photos – Page 14 – Orange Birding

2021 Year in Review

It’s hard to believe that yet another year of birding is behind us. It was a good year for me, one where I changed my approach a little bit. I tried to put aside the birding expectations I’ve had in the past and simply strive for the most enjoyable overall experience at any given time. For example, there where times when a good long hike is what I needed in my life; we know these long hikes aren’t nearly as birdy as some other locations, but I enjoyed the experience and appreciated whatever birds came my way. I also focused more and more on the species of birds that I enjoy most – raptors, gulls, and shorebirds. The result was a year where my species counts were the lowest they’ve been in years, but where I enjoyed my birding time immensely.

~Ferruginous Hawk in the black dirt, 02/07/21.~

RARITIES OF 2021

We had some very notable rarities our area this year. Here’s my top five, which include the (2) life birds I saw this year:

Ferruginous Hawk in the black dirt. Originally located by Linda Scrima on 01/16/21, this raptor was a BIG deal and pleased birders for most of the winter.
Franklin’s Gull at the Newburgh Waterfront. Originally reported by Ronnie DiLorenzo on 12/16/21. The bird continues as of this writing, being seen mostly at the sewage treatment plant and sometimes at the boat launch.
Sedge Wrens at Wisner Road. I don’t recall the original finder, but I went for these birds on 7/27/21 and was successful in locating at least (4) birds present. This was especially exciting for me because it was a life bird for me.
Ash-throated Flycatcher at Rockefeller State Park Preserve. This might be considered extralimital, but this location was only about an hour away. On 12/28/21 I enjoyed relocating and getting some decent photos of this surprisingly attractive bird. This too was a life bird for me. I believe this bird continues at this location.
Snowy Owl on the Newburgh Ferry. On 12/04/21, while gulling the Newburgh Waterfront with Bruce Nott, I located a beautiful Snowy Owl perched on top of the ferry. The bird, as suspected, was a one hit wonder and wasn’t relocated.
Rarities Notable Mentions: John Haas found a Wilson’s Phalarope at Morningside Park on 05/31/21. Jeanne Cimorelli located a White Ibis at the Camel Farm on 10/18/21. And finally, a bird that seems to be becoming a true rarity in Orange County – I had (3) Upland Sandpipers flyover at Skinner’s Lane on 08/08/21.

~Snowy Owl on the Newburgh Ferry, 12/04/21.~

~Beautiful gull – Adult Iceland Gull preening at the Newburgh Waterfront on 02/13/21.~

GULLS OF 2021

It was another great year of gulling in Orange County where I observed a total of (8) species of gull in the county for the second year in a row. This has increasingly become my favorite type of birding; I really enjoy spending the afternoons at the Newburgh Waterfront scanning through all the gulls. Also of note, I ran for the Lesser Black-backed Gull in Sullivan County on 11/21/21, and it was kind enough to stick around for me. It was my 193rd bird in SC.

Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Bonaparte’s Gull
Iceland Gull
Glaucous Gull
FRANKLIN’S GULL

~FRANKLIN’S GULL in flight on 12/18/21; Newburgh Waterfront.~

~American Golden-Plovers in flight at Skinner’s Lane, 09/14/21.~

SHOREBIRDS OF 2021

I had a decent year for shorebirds, with (22) species observed. In Orange County and I totaled (18) species for the year (It very easily could have been (19), but I never went for American Woodcock). The highlight of the year for shorebirds was enjoying the large flock of American Golden-Plovers at Skinner’s Lane for a week or so in mid-September. Other highlights included the Wilson’s Phalarope in Sullivan County on 05/31/21, a flyover of (3) Upland Sandpipers on 08/08/21, and kayaking at Morningside Park to get the Long-billed Dowitcher located by John Haas on 10/17/21.

Black-bellied Plover
American Golden-Plover
Semi-palmated Plover
Killdeer
Semipalmated Plover
Ruddy Turnstone (Seneca County)
Dunlin
Purple Sandpiper (Westchester County)
Baird’s Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
White-rumped Sandpiper
Buff-breasted Sandpiper
Pectoral Sandpiper
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Short-billed Dowitcher (Seneca County)
Long-billed Dowitcher (Sullivan and Orange Counties)
Wilson’s Snipe
Wilson’s Phalarope (Sullivan County)
Spotted Sandpiper
Solitary Sandpiper
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs

~Long-billed Dowitcher at Morningside Park, 10/17/21.~

~Good yard bird – Ovenbird in my backyard on 04/29/21.~

YARD BIRDS OF 2021

I continued to work from home of 2021, so once again, yard birding was a focal point. I decided early on to keep a list; I was really curious to see what kind of numbers of species I might be able to observe in my own yard. Part of the way through the year, Judy Cinquina and I were talking about it and decided to place a friendly wager on it. I ended the year with (72) species, and Judy finished with an impressive (68) species, in spite of getting a late start. We have already agreed to a rematch in 2022.

I was surprised by how many warblers I had in my yard – (9) species. I never considered my yard a place to get warblers until the past couple of years. And some of them were impressive, including Cape May, Black-throated Blue, Cerulean, and an unexpected Ovenbird. Other surprised include a Hermit Thrush, and my final bird of the year, a Brown Creeper. There were also three birds I would have expected to have a good chance to see, but did not: Red-tailed Hawk, Rock Pigeon, and Hairy Woodpecker.

TOP TEN PHOTOS OF 2021

Here are my personal favorite photos that I took in 2021, starting with my number one shot of the year, an American Pipit in flight. Each year choosing the top photos seems to get more difficult for me. As I go through the year’s pics, each year I am more and more underwhelmed. I think it’s because now that I’ve been doing this for a good number of years (this spring will be 10 years doing the blog!), it’s becoming more difficult to get new and exciting shots. Anyways, here’s my picks for the top ten photos of the year:

~American Pipit in flight in the black dirt, 10.24.21.~

~Ring-billed Gulls in the snow at Beacon Waterfront, 11.28.21.~

~Great Blue Heron in the small pond in my neighborhood, Goshen NY 04.11.21.~

~Great Crested Flycatcher at Elks Brox Park, 05.15.21.~

~Canada Geese at Wickham Lake, 11.06.21.~

~Blue-winged Warbler at the Bashakill, 05.02.21.~

~Black-bellied Plover at Skinner’s Lane, 09.13.21.~

~Black-throated Green Warbler at Mt. Peter Hawkwatch, 10/09/21.~

~Double Crested Cormorant, Round Lake 03.28.21.~

As always, I’d like to thank all my birding friends that have helped to make it such an enjoyable year of birding (you know who you are). I’d also like to thank everyone for tuning in to the blog, especially those of you who subscribe and those of you who comment – it makes my day when I get a comment on a post! Happy New Year to everyone, here’s to another great year of birding in 2022.

Sunday Shots, 12/19/21

I enjoyed good birding on both days of the weekend, but the highlight undoubtedly came early Saturday morning when I relocated the FRANKLIN’S GULL which was reported at the Newburgh Waterfront on Thursday and Friday. I feared that with the drop in temperature and the rainy weather the bird might have moved on, but fortunately that was not the case. FRGU is a really good bird anywhere in New York State, and now I’ve seen two right here in Orange County. To say I got a better look at this bird than the one in July of 2020 would be a huge understatement. This bird was very cooperative and I enjoyed fantastic looks.

~Franklin’s Gull in flight, Newburgh Waterfront 12/18/21.~

Sunday was a different kind of day. The weather turned out to be very nice – crisp and cool with a mix of sun and clouds. I headed out to the black dirt, and early on it seemed to be quite birdy, so I decided to count my total species for the morning of birding. Which, surprisingly, is not something I do very often. I cruised the black dirt, spend a few minutes at the viewing platform at Liberty Marsh, went to Wickham Lake, and finished up at Greenwood Lake. I had a total of 43 species for the morning, which doesn’t seem too bad for this time of the year. I had a some nice surprises – a Brown Creeper at Celery Ave, (8) Northern Shovelers at Liberty Marsh, my first Merlin in ages on Onion Ave, and a Ruby-crowned Kinglet at Wickham Lake. I’ve included my complete list below.

~Ruby-crowned Kinglet at Wickham Lake, 12/19/21~

~American Goldfinch at Celery Ave, 12/19/21.~

~Not a great shot, but it’s been too long since I’ve seen/photographed a Merlin. Onion Ave, 12/19/21.~

~Brown Creeper trying to hide from me. Celery Ave, 12/19/21.~

~One more shot of the Franklin’s Gull in Newburgh NY, 12/18/21.~

Canada Goose
Mute Swan
Northern Shoveler
Gadwall
American Wigeon
Mallard
Ring-necked Duck
Greater Scaup
Bufflehead
Hooded Merganser
Common Merganser
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Ring-billed Gull
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Northern Harrier
Cooper’s Hawk
Bald Eagle
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Merlin
Blue Jay
American Crow
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Carolina Wren
European Starling
Northern Mockingbird
Eastern Bluebird
American Robin
House Sparrow
House Finch
American Goldfinch
American Tree Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
White-crowned Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Northern Cardinal

Snowy Sunday Shots, 12/05/21

Although it had a slow start, yesterday was quite a day for me. I went to the Grasslands for sunrise and walked out to one of the blinds. Unfortunately neither the light nor the birds cooperated. I saw several Northern Harriers early on, but after rising, they seemed to be leaving the refuge to hunt; I saw at least 5 birds fly over the southern tree line and head out to the farm fields. Three hours in the blind with only one close encounter, and the light wasn’t very good.

Things improved when I went to the Wallkill River in Wallkill and located a good looking GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE. I was able to find a pull off on the road and get a decent shot of the bird.

~Beautiful goose. Greater White-fronted Goose in Wallkill, Ulster County, yesterday 12/04/21.~

I went home and had some lunch and did a few things around the house. In the afternoon I headed to the Newburgh Waterfront where I ran into birding bud Bruce Nott. He immediately got me on an adult Iceland Gull in his scope. The bird was nearly on the other side of the river, but the light was perfect and we enjoyed pretty darn good views of this super sharp looking bird.

BUT! The real excitement started shortly after that. I was scanning for gulls in my binoculars. On top of the ferry, I thought I saw something that looked like a SNOWY OWL. I whipped my scope around and got on it and said to Bruce “unless this is a fake, I’m looking at a SNOWY OWL!!!” We were, of course, freaking out; it was so exciting. Many other birders got to see the owl, which was really cool. I sat and waited as it got dark, figuring the bird would eventually pick up to go hunt. It was getting pretty dark, but sure enough the bird eventually left its perch on the ferry. I did okay with the flight photos, especially considering I had to shoot at ISO 16000. It’s the first time I’ve seen a Snowy in flight since 2014, so that was a thrill. From what I can tell, this bird looks like a one hit wonder, as it was not relocated today.

~A Snowy Owl on a boat, who’d of thought?~

~Snowy Owl in flight over the Hudson River, 12/04/21.~

~This was my best shot at the Grasslands yesterday morning, 12/4/21.~

~Perched NOHA in the black dirt this morning, 12/05/21.~

Sunday Shots, 11/28/21

I did a good amount of birding during the long holiday weekend, but of course nothing was nearly as exciting as the Snowy Owl. Other than the owl, my timing seems to be a bit off these days and any good birds I’m getting are birds reported by other birders. I finally made it to the Newburgh Waterfront on Wednesday evening to see the Long-tailed Duck that’s been a around for a while. I also ran for the Lesser Black-backed Gull which was originally found by Jeanne Cimorelli on Friday and then relocated and reported by Bill Fierro yesterday afternoon. That gull stuck around for me, but was absolutely miles out, so no pics. Other than those two birds, it was the usual suspects (often less than that), but it was still an enjoyable long weekend with some interesting shots to share.

~European Starling at the Jersey Shore on Thanksgiving day, 2021.~

~Ring-billed Gulls in the first snowfall of the season at the Beacon Waterfront, 11/28/21.~

~Sandhill Crane flyover at Wallkill River NWR, 11/26/21.~

~Always a favorite of mine – Long-tailed Duck at the Newburgh Waterfront, 11/24/21.~

~Bald Eagle at the Beacon Waterfront, 11/28/21.~

~Herring Gull at the Newburgh Waterfront, 11/24/21.~

A Snowy Thanksgiving

Tricia and I traveled to the Jersey Shore early Thanksgiving morning to spend the holiday with her family there. I was able run to the beach to sneak in couple of hours of birding before the festivities began. I love birding at the beach in the winter, it’s such a pleasant experience, and I enjoyed many of the expected goodies. Highlights included Common and Red-throated Loons, Black Scoters, and loads of Brant. But the true highlight was when I happened upon a SNOWY OWL resting in the dunes. I shared my discovery with two non-birder women who were appropriately blown away by the view in my scope. What an awesome surprise; it’s been a while since I’ve seen one and this bird did not disappoint.

~Snowy Owl at the Jersey Shore, 11/24/21.~

~A closer crop of the Snowy Owl at the Jersey Shore, 11/24/21.~

Saturday Morning in Sullivan County, 11/20/21

Yesterday afternoon both Karen Miller and John Haas gave me the heads up that the LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL that was at Sullivan County Community College last week had returned. John was going to check for the bird today and let me know if it was present, but on an impulse I headed to the college first thing this morning. Fortunately the bird was present and confiding. Plus the early morning light was very nice on this very sharp looking bird. I spent some time and got some photos before moving on to Neversink Reservoir.

~Lesser Black-backed Gull at SCCC, 11/20/21.~

At the reservoir, my pleasant morning of birding continued with a distant Common Loon. Apparently COLOs have been sparse in the county, so both John and Scotty Baldinger joined me to see the bird. Other highlights at the reservoir included a single Horned Lark landing on the rocks briefly before moving on, an Adult Bald Eagle lazily flying over, and what I’m pretty sure was the call of several American Pipits on a flyover.

From there I went to Liberty to look for the Northern Shrike that has been seen up that way; I didn’t have any luck. I need to catch up with a shrike this winter, it’s been a while since I’ve seen one. I stopped briefly at Morningside Park on my way home, where I had 10 Hooded Mergansers, 3 Ring-necked Ducks, and a single Pied-billed Grebe.

~Bald Eagle at Neversink Reservoir, 11/20/21.~

Huge thanks to John and Karen for the heads up about the LBBG, it was my 193rd bird in Sullivan County. And, as a bonus, I wasn’t aware of it but I’d never had a Horned Lark in the county, so that was 194!

~Common Merganser in Liberty, NY 11/20/21.~

Super Saturday Morning, 11/06/21

What a morning! My first stop was Wickham Lake, which I thought was going to be a total bust because the lake was completely obscured by fog. But, I located a Greater Yellowlegs feeding in the puddles along the shore. The light was beautiful and the bird was very accommodating. I also had a Great Blue Heron in some interesting light, so I got some photos of that bird as well. From there, I was heading up to Mt. Peter Hawkwatch, where I was to be the official counter for the day. On my way there, I had a lovely, close encounter with a beautiful coyote. This was the first coyote I’ve ever seen that showed some curiosity towards me as I pulled my car to the side of the road. It’s been a good while since I’ve seen a coyote, and to get one this confiding was a thrill.

~Coyote on the frosty grass, Orange County NY 11/06/21.~

Once I was at Mt. Pete, I was getting the feeling it might be a slow day. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, and although the wind was from the northwest, it was just the slightest breeze. I had no raptors at all for nearly 2 hours. Then, I picked up a bird to the northeast of the platform – I immediately recognized it as a young GOLDEN EAGLE! I was so happy, the bird circled up and eventually migrated directly over the platform.

~GOLDEN EAGLE! Mt. Peter Hawkwatch 11/06/21.~

After the excitement of the Golden, my prediction came true and it was an incredibly slow flight. I had a total of only (8) migrating raptors in 6.75 hours of counting. I did have one other highlight though, I found a Purple Finch, which was a new 2021 county bird for me, bringing my total to 203 species this year in Orange County.

~Greater Yellowlegs at Wickham Lake, 11/06/21. This bird had a bum foot, but seemed to be feeding very well. I feel like I see a lot of shorebirds hopping around on one foot, but it doesn’t seem to hold them back too much.~

~Beautiful beast. Coyote in OC, 11/06/21.~

~This was actually on my way home this evening; I stopped at Beaver Pond to look for ducks. The markings on this Northern Harrier are just gorgeous to me.~

~An unexpected surprise at Wickham Lake this morning, Greater Yellowlegs 11/06/21.~

~Great Blue Heron first thing this morning at Wickham Lake, 11/06/21.~

~The Golden Eagle streams out over the platform at Mt. Peter Hawkwatch, 11/06/21.~

~Purple Finch at Mt. Peter Hawkwatch, 11/06/21.~

Sunday Shots, 10/31/21

The highlight of my weekend was running for the Sullivan County Lapland Longspur yesterday afternoon. But I did get out both mornings as well. American Pipits continue in high numbers in the black dirt, so I took advantage and tried for photos both mornings: Saturday in the rain and puddles and Sunday in the nice light. Late shorebirds in the heavy puddling in the black dirt were my main focus both mornings, but unfortunately they were relatively scarce. I had a nice sized flock of Killdeer Saturday morning (35+ birds), and then on Sunday I found 3 Lesser Yellowlegs at the Camel Farm on Sunday.

~A very accommodating Bald Eagle in the black dirt, just after sunrise on Sunday morning 10/31/21.~

Bruce Nott let me know he had a Black Scoter at the Newburgh Waterfront on Saturday; I got there a little late in the morning but the bird was still present. Photos were tough, but scope views were fantastic and the bird was my 202nd bird in Orange County this year.

And finally, later on Sunday morning into the early afternoon I joined official counter Ken Witkowski at Mt. Peter Hawkwatch. I expected a decent flight, but unfortunately it was on the slow side. We did have some pretty good looks at several migrating Red-shouldered Hawks, but otherwise it wasn’t noteworthy.

~I know I’m a little pipit-obsessed, but I want to enjoy them while they are here. American Pipit in the black dirt, 10/31/21.~

~Very possibly the last Blackpoll Warbler of the season for me. This bird is pretty late. Mt. Peter Hawkwatch 010/31/21.~

~I watched the American Pipits in the black dirt feeding in the rain and puddles on Saturday morning. I was impressed by how efficient they were and how well they seemed to be eating. This insect seemed to be the main fare, but they were also pulling up smaller rice-shaped insects from time to time. AMPI in the BDR, 10/30/21.~

Sullivan County LAPLAND LONGSPUR, 10/30/21

Those of you that know me or have read the blog for a while probably know that LAPLAND LONGSPUR is one of my favorite birds. So, I was pretty stoked this afternoon when John Haas called me to tell me he’d had a very cooperative LALO at the Neversink Reservoir. It was a little late in the afternoon, but I decided to run for the bird. On my John called me; he was going to meet me out there to help locate the bird. When I arrived, John was already there and on the bird. Running for a bird doesn’t get any easier than that! And the bird was a beauty, in beautiful plumage and was very confiding as John had indicated. The icing on the cake was a single Snow Bunting on the rocks; it was another cooperative bird. The Lapland Longspur was my 192nd bird in Sullivan County. As always, huge thanks to John for all the help.

~Awesome bird! LAPLAND LONGSPUR at Neversink Reservoir, 10/30/21.~

~What a cutie; Snow Bunting in the rocks at Neversink Reservoir, 10/30/21.~

~SNBU at Neversink Reservoir, 10/30/21.~

~One more look at the Lapland Longspur at Neversink Reservoir 10/30/21.~

~And finally, one more of the bunting. SNBU at Neversink Reservoir 10/30/21.~

Sunday Shots, 10/24/21

I went out to the black dirt first thing this morning with American Pipits on my mind. I wasn’t disappointed; I saw many (hundreds) and I was able to get some decent photos in the early morning light. Sparrows were also abundant with Savannah and Song Sparrows being most abundant. I did see a couple of White-crowned Sparrow and caught a brief glimpse of a Vesper as well. In the afternoon I went back to Mt. Peter Hawkwatch and counted with official counter Will Test. It was pretty good flight while I was there with a decent flow of birds and good variety (Sharp-shinned, Red-tailed, Red-shouldered, Cooper’s, Northern Harrier, Bald Eagle, and Osprey). Interestingly, Turkey Vultures continued to move through; we counted 120+ while I was there.

~American Pipit in flight, black dirt 10/24/21.~

Earlier in the week I spent some time in my yard – it’s been pretty birdy recently. I added Blue-headed Vireo to my 2021 yard list and the vultures are roosting in large numbers, probably 50-60 birds, mostly Turkey but with a handful of Black Vultures too.