Shawangunk Grasslands NWR – Page 2

Ulster County Barrow’s Goldeneye – YES!

~This is the best I could do! Barrow’s Goldeneye at Glasco Mini Park in Ulster County, NY 3/12/16.~

After some uneventful early morning local birding, I drove up to Glasco, New York in Ulster Count to meet up with Linda Scrima and Maria Loukeris. We were going for the BARROW’S GOLDENEYE which had been reported at Glasco Mini Park in recent days. We located the bird fairly quickly far out in the Hudson River; it was keeping company with several Common Goldeneyes and a single scaup, which I’m pretty sure was a Greater Scaup. The birds were really quite distant, and additionally it was tough to get good looks because the water was quite choppy and the birds were diving regularly. But, we were patient and eventually we all got good looks in the scope and even managed to take some documentary photos, which was no small feat. One of us would look in the scope and call out when and where the Barrow’s surfaced while the others clicked away, hoping for the best. In spite of the distance and maybe because of the challenge of trying to get good looks, I really enjoyed going for this bird. The Barrow’s Goldeneye was life bird number 345 for me and my 259th New York State bird.

Linda and Maria continued north to do some Adirondack birding and I headed over to the Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge to meet up with Kyle Dudgeon to try our luck with Northern Harriers and Short-eared Owls. Unfortunately, it was a slow afternoon and the then the owls got up on the late side so we did not do very well with photos at all. Still, it was nice just to be out, especially for Kyle who has been away at school since January.

~Northern Harrier with a FULL crop, Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 3/12/16.~

~A super grainy shot of a Short-eared Owl in flight. Quite a difference from last weekend! Shawangunk Grasslands, 3/12/16.~

~The only thing good about backlit Buffleheads is glowing pink feet! Glenmere Lake, 3/12/16.~

~I really enjoyed watching these Buffleheads – six males were vying for the attentions of a single female. They put on a show! Glenmere Lake, 3/12/16.~

Early Morning Grasslands, 2/13/16

~Northern Harrier in flight, Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge, 2/13/16.~

I’m not sure why I picked the coldest morning of the year to go out to the Shawangunk Grasslands NWR. Well, actually, I do; I knew the cold temperatures would likely keep many folks away, so I was looking forward to a peaceful morning photographing raptors. I also have been thinking that I haven’t gotten many quality harrier photos this year, so I was hoping to change that. I arrived just after sunrise and as I drove into the refuge I saw the one other person that I suspected might be there – Ed Frampton. Ed is an awesome photographer who spends most early mornings at the refuge. He was shooting an American Kestrel perched in a tree as I slowly drove past his vehicle, doing my best not to flush the bird (which I didn’t). I parked, gathered my gear and headed out to the north photo blind. It was a cold but beautiful morning so I took an iPhone shot of the sunrise:

~Sunrise at Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, little did I know that this would be the first of many photos shot looking into the sun on this morning. 2/13/16.~

I spent two and a half hours in the blind and the weather was all over the map. When I arrived it was cold with some clouds, as the morning progressed the with wind picked up and was whipping pretty good. There were long periods of sunshine with intermittent clouds. To the west the sky was very dark and hazy – I eventually found out why as snow flurries moved through the refuge, even while it remained sunny.

The wind was coming from the northwest, so the Northern Harriers were hunting primarily facing that direction. Which meant that for the most part, when the birds were facing me in the blind, they were backlit by the sun as it rose in the east. This can make for some interesting photos, but really it was not what I was hoping for. It was such a beautiful morning and I was hoping for more opportunities of the birds in good light, but they were few and far between.

At one point I counted six harriers in one scan, so there were at least that many out there, and probably more than that. The only other raptor I had for the morning was the American Kestrel as I drove in. I was pretty darn cold by the time I left the blind after two and a half hours. Then, when I headed back to the car, walking into that cold northwest wind really chilled me to the bone, so was quite a relief when I finally got back into my car.

~A backlit Northern Harrier hunts at Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 2/13/16.~

~Up close Northern Harrier with snow flurries at the Grasslands, 2/13/16.~

~The harriers were doing a lot of tangling all morning, Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 2/13/16.~

~NOHA checking things out below. Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 2/13/16.~

~I included this shot to show the snow falling. NOHA at Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 2/13/16.~

Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 1/2/16

~Short-eared Owl at Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge, 1/2/16.~

To say the meteorologists got it wrong would be an understatement. With clear, sunny skies in the forecast, Kyle Dudgeon and I headed out to the Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge in hopes of getting some good Northern Harrier and Short-eared Owl photos. We arrived early enough to claim one of the four photo blinds at the refuge, but alas, the heavy cloud cover refused to clear. We approximated 6 Northern Harriers were present at the refuge; we tried for the majority of the day to get some decent photos but no harriers came close enough for any decent shots. Fortunately, it was just barely after 3:00 that the Short-eared Owls picked up. And, although they never came very close, they spent enough time around our blind to get some decent (if noisy) shots and they were as entertaining as ever. Another highlight of the day was 3 large skeins of Snow Geese which flew over, heading south.

~Short-eared Owl at the Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 1/2/16.~

~A SEOW dives for prey, Shawangunk Grasslands, NWR 1/2/16.~

~A high flying Short-eared Owl passes over the photo blind at Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 1/2/16.~

~I struggled to get Northern Harrier photos today at Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 1/2/16.~

~A cropped shot of one of the skeins of Snow Geese that passed over today at Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 1/2/16.~

Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 12/20/15

~Short-eared Owl hunting over the Shawangunk Grasslands, 12/20/15.~

Kyle Dudgeon and I spent the afternoon in one of the photo blinds at Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge. Early on, it was very slow with only a few Northern Harriers being seen and none of them coming close to the blind. Several Red-tailed Hawks moved from perch to perch off in the distance. We had a Wilson’s Snipe do a flyover and then five Eastern Meadowlarks perched in tree. We didn’t have much excitement until later in the afternoon when the SHORT-EARED OWLS got up on the early side and put on quite a show. We had at least 4 owls and they were actively hunting and tangling with each other and a Northern Harrier as well. We spent over an hour watching and photographing the owls, which spent a lot of time around our blind but somehow never came in very close (all these images are pretty heavily cropped). I was happy to get lucky once again with these awesome birds.

~Five Eastern Meadowlarks perch in a tree. I believe that's a Red-tailed Hawk perched in the distance beyond the meadowlarks. Shawangunk Grasslands, NWR 12/20/15.~ — ~Five Eastern Meadowlarks perch in a tree. I believe that’s a Red-tailed Hawk perched in the distance beyond the meadowlarks. Shawangunk Grasslands, NWR 12/20/15.~

~SEOW at the Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 12/20/15.~

~Short-eared Owl heading straight for the photo blind at Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 12/20/15.~

~SEOW flyover at the grasslands, 12/20/15.~

~A Short-eared Owl cruises over the tall grasses at the Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 12/20/15.~

~A pair of SEOWs tangling at the Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge, 12/20/15.~

WOW! UPLAND SANDPIPERS!

~Wow wow wow! UPLAND SANDPIPER in Ulster County NY, 6/9/15.~

My work took me up north today, so I figured I would hit the Shawangunk Grasslands NWR on my way home. I was hoping to have some better luck photographing the Grasshopper Sparrows at the reserve. On my way there, I checked Blue Chip Farms for Upland Sandpipers but did not have any luck. I was a little bit annoyed by it because there have been SO many reports of the bird at that location on eBird lately. I continued to the grasslands where I walked the trails briefly but had no luck with Grasshopper Sparrows (maybe it was the time of day? It was around 4:00 in the afternoon…). I enjoyed seeing and photographing the Bobolinks and I saw a distant Northern Harrier hunting.

On my way home, as I was checking Blue Chip Farms once again (I was doing a drive-by basically), I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw an UPLAND SANDPIPER perched on the fence closest to the road!!! I stopped the car and the bird did not flush. As I reached for my camera, a motorcycle went screaming by and flushed the bird! My heart was broken! It relocated to a far off fence where I got good looks and some distant photos. I went back to my car and waited, and I couldn’t believe it when not one, but two Upland Sandpipers flew in and landed on the grass just beyond the closest fence. Then, one of them flew closer and perched briefly on the fence! I couldn’t believe my luck, what a great day, to get photos of this bird, which until today was considered one of those awesome birds that I would probably never get a decent photograph of!

~UPSA at Blue Chip Farms in Ulster County NY, 6/9/15.~

~Love this shot on the distant fence too, UPSA at Blue Chip Farms, 6/9/15.~

~Upland Sandpiper in flight, Ulster County NY, 6/9/15.~

Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 5/30/15

*Click on photos to enlarge.*

~Male Bobolink perched at the Shawangunk Grasslands, 5/30/15.~

I got up really early this morning and headed over the the Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge. It was a little bit overcast as I arrived at just around 6:30, but it quickly cleared up and turned into a gorgeous morning. I parked my car out by the road in an effort to see as many species as possible, it can be quite birdy on the road into the refuge. It was towards the end of that road that I had my first Brown Thrasher of the year. As I entered the refuge, I could immediately hear one of my target birds, the Grasshopper Sparrow. I really like this bird for some reason, it is certainly not the most attractive bird, but I love its behavior and its call as well. I walked the Red Trail out to the furthest blind and then back; I saw 3 and heard an additional 3 Grasshopper Sparrows which seems like more than I had in that area last year at this time.

~It was a frustrating day photographing Grasshopper Sparrows, I had ample opportunity to do better than this, but it was not to be today; lots of out of focus shots. GRSP at Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 5/30/15.~

Bobolinks were numerous and very busy calling and flying over. Meadowlarks were heard more than seen, but I did see ten or so, some perched and some in flight in the distance. Killdeer could be heard and seen on occasion and I saw three American Kestrels. One pleasant surprise was a female Northern Harrier that flew close to me; she had a Red-winged Blackbird in hot pursuit.

~I was not planning on this! NOHA at the Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 5/30/15.~

~A flying, calling Bobolink. Shawangunk Grasslands NWR 5/30/15.~

~I love the legs on this female Bobolink. Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 5/30/15.~

My only disappointment of the day is that I struck out with the Upland Sandpipers. I stopped by Blue Chip Farms after leaving the refuge and then I also tried the airport in Montgomery, but it was not to be. At the grasslands, I accumulated what I think is a respectable species list for the morning, with 35 species being seen or heard:

~Calling Bobolink at the Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 5/30/15.~

Canada Goose
Wild Turkey
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Northern Harrier
Killdeer
Red-bellied Woodpecker
American Kestrel
Willow Flycatcher
Great Crested Flycatcher
Yellow-throated Vireo
American Crow
Purple Martin
Tree Swallow
Barn Swallow
Carolina Wren
Wood Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher
European Starling
Common Yellowthroat
Yellow Warbler
Savannah Sparrow
Grasshopper Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Indigo Bunting
Bobolink
Eastern Meadowlark
Common Grackle
Baltimore Oriole
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow

~I wanted to include this shot because you can see the yellow on the Grasshopper Sparrow’s wing. Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 5/30/15.~

~I love this shot! Northern Harrier being harassed by a Red-winged Blackbird at the Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 5/30/15.~

~A nice look at a male Bobolink, Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 5/30/15.~

~Brown Thrasher, just off the road into the refuge, 5/30/15.~

~I went to Wallkill, NY to get Bank Swallows (no photos!), but this Red-tailed Hawk flew over with an Eastern Kingbird giving chase.~

Gyrfalcon Continues, 2/10/15

~The Ulster County Gyrfalcon on a nice perch on Bruyn Turnpike in Wallkill, NY, 2/10/15.

I received word from Denise Farrel that the Gyrfalcon had been relocated for the fourth straight day while I was at work today. It was a beautiful day out with nice light, so I headed up to Ulster County right after work to see if I could see the bird. I knew when I saw the first traffic jam ever on Bruyn Turnpike that I would indeed be able to see the bird. The bird was perched on a fence post way out in a field, where it stayed for some time but then eventually headed back north. Karen Miller had also come straight from work and finally caught up with the bird (third times a charm). We both went to the Grasslands to see what was going on there, but there was not much activity, just one distant Rough-legged Hawk. After Karen left, I sat with Ralph Tabor and we waited for the Short-eared Owls. It was a gorgeous night with a fabulous sky and although they got up a little late for photos, Ralph and I enjoyed watching 7 Short-eared Owls put on a nice show. What a great way to end the day.

Grasslands Raptors, 1/25/15

~This dark morph Rough-legged Hawk took this low line across the grasslands several times. It was nice to get a RLHA flight shot with a decent background. Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge, 1/25/15.~

While the Eastern Meadowlarks were the highlight for me this past Sunday morning, I also did relatively well with raptors. Especially since I was out for only two and a half hours. One interesting observation I made was that since it was a windy morning with the wind coming from the west, most of my shots ended up being at least partially backlit. It seems to me that, at least when it comes to Northern Harriers, these birds tend to hunt while flying into the wind. With a west wind, that means most of the time when I had a bird flying towards the blind it had the sun at its back.

Here is a list of raptors that I had for the morning, and I should mention that when I got back to my car, Ralph let me know that about a dozen Short-eared Owls got up for about twenty minutes – not too far from the parking area. I never saw them since I have my back to the parking area when I’m in the north blind.

Black Vulture 7
Northern Harrier 5
Red-tailed Hawk 3
Rough-legged Hawk 4
American Kestrel 1

~This Northern Harrier must have heard the camera and shot a look back as it passed the blind. Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 1/25/15.~

~NOHA at the Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 1/15/15.~

~This bird flew straight at the blind and got quite close. Northern Harrier at the Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 1/25/15.~

~This Rough-legged Hawk with a damaged primary feather was near my blind for most of the time I was there. I took this shot from directly below the bird as I walked back to the car. Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge, 1/25/15.~

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.~