Category: photos

Orange County Saturday

Song Sparrow on the Liberty Loop at Wallkill River NWR, 2/1/14.
Song Sparrow on the Liberty Loop at Wallkill River NWR, 2/1/14.

I woke up before sunrise this morning and headed out; I was going to spend the morning birding in southern Orange County. My first stop was at Wallkill River NWR, where I walked the Liberty Loop for the first time in a while. The weather had finally warmed up a bit after the extended cold spell, so it felt really good to be outside and walking the trail. During my walk I had many of the expected birds for this time of year, but the highlight of my hike was seeing a Coyote crossing the marsh.

It's amazing to me how easily this Coyote disappeared from view in the marsh. Still it was a thrill to see, Wallkill River NWR 2/1/14.
It’s amazing to me how easily this Coyote disappeared from view in the marsh. Still it was a thrill to see, Coyote out at Wallkill River NWR just after sunrise, 2/1/14.

After walking the loop, I did a car tour of Pines Island and the Black Dirt Region. I hit many of my usual stops as well as some of new ones, such as Cedar Swamp Road, where I saw a couple of falconers flying their birds way off in the distance, and not surprisingly, I did not have any luck with the pair of Snowy Owls that were reported there. I ended up with 26 species for the day which I don’t think is too bad for not being anywhere near open water all day. Species highlights for the morning included seeing the same Snowy Owl that I’ve been seeing all week and a pair of LAPLAND LONGSPURS in a flock of approximately 45 Horned Larks. The real highlight for me, however was running into several birders I know while viewing the Snowy Owl. It was good to spend time and shoot the breeze with fellow Mearns Bird Club members Gerhard and Tracey, as well as Jack Austin and Linda – they are all such nice folks.

A Rough-legged Hawk flies over, Black Dirt Region 2/1/14.
A Rough-legged Hawk flies over, Black Dirt Region 2/1/14.
American Kestrel in flight, Black Dirt, 2/1/14.
American Kestrel in flight, Black Dirt, 2/1/14.
I will keep posting Snowy Owl shots whenever I get them, not matter how distant. I can't get enough of this bird! Black Dirt Region, 2/1/14.
I will keep posting Snowy Owl shots whenever I get them, not matter how distant. I can’t get enough of this bird! Black Dirt Region, 2/1/14.

Here’s my list for the morning, the numbers are a bit rough since I totaled everything I saw while I was out, but I definitely was very conservative with my counts.

It's not very often an American Kestrel flies towards me. This one was flushed by another vehicle, Black Dirt, 2/1/14.
It’s not very often an American Kestrel flies towards me. This one was flushed by another vehicle, Black Dirt, 2/1/14.

 

Canada Goose  1000
Turkey Vulture  1
Northern Harrier  3
Red-tailed Hawk  8
Rough-legged Hawk  5
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  14
Mourning Dove  2
Red-bellied Woodpecker  2
Downy Woodpecker  2
Northern Flicker  3
American Kestrel  2
Blue Jay  2
American Crow  500
Horned Lark  60
Black-capped Chickadee  2
Tufted Titmouse  2
White-breasted Nuthatch  3
American Robin  18
Northern Mockingbird  1
European Starling  80
Lapland Longspur  2
American Tree Sparrow  10
Song Sparrow  20
Dark-eyed Junco  55
Northern Cardinal  2
House Sparrow  12

American Kestrel perched on some farm equipment. Black Dirt, 2/1/14.
American Kestrel perched on some farm equipment. Black Dirt, 2/1/14.
Red-tailed Hawk shot through the grasses at Round Hill Road, Florida NY, 2/1/14.
Red-tailed Hawk shot through the grasses at Round Hill Road, Florida NY, 2/1/14.

 

 

Saturday 1/25/14

Adult Bald Eagle with prey at Charles Point Pier Park, 1/25/14.
Adult Bald Eagle with prey at Charles Point Pier Park, 1/25/14.

Tricia’s sister and her family came up for a visit this weekend. For me, luckily, that means birding with my future brother-in-law Bill. Over Christmas, he took me out on Long Island and we had a great day of birding, highlighted by 2 Snowy Owls on Dune Road, so I wanted to return the favor. I had two target birds for the weekend: Bald Eagles and Short-eared Owls.

Saturday morning we headed over to Newburgh, hoping for Bald Eagles on the Hudson. The river was nearly entirely frozen over, and there were no eagles to be seen. I called my fellow Mt. Peter Hawk Watch counter, Carol Linguanti, and she directed us to head further south, past the Bear Mountain Bridge. We worked our way south, stopping several times, with our final stop being at Croton Point State Park. We ended up with over 30 Bald Eagles for the day and got our best looks at Charles Point Pier Park, where the birds were close enough for some photos.

Bald Eagle in the snow, 1/25/14.
Bald Eagle in the snow, 1/25/14.
Bald Eagle at Point Pier Park, 1/25/14.
Bald Eagle at Charles Point Pier Park, 1/25/14.
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I love these icy Bald Eagle photos – so much white!

In the afternoon we headed back to Orange County in search of Short-eared Owls where Karen Miller joined us. The temperatures were dropping and the snow was falling pretty heavily, but the owls got up early! Cameras, binoculars filled up with snow as we had at least 10 SEOWs, giving really fabulous looks as they flew all around us and over our heads. Fingers and toes were frozen as we enjoyed the Short-eared Owl show.

This is the first half way decent Short-eared Owl Shot I've gotten since early in the season. This was tough - there was enough light for good photos, but the snow was falling pretty heavily. SEOW, Orange County NY 1/25/14.
This is the first half way decent Short-eared Owl Shot I’ve gotten since early in the season. This was tough – there was enough light for good photos, but the snow was falling pretty heavily. SEOW, Orange County NY 1/25/14.

PicMonkey CollageIt was a great day of birding capped of by the fact that Bill got three life birds on the day: Black Vulture (Route 207 north of Goshen), Eastern Meadowlark (Croton Point State Park), and Short-eared Owl (Orange County NY).

 

**NOTEWORTHY OBSERVATIONS**: In the past week in Orange County, I had Snowy Owl sightings on 1/20, 1/22, and 1/24 (two different owls, one seen twice). It is really great to still have these owls around, it is still so exciting for me to see them every time!

 

 

Barnegat Lighthouse State Park

The Harlequin Ducks were just amazing - gorgeous birds. Barnegat Lighthouse State Park, 1/19/14.
The Harlequin Ducks were just amazing – gorgeous birds. Barnegat Lighthouse State Park, 1/19/14.

I was fortunate enough to be invited to join what I call “the New Jersey Crew” on an outing this past Sunday to Barnegat Lighthouse State Park. The “crew” includes: Judy Cinquina, Tom Millard, Denis Farrell, B.A. McGrath, Gene Tappan,  and honorary New Jerseyan, Dennis Murphy. I really enjoy birding with these folks because they are all very good and experienced birders that are extremely generous with me, taking the time to teach me the ins and outs of birding, bird identification, and birding locations. Plus they are all just nice people to spend time with.

Dennis Murphy, Gene Tappan, Judy Cinquina, and Denise Farrell go to work atI can't get enough of these Long-tailed Ducks. Definitely the cutest duck out there. Barnegat Lighthouse State Park, 1/19/14.
Dennis Murphy, Gene Tappan, Judy Cinquina, and Denise Farrell go to work at Barnegat Lighthouse State Park, 1/19/14.

I cannot express strongly enough what a great birding location Barnegat is. As soon as we got on the beach, until it was time to leave, there was ALWAYS a large number of birds to observe. Additionally, while some of the birds were a bit distant, most birds were quite close and gave great views. It was a super day for photography with so many birds near and far and the light was beautiful. For me, the icing on the cake was the fact that six (!!!) of the over 30 species that we had for the day were life birds: HARLEQUIN DUCK, COMMON EIDER, PURPLE SANDPIPER, ICELAND GULL, CAROLINA CHICKADEE, and BOAT-TAILED GRACKLE. 

So I took tons of photos and I was happy with many of them:

This Iceland Gull was probably my favorite bird of the day. I think it is a very elegant looking gull. The New Jersey Crew was having a discussion about this bird, wondering if it could possibly be a hybrid. The reason for this was that it was very close in size to the Herring Gulls it was found with. According to The Crossley ID Guide, the Iceland is 22" as compared to the Herring Gull at 25". The Iceland Gull was certainly smaller, just not noticeably.
This Iceland Gull was probably my favorite bird of the day. It was a life bird for me, and I think it is a very elegant looking gull. The New Jersey Crew was having a discussion about this bird, wondering if it could possibly be a hybrid. The reason for this was that it was very close in size to the Herring Gulls it was found with. According to The Crossley ID Guide, the Iceland is 22″ as compared to the Herring Gull at 25″. The Iceland Gull was certainly smaller, just not noticeably.
It was great to finally get the Purple Sandpipers. Barnegat Lighthouse State Park, 1/19/14.
It was great to finally get the Purple Sandpipers. Barnegat Lighthouse State Park, 1/19/14.

 

Ruddy Turnstone at Barnegat Lighthouse State Park, 1/19/14.
Ruddy Turnstone at Barnegat Lighthouse State Park, 1/19/14.

 

Here's a nice look at female Harlequin Duck, Barnegat Lighthouse State Park, 1/19/14.
Here’s a nice look at female Harlequin Duck, Barnegat Lighthouse State Park, 1/19/14.
I was fighting a backlit situation for this Common Eider, so not a great shot, but what an interesting duck.
I was fighting a backlit situation for this Common Eider, so not a great shot, but what an interesting duck. Barnegat Lighthouse State Park, 1/19/14.
I can't get enough of these Long-tailed Ducks. Definitely the cutest duck out there. Barnegat Lighthouse State Park, 1/19/14.
I can’t get enough of these Long-tailed Ducks. Definitely the cutest duck out there. Barnegat Lighthouse State Park, 1/19/14.
I can't get enough of these Long-tailed Ducks. Definitely the cutest duck out there. Barnegat Lighthouse State Park, 1/19/14.
One more Long-tailed Duck at Barnegat Lighthouse State Park, 1/19/14.
Male Harlequin DuckI can't get enough of these Long-tailed Ducks. Definitely Barnegat Lighthouse State Park, 1/19/14.
Male Harlequin Duck at Barnegat Lighthouse State Park, 1/19/14.

After Barnegat Lighthouse State Park, we made a quick stop at the “Bridge to Nowhere”, which is basically small road (Stafford Avenue) that ends in a destroyed bridge. It also borders along the Manahawkin Wildlife Management Area. It was here that I got my life Carolina Chickadee and Boat-tail Grackles.

My life Carolina Chickadee, at Manahawkin Wildlife Management Area. While it looks very much like our Black-capped Chickadee, there are some differences, the most notable being their call. It is the same "chick-a-dee-dee-dee" but much more rapid than the Black-capped Chickadee.
My life Carolina Chickadee, at Manahawkin Wildlife Management Area. While it looks very much like our Black-capped Chickadee, there are some differences, the most notable being their call. It is the same “chick-a-dee-dee-dee” but much more rapid than the Black-capped Chickadee.

What a fabulous day of birding, with great company and tons of great birds. Hard to ask for anything more than that.

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Sunday Shots

Male Northern Harrier on Missionland Road, 1/12/14.
Male Northern Harrier on Missionland Road, 1/12/14.

Well, pretty much took the weekend off in terms of birding. Every once in a while, I think I just need to go out and not worry about identifying and counting every bird I see. Instead I just went out and just enjoyed looking for birds and trying to get some decent photos.

I love the markings on this Red-tailed Hawk, seen on Skinner Lane, 1/12/14.
I love the heavy markings on this Red-tailed Hawk, seen on Skinner Lane, 1/12/14.
Ring-billed Gull at Bashakill WMA, 1/12/14. The best birds of the day were a flock of Snow Buntings at Haven Road, but they never came close enough for photos.
A sweet looking Ring-billed Gull at Bashakill WMA, 1/12/14. The best birds of the day were a flock of Snow Buntings at Haven Road, but they never came close enough for photos.
One more of the "Gray Ghost" on Missionland Road, 1/12/14.
One more of the “Gray Ghost” on Missionland Road, 1/12/14.

 

 

Perched Rough-legged Hawk

Rough-legged Hawk on a foggy and rainy Saturday morning. Jessup Switch Road in Goshen, 1/11/14.
Rough-legged Hawk on a foggy and rainy Saturday morning. Jessup Switch Road in Goshen, 1/11/14.

I got out briefly this morning in the rain and fog and managed to get a few shots of the above light morph Rough-legged Hawk. This bird was located on Jessup Switch Road in Goshen, but I initially went out to Indiana Road where I had five RLHAs yesterday evening (2 dark morphs and 3 light).

Sunday Shots

This immature Bald Eagle was in a tree in the Torches parking lot in Newburgh. The bird was not disturbed by anything, people were walking their dogs right underneath the tree! Newburgh Waterfront, 1/5/14.
This immature Bald Eagle was in a tree in the Torches parking lot in Newburgh. The bird was not disturbed by anything, people were walking their dogs right underneath the tree! Newburgh Waterfront, 1/5/14.
When the bird finally flew, I was of course making an adjustment on my camera. I was lucky to get this shot, every other shot was either blurry or had a wing clipped.
When the bird finally flew, I was of course making an adjustment on my camera. I was lucky to get this shot, every other shot was either blurry or had a wing clipped.
Adult Bald Eagle at Lippincott Road in Wallkill, 1/5/14.
Adult Bald Eagle at Lippincott Road in Wallkill, 1/5/14.

NOTABLE OBSERVATIONS:

Just a couple of quick notes: In the afternoon I had a flock of approximately 60 Snow Buntings on MIssionland Road. Also present were a couple of smaller flocks of Horned Larks, one of which had 5 Snow Buntings in it. In the morning, I made it out to Lippincott Road and had 10 Common Goldeneyes. Thanks to Ken McDermott for posting about them, they were great fun to see. They were a bit distant for photos, but here is one shot:

Common Goldeneyes in flight, Lippincott Road, Wallkill NY, 1/5/14.
Common Goldeneyes in flight, Lippincott Road, Wallkill NY, 1/5/14.

 

 

 

Rye, NY – 12/31/13

Female Bufflehead at the Edith G. Read Wildlife Sanctuary, 12/31/13.
Female Bufflehead at the Edith G. Read Wildlife Sanctuary, 12/31/13.

This post is a few days late, but I did not have time to get it together before now. For my final outing of 2013, I made it out to Rye, New York. I knew that Rye was considered a good birding location, but I had never been there before. I turned to John Haas, who provided me with the lay of the land. He let me know there are three good spots to bird in Rye – Read Wildlife Sanctuary, Rye Town Park, and the Marshlands Conservancy.  All three places are really easy to get to, close to one another, and most importantly, very birdy. I had a total of 40 species for the day, and I made out particularly well with water birds, identifying 15 species, including my favorite of the day, two Long-tailed Ducks, which were seen at a great distance from Rye Town Park. Water birds I was hoping for which I missed out on were: Brant, Common Loon, and Great Cormorant.

Male Hooded Merganser at Read Wildlife Sanctuary, 12/31/13.
Male Hooded Merganser at Read Wildlife Sanctuary, 12/31/13.

I think what I enjoyed most about the day was the variety of birding that was available. At both the Read Wildlife Sanctuary and the Marshlands Conservancy, I birded the woods and trails while also looking out for water birds. At Read, you can bird both the Long Island Sound and Playland Lake from the road into the sanctuary. At the Marshlands Conservancy, there is a great trail that borders along Milton Harbor. I did well with passerines at both locations; a Fox Sparrow at Read and a total of 6 Carolina Wrens for the day were highlights.

Carolina Wren at the Marshlands Conservancy, 12/31/13. One of the six I had for the day.
Carolina Wren at the Marshlands Conservancy, 12/31/13. One of the six I had for the day.

I found it interesting that I did not have any raptors while I was there. I was hoping for Purple Sandpipers, but the only shorebirds I had for the day was this group of Dunlin, which seemed to appear out of thin air:

Dunlin at the Marshlands Conservancy, 12/31/13.
Dunlin at the Marshlands Conservancy, 12/31/13.

I highly recommend taking a trip to Rye for some birding; I had a super day of birding. If you are interested in more details on how to get around in the area, leave a message and I will get the information to you. Finally, I decided to try something a little different with my species list for the day:

Here is my species list for the day, along with what I have as a Fish Crow. This ID is based on hearing the call. I heard American Crows as well, so I'm not 100% that this is individual is a Fish Crow. Read Wildlife Sanctuary, 12/31/13.
Here is my species list for the day, along with what I have as a Fish Crow. This ID is based on hearing the call. I heard American Crows as well, so I’m not 100% that this is individual is a Fish Crow. Read Wildlife Sanctuary, 12/31/13.

Long Island SNOWIES

One of two Snowy Owls seen from Dune Road, Suffolk County NY on 12/26/13.
One of two Snowy Owls seen from Dune Road, Suffolk County NY on 12/26/13.

Tricia and I were back on Long Island this week to spend Christmas with our families. The day after Christmas, I went birding out east with with Tricia’s Brother-in-law Bill. We basically started out at Cupsogue County Park (a spot I’ve been wanting to get to, having seen many reports of good birds there), and then we headed east on Dune Road. The highlight of the day was locating two (!!!) SNOWY OWLS. Both owls could be seen easily from the car on the beach side of Dune Road and the light was nice which made for some nice photos. Aside from the Snowies, we did pretty well, identifying 28 species and seeing a few more than that; I did not have my scope with me which meant leaving some of the more distant birds unidentified. The birding on Long Island is pretty amazing, the birding hotspots seem endless. Thanks once again to Bill for showing me around; it was a super day of birding.

Here is my species list for the outing:

I have this as a Red-throated Loon, Eastern Long Island 12/26/13.
I have this as a Red-throated Loon, Eastern Long Island 12/26/13.

Canada Goose
Mute Swan
American Black Duck
Black Scoter
Long-tailed Duck
Bufflehead
Common Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Red-throated Loon
Common Loon
Horned Grebe
Northern Gannet
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Northern Harrier
Black-bellied Plover
Ruddy Turnstone
Sanderling
Dunlin
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Mourning Dove  9
Snowy Owl
American Crow
American Robin
European Starling
Snow Bunting

Always a favorite, we had a large flock of Snow Buntings on Dune Road. There were close to 100 birds in the flock, by far the most I've ever seen.
Always a favorite, we had a large flock of Snow Buntings on Dune Road. There were close to 100 birds in the flock, by far the most I’ve ever seen.
This was the first Snowy Owl of the day, located on Dune Road, just east of Tiana Beach, 12/26/13.
This was the first Snowy Owl of the day, located on Dune Road, just east of Tiana Beach, 12/26/13.
I was happy to see some shorebirds! It's been a while. We did alright at Cupsogue County Park for shorebirds getting these Sanderlings...
I was happy to see some shorebirds! It’s been a while. We did alright at Cupsogue County Park for shorebirds getting these Sanderlings…
…a single Ruddy Turnstone...
…a single Ruddy Turnstone…
…and several Black-bellied Plovers. All at Cupsogue County Park, 12/26/13.
…and several Black-bellied Plovers. All at Cupsogue County Park, 12/26/13.

 

 

 

 

Horned Lark Dust Bath

I watched approximately 75 Horned Larks taking a dust bath on Indiana Road on Sunday morning, 12/1/13.
I watched approximately 75 Horned Larks taking a dust bath on Indiana Road on Sunday morning, 12/1/13.

On Sunday morning I was birding out at Indiana Road. I had pulled to the side of the road to get a look a several Horned Larks on the dirt road. Before I knew it, I had larks in front of me and behind me, probably close to 100 birds in all. The larks were taking a dust bath, a behavior that I find fascinating.

Horned Larks dust bathing right on Indiana Road, 12/1/13.
Horned Larks dust bathing right on Indiana Road, 12/1/13.

DUST BATHING

Birds take dust baths to maintain their plumage. They will scratch out a small depression with their feet and then get very low to the ground while wriggling their bodies and flapping their wings. This raises up the dust which falls between feathers and to the bird’s skin. Afterwards the bird will typically shake vigorously and then preen.

The dust bath helps the birds to maintain a proper amount of oil on their feathers. The dust absorbs unwanted oil on the feathers and also helps get rid of dry skin and debris. It may also help keep bird lice, feather mites and other parasites in check. Regular dust baths will keep the bird’s plumage both clean and flexible.

According to Wikipedia, dust bathing is a social behavior for some birds. I like this idea, and seeing all the Horned Larks dust bathing together makes me want to believe that there is a social element to this behavior in addition to the obvious hygienic element.

Done and dusted! Horned Lark at Indiana Road 12/1/13.
Done and dusted! Horned Lark at Indiana Road 12/1/13.

Sources:

www.wikipedia.org

www.stanford.edu

www.about.com

Outside My Window Blog by Kate St. John

Shawangunk Grasslands NWR 11/16/13

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I went out to the Shawangunk Grasslands NWR this afternoon in hopes of getting some photos of Northern Harriers. I had seen reports that the Short-eared Owls were back, but only one report where they up up before dark. I walked out to the north blind without seeing much bird activity, just a couple of harriers in distance. I was not in the blind long when I had a Northern Harrier fly in close:

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Not much later, at 3:55 pm, I was pleasantly surprised to see a single Short-eared Owl come up from the grasses. I started to click away and more owls came up. The owls put on quite a show, flying all around the blind, tangling with each other and with the harriers too. The light was beautiful, and I clicked away trying not to miss any good opportunities.

I spoke to Scott Baldinger in the parking lot on my way back to my car and he gave a count for the night: He had 8 Short-eared Owls and 6 Northern Harriers in a single sweep, not too bad! What a great night of birding and bird photography!

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SATURDAY MORNING

With all the exitement of getting the Short-eared Owl photos on Saturday evening, I never got around to posting about the birding I did on Saturday morning. I made several quick stops just to see what was going on.

 

Glenmere Lake:

Canada Goose  25
Mute Swan  6
Mallard  1
Bufflehead  1
Common Merganser  1
Ruddy Duck  2
Pied-billed Grebe  5
Ring-billed Gull  1
Pileated Woodpecker  1
White-breasted Nuthatch  1

Lower Wisner Road:

Canada Goose  300

What a joy to see this Red-shouldered Hawk. Lower Wisner Road, 11/16/13.
What a joy to see this Red-shouldered Hawk. Lower Wisner Road, 11/16/13.

Turkey Vulture  1
Northern Harrier  1
Red-shouldered Hawk  1
Red-tailed Hawk  2
Rock Pigeon  20
Red-bellied Woodpecker  1
Downy Woodpecker  2
Northern Flicker  2
Northern Shrike  1
Blue Jay  6
American Crow  35
Northern Mockingbird  5
European Starling  50
Field Sparrow  2
Song Sparrow  4
Dark-eyed Junco  1
Common Grackle  12

The Red-shouldered Hawk was eventually chase out of the area by what I am assuming was a local Red-tailed Hawk. Lower Wisner Road, 11/16/13.
The Red-shouldered Hawk was eventually chase out of the area by what I am assuming was a local Red-tailed Hawk. Lower Wisner Road, 11/16/13.
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One of my main goals for the morning was to try for a good photo of the Northern shrike on Lower Wisner Road. I did not succeed, but the bird continues. 

Warwick Town Hall Pond:

Canada Goose 10                                                                                                                     Gadwall 9                                                                                                                                  Northern Pintail 2

I just happened upon the little pond across from Warwick Town Hall. I was very happy with this photo!
I just happened upon the little pond across from Warwick Town Hall. I was very happy with this photo!

Skinner Lane:

Canada Goose  55
Red-tailed Hawk  3
Killdeer  1
American Crow  250
Horned Lark  40
American Goldfinch  1

Citgo Pond Trail (Goshen):

Canada Goose  10
Mallard  35
Northern Shoveler  2
Green-winged Teal  8
Red-tailed Hawk  1
Red-bellied Woodpecker  1
Downy Woodpecker  2
Blue Jay  2
American Crow  25
Black-capped Chickadee  2
Song Sparrow  6
Swamp Sparrow  2
White-throated Sparrow  1
Dark-eyed Junco  4

One of several Mallards that I flushed on the trail to the pond.
One of several Mallards that I flushed on the trail to the pond.