photos – Page 40 – Orange Birding

Horned Lark Dust Bath

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.

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.

Sources:

www.wikipedia.org

www.stanford.edu

www.about.com

Outside My Window Blog by Kate St. John

Shawangunk Grasslands NWR 11/16/13

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:

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!

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

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.

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!

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.

Mt. Peter Hawk Watch 11/9/13

So it was my last day of the season as official counter out at Mt. Peter Hawk Watch. On my way to Mt. Peter, I stopped at Lower Wisner Road to look for the NORTHERN SHRIKE that Rob Stone reported yesterday. I relocated the bird in the distance right after my arrival. The bird flew and I didn’t track it very well – I think I was expecting it to return to its perch. Well, it never did, and I only got a brief and distant look at the bird. So, I tried for it again after the watch and I apparently missed it by 15 minutes. Several folks got to see the bird today, so that is good. Hopefully the bird will stick around and I will get a better look and possibly a photo.

At Mt. Peter, I had another slow day, but I had some decent photo ops of the birds I did see. Here is my report:

Mount Peter
Warwick, New York, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 09, 2013
——————————————————————-

Species            Day’s Count    Month Total   Season Total
—————— ———– ————– ————–
Black Vulture                0              5             53
Turkey Vulture               4             31            110
Osprey                       0              1            124
Bald Eagle                   2             15            109
Northern Harrier             1             11             50
Sharp-shinned Hawk           0             34           1021
Cooper’s Hawk                2              9             60
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          2             20            106
Broad-winged Hawk            0              0           7611
Red-tailed Hawk              7            350            429
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              3              4
American Kestrel             0              0            112
Merlin                       0              0             14
Peregrine Falcon             0              1             14
Unknown Accipiter            0              0              3
Unknown Buteo                0              0              6
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              1
Unknown Raptor               1              5             26

Total: 19 485 9853
———————————————————————-

Observation start time: 09:00:00
Observation end time: 15:30:00
Total observation time: 6.5 hours

Official Counter: Matt Zeitler

Observers: Rob Stone

Weather:
Cold and cloudy with temperatures from 1 degree Celsius to 9 degrees
Celsius. Light winds all day; from the west in the morning and shifting to
southwest in the afternoon.

Raptor Observations:
Bald Eagle: 1 Adult, 1 Immature
Red-shouldered Hawk: 2 Unknown
Northern Harrier: 1 Male

Non-raptor Observations:
Non-raptor Species: American Robin (66), Cedar Waxwing (20), Dark-eyed
Junco (5), Ring-billed Gull (1), Common Raven (4), American Crow (13),
Red-bellied Woodpecker (1)

A "Gray Ghost" was my last bird of the day. Mt. Peter Hawk Watch, 11/9/13. — A “Gray Ghost” was my last bird of the day. Mt. Peter Hawk Watch, 11/9/13.

I got a really good look at this immature Bald Eagle, Mt. Peter Hawk Watch, 11/9/13. — Just when I thought I wasn’t going to get any birds for the day, this immature Bald Eagle passed over nice and low, Mt. Peter Hawk Watch, 11/9/13.

Horned Larks 11/1/13

Today’s early rain gave way to beautiful sunny skies in the evening, so I made my way out to Skinner Lane after work. The flock of Horned Larks continues at Skinner Lane with 2 Snow Buntings among them. Unfortunately the Snow Buntings never got close enough for photos, but I did get some Horned Larks that were not too far away. I hope these birds stick around because I would love to get some really close shots.

Bergen County American Avocet

After work today, I drove over to the Clay Avenue Wetlands, located in Lyndhurst NJ. I had received a rare bird alert email from eBird, indicating that an American Avocet had been seen at the wetlands. The bird was easily located and what a beautiful bird it is! Unfortunately the bird was pretty heavily backlit and there are not many spots to view the birds from, which made taking photos difficult. I am not really thrilled with the above photo for various reasons, but I had to post this awesome bird. I hope to get back in the morning when the sun will be at my back. Stay tuned for more photos.

Here’s one more from today:

Glenmere Lake Photos

Ruddy Duck out at Glenmere Lake, 10/13/13.

I went out on a photo mission to Glenmere Lake first thing this morning. I was on the lake in my kayak before the sun was up, with the goal of trying to get some Pied-billed Grebe photos. Last year I got some grebe photos out at the Basha Kill, but this year I never saw a Pied-billed Grebe while I was kayaking there. I have stopped by Glenmere Lake without the kayak several times recently and noticed a decent number of grebes present. I was thinking it would be pretty easy to get some good photos by just paddling out to the birds. Boy, was I wrong. The grebes were VERY aware of my presence and kept their distance and dove under when I got too close. I was thinking that the reason I was able to shoot the Pied-billed Grebe out at the Basha Kill was because the channels out there are so narrow, so I think they might get a little more comfortable with kayak/boat traffic passing close by. I finally floated very slowly towards one grebe, the light was very pleasing, and I was able to shoot about 12 photos. Here is my best effort:

A Pied-billed Grebe caught in the first rays of sun for the day. Glenmere Lake, 10/13/13.

I only had a little bit of time to be out this morning, but on my way in I found this Ruddy Duck, who was much more cooperative than any of the grebes, and the light was pretty nice too.

This shot is not a crisp as some others, but I can't resist the water dripping off the bill. Ruddy Duck at Glenmere Lake, 10/13/13. — This shot is not a crisp as some others, but I can’t resist the water dripping off the bill. Ruddy Duck at Glenmere Lake, 10/13/13.

Ruddy Duck on a red lake. Glenmere Lake, 10/13/13.

A Double-crested Cormorant takes off. Glenmere Lake, 10/13/13.

Morningside Park Photos 9/29/13

One my main goals for the morning was to shoot this Pectoral Sandpiper. Morningside Park, 9/29/13.

Every once in a while I just need to go do some birding in a location that is likely to provide plenty of photo opportunities. Morningside Park is perfect for this, as long as you are birding by kayak. I arrived at the park right after sunrise to take advantage of the beautiful early morning light; for me, you cannot beat early morning light for beautiful photos. There was a misty fog on the surface of the lake that I also find appealing but difficult to translate into photos. I was pleased with the results, there were plenty of birds to shoot and the fall colors were reflecting off the water wonderfully.

A pair of Ring-billed Gulls in the early morning mist. Morningside Park, 9/29/13.

Great Blue Heron at Morningside Park, 9/29/13.

This Common Yellowthroat could not have been more cooperative, Morningside Park, 9/29/13. I am loving the background on this shot.

Least Sandpiper at Morningside Park, 9/29/13.

Here's one more of the Pectoral Sandpiper, Morningside Park, 9/29/13. — Here’s one more of the Pectoral Sandpiper, Morningside Park, 9/29/13.

I don't love the light on this Green Heron, but I love all the colors reflecting in the water. Morningside Park, 9/29/13. — I don’t love the light on this Green Heron, but I love all the colors reflecting in the water. Morningside Park, 9/29/13.

9/18/13 and 9/19/13

This Belted Kingfisher was very cooperative, perching and fishing in the pond right in front of the viewing platform. Wallkill River NWR, 9/18/13.

Both yesterday and today I left work and spent an hour or so at Mt. Peter Hawk Watch. Yesterday I caught the tail end of a great day – over 1400 migrating raptors passed over. While I was there we had a large kettle of fly over, comprised of over 160 Broad-winged Hawks and one immature Bald Eagle. It was really so cool to see. Today, although over 500 raptors were counted migrating over the watch, I did not fair too well. By the time I got there, things had pretty much dried up. I got a decent look at an immature Bald Eagle that did not migrate, but headed north instead. I also took a shot of one of the local Turkey Vultures, which seem to be the only birds flying low this year:

A bedraggled Turkey Vulture passes over the platform at Mt. Peter Hawk Watch, 9/19/13.

On both days, after the watch, I headed over to Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge. I mostly birded from the viewing platform both days, though I did walk west on the trail yesterday for a stretch. There were a good number of shorebirds present, including Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser Yellowlegs, Pectoral Sandpipers, and a Solitary Sandpiper. Other favorites included Great Egrets, a Great Blue Heron, many Green Herons, a Northern Shoveler and a couple of Northern Harriers. But, the highlight for me was getting some good photo ops with this Belted Kingfisher:

It was great fun trying to shoot this bird, Belted Kingfisher out at Wallkill River NWR 9/18/13.

A hovering Belted Kingfisher at Wallkill River NWR, 9/18/13.

Maybe it's because I haven't seen one in a little while, but I was not sure what bird this was for a while, until I got some help from a fellow birder who joined me on the platform. Solitary Sandpiper at Wallkill River NWR, 9/19/13. — Maybe it’s because I haven’t seen one in a little while, but I was not sure what bird this was for a while, until I got some help from a fellow birder who joined me on the platform. Solitary Sandpiper at Wallkill River NWR, 9/19/13.

Mt. Peter Hawk Watch

Today was my first day counting out at Mt. Peter Hawk Watch. It was a good day for me, we had enough hawks to keep it interesting, but not too many to make it difficult for me as the counter. The birds were flying high, but we had 200 migrating hawks today. Here is my report from hawkcount.org:

Mount Peter
Warwick, New York, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 14, 2013
——————————————————————-

Species            Day’s Count    Month Total   Season Total
—————— ———– ————– ————–
Black Vulture                0              0              0
Turkey Vulture               0              0              0
Osprey                      15             61             61
Bald Eagle                   3             29             29
Northern Harrier             0              8              8
Sharp-shinned Hawk          17             87             87
Cooper’s Hawk                1              7              7
Northern Goshawk             0              0              0
Red-shouldered Hawk          1              6              6
Broad-winged Hawk          156            870            870
Red-tailed Hawk              0              4              4
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 0              0              0
American Kestrel             3             36             36
Merlin                       1              3              3
Peregrine Falcon             1              2              2
Unknown Accipiter            0              0              0
Unknown Buteo                1              2              2
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              1              1
Unknown Raptor               1             10             10

Total: 200 1126 1126
———————————————————————-

Observation start time: 08:00:00
Observation end time: 16:00:00
Total observation time: 8 hours

Official Counter: Matt Zeitler

Observers: Ajit I. Antony, Beverly Robertson, Bill O’Keefe,
Judith C. Cinquina, Rob Stone, Scot Marchal

Visitors:
Penny Whitlick, Enid Hayflick, Mike Ipp., Jan Hesbon, Diane Brown

Weather:
Cool and cloudy for most of the day with a steady NW wind that was strong
at times. Temperatures ranged from 11 to 16 degrees Celsius.

Raptor Observations:
Raptors were flying high today even in the first hour of the watch. (3)
Adult Bald Eagles migrated and we had one adult Bald Eagle that headed
north. Also migrating were (1) Red-shouldered Hawk (unknown) and (3)
American Kestrels (2 unknown, 1 female).

Non-raptor Observations:
Bird Species identified: Tree Swallow (17), Canada Goose (34), Cedar
Waxwing (36), Common Raven (4), Chimney Swift (11), House Wren,
Black-capped Chickadee, American Crow (2), Blackburnian Warbler, Blackpoll
Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, American Redstart, Red-eyed Vireo,
and Magnolia Warbler. Non-raptor highlight was two Common Ravens flying
very close to one another and one of them doing a barrel roll.

After the hawk watch, I headed back to the Pine Island Turf Nursery to try for a better shot of the American Golden-Plovers:

American Golden-Plover out at the Pine Island Turf Nursery, 9/14/13.

A Foggy Morning at the Basha Kill

A pair of Wood Ducks through the fog. Basha Kill WMA, 8/25//13.

I birded the Basha Kill WMA by kayak this foggy morning. The highlight of the outing was this Blue-winged Teal:

Blue-winged Teal in the channel at the Basha Kill, 8/25/13.

The sun finally broke through in time to get a few raptor photos:

Adult Bald Eagle, Basha Kill WMA 8/25/13.

Osprey in flight. Basha Kill WMA, 8/25/13.

Here’s my list for the day:

Canada Goose 5
Wood Duck X
Blue-winged Teal 1
Great Blue Heron 5
Osprey 2
Northern Harrier 1
Bald Eagle 1
Common Gallinule 6
Mourning Dove 2
Yellow-billed Cuckoo 1
Ruby-thr. Hummingbird 5
Belted Kingfisher 2
Northern Flicker 2
Eastern Phoebe 1
Eastern Kingbird 2
Yellow-throated Vireo 2
Blue Jay 1
American Crow 6
Tree Swallow 30
Barn Swallow 2
Tufted Titmouse 6
White-br. Nuthatch 1
House Wren 1
Veery 1 heard
Gray Catbird 10
Cedar Waxwing 28
Common Yellowthroat 1
Song Sparrow 8
Northern Cardinal 1
Red-winged Blackbird X
American Goldfinch 1