A very cooperative Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Wallkill River NWR, Liberty Loop Trail, 5/26/14.
I went out this morning with the main goal of trying to get some cuckoo photos. I think both cuckoos that we get in the area (Yellow-billed and Black-billed) are fascinating birds; such large beautiful birds with exotic calls that I somehow never saw or heard my whole life until the last few years. My first stop was at the Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge Winding Waters Trail, where Linda Scrima had located a Yellow-billed Cuckoo the night before. On my way out on the trail I heard a YBCU but did not see it. On my way back I located the bird easily when it called from a stand of bare trees. Huge thanks to Linda for the heads up, here is a shot of that bird:
Yellow-billed Cuckoo on the Winding Waters Trail at Wallkill River NWR, 5/26/14.
Afterwards, I headed over to the Liberty Loop to meet up with Maria Loukeris. We walked the loop; I was hoping for some shorebirds somewhere along the way. Shorebirds were not in abundance (Semipalmated Plover-2, Greater Yellowlegs-2, Spotted Sandpiper-1, Solitary Sandpiper-1, and Maria saw what were likely the Semipalmated Sandpipers that I had out there the other night- maybe 20 of them?). The poor showing of shorebirds was more than made up for by a pair of cooperative Yellow-billed Cuckoos in the southwest corner of the loop, right in the area of the eagle’s nest. I believe this was the first time Maria had seen YBCU, and we both took many photos. My best effort is at the top of this post.
A Beautiful Blackburnian Warble at Pochuk Mountain State Forest, 5/11/14.
POCHUK MOUNTAIN STATE FOREST
I got a little bit of a late start this morning, arriving at Pochuk Mountain State Forest at just after 8:00. I headed up the trail, and not too far along, I ran into Linda Scrima and Maria Loukeris. They were kind enough to let me join them and we had a very productive morning with many birds and plenty of photo opportunities. I particularly enjoyed getting some decent Scarlet Tanager and Blackburnian Warbler photos. I struggled as usual with many warbler identifications, but with the help of looking at photos later, I compiled my list of birds:
We got some amazing looks at Scarlet Tanagers, a bird that has evaded me up until today. Pochuk Mountain State Forest, 5/11/14.
Canada Goose
Turkey Vulture
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Blue-headed Vireo
Blue Jay
Wood Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Ovenbird
Common Yellowthroat
American Redstart
Magnolia Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Pine Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Scarlet Tanager
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting
Baltimore Oriole
Additionally, I am pretty sure that Maria had a Blue-winged Warbler as well; she sent over a photo that looks like a pretty good ID for the bird. Linda and Maria – let me know what other species I’ve left off the list! Thanks.
Chestnut-sided Warbler at Pochuk Mountain State Forest, 5/11/14.Magnolia Warbler at Pochuk Mountain State Forest, 5/11/14.Blackburnian Warbler in flight, Pochuk Mountain State Forest, 5/11/14.One more Scarlet Tanager shot – what a gorgeous bird. Pochuk Mountain State Forest, 5/11/14.
WALLKILL RIVER NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE
Maria headed home and Linda and I continued over to the Winding Waters Trail at Wallkill River NWR. It was getting a bit late and there were not as many warblers present, but we still did pretty well, particularly with raptors, seeing: Bald Eagle, Turkey Vulture, Cooper’s Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, and Red-shouldered Hawk! Here’s my list, which includes a couple of birds I got when I walked out Liberty Lane briefly afterwards:
My FOS Orchard Oriole at Winding Waters Trail, 5/11/14.Great-crested Flycatcher at Winding Waters Trail, 5/11/14.
Canada Goose
Mallard
Turkey Vulture
Cooper’s Hawk
Bald Eagle
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Killdeer
Spotted Sandpiper
Mourning Dove
Great Crested Flycatcher
Warbling Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Tree Swallow
Barn Swallow
Tufted Titmouse
House Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Eastern Bluebird
Wood Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
European Starling
Ovenbird
Common Yellowthroat
Yellow Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Indigo Bunting
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Orchard Oriole
Baltimore Oriole
American Goldfinch
A female Common Yellowthroat in the shade. Wallkill River NWR, 5/11/14.
This Blue-gray Gnatcatcher is hopefully the last photo I will post using my 55-250mm lens for a long time – I got my 100-400mm lens back today. I took some test shots in the Canon parking lot and the lens seems to be working well, but I will know for sure once I take a look at the shots on the computer. This gnatcatcher was shot at Sterling Forest on Monday 5/5/14 in the afternoon. It was not very birdy out there at that time, but I am pretty sure you can do well for warblers there in the early morning.
Five of the 25 Caspian Terns we had at Montezuma NWR, 4/19/14.
If you get the chance to go to Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge, by all means go. I have never been disappointed at this refuge. This past Saturday morning, Bill Martocci and I left Baldwinsville (where Tricia’s mom lives), and arrived at Montezuma just before noon. The timing could not have been more perfect for me because most of the waterfowl had recently moved out of Orange County, and to be honest, I just hadn’t gotten enough of them. At Montezuma, there was still a super showing of waterfowl, and if you include all swimming water birds, we totaled 17 species, including nearly a dozen CANVASBACK, which was a life bird for me:
I always seem to be shooting Blue-winged Teal through the grasses. Montezuma NWR, 4/19/14.
I like this shot of an American Coot, which is not a very photogenic bird in my experience. Montezuma NWR, 4/19/14.Northern Shoveler at Montezuma NWR, 4/19/14.
It also seems to be the year of the Caspian Tern – we had 25 at the refuge, 22 of which were located perched just outside the visitor center. For the weekend, I would guess that I had close to 35 Caspian Terns in the area!
A Caspian Tern (with blown highlights) in flight. Baldwinsville, NY 4/20/14.
The highlight of the day for me, however, was locating an AMERICAN BITTERN. At the visitor center, we talked to a local birder who made us aware that he had had a bittern earlier that day. That helped, because I was certainly on the lookout. We had stopped to look at a large flock of Tree Swallows when I located the bird of the day. I really struggled taking photos; I think the camera has a difficult time focusing on this bird because of how well it is camouflaged. While looking at and shooting this bird, each time I looked down I would lose track of where the bird was.
AMERICAN BITTERN at Montezuma NWR, 4/19/14.I love this pose. AMBI at Montezuma NWR, 4/19/14.
Highlights for Bill included seeing a handful of Bald Eagles, a Belted Kingfisher, and a very brief glimpse of a female American Kestrel. We missed out on at least a couple of birds I was hoping for, including Sandhill Crane, Trumpeter Swan (both of which were reported at the refuge that day!), and Tundra Swan which have likely moved through at this point. It was a great day of birding where we totaled over 40 species.
I had to throw this photo into this post. This was taken at a small pond in Tricia’s mom’s neighborhood, typically a pond that has few birds. 4/20/14.
The big news of the day was that Tom Burke had located a EURASIAN WIGEON at Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge. I was birding at the Bashakill with Karen Miller when I received a call from John Haas, letting me know about it. Tricia and I finally made it out to the refuge in the early afternoon and walked the west side of the Liberty Loop and joined several other birders that were looking at the bird in scopes. We got great looks in the scope, but photos were really tough. On our way out, more birders were on their way in to get a look at the bird. Here is a pretty awful photo of the bird:
Eurasian Wigeon in the top third of the photo a little to the right. Click here to see what the bird actually looks like.
Before the wigeon excitement, I had a nice morning of birding out at the Bashakill with Karen. We started at Haven Road, where my best bird was a Pied-billed Grebe seen in the distance on the north side of the bridge. There was a good number of Tree Swallows present, so I spent some time trying to photograph them in flight. They are not only a small bird, but so quick and unpredictable. Here’s a couple shots:
Tree Swallow in flight at the Bashakill, 4/6/14.Tree Swallow at the Bashakill, 4/6/14.
Our next stop was the Main Boat Launch, where I got to see Ed Morse for the first time of the season; it was great to see him back at it, keeping a close eye on the Bashakill Eagles. We checked on the eagle’s nest, saw 12 Horned Grebes in the distance, and then walked the Birch Trail. On the way we ran into Scotty Balding who informed us that he had seen an additional 16 Horned Grebes from the lookout, and a raft of 172 Ring-necked Ducks just a bit further down the trail. I spoke to Scotty again later in the day and his total count for Horned Grebes was 33! Pretty amazing that the Bash has had so many HOGRs for so long. Karen and I enjoyed the walk and had some relatively close encounters with some of the Bashakill’s more familiar residents:
A pair of Wood Ducks flying by the Birch Trail at the Bashakill, 4//6/14.It’s such a thrill when you get a Bald Eagle hunting so close to the trail. Bashakill, 4/6/14.
This last photo is from earlier in the week but I didn’t have a chance to post it (it was on Thursday, the same day as the Caspian Tern sighting). Rob Stone had called to let me know there was a good photo opportunity for Common Goldeneyes at Greenwood Lake. I never got a Common Goldeneye close enough for good shots, plus the lighting was not great, but I do like this shot of a Bufflehead taking off:
Four Snow Geese in flight, New Hampton NY, 3/20/14.
While I was at work on Thursday, I spoke to Rob Stone and John Haas; the Snow Geese in the Black Dirt Region continued in large numbers. They also continued to be restless, changing locations often. After work, I joined John Haas and Karen Miller as they scanned and photographed a group of 1,800 Snow Geese that included a single Tundra Swan as well. The birds picked up and we relocated them easily enough. The field that they had landed in made it easier to see the birds and after scanning them for a while we were confident that there was not a Ross’s Goose among them.
I love watching these Snow Geese put on a show. New Hampton NY, 3/20/14.Snow Geese – Black Dirt Region, 3/20/14.At some point, while shooting the geese, I noticed this Red-tailed Hawk over my shoulder and got a few shots. New Hampton NY, 3/20/14.
Barn Owl in flight, Orange County NY, February 2014.
These photos of a Barn Owl in Orange County, NY are from early February, 2014. In the best interest of the bird, I have waited until now to post. I put the Barn Owl in the category of Birds I Never Thought I Would Photograph. What a pleasure and a privilege to see and photograph such an awesome and beautiful bird.
Notable Observations for 3/16/14:
Curt McDermott was birding the Black Dirt Region today and located a total of 4 Snowy Owls. Additionally, I joined him at Onion Avenue, where he had 5 Greater White-fronted Geese and one Snow Goose.
Five Greater White-fronted Geese, Onion Avenue, 3/16/14.
I have been passing through Warwick NY regularly lately just to see if I could relocate and photograph the Leucistic Red-tail Hawk there. It has been just over a year since I posted my first shots of this bird. In the last two weeks, I had distant looks at the bird a couple times, but yesterday the bird was perched relatively close to the road so I was able to get the above shot. I am fascinated by this bird and I would have really liked to see it fly, but it was not to be. The bird stayed put and I was on my way.
It was for some reason unexpected that I had a nice evening shooting raptors on Friday after work. But, the light was nice and I was lucky enough to have a few birds close enough for some decent shots. Also noteworthy were my first Red-winged Blackbirds for the year in Orange County.
Rough-legged Hawk on Mt. Eve Road, on my way out to Wallkill River NWR, 2/28/14.When I arrived at the parking area of Wallkill River NWR, this Red-tailed Hawk was perched on the wire across the road. The bird did not leave its perch for a good 25 minutes. I kept waiting for the bird to fly, but when it finally did I missed the shot.It’s been ages since I’ve gotten a good Northern Harrier shot – I think I was spoiled last winter when they seemed to always be around. Click to enlarge this shot – I think it looks really nice. Wallkill River NWR, 2/28/14.
RONDOUT RESEVOIR – 3/1/14
I had a nice outing at Rondout Resevoir on Saturday afternoon. I knew there was a good collection of waterfowl present because I read about it on John Haas’ blog, Bashakill Birder. I got all the birds John reported in his post, including three first of the year birds for me: American Wigeon (5), Redhead (7), and Killdeer (1). It was not a great outing for photos, the birds were for the most part distant and from where you view the birds, in the afternoon all the birds are backlit. I did have a Common Merganser that didn’t seem to mind my presence at all:
Common Merganser at Rondout Reservoir, 3/1/14.
SOUTHERN ORANGE COUNTY – 3/2/14
This morning I made the rounds in southern Orange County without seeing much of note. I did see a single Common Grackle and a single Red-winged Blackbird, both on Celery Avenue. I sorted through MANY Canada Geese without anything out of the ordinary. American Crows rivaled the Canada Geese in numbers and seemed to be everywhere.
Horned Larks are still present in numbers in Orange County, I came across several good sized flocks today. This shot was from Onion Avenue, 3/2/14.It’s tough to get a good shot of American Crows. Pierce Circle, 3/2/14.
I was so happy to be able to see these birds today. One of two Sandhill Cranes in Ulster Park NY, 2/26/14.
I had the day off from work today, so I decided to try and take advantage of it by going for the Sandhill Cranes that had been reported on eBird over the last few days. As I pulled up to the area where the birds have been seen, they were flying overhead. I jumped out of the car and managed to get a few shots.
Incredible birds, especially in flight. Sandhill Crane in Ulster Park NY, 2/26/14.
I wasn’t sure if this was good luck or bad luck! I was happy to have gotten the birds, but they were heading north in a very determined fashion. I looked at the map for a moment and then drove around in hopes of relocating the cranes. I didn’t have any luck with that, so I headed over to River Road to look for Bald Eagles. Deborah Tracy-Kral had informed me that there was a deer carcass on the ice that the eagles were enjoying. When I arrived there was one adult Bald Eagle and two American Crows on the now bare carcass. The eagle did not stick around for long and with not much left of the deer, I left it to the crows. I drove up and down River Road, just to check it out and then headed back to try for the cranes again. On my way over I came across this Cooper’s Hawk:
Cooper’s Hawk in Ulster Park NY, 2/26/14.
I drove around for a little while and I was pleasantly surprised when I relocated the two Sandhill Cranes. They were in a small creek and could be seen easily from the road, though they were partially obscured by twigs and branches. The crane on the right only lifted its head one time while I was there:
The crane on the right only lifted its head this one time, I was pleased to get a shot with both birds in it. Sandhill Cranes in Ulster Park NY, 2/26/14.Both birds spent most of the time I was there all tucked in.
I was thrilled to see these birds and get some photos too. I left the cranes and headed to more familiar territory. I stopped by Lippincott Road to see if the Common Goldeneyes were still present but I did not locate them. Several Ring-billed Gulls and 4 Common Mergansers were the standouts. From there I headed to the Shawangunk Grasslands. It was a bit early in the afternoon, so I figured I would not get the Short-eared Owls, but I was curious to see what was flying there. It was very cold and windy but I enjoyed seeing some decent birds, here’s my list for the grasslands:
Black Vulture 2
Turkey Vulture 1
Rough-legged Hawk 5
Red-tailed Hawk 4
Ring-billed Gull 15
Great Black-backed Gull 1
Eastern Bluebird 5
American Crow X
Black Vulture NOT from the grasslands, but rather in New Hampton NY, 1/26/14.
I ended my day by doing some more local birding, heading over to New Hampton, NY. While I was there looking at a large collection of Canada Geese in the Wallkill River, I met some of the folks that live on the river. They were interested in birds too, although the Canada Geese could be a bit loud at times. They invited me into their backyard to get some photos, which I thought was very nice of them and I totally appreciate it.
Canada Goose in flight, New Hampton NY, 2/26/14.Canada Geese and one lonely Ring-necked Duck (upper right) in New Hampton NY, 2/26/14.
On my way back to the car I met yet another neighbor that had an interest in birds (and has since visited this blog and commented!). She told me how often they see Bald Eagles, and moments after leaving them, this bird flew overhead:
Immature (but not for much longer) Bald Eagle in New Hampton NY, 2/26/14.
What a great day of birding! Many good birds and plenty of photo opportunities as well!
