville Swamp this morning, 05/01/22.~
I had some local (Orange County) targets yesterday, but this morning my goal was to see some shorebirds. In particular I wanted to see if I could get lucky with the Greater Yellowlegs reported at Hurleyville Swamp; it would be one species closer to my objective of breaking 200 birds in Sullivan County this year. It was my first visit ever to the swamp, and I have to say it’s a great spot. It’s a rails to trails so the walk is easy and flat, and the spot was jamming pretty good with birds. I added the Greater Yellowlegs to my list easily, as there were at least 4 present. Other shorebirds included Killdeer, Lesser Yellowlegs, and Solitary Sandpipers. I did not relocate the Least Sandpipers which had been reported there recently.
~Greater Yellowlegs at Hurleyville Swamp, 05/01/22.~
Afterwards, I came back to OC to see if I could track down any local shorebirds. The Camel Farm was a total bust, but Beaver Pond now has some nice looking shorebird conditions and there were several Solitary Sandpipers and 2 Lesser Yellowlegs present. I went to Wickham Lake to see if there were any shorebirds in all the puddles there, but I was surprised to see the puddles had all dried up this week. I was also surprised to find a distant White-winged Scoter out on the lake.
~Red-winged Blackbird at the Liberty Loop, 04/29/22.~
Yard Birds 2022: (39) – I didn’t add any new birds since my last post.
~Ruby-crowned Kinglet at Hurleyville Swamp, 05/01/22.~~Blue-gray Gnatcatcher at Winding Waters Trail, 04/29/22.~~A young Snapping Turtle at Winding Waters Trail, 04/29/22.~ ~I had several encounters with Hermit Thrushes Saturday morning at Black Rock Forest, but unfortunately the light was never good for photos. HETH at BRF 04/30/22.~
Yesterday afternoon I located 4 TUNDRA SWANS in a field on Celery Avenue in New Hampton. They were far and away the highlight of the weekend. I spotted the birds as I was driving, and I was immediately excited, as I was sure they had to be either Tundra or Trumpeter Swans. When I got the birds in the scope, I could see a yellow spot at the base of the bill on both birds, indicative of Tundra. The birds appeared to be a family unit, with 2 adults and 2 younger birds. While I was looking at the swans, I heard a distant, familiar call. I looked straight up and 3 Sandhill Cranes were flying high overhead; they flew northeast until they were out of sight.
This afternoon the birds were still in the area, but had moved to the fields on Onion Avenue. I’m assuming it was the same group of birds; they were quite distant, so I wasn’t really able to make out the field marks as well as I would have liked, but with 2 adults and 2 young birds about a 1/4 mile away from where I had them the day before, I think this is a safe assumption.
~Two Tundra Swans getting down and dirty on Celery Avenue, 03/19/22.~~The same two adults, pre-mud so you can see the yellow spot at the base of the bills.~
The rest of my birding weekend was relatively unremarkable. I hit many of my usual spots – the black dirt, Wickham Lake, Greenwood Lake (totally fogged in), the Liberty Loop, Reservoir 3 in Port Jervis, and some places here and there in between. I was curious as to which birds and how many I’d observed over the weekend – I had a total of 65 species, and I’ve included a complete list at the bottom of this post.
~Young Tundra Swan on Celery Avenue, 03/19/22.~ ~Red-shouldered Hawk near Reservoir 3 in Port Jervis, 03/20/22.~
Yard Birds 2022: (33) Species. This week I added Eastern Phoebe, Eastern Bluebird, and Great Blue Heron.
~These birds were way up there – this was taken with my 500mm lens and 1.4x extender. Then cropped. Sandhill Cranes on the move over Celery Avenue, 03/19/22.~ ~Killdeer are plentiful right now. Black dirt 03/20/22.~~I coincidentally took a Mute Swan shot this weekend, at the Liberty Loop 03/19/22.~
I guess winter isn’t over yet. After yesterday’s messy snow, we woke up to temperatures in the high teens this morning. I’m of two minds about it – one part of me is enjoying these last days of winter birding and the other is ready for some warm weather and new birds. Truth be told, many of my favorites are only here in the winter, so I’ve really enjoyed and tried to relish this winter, even when it was super cold.
~American Pipit high-stepping through the black dirt, 03/13/22.~
Last night I went back to the Hudson River, hoping to get a look at the adult Glaucous Gull which had been reported on Friday. No luck with that bird; my best bird was a distant 1st winter Iceland Gull.
~I was pleasantly surprised by this one single Snow Bunting today in the black dirt, 03/13/22.~
This morning I headed back out to the black dirt. A Ross’s and a Greater White-fronted Goose were reported yesterday evening; both of those birds were on my mind, but no luck there. I did catch up with several Lapland Longspurs – a couple had some great looking plumage, but never came close enough for photos. An American Pipit landed close to me several times, giving me some excellent photo ops. I’d put on my 1.4x extender since the longspurs were keeping their distance; it’s been ages since I’ve used it and I was pretty happy with the results.
Before we know it, spring will finally have sprung, so I’m happy to enjoy winter’s last hurrah.
~Yard bird alert! Red-shouldered Hawk making a racket in the backyard while I was working on 03/07/22.~~It was great to see some Lapland Longspurs in some nice plumage this weekend. LALO in the black dirt 03/13/22.~ ~A pair of Wood Ducks in the Wallkill River, 03/13/22.~~One more shot of the American Pipit in the black dirt, 03/13/22.~~Savannah Sparrow in the snow, 03/13/22.~
I got my best birds of the weekend right after work on Friday evening. I met Karen Miller at the main boat launch at Bashakill WMA; we walked the Birch Trail to find the TUNDRA SWANS which were located earlier in the week by John Haas. It was a gorgeous evening, and we enjoyed our walk in spite of having to be careful because of the icy conditions on the trail. The birds were still present; we were able to locate 12 of the 15 reported birds. Unfortunately they were quite distant and partly obscured by vegetation. Scope views were beautiful, but photos were tough. I’ve included a documentary shot at the bottom of this post.
~Wednesday evening, 03/02/22, was gorgeous, so after work I took a drive around the black dirt just before sunset and was rewarded with this Short-eared Owl.~
Saturday morning I tried for the Northern Shrike at Wickham Woodlands Park, but was unsuccessful. From there I headed over to the black dirt, where I sorted through Canada Geese and flocks of mixed blackbirds looking for rarities; I came up empty. Then, on Onion Avenue, I was pleasantly surprised to find a large flock of Snow Geese. I’d seen reports of Snow Geese during the week, but I was under the impression that the birds had moved on. My estimate was approximately 4-5 thousand birds present. It wasn’t long after I found a nice pull off and grabbed my scope, that a model airplane flushed all the birds. It was quite a spectacle, of course, but I was disappointed to not have the opportunity to try and locate a Ross’s Goose among the flock.
~Snow Goose spectacle in the black dirt, 03/05/22.~ ~Snow Geese in flight, 03/05/22.~
I tried for gulls at the Newburgh Waterfront on Saturday evening, but unfortunately it was a dud and I only was able to locate the 3 expected species of gull.
On Sunday morning I went out to the black dirt to try and relocate the Snow Geese. I was only able to find a couple of smaller groups, but one of them was close enough for some decent photos. I received a report in the early afternoon of approximately 2,500 SNGOs, so it’s good to know at least some of the birds have stuck around.
~It was nice to have some closer birds on Sunday morning. I’m digging these two messy dudes on the right. Lynch Avenue 03/06/22.~
Early Sunday afternoon Tricia and I went to Wickham Lake. There is now plenty of open water. It was an enjoyable visit, with plenty of birds to keep it interesting: Ring-billed Gulls, Herring Gulls, 2-300 Common Mergansers, an adult Bald Eagle, and a very noisy mixed flock of blackbirds which you could hear clear across the lake.
Yard Birds 2022: (28) Species. I added Fish Crow this week.
~SNGOs flying over the black dirt, 03/05/22.~ ~SNGOs, black dirt, 03/05/22.~~Snow Geese flying directly overhead, Onion Avenue 03/05/22.~~SNGO fun in the black dirt, 03/05/22.~ ~TUNDRA SWANS at the Bashakill, 03/04/22.~
After yesterday’s gull excitement, today was pretty much a dud. I birded locally; cruising the black dirt early, tried and failed with the Northern Shrike at Wickham Woodlands Park, and then went and to the riverfront. I was hoping the Golden Eagle might be present at Storm King, but no such luck. I think that’s maybe the 6th time I’ve dipped on that bird. Interesting birds today included large numbers of mixed blackbird flocks throughout the black dirt. I had my first Wood Ducks of the year, both on Celery Ave and at Wickham Lake.
Yard Birds 2022: (25) species. I added Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and Hairy Woodpecker this week.
~MODO in the black dirt, 02/27/22.~ ~I swear this photo doesn’t do this bird justice. It was the brightest House Finch I’ve ever seen. My yard, 02/24/22.~~Turkey Vulture over the backyard, 02/23/22.~ ~Ring-billed Gull, Suffolk County NY 02/26/22.~~My dad feeding the Ring-billed Gulls on the south shore of Long Island, 02/26/22.~
I went to Long Island today to visit my dad. Since he is not an early riser, I took the morning to try for some good gulls that have been reported recently at Old Field Point and Lighthouse in Suffolk County. It was a cold but very successful morning; I was able to locate 3 of my 4 target birds: ICELAND GULL, GLAUCOUS GULL, and LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL (I missed on the Black-headed Gull). Additionally, I met a birder there named Jay Rand; he got me on an interesting gull that has been reported as well, but as of yet is unidentified.
~Lesser Black-backed Gull at Old Field Point and Lighthouse, 02/26/22.~
The Glaucous Gull was the whitest gull I think I’ve ever seen. I’m not sure if this is just a light individual, or if there some possible sun bleaching going on, but the bird has been confirmed on eBird.
~A very pale Glaucous Gull at Old Field Point and Lighthouse, 02/26/22.~
As for the Gull species, it looked like a Herring Gull, but with a slightly darker mantle and yellowish legs/feet. When I got home I checked my emails and found some reports and a write-up by Shaibal Mitra on the NYSBIRDS list serve. He describes the bird broadly as a Herring Gull type, and offers 3 typical possibilities for this bird:
Smithsonianus Herring Gull, which apparently show some degree of yellow in the legs/feet in the late winter and early spring.
Herring Gull x Lesser Black-backed Gull hybrid.
Yellow-legged Gull
After viewing the bird, however, he has reservations about these three options and offers a fourth possibility: Northern European L. a. argentatus, to which he found similarities in the mantle color and wingtip pattern. Apparently we will find out what the experts identify it as in the coming days. I will keep you posted. And regardless, it was a really cool bird to see and added some excitement to my morning.
~Gull Sp. at Old Field Point and Lighthouse, 02/26/22. If you look closely you can see the yellowish legs/feet. When viewed next to Herring Gulls, the mantle was clearly darker (sorry no comparison shots).~ ~Always a favorite, a beautiful Iceland Gull on the Long Island Sound at Old Field Point and Lighthouse, 02/26/22.~ ~There are four species of gull in this photo: (2) Herring Gulls up front, a Lesser Black-backed Gull to the right, the Glaucous Gull, and a Great Black-backed Gull behind the Glaucous. Old Field Point and Lighthouse, 02/26/22.~ ~I tried to get a better comparison shot, but this is the best I managed to get. Glaucous and Iceland Gulls within inched of each other. Old Field Point and Lighthouse, 02/26/22.~
