~First one Bald Eagle came in and landed in a tree not far from where I was standing. The bird called several times and was joined by her partner (it looks to me like the bird on the left is the larger female in this pair). What a treat to see a pair of Bald Eagles just like that. Orange County, NY 12/11/16.~
I did a lot of running around Orange County over the weekend, trying to add to my county year list. While failed to located any new birds, I did enjoy some good birding and I managed to get some photos that I thought were worth sharing. My best birds for the weekend where: Golden-crowned Kinglet (one at Wickham Lake and one at Laurel Grove Cemetery) and Brown Creeper (also two observations, one at Wickham Lake and the other at Watershed Park in Port Jervis).
So, with with 20 days left in the year, I stand at 214 birds in Orange County for the year. I still think there might be a couple of birds out there for me before the end of the year (Pine Siskin, Great Cormorant… maybe get lucky with a Northern Shrike?), but who knows.
~My first Brown Creeper in a LONG time! And I managed to get a photo! BRCR at Wickham Lake, 12/10/16.~~This bird was moving very quickly, I really struggle to keep up with the camera. Golden-crowned Kinglet at Wickham Lake, 12/10/16.~~A male Eastern Bluebird enjoys a snack at Mount Peter Hawkwatch, 12/10/16.~
~A male American Kestrel keeps an eye on me from his perch at the Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 11/19/16.~
I got a relatively early start and arrived at the Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge at 7 am. I had a couple of goals for the morning. The first was to try for some photographs; it felt like ages since I’ve gotten a decent shot. The shortened days have really limited my ability to photograph in any sort of good light, plus I just feel a little snakebite lately when it comes to photos. My second goal was to relocated the Northern Shrike that has been hanging around out there, on and off. On this past Thursday evening, I made a brief stop and viewed the refuge from the Galeville Park and was lucky enough to find the shrike and get a couple of distant, brief looks at the bird in my scope before I lost track of it.
As for my first goal, I did get some post-able photos this morning, however they are nothing to write home about. But, still it was great fun to be out on such a gorgeous morning and have some good birds in beautiful early morning light. As for the shrike, it was a no show. I spent most of my time in the area where I had seen the bird on Thursday, but I was unable to relocate it.
~Northern Harrier in flight just over the grasses at the Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 11/19/16.~
It was an enjoyable morning of birding, if not amazing. One bird I was hoping to see but did not was Rough-legged Hawk. It leaves something to look forward to for next time, I guess. I’ve include my species list at the bottom of this post.
~A big, beautiful, mean-looking Red-tailed Hawk at the Shawangunk Grasslands, 11/19/16. Good looking bird.~~While I was shooting the kestrel in the top photo, this dude walked across the trail just off to my right. I saw three bucks while I was at the refuge today.~ ~This is, in my opinion, a photogenic bird. Northern Mockingbird at the Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 11/19/16.~
Canada Goose 300
Turkey Vulture 4
Northern Harrier 6
Red-tailed Hawk 4
Rock Pigeon 15
Mourning Dove 8
Red-bellied Woodpecker 4
Downy Woodpecker 2
Northern Flicker 5
American Kestrel 1
Blue Jay 75
American Crow 45
Common Raven 2
Black-capped Chickadee 12
Tufted Titmouse 8
White-breasted Nuthatch 4
American Robin 18
Northern Mockingbird 1
American Tree Sparrow 16
Dark-eyed Junco 12
Northern Cardinal 5
Common Grackle 25
blackbird sp. 200 Distant flock in flight
House Finch 14
American Goldfinch 24
~I absolutely love, love, love these birds. They have a great personality and they are incredible flyers. I really enjoyed watching them navigate through the woods. GRAY JAY at Bloomingdale Bog, North End, 9/18/16.~
When it rains it pours, here’s my fourth post in as many days. Tricia and I spent a week in the Adirondacks on a family vacation with both of her brothers, her nephew, and her cousin and his family. We stayed at a great place, White Pine Camp in Paul Smiths, New York. I would certainly recommend it to anyone planning to head up to the Adirondacks and we will surely go back.
So, while it was not a birding trip, almost all of our time was spent outdoors. We did a lot of canoeing and kayaking (we did one epic day of 9 lakes in 8 hours in a canoe). And, I did get out and do some birding on my own, checking out some of the local hotspots, including Bigelow Road and Bloomingdale Bog (both the north end and the south end). Unfortunately, it was pretty quiet on the birding front. I did manage to see Gray Jays in 2 locations, and I had a Yellow-bellied Flycatcher at Bigelow Road. On one paddling trip, Tricia’s brother Kevin located a young Red-bellied Woodpecker, which was a bird I wasn’t expecting to see for some reason. I came up empty in regards to Boreal Chickadees and Black-backed Woodpeckers, which was disappointing. For the week I had just over 40 species. Anyway, it was a great time and I hope you enjoy my vacation photos.
~ A foggy morning Ring-billed Gull on a rock in Osgood Pond, where our camp was located. White Pines Camp, Adirondacks 9/17/16.~~This is another bird that I was sort of surprised to see up there. Belted Kingfisher on the shore of the Osgood River, 9/19/16.~~Yellow-bellied Flycatcher at Bigelow Road, 9/18/16.~~I saw plenty of these guys at Bloomingdale Bog’s South End. Golden-crowned Kinglet, 9/21/16.~~Blue-headed Vireo at Bloomingdale Bog South End, 9/21/16.~
COMMON LOONS
I’ve always enjoyed photographing the Common Loons up in the Adirondacks. In the past I have had some great experiences where the loons were as curious about me as I was about them. They would pop up right next to my kayak and provide for extraordinary photo ops. This time around, I found that the loons were not quite as curious. I’m pretty sure it had to do with the adults tending to and protecting their young, which were still staying very close to their parents and sometimes still being fed. That being said, the birds were still quite confiding and while I did not spend as much time shooting them as I have in the past, I was able to get some decent shots:
~A Cape May Warbler pokes its head out at Mt. Peter Hawkwatch, 9/24/16.~
I had a pretty good day at Mount Peter Hawkwatch today, especially early in the morning while there was a good northwest wind and heavy cloud cover. I had 435 migrating hawks, with 407 of them being Broad-winged Hawks. I had many visitors today, and I want to thank them because they were instrumental in finding many of the raptors, especially once the clouds had cleared and the birds were harder to locate. Here’s my report for the day:
Observation start time: 08:00:00
Observation end time: 16:00:00
Total observation time: 8 hours
Official Counter Matt Zeitler
Observers: Rob Stone
Visitors:
Luke Driscoll, Thomas Driscoll, Mike Limatoli, Sue Dougherty, Peter & Glyn Nixon, Anne and Phil Ribolow, and Matt Vrydacjis.
Weather:
Cloudy and cool for the first hour and a half of the watch, then nearly cloudless and warm for the remainder. Wind from the northwest for most of the day. Temperatures ranged from 13 to 21 degrees Celsius.
Raptor Observations:
One adult and one immature Bald Eagle, one unknown Northern Harrier, one unknown Red-shouldered Hawk, and one male American Kestrel.
Non-raptor Observations:
Non Raptor Species: Highlight was a flock of approximately 30 Double-crested Cormorants that passed through, which was very interesting to watch. Other species: Blue Jay (85), Black-capped Chickadee (2), Red-breasted Nuthatch (1), White-breasted Nuthatch (1), Common Raven (2), American Crow (4), Northern Flicker (1), American Goldfinch (2), Ring-billed Gull (7), Chimney Swift (2), Cape May Warbler (2).
~One of the local Common Ravens in flight. One day I will get a decent shot of one of these birds. Mt. Pete, 9/24/16.~ ~This Cooper’s Hawk was the only bird to go for my new plastic owl that was mounted high above the viewing platform. It was a tough day for photos for me for some reason, and of course this bird came at the owl with the sun at its back. Mt. Peter Hawkwatch, 9/24/16.~
~Love, love, loved this bird! WILSON’S PHALAROPE at DeKorte Park, 8/15/16.~
Okay, so at what point do I change the name of this blog to Bergen Birding? Over the weekend, another GREAT bird – a WILSON’S PHALAROPE, was located at DeKorte Park in Lyndhurst, New Jersey. I didn’t go for it then, I but today after work, I ran for the bird and luckily the bird not only stuck around, it was very accommodating for photos. I was talking with Chris Takacs while viewing the bird, and he indicated that this was likely a young bird. The bird is absolutely beautiful, white as white can be with a long very thin and pointy bill. It fed nearly the entire time I was there, only stopping to preen and then relax for a short time. This is the second time I’ve seen a Wilson’s Phalarope, my lifer was at the Liberty Loop back in April of 2013.
Huge thanks to both Maria Loukeris and Denise Farrel, who kept me posted with the alerts for this bird today.
~Beautiful bird. Wilson’s Phalarope at DeKorte Park, 8/15/16.~~WIPH at DeKorte, 8/15/16.~~I had to include at least one water flick shot. Wilson’s Phalarope at DeKorte Park, 8/15/16.~~There were many other shorebirds close by too, but I barely paused to take their photos. Lesser Yellowlegs at DeKorte Park, 8/15/16. ~~And for comparison, a Greater Yellowlegs at DeKorte Park 8/15/16.~~This is not a bird I’ve been this close to before. Short-billed Dowitcher at DeKorte, 8/15/16.
Just a week and a day after getting decent photos of an adult Black-crowned Night-Heron at DeKorte Park, I was pleasantly surprised by this juvenile that I saw this morning at Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge. I inadvertently flushed the bird when I paused on the trail to watch an American Kestrel hunting. I watched as the heron briefly flew, then landed and stashed itself in the heavy vegetation. The bird does not look very hidden in this photo, but I can tell you that it took me a long while searching with my binoculars to relocate the bird, and that was after having seen where it had flown in. BCNHs are one of my favorites and it’s always a thrill to see one, especially in Orange County.
When this Red-tailed Hawk actually took flight TOWARDS me, it was so unexpected that I almost panicked. I picked up the bird fairly early as it took flight (shots #1 and #2). Then I lost focus for a moment but was able to get it back again as the bird came closer (shots #3, #4, and #5). After shot #5, I lost focus again, but this time I think the bird may have been too close for my focus setting. Pretty exciting to get an opportunity like this and to not completely blow it!
What a delight and a privilege to see this young Black-billed Cuckoo this morning… if you take a walk in the woods, you never know what you’re going to see.
There is no better pastime than birding to de-stress and bring some joy to your heart after a long work week.
Ovenbird
Worm-eating Warbler
Blue-winged Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
American Redstart
Northern Parula
Magnolia Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Prairie Warbler
Other notable birds included super looks at 2 Yellow-billed Cuckoos (unfortunately, I blew the pics!), a Swainson’s Thrush, and several Scarlet Tanagers all of which were seen at Pochuck Mountain. The Golden-winged Warbler was a lifer for Linda, so congrats to her on that.
It’s really a great time of the year for birding, and I’m embracing warblers for the first time really, so it’s been very enjoyable. I’ve included photos from earlier this week, when I made visits to Sterling Forest and the Liberty Loop.
~Finally, a decent shot of a Blackburnian Warbler, Pochuck Mountain SF, 5/15/16.~A Yellow-throated Vireo enjoys a snack at Sterling Forest, 5/12/16.~~Hooded Warblers are numerous at Sterling right now but I can’t seem to get a good photo. Distant shot of a HOWA, 5/12/16.~~Louisiana Waterthrush at Liberty Loop, 5/9/16.~~One more shot of the Golden-winged Warbler, Sterling Forest SP 5/15/16.~~Blue-winged Warbler at Sterling Forest SP, 5/10/16.~ ~One of several Scarlet Tanagers at Pochuck Mountain SF, 5/15/16.~
~Chestnut-sided Warbler at Laurel Grove Cemetery, 5/8/16.~
With south winds in the forecast for the first time in many days, it was looking like migration might be on. I was hoping that my good birding luck would continue today. I got out pretty early and it did not seem like a lucky day; it rained steadily for my entire trip out to Laurel Grove Cemetery in Port Jervis, NY. I donned my rain gear and left the camera in the car. The good news is that the cemetery was very birdy. The bad news is that I was, of course struggling with wet binoculars and finding tiny birds in the shadows. Then the good luck kicked in. The rain stopped. I went back for my camera. The birds continued, now in ever improving light. And then I turned around and saw Curt McDermott, bins to his eyes, looking up at a large evergreen. I birded the remainder of my time at the cemetery with Curt and he found me many birds, most notably, a BAY-BREASTED WARBLER which gave us great looks for over a half hour. This was my 3rd life bird of the weekend, now that’s something I never expected to happen! It was a great morning of birding and likely my best warbler outing ever. I left the cemetery with 15 species of warbler:
Blue-winged Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
Common Yellowthroat (FOY – Orange County)
American Redstart
Northern Parula (FOY)
Magnolia Warbler (FOY)
BAY-BREASTED WARBLER (LIFER!)
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler (FOY)
Blackpoll Warbler (FOY)
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Palm Warbler
Pine Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler (FOY)
I also had two additional first of year birds while at the cemetery – Least Flycatcher and Great-crested Flycatcher. Huge thanks to Curt for all his help this morning, I don’t even want to think about how many birds I would have missed without him.
~Pretty shot of an Ovenbird at Pochuck Mountain State Forest, 5//8/16.~
Later in the morning, Tricia and I went to Pochuck Mountain State Forest and although it was a little bit late and not overwhelmingly birdy, we still got some good birds. I added my 16th warbler of the day with Ovenbird, and we got decent looks at two male Scarlet Tanagers. I added two more year birds too – Yellow-throated Vireo and Rose-breasted Grosbeak (of which we saw many). What a great weekend of birding for me, it was very satisfying for sure.
~A female Pine Warbler collects nesting material on the ground, Laurel Grove Cemetery 5/8/16.~ ~The bird of the day, BAY-BREASTED WARBLER at Laurel Grove Cemetery, 5/8/16.~~Magnolia Warbler at Laurel Grove Cemetery in Port Jervis, NY, 5/8/16.~~Black-throated Blue Warbler at Laurel Grove Cemetery, 5/8/16.~~Black-throated Green Warbler at Laurel Grove Cemetery, 5/8/16.~
