Ring-necked Duck, 03/17/24

Looking at field guides, and from my own personal experience, Ring-necked Ducks do not show off their namesake very often. Even today, when I photographed this drake, I didn’t take notice of it. But, when I reviewed my photos, I was pleasantly surprised with the results. I’ve never seen a maroon/brown neck-ring this distinctive. I’m not sure if this is the effect of particular lighting condition, or if this is this individual’s current plumage. Regardless, I didn’t much luck otherwise with photos today, but I definitely wanted to share a couple shots of this good-looking bird, which I photographed at 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary this morning.

~Male Ring-necked Duck at 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary, 03/17/24.~
~One more shot of the drake Ring-necked Duck at 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary, 03/17/24.~

Birding Around the County, 03/16/24

I was up super early this morning, so I was able to enjoy one of my favorite things – the Black Dirt Region at sunrise. I was hoping I might catch a glimpse of a Coyote at that hour, but it wasn’t to be. I was, however, rewarded by finding and photographing three Lapland Longspurs just after sunrise. It’s been several weeks since I’ve found any LALOs, so it was good to catch up with those birds. Unfortunately, not long after seeing the longspurs, I found a recently deceased Short-eared Owl. The field where I found the bird had been recently cleared; sadly it appeared to me that the bird had been killed by a run-in with some farm machinery.

~Red-tailed Hawk perched on a limp wind sock at sunrise in the black dirt, 03/16/24.~
~One of three Lapland Longspurs in the black dirt on 03/16/24.~

Later in the morning, I checked some of the lakes in southern Orange County. I didn’t find much, but I was happy to find a Common Loon at Wickham Lake in beautiful plumage:

~Common Loon at Wickham Lake, 03/16/24.~

My final destination on this Saturday was the Hudson River near Newburgh. The big excitement for me was finding a single Lesser Black-backed Gull on the sandbar in Cornwall Bay. Also of note was a trio of Red-breasted Mergansers. Unfortunately there was no sign of the Great Cormorants which have been in the area recently.

~Lesser Black-backed Gull waaaaay out there. It’s the bird on the far right. I kind of like having the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge in the background for this shot. Cornwall Bay, 03/16/24.~

Sunday Shots, 03/10/24

It was a little bit of an uninspired weekend of birding for me. I never really put a good plan together for either day, so I just kind of wandered around the county and it was ultimately not very productive. I think a lot of it has to do with the time of year – it’s sort of in between right now – some winter birds are holding on, but many are on the move, yet migration isn’t in full swing just yet. Highlights for me included adding Hermit Thrush to my 2024 OC list at D&H Canal Park Saturday morning, and catching up with a Great Cormorant on the Hudson River first thing this morning. As usual, regardless of how productive it was, I like to share some of the images from the weekend on a Sunday evening; fortunately I didn’t strike out on that count.

~Always a favorite among the ducks for me – Ruddy Duck at Beaver Dam Lake, 03/10/24.~
~It’s been nice to see an increase in the number Killdeer around. This one was in the black dirt on Friday evening, 03/08/24.~
~Pileated Woodpecker near Reservoir 3 on 03/09/10.
~Bald Eagle at Brown’s Pond, 03/10/24.~
~Ruddy Duck at Beaver Dam Lake, 03/10/24.~
~Rare bird alert! Lol, just kidding. It just feels that way this winter when it comes to Rough-legged Hawks, which have not been very numerous in the county. Black Dirt Region, 03/10/24.~

Sunday Shots, 03/03/24

Today was good day of birding – I stuck to the black dirt region, and although I had mostly the usuals, there were plenty of birds around and I enjoyed some good photo ops. I also walked Wallkill River NWR’s Winding Waters Trail. It was a pleasant and very birdy walk. I had distant looks at the recently returned Sandhill Cranes, which was pretty cool. There were thousands of blackbirds on the trail; they never sat still for very long.

In the afternoon, I got word from Linda Scrima that she had a LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL at the Camel Farm, of all places. I ran for the bird, and when I arrived, I found that it had been joined by a second LBBG, out in a field, among over 300 Ring-billed and a handful of Herring Gulls. It was a terrible look at the birds (distant and starkly backlit), but I was happy to add this species to my Orange County list for the year. Huge thanks to Linda for the heads up on an excellent find.

~It was nice to spend s0me time with this Peregrine Falcon in the black dirt, 03/03/24.~
~Singing Eastern Meadowlark in the black dirt region, 03/03/24.~
~This Short-eared Owl made a brief appearance this morning, and unfortunately stayed on the backlit side of me. Black dirt region, 03/03/24.~
~Turkey Vulture, Westtown NY, 03/03/24.~
~Bald Eagle at the Camel Farm, 03/03/24.~
~A pair of female Common Mergansers in the rain on Beaver Dam Lake, 03/02/24.~
~Blackbird flock on Winding Waters Trail, 03/03/24.~
~Male Common Merganser on Celery Avenue, 03/03/24.~
~One of two Lesser Black-backed Gulls at the Camel Farm, 03/03/24.~

OC Red-headed Woodpecker, 03/02/24

A mostly uneventful, rainy morning was saved when I found a single RED-HEADED WOODPECKER at the south end of Brown’s Pond. It’s been a few years since I’ve had this species in the county (others have had it), so for me it was good to see one. The bird was working some dead trees on the far side of the pond, so photos were difficult but I was able to at least document it. The only other noteworthy birds this morning was a quartet of distant Red-breasted Mergansers which I viewed on the Hudson River from Donahue Memorial Park.

~Red-headed Woodpecker at Brown’s Pond, 03/02/24.~
~RHWO in flight at Brown’s Pond, 03/02/24.~

Sunday Shots, 02/25/24

This morning I arrived at Black Rock Forest just after sunrise. It was a cold morning; my car told me it was 16 degrees Fahrenheit when I arrived. I enjoyed a 6.25 mile walk on a gorgeous, crisp morning. The birding was as you would expect, with plenty of the usuals. Birds of note included a calling Barred Owl, and a singing Winter Wren. Both birds were my first for 2024. Photos didn’t happen, so you will have to settle for a selfie I took in front of Upper Reservoir. I really was a beautiful morning to be out and about.

~Wilson’s Warbler at Newburgh Waterfront Park, 02/25/24.~

Afterwards, I went to Newburgh Waterfront Park to try one more time for the Wilson’s Warbler. Well, I guess 5 (6?) times is a charm, because not only did I get the bird, it posed for photos. Otherwise, it was the usuals, including the Ruby-crowned Kinglet which as been at that spot for a while now. I did a quick scan of the gulls present and didn’t see anything out of the ordinary, but by then I was ready to head home for the day.

~American Goldfinch in the Reservoir 3 area, 02/24/24.~
~One more shot of the WIWA, Newburgh Waterfront Trail 02/25/24.~
~It was a super cold but positively gorgeous morning at Black Rock Forest, 02/25/24.~
~A winter weekend in OC wouldn’t be complete without a Horned Lark photo. This one was showing its horns pretty well, which I enjoyed. Black Dirt Region, 02/24/24.~

OC Red Crossbill, 02/24/24

Well, it took many miles and several trips out to the Port Jervis area, but I was finally able to get more than just a flyover look at a RED CROSSBILL. I was just northwest of Huguenot, driving on Franke Road, when I luckily spotted a bird on the road and slowed to a stop before flushing it. I picked my bins up, and sure enough, it was a male RED CROSSBILL, gritting on the road. It was a brief, but very exciting encounter – after about 3o seconds the bird flew. I tried to stay on it, but it went quite a distance and I lost it in the tree line. I’m not sure if this totally satisfies this crossbill itch I have, but it certainly beats a flyover.

~Male Red Crossbill gritting on the road in Huguenot NY, 02/24/24.~
~RECR in OC, 02/24/24.~

Sunday Shots, 02/18/24

Well, it was a quiet weekend of birding. I made the rounds, but mostly came up with the usual suspects or less. Saturday morning I tried Reservoir 3 and the surrounding area, hoping to get some looks at Red Crossbills. I only had one flyover. Afterwards, I went to the Bashakill WMA to try for the released Northern Bobwhites that Scotty Baldinger found earlier in the week. John Haas was there as well, and he helped me find the birds quite quickly (thanks John). I’d never seen a Bobwhite before, so it was pretty cool – I was shocked at how small they are (just 8-11 inches, according to the Audubon App). Later, in the afternoon I went to the Newburgh Waterfront for gulls, but found only the 3 expected species (Ring-billed, Herring, and Great Black-backed).

~Northern Bobwhite at the Bashakill, 02/17/24.~

Sunday morning I birded the black dirt without much excitement. I had a very large flock of blackbirds on Celery Avenue; I sorted through them for a long while but didn’t find anything out-of-the-ordinary. The flock was nearly all Common Grackles (approximately 95%), and nearly all the other birds were Red-winged Blackbirds (I did find one E. Starling and one Brown-headed Cowbird). Anyways, here are some shots from the weekend, I hope you enjoy them.

~Female Northern Bobwhite at the Bash, 02/17/24.~
~White-tailed Deer in the fresh snowfall at Reservoir 3 on Saturday morning, 02/17/24.~
~White-crowned Sparrow in the black dirt, 02/18/24.~
~I don’t know why it is, but I never tire of these Horned Larks. This was shot in the Black Dirt Region, just after sunrise this morning, 02/18/24.~
~NOBO at the Bashakill, 02/17/24.~
And one last shot of the male Northern Bobwhite, Bashakill, 02/17/24.~

12 Hour Pelagic, 02/10/24

This past Saturday, I left my house just before 3 am to board American Princess Cruise’s Special 12 Hour Pelagic Bird and Wildlife Trip at 5:30 am. It was a long and tiring day, but I felt like it was very successful. We did very well with our target Alcid species, Atlantic Puffin, Razorbill, Dovekie, and Common Murre, getting good numbers of each. I’ve included an Excel sheet below, reflective of all the species we had as recorded in (16) eBird reports compiled by the trip leaders. I think it is pretty cool, because it tells the story of the day numerically, showing the birds observed closer to shore as we left in the morning, then the species found further out, and finally the birds closer to shore again, as we returned in the evening.

As for gulls, we did pretty well, with (6) species observed, but noticeably absent was Black-legged Kittiwake, which unfortunately was probably the expected species I most wanted to see.

~This was an absolutely beautiful bird. ICELAND GULL during the American Princess Cruise 12-HR Pelagic, 02/10/24.~

Two of the more exciting gull species, Iceland and Lesser Black-backed really put on a show an provided many photo ops. The Iceland was a beautiful first cycle bird, and it followed the boat for quite some time. We had (3) Lesser Black-backed Gulls – one 1st cycle, one 2nd cycle, and one non-adult that was more advanced than the 2nd cycle.

~Lesser Blackbacked Gull APC 12-HR Pelagic, 02/10/24.~
~It’s a BIG ocean. Bonaparte’s Gull, American Princess Cruise 12-HR Pelagic, 02/10/24.~
~This sharp looking Herring Gull wasn’t going to be outdone by the more rare gulls. American Princess Cruise 12-HR Pelagic, 02/10/24.~

As I’ve seen on other pelagic trips, we got fantastic looks and plenty of photo ops of Northern Gannets.

~Northern Gannet coming right at me. American Princess Cruise 12-HR Pelagic, 02/10/24.~
~Subadult Northern Gannet, American Princess Cruise 12-HR Pelagic, 02/10/24.~
~Northern Gannet, American Princess Cruise 12-HR Pelagic, 02/10/24.~

The Alcids are super exciting to see, but they are far less photogenic. It’s hard to believe how small a Dovekie actually is; the Audubon app lists the bird at 8″, but seeing them out in the ocean they barely seem that big – they are tiny! Ironically, in regards to photos, I did best with them of all the alcids.

It was an excellent, if exhausting trip. They do a great job at American Princes Cruises and I am looking forward to the next one.

~Dovekie cuteness, American Princess Cruise 12-HR Pelagic, 02/10/24.~
~Common Murre catching a wave, American Princess Cruise 12-HR Pelagic, 02/10/24.~
~It’s always good to see an Atlantic Puffin. American Princess Cruise 12-HR Pelagic, 02/10/24.~
~Cool guys. Razorbills were numerous, but I didn’t do very well with photos, mostly due to the timing – too early, too late, so not much light. American Princess Cruise 12-HR Pelagic, 02/10/24.~
~ICGU closeup, American Princess Cruise 12-HR Pelagic, 02/10/24.~
~Lesser Black-backed Gull, American Princess Cruise 12-HR Pelagic, 02/10/24.~
~Iceland Gull out in front of a couple of Herring Gulls, American Princess Cruise 12-HR Pelagic, 02/10/24.~
~LBBG, American Princess Cruise 12-HR Pelagic, 02/10/24.~
~I believe these are mostly Black Scoters. American Princess Cruise 12-HR Pelagic, 02/10/24.~
~ICGU, American Princess Cruise 12-HR Pelagic, 02/10/24.~
~NOGA, American Princess Cruise 12-HR Pelagic, 02/10/24.~
~The only mammals we saw all day – one of two Gray Seals, American Princess Cruise 12-HR Pelagic, 02/10/24.~
~Calling NOGA, American Princess Cruise 12-HR Pelagic, 02/10/24.~
~It’s not very often you get to see an ICELAND GULL this closely. American Princess Cruise 12-HR Pelagic, 02/10/24.~
~Northern Gannet,American Princess Cruise 12-HR Pelagic, 02/10/24.~
~I know, it’s ICGU overkill, but when will I get an opportunity like this again? Iceland Gull, American Princess Cruise 12-HR Pelagic, 02/10/24.~

Sunday Shots, 02/04/24

I love winter birding. For some reason, I just really enjoy the assortment of birds that are in the range of possiblity. This weekend I enjoyed catching up with the following excellent species:

  • Iceland Gull (Newburgh Waterfront)
  • Red Crossbills (Reservoir 3, Port Jervis area)
  • Pine Siskins (Near Reservoir 3)
  • Red-Breasted Mergansers (1 Liberty Marsh, 2 Newburgh Waterfront)
  • Lapland Longspurs (Black Dirt Region)
  • Snow Geese (several flocks over BDR)
  • Common Goldeneyes (Greenwood Lake)

Of course, I missed some good birds too. Bruce Nott had an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull earlier in the week that I did not catch up with. I dipped on the Wilson’s Warbler at the Newburgh Waterfront Trail for the fourth time! I also missed the Canvasbacks at Greenwood Lake on Saturday, only to find out from Kyle Knapp that there were 2 there on Sunday. Kyle also had a large flock of Snow Buntings in the black dirt that I never located. But, as you know, this is part of the fun and challenge of birding. You never know what you are going to get on any particular day – some days you hit it out of the park, while on others you may strike out.

~A couple of Pine Siskins gritting on the road, Sparrow Bush NY, 02/04/24.~
~The Iceland Gull was too far out for photos, so I had to settle for shooting the more common gull species. Ring-billed Gull at the Newburgh Waterfront, 02/03/24.~
~I was happy to catch up with this Red-breasted Merganser first thing Saturday morning. Liberty Marsh 02/03/24.~
~I’ve been seeing loads of Eastern Bluebirds lately. This one was in Sparrow Bush, NY 02/04/24.~
~Snow Geese flying over the Liberty Marsh, 02/03/24.~
~One more Pine Siskin shot, Sparrow Bush NY, 02/04/24~
~Savannah Sparrow just before sunset in the black dirt, 02/04/24.~
~Early morning birding at Reservoir 3, 02/04/24.~