Ulster County – Page 4 – Orange Birding

Eastern Meadowlarks, 1/25/15

~One of three Eastern Meadowlarks at the Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge, 1/25/15.~

I was pleasantly surprised when three Eastern Meadowlarks landed and perched in the tree in front of the north blind at Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge. I knew that there were some meadowlarks present at the refuge this winter because I’ve caught fleeting glimpses a couple of times this January. But this was not a quick look, the birds perched in the tree for a little while and then dropped into the grasses in front of the blind to feed. Before any of the meadowlarks gave me a clear shot for a photo, a female Northern Harrier flushed the birds and they relocated to a tree behind the blind. Again, they dropped down from the tree to forage through the grasses behind the blind which were not as thick as they were in front, allowing me to get some photos.

~I wonder if the new snowfall allowed these birds to reach where they couldn’t before? EAME at the Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 1/25/15.~

I looked at the range maps in the Crossley Guide, Sibley Field Guide, and on the All About Birds website. Both the Sibley and All About Birds range maps include Ulster County, New York as part of the year round range for Eastern Meadowlarks, while the Crossley Guide has it just as “typical breeding range” but not very far from the year round range. According to the Stokes Guide to Bird Behavior II, Eastern Meadowlarks gather into flocks in the late summer after breeding. Some flocks move southward while others remain to winter and “forage in old fields of corn, stubble, and weeds. At night they roost together, often in the tall grasses of marshes. Occasionally they join with grackles to roost”.

~An Eastern Meadowlark perches briefly at the Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 1/25/15.~

As much as I love to go to the grasslands for the raptors in the winter, the meadowlarks were a wonderful surprise for me this morning. There was plenty of raptor activity as well (Rough-legged Hawks, Red-tailed Hawks, American Kestrel, Northern Harriers, Black Vultures), and I will prepare a post for them in the next day or so.

~I was happy to get some photos that were pretty much in focus, it was tough with all the vegetation. Eastern Meadowlark at the Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 1/25/15.~

~Tough to catch these birds in flight. EAME at the Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 1/25/15.~

~Eastern Meadowlark at the Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 1/25/15.~

Saturday 1/17/15

~A Northern Harrier cruises by my blind, Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge, 1/17/15.~

The big news this week was the eBird report of a Snowy Owl at the Liberty Marsh in Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge on Wednesday 1/14/15. I, of course, spent Thursday and Friday evenings after work going for the bird, but with no luck. I left the house this morning with the Snowy Owl being the most important bird on my mind. I did some running around in the Black Dirt and even followed a lead that took me to Chester, NY but had no luck with the Snowy. The Chester bird was likely a leucistic Red-tailed Hawk; I saw photos from the couple that had given me the lead, and I got a very distant look at the bird through my scope. I would like to get back there to get a better look one of these days.

In the afternoon I decide to just try for some photos, so I headed to the Shawangunk Grasslands NWR. The north blind that is furthest out was free, so I spent the afternoon shooting raptors. I love spending time in the blinds out there; you can get such great looks at the birds.

~This one made me happy. Rough-legged Hawk in the Black Dirt, 1/17/15.~

~Adult Bald Eagle in the Black Dirt, 1/17/15.~

~I was sitting in the blind thinking that it would be nice if a Red-tailed Hawk would fly towards me rather than away. Moments later this bird flew in. Red-tailed Hawk at Shawankgunk Grasslands NWR, 1/17/15.~

~The harriers were pretty active today at the grasslands. Northern Harrier at the Shawangunk Grasslands, 1/17/15~

~Northern Harrier at the Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 1/17/15.~

~I was happy with how this photo turned out. Northern Harrier just before sunset at the Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 1/17/15.~

~The Short-eared Owls got up pretty early today, just after 4:00 pm. None came close enough to my blind for photos while the light was still good. I took this one just as I was preparing to head back to the car. Short-eared Owl at the Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 1/17/15.~

~A deer checks things out at the Shawangunk Grasslands, 1/17/15.~

Saturday 1/10/15 – From Refuge to Refuge

A Northern Harrier takes a turn in the early morning sunlight. Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge, 1/10/15.

I started my day off this morning heading out to the Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge. I was meeting Wayne Hall out there, he wanted to talk to me about a column he is putting together about myself, birding, and bird photography. It was a very cold morning, but Wayne and I walked the trails a bit and talked. We took refuge from the wind in the south blind for a little while, continued our conversation and had a couple of nearby Northern Harriers. Back in the parking lot, I spotted, in the distance, our first Rough-legged Hawk of the day. Shortly after I first noticed the RLHA, it swooped down and flushed 10 Short-eared Owls. The owls did not stay up for long, but it was good to see them. Wayne and I sat in my car for a while and, as we talked, I had an adult Bald Eagle fly over in the distance. It was a pleasure to meet Wayne, and I will be curious to see how his column comes out. It was also nice that we did so well for birds while we were there. I should also mention that on my way out to the grasslands I made a quick stop by Lippincott where I was happy to find what I was looking for: Eleven Common Goldeneyes.

This Rough-legged Hawk stirred up 10 Short-eared Owls before coming in close enough for photos. RLHA at the Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 1/10/15.

I shot this Northern Harrier from the south blind at the Shawwangunk Grasslands NWR, 1/10/15.

In the afternoon, I did a quick driving tour of parts of the Black Dirt Region. My main goal was to hopefully located a large group of geese to sort through, which I did on Onion Avenue in New Hampton, NY. Unfortunately, just as I started to look through them, in a large and loud wave, every last Canada Goose picked up. I estimate that there were approximately 2000 birds present. Most of the geese seemed to relocate to the Wallkill River, right along Celery Avenue; I did not follow them over there, I will try my luck with them again tomorrow.

I really like these types of photos – Canada Geese taking flight at Onion Ave, 1/10/15.

I ended up with 23 species in the black dirt, all expected species, and I took photos along the way. I was particularly happy to run into this young Cooper’s Hawk:

-Cooper’s Hawk on Breeze Hill Road, 1/10/15.

My final stop of the night was the Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge. I met up with Linda Scrima and Maria Loukeris by the Liberty Loop platform where we enjoyed the White-crowned Sparrows that have been hanging out there. Maria headed home, Linda and I walked out on Liberty Lane. We had a super surprise when we came upon a large flock of American Tree Sparrows; I estimate that there were close to 60 birds present. They would perch on the trees and bushes along Liberty Lane, then fly off into the refuge and disappear into the grasses. Then they would all return and perch briefly before heading back out to the refuge. They did this at least a half a dozen times before we headed back to the parking lot.

A sunset shot of an American Tree Sparrow at Wallkill River NWR, 1/10/15.

It was 4:40 and the light was getting low when the Short-eared Owls got up. There was just enough light to get some grainy photos; it was a great way to end a super day of birding from one National Wildlife Refuge to another.

Sunday 12/14/14

-Short-eared Owl hunting at the Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 12/14/14.

So, as I mentioned in my post yesterday, I had a full day of birding in before the Short-eared Owl extravaganza at the Shawangunk Grasslands. In the morning I did a tour of the Black Dirt Region, mostly hoping to find a Snowy Owl or perhaps an interesting goose. I failed to locate either, but instead had an interesting morning with a good number of passerines at various locations. I had nearly 30 species in the black dirt, and for me the hightlight was a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker which was seen on Onion Avenue in Goshen.

A Yellow-bellied Sapsucker climbs the trunk of a tree, Black Dirt Region, Orange County NY 12/14/14.

BLACK DIRT REGION 12/14/14

I haven’t posted a shot of a goldfinch in a while. Black dirt, 12/14/14.

Canada Goose
Mallard
Great Blue Heron
Black Vulture
Northern Harrier
Bald Eagle
Red-tailed Hawk
Rough-legged Hawk
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)
Mourning Dove
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
American Kestrel
Blue Jay
American Crow
Horned Lark
Black-capped Chickadee
White-breasted Nuthatch
European Starling
American Tree Sparrow
Song Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
American Goldfinch

-Ring-billed Gull, head on. Newburgh Waterfront, 12/14/14.

In the early afternoon I headed over the Newburgh Waterfront to try and pick up a couple of county birds that I needed – with the end of the year looming, I am trying to maximize my Orange County species list. I was looking for a Great Black-backed Gull and a Great Cormorant (both of which Bruce Nott had reported being there earlier in the week), and I was successful on both counts:

Great Cormorant at the Newburgh Waterfront, 12/14/14.

A Great Black-backed Gull flies over the Hudson River, Newburgh Waterfront 12/14/14.

After Newburgh, I headed over to the Shawangunk Grasslands as I wrote about in yesterday’s post. I stopped at Blue Chip Farms long enough to get this shot of a European Starling:

I’m still trying for a good European Starling photo. Blue Chip Farms, 12/14/14.

And finally, here are a few more shots of the Short-eared Owls at the Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, all on 12/14/14:

A Short-eared Owl and a Northern Harrier tangle, Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 12/14/14.

I believe this SEOW was trying to make itself seem bigger (and meaner!) because it was being buzzed repeatedly by a Northern Harrier. Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 12/14/14.

Head on Short-eared Owl, Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 13/14/14.

Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 12/14/14

I had a full day of birding today, but the best was saved for last. Huge thanks to PJ Singh who texted me to let me know that there was a single Short-eared Owl up early at the Shawangunk Grasslands NWR. I was over in Newburgh picking up a couple of birds I needed for the county (Great Black-backed Gull and Great Cormorant), and I was not going to go to the grasslands. It had been gray and cloudy all day which would not make for good photos, and the owls had not been up early yet this year as far as I knew. I decided to head over to check it out and boy am I glad I did. Sun came out and the so did the SEOWs, right before 3:30. I was lucky enough to get into the south blind and that’s where the birds seemed to spend most of their time tonight. PJ joined me in the blind shortly after the owls got up and wow did they put on a show! I approximate at least 10 Short-eared Owls were there, but it is tough to get a good count while photographing. What an exciting afternoon!

Short-eared Owl in flight at Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 12/14/14.

This is my favorite shot of the day, I love how both the bird and the grasses are well lit on a dark background. SEOW at Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 12/14/14.

SEOW at Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 12/14/14.

This stick was a favorite perch of the Short-eared Owls, Shawangunk Grasslands NWR 12/14/14.

This shot was taken as the sun started to get lower, SEOW at the Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 12/14/14.

Ralph put this perch in the perfect position, directly in front of the blind, and the owls love it. Perched Short-eared Owl at Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 12/14/14.

Cackling Goose 12/13/14

Cackling Goose among Canada Geese. Blue Chip Farm, Ulster County NY, 12/13/14/. — Cackling Goose among Canada Geese. This bird was quite distant and this photo has been heavily cropped. Blue Chip Farm, Ulster County NY, 12/13/14/.

This afternoon I was sifting through a flock of Canada Geese at Blue Chip Farms in Ulster County and I observed the above bird, which I believe is a Cackling Goose. The bird was a shade paler than the surrounding Canada Geese, with a small stubby bill, and a shorter neck. I am having a little hesitation in positively identifying this bird because although the bird was smaller than the Canada Geese, it did not appear to be as small as some Cackling Geese that I have seen in the past. According to the Crossley Guide, “Most look small and cute compared to Canada Geese, but this is not always the case”. I believe that this bird falls into the latter category. If anyone has thoughts about this bird, please comment.

I did some other running around today, particularly looking for the Snow Geese that I’d seen fly over last night. I didn’t have any luck with them, but I did get some photos along the way:

_MG_1726 — Horned Larks in the black dirt. There was a single Snow Bunting with these birds but I was unable to get a photo. 12/13/14.

I spent the afternoon and evening at the Shawangunk Grasslands, which were a little quieter than last weekend. I still had several Rough-legged Hawks and Northern Harriers. When I left at 4:30 the Short-eared Owls were still not up. Here’s one shot I got of a young harrier:

Northern Harrier in flight. This was taking as I walked the trail rather than when I was in the blind. I was a little unlucky today, while I was in the blind I did not have any birds come close by. Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 12/13/14.

And one more shot of the Cackling Goose:

Raptor’s Delight

A backlit light morph Rough-legged Hawk at the Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge, 12/7/14.

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One thing I knew I wanted to do this weekend was to try to get out to the Shawangunk Grasslands NWR. When Ken McDermott let me know on Friday evening that he had a Northern Shrike there that day, I knew for sure that’s where I was headed. Saturday was, unfortunately, a wash. Steady rains all day made for poor birding, though it was not for lack of trying. I went to the grasslands early in the day where I met up with John Haas and Ralph Tabor and we had no luck with the shrike. Sunday was a different story; it was a beautiful, sunny, cold, and crisp day which was very refreshing. No luck again with the Northern Shrike, but I did REALLY well with raptors. I spent a few hours in the morning in the new blind that Ralph placed pretty far into the eastern most portion of the refuge. The blind is well placed with several nearby trees for the birds to perch on, and it is in an area where the Rough-legged Hawks seem to spend a lot of time. By the time I headed back to my car in the early afternoon, I had put together what I consider a pretty good list of raptors:

Black Vulture (3)
Turkey Vulture (4)
Bald Eagle (2 adults)
Northern Harrier (4)
Red-tailed Hawk (5)
Rough-legged Hawk (5 – at least!)
American Kestrel (1)
Peregrine Falcon (1)

And, being in a blind, I had some very good opportunities for photos:

This male American Kestrel could be seen working the grasslands all morning long, and then luckily stopped to perch in the tree right in front of the blind. Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 12/7/14.

American Kestrel in flight, Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 12/7/14.

xDark morph Rough-legged Hawk in flight over the blind at the Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 12/7/14.

This is the same bird pictured above, as it came in to perch. RLHA at Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 12/7/14.

VERY distant shot of a Pergrine Falcon that seemed to just pass through. Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 12/7/14.

In the parking lot of the refuge I ran into PJ Singh who decided to join me in looking for some waterfowl. At our first stop, Lippincott Road in Wallkill, we saw a half dozen Common Mergansers, but that’s it. We did much better at our second stop, Chadwick Lake. The highlight for me was five Common Goldeneyes, and we also had: Ruddy Duck (9), Ring-necked Duck (35), Hooded Merganser (6), Common Loon (1), and a single Mute Swan.

Ruddy Duck at Chadwick Lake, 12/7/14. This is one of the few that were not tucked in.

xThree of five Common Goldeneye at Chadwick Lake, 12/7/14.

Since it was such a gorgeous afternoon, I returned to the grasslands in the afternoon to try for photos of the Short-eared Owls. The light was a good as it could be, but unfortunately the owls did not cooperate and did not get up until after dark. It was tough to see, but when they did come up I counted at least three. I sat in the north blind until it was too dark for photos and did alright with Northern Harriers:

The harriers seem to be eating well at the grasslands. Many of the birds I photographed had full crops like this bird. Northern Harrier at Shawangunk Grasslands, 12/7/14.

Here’s another bird with a pretty full crop. Northern Harrier hunting at the Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 12/7/14.

And finally, the deer are plentiful at the refuge.

Sunday 12/7/14

Rough-legged Hawk through the branches at Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 12/7/14.

QUICK POST: I birded from sunrise to sunset on this Sunday; the weather was perfect, I saw many good birds, and took a ton of photographs. I do not have time to complete a full post tonight, so here is the first bird I photographed this morning, taken from my car as I pulled into the Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge. Full post tomorrow!

Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 6/8/14

QUICK POST TODAY: I walked the trails out at Shawangunk Grasslands this morning with Karen Miller, Linda Scrima, Maria Loukeris, and Sharon Scavotto. We all did well with many photos of Bobolink and Savannah Sparrows. Grasshopper Sparrows were heard and seen, but with distant looks. Eastern Meadowlarks were mostly heard, though we did see a handful, but again nothing in close. No American Kestrels were seen by the group in the three hours we were there, and no Upland Sandpipers either. We did get an Upland Sandpiper on our way home – perched on a fence post. It was a distant but good look and I believe it was a life bird for everyone in the group except myself. It was a successful morning of birding and bird photography – I can’t wait to see everyone’s shots.

I was happy to get a little bit of a different look - Bobolink on the rocks, Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 6/8/14. — I was happy to get a little bit of a different look – Bobolink on the rocks, Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 6/8/14.

Savannah Sparrow on the trail, Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 6/8/14.

Savannah Sparrow, Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 6/8/14.

A more typical look at a male Bobolink, Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 6/8/14.

Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 6/1/14

I finally made it out to one of my favorite places to bird this weekend – the Shawangunk Grasslands. On Saturday evening, Tricia and I met Karen Miller out there for a brief visit before going out to dinner. Then, I made it back out this morning and for over three hours, I walked the trails (which are now called the Tabor Trace – named for Ralph Tabor who does everything that needs to be done out there). It is a great time of year to be at the grasslands, the place is loaded with great birds: Bobolinks, Eastern Meadowlarks, and Savannah Sparrows are numerous and offer plenty of photo opportunities. There is also the possibility to see fantastic birds like Upland Sandpipers and Grasshopper Sparrows, and these two species were at the top of my list this morning. My best birds at the grasslands were by far the 4 GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS I had out there. The highlight of the day, however, did not occur at the grasslands. There is a spot, not far from the grasslands, that is good for getting Upland Sandpipers. I followed Ralph, Scotty Baldinger, and Gene McGarry over, and Ralph immediately located an UPLAND SANDPIPER! I jumped out of the car to see the bird and get some photos. Sadly, I am disappointed in my results, but still it was great to get such a good look at the bird. Shortly after that, Ralph and Scotty moved further up the road and located 2 more UPLAND SANDPIPERS! They were a bit distant for photos but still awesome to see.