A very cooperative Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Wallkill River NWR, Liberty Loop Trail, 5/26/14.
I went out this morning with the main goal of trying to get some cuckoo photos. I think both cuckoos that we get in the area (Yellow-billed and Black-billed) are fascinating birds; such large beautiful birds with exotic calls that I somehow never saw or heard my whole life until the last few years. My first stop was at the Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge Winding Waters Trail, where Linda Scrima had located a Yellow-billed Cuckoo the night before. On my way out on the trail I heard a YBCU but did not see it. On my way back I located the bird easily when it called from a stand of bare trees. Huge thanks to Linda for the heads up, here is a shot of that bird:
Yellow-billed Cuckoo on the Winding Waters Trail at Wallkill River NWR, 5/26/14.
Afterwards, I headed over to the Liberty Loop to meet up with Maria Loukeris. We walked the loop; I was hoping for some shorebirds somewhere along the way. Shorebirds were not in abundance (Semipalmated Plover-2, Greater Yellowlegs-2, Spotted Sandpiper-1, Solitary Sandpiper-1, and Maria saw what were likely the Semipalmated Sandpipers that I had out there the other night- maybe 20 of them?). The poor showing of shorebirds was more than made up for by a pair of cooperative Yellow-billed Cuckoos in the southwest corner of the loop, right in the area of the eagle’s nest. I believe this was the first time Maria had seen YBCU, and we both took many photos. My best effort is at the top of this post.
Black-billed Cuckoo at Goose Pond Mountain State Park, 5/24/14.
GOOSE POND MOUNTAIN STATE PARK
I met Linda Scrima and Maria Loukeris at Goose Pond Mountain State Park early this morning in an effort to beat the rain that was forecasted. It was a gray morning with more birds being heard than seen for most of the trip out on the trail. The way back was another story, however, and we ended up getting some good looks at many of the birds we only heard on the way out. The highlight of the day was undoubtedly the pair of BLACK-BILLED CUCKOOS that showed up right on the trail. I was struggling terribly with the camera all morning for some reason, so I only got so-so shots. It was a life bird for both Linda and Maria, so that was exciting. What started out as a slow morning ended up pretty good, and counting the Northern Mockingbird I saw before Linda and Maria arrived, we totaled 40 species for the day. Here’s my list for the day – Linda and Maria, let me know if I’ve missed anything!
Eastern Towhee, Goose Pond Mountain State Park, 5/24/14.
Great Blue Heron
Turkey Vulture
Mourning Dove
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Black-billed Cuckoo
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Willow Flycatcher
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
Yellow-throated Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Black-capped Chickadee
Black-billed Cuckoo at Goose Pond Mountain State Park, 5/24/14.
Carolina Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Wood Thrush
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
Cedar Waxwing
Ovenbird
Blue-winged Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
American Redstart
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Prairie Warbler
Eastern Towhee
Field Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Indigo Bunting
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Baltimore Oriole
American Goldfinch
Another highlight of the day was getting great looks at this Chestnut-sided Warbler, located by Maria. Goose Pond Mountain State Park, 5/24/14. Photo by Linda Scrima.
WALLKILL RIVER NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE
Last year I could not get a photo of a Great-crested Flycatcher, this year it’s a different story. Wallkill River NWR, 5/24/14.
In the evening, I went back out, this time to the Wallkill River NWR, Liberty Loop Trail – mostly in search of shorebirds. I did just alright for shorebirds, locating (3) Semipalmated Plovers, (4) Killdeer, (1) Greater Yellowlegs, (5) Spotted Sandpipers, and (20) smaller shorebirds that I only saw from a distance in flight and I’m not going to venture a guess for:
Any thoughts on the ID of these shorebirds? Liberty Loop, 5/24/14.American Goldfinch showing off at Wallkill River NWR, 5/24/14.
As I walked the loop, I saw many of the expected species, including a pair of Yellow-billed Cuckoos in the woods by the back pond. The best moment of the evening, however, was not bird related at all. I had a black bear ran parallel to the trail on the east side of the loop. It was awesome to see and I was lucky enough to get some shots:
I got some incredible looks at several Blue-winged Warblers out at Goosepond Mountain State Park on Sunday 5/18/14. Update: As M Grant pointed out to me (thanks!), this bird is likely a hybrid between Blue-winged Warbler and a Golden-winged Warbler known as Brewster’s Warbler. Read more about it here.
FRIDAY 5/16 – WARWICK AND LIBERTY LOOP
After work on Friday I dodged the raindrops and managed to do a little birding. My first stop was at the Red-tailed Hawk nest in Warwick NY. I shot a few photos in the rain and managed to get one that shows a young RTHA chick in the nest:
RTHA nest in Warwick, NY 5/16/14.
I then headed over to the Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge and walked down Liberty Land and the west side of the Liberty Loop, hoping for shorebirds. It was a pretty quiet evening bird-wise and for shorebirds I only located 2 Greater Yellowlegs and 2 Killdeer. My best bird of the night was my FOS Willow Flycatcher, which I somehow did not manage to get a photograph of. I also had a pair of Great-crested Flycatchers and they were more accommodating.
One of two Great-crested Flycatchers on the Liberty Loop Friday night, 5/16/14.
SATURDAY 5/17 – BASHAKILL STATE WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA
While birding the Orchard, this Veery was kind enough to land in the middle of the road. Bashakill WMA, 5/17/14.
I was scheduled to volunteer at the Nature Watch on Saturday afternoon, so I decided to bird the Bash beforehand. By the way, for those of you who do not know about Nature Watch, it is a program run by the Basha Kill Area Association where every weekend in the spring from 10:00 am until 4:00 pm, they set up scopes at the main boat launch to view the resident Bald Eagles on the nest. There are volunteers present to help inform about the eagles and the Bashakill and to help folks use the scopes. This year the eagles have one eaglet that seems to be doing quite well. There is also an Osprey nest that can be viewed from the scopes as well. So, I wanted to bird the Bash before my shift. What I didn’t think about is that the Mearns Bird Club was having its annual “Break 100” contest, where teams try to locate over 100 bird species in a 24 hour period. Which meant that the Bashakill was crawling with birders. I birded the Orchard and the Stop Sign Trail (briefly) and did alright, with my best bird being a Worm-eating Warbler that I found only because John Haas let me know about it. My next stop was the Nature Trail, my personal favorite spot at the Bash. Karen Miller met me there and we birded for a couple of hours before heading to the Deli for some lunch. The highlight of the day was definitely when Karen located a Common Gallinule in one of the channels and we got really good looks in our binoculars, but unfortunately no photos for me. We also got a brief look at a Swainson’s Thrush, but again no photos. Common Yellowthroats were everywhere, so I managed to take a few shots. Here’s a female:
One of many Common Yellowthroats at the Bashakill WMA on 5/17/14.
Karen and I both volunteered at the Nature Watch in the afternoon, where it was not very birdy, with even the Bald Eagles and the Osprey being relatively low key. We did have some great visitors that enjoyed good looks at the birds in the scopes.
SUNDAY 5/18 – GOOSEPOND MOUNTAIN STATE PARK
Far and away the best bird of the day, my FOS Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Goosepond Mtn. State Park, 5/18/14.
Sunday morning I headed out to Goosepond Mountain State Park, a place where I have never birded before. I have wanted to, but for some reason I could not figure out exactly where to go. Karen and I ran into some fellow Mearns Bird Club members on Saturday and they helped me out. If you are interested, the trailhead is located on Laroe Road in Chester NY. As you are leaving Chester, the trailhead is on the left hand side; it does not look like much and is easy to pass by (like I did). I really enjoyed birding on this trail – it was extremely peaceful on a Sunday morning, the only other person I saw was a single mountain bike rider. One thing I really enjoyed was how quiet the trail was, it made it very easy to listen to and for the birds. I should also say that it is a long trail – I was out for four hours today and I did not walk the entire trail. Basically you can plan to walk out and then back to your car.
One of MANY Indigo Buntings at Goosepond Mtn. State Park, 5/18/14.
The birding was good and I totaled 36 species for the morning. Blue-winged Warblers were numerous and accessible, providing many photo ops. As were Indigo Buntings. The best bird of the day, however, was certainly the YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO. I heard them early on but it took a lot of patience to finally get to see them and get some distant photos.
Another distant shot of one of two Yellow-billed Cuckoos at Goosepond Mtn. State Park, 5/18/14.Blue-winged Warbler (Update: Brewster’s Warbler) at Goosepond Mtn. State Park, 5/18/14.
Here is my list for the day:
Eastern Kingbird in flight, Goosepond Mountain State Park, 5/18/14.
Red-tailed Hawk
Mourning Dove
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
Yellow-throated Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Carolina Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Eastern Bluebird
Wood Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Ovenbird
Blue-winged Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
American Redstart
Yellow Warbler
Prairie Warbler
Eastern Towhee
Field Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Scarlet Tanager
Northern Cardinal
Indigo Bunting
Red-winged Blackbird
Baltimore Oriole
American Goldfinch
One of two Semipalmated Plover at Wallkill River NWR, 5/15/14. They were located in the compound just north of Oil City Road, to the west of Liberty Lane.
I had a small collection of shorebirds at Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge this evening:
All the birds, save one Greater Yellowlegs, were located in the compound just north of Oil City Road and on your left as you walk up Liberty Lane. Two of the Greater Yellowlegs flew and eventually put down on the west side of the Liberty Loop, so that might be another good location for shorebirds.
Semipalmated Plover at Wallkill River NWR, 5/15/14.
Also, yesterday evening I met Karen Miller at 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary, where it was quite birdy with a couple of Blackpoll Warblers being the highlight for me. I had ample opportunity to get shots of these birds, but wow were they moving quickly and in the shadows. Here’s my best effort:
One of two Blackpoll Warblers at 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary, 5/14/14.Warbling Vireo at 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary, 5/14/14.
A Beautiful Blackburnian Warble at Pochuk Mountain State Forest, 5/11/14.
POCHUK MOUNTAIN STATE FOREST
I got a little bit of a late start this morning, arriving at Pochuk Mountain State Forest at just after 8:00. I headed up the trail, and not too far along, I ran into Linda Scrima and Maria Loukeris. They were kind enough to let me join them and we had a very productive morning with many birds and plenty of photo opportunities. I particularly enjoyed getting some decent Scarlet Tanager and Blackburnian Warbler photos. I struggled as usual with many warbler identifications, but with the help of looking at photos later, I compiled my list of birds:
We got some amazing looks at Scarlet Tanagers, a bird that has evaded me up until today. Pochuk Mountain State Forest, 5/11/14.
Canada Goose
Turkey Vulture
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Blue-headed Vireo
Blue Jay
Wood Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Ovenbird
Common Yellowthroat
American Redstart
Magnolia Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Pine Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Scarlet Tanager
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting
Baltimore Oriole
Additionally, I am pretty sure that Maria had a Blue-winged Warbler as well; she sent over a photo that looks like a pretty good ID for the bird. Linda and Maria – let me know what other species I’ve left off the list! Thanks.
Chestnut-sided Warbler at Pochuk Mountain State Forest, 5/11/14.Magnolia Warbler at Pochuk Mountain State Forest, 5/11/14.Blackburnian Warbler in flight, Pochuk Mountain State Forest, 5/11/14.One more Scarlet Tanager shot – what a gorgeous bird. Pochuk Mountain State Forest, 5/11/14.
WALLKILL RIVER NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE
Maria headed home and Linda and I continued over to the Winding Waters Trail at Wallkill River NWR. It was getting a bit late and there were not as many warblers present, but we still did pretty well, particularly with raptors, seeing: Bald Eagle, Turkey Vulture, Cooper’s Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, and Red-shouldered Hawk! Here’s my list, which includes a couple of birds I got when I walked out Liberty Lane briefly afterwards:
My FOS Orchard Oriole at Winding Waters Trail, 5/11/14.Great-crested Flycatcher at Winding Waters Trail, 5/11/14.
Canada Goose
Mallard
Turkey Vulture
Cooper’s Hawk
Bald Eagle
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Killdeer
Spotted Sandpiper
Mourning Dove
Great Crested Flycatcher
Warbling Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Tree Swallow
Barn Swallow
Tufted Titmouse
House Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Eastern Bluebird
Wood Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
European Starling
Ovenbird
Common Yellowthroat
Yellow Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Indigo Bunting
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Orchard Oriole
Baltimore Oriole
American Goldfinch
A female Common Yellowthroat in the shade. Wallkill River NWR, 5/11/14.
Karen Miller and I had plenty of very good looks at Ovenbirds today. Bashakill State WMA, 5/10/14.
Some of you might know that warblers are not my favorite type of birding. I know this is sacrilege, everyone loves the warblers! The truth is I struggle with them, but once I get into it I find it very enjoyable. There was a lot of bird movement in the past two days and I got out looking mainly for warblers on both days. On Friday evening I made it out to Pochuk Mountain State Forest, a new spot for me – thanks to Rob Stone for the heads up. It was a gray, misty evening and between the poor light and the birds being up very high, I struggled. In the end I was pretty happy to have seen and identified 10 species of warbler, though most of my identifying came after the fact, looking through bird guides and my photos from the day.
A Magnolia Warbler overhead at the Nature Trail, Bashakill State WMA 5/10/14.This Palm Warbler was extremely confiding and also nice enough to pose with a nice foreground. Bashakill State WMA, 5/10/14.
Then, early this morning I met Karen Miller out at the Bashakill State Wildlife Management Area. We knew that the Stop Sign Trail and the Orchard would be packed with birders (It was! When I passed by, I saw busloads of birders! No joke!). So, we decided to bird the Nature Trail and what a great decision that was – the place was LOADED with birds and we had it basically all to ourselves. We ran into 4 other birders while we were out there, all folks we knew. In addition to being extremely birdy, the nature trail lends itself to better photos because there seems to be more light available and fewer obstacles to shoot through. It was a tremendous morning of birding with birds at every turn, really it was incredible. The highlight for me was seeing 3 WILSON’S WARBLERS. Here’s my list of warblers from the morning:
One of three WILSON’S WARBLERS we had at the Bashakill State WMA, 5/8/14.
Ovenbird
Black-and-white Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
American Redstart
Magnolia Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Palm Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Canada Warbler
Wilson’s Warbler
Female Black-throated Blue Warbler at Bashakill State WMA, 5/10/14.Male Black-throated Blue Warbler at the Bashakill State WMA, 5/10/14.Canada Warbler on the Nature Trail at the Bashakill, 5/10/14.I identified this Black-throated Green Warbler by ear before we located it, which made me happy. Bashakill State WMA, 5/10/14.
A Horned Lark shows off its namesake. Pine Island Turf Nursery, 5/8/14.
I got out after work today and checked few spots, mostly hoping for shorebirds. All the flooding at Pine Island Turf Nursery and along the right side of the Winding Waters Trail had subsided. At the turf nursery I did not stick around for long but did see the above Horned Lark. This is the first time I have shot this bird and gotten a really good look at the horns. At the Winding Waters Trail I again did not stay for long, but I did have one Solitary Sandpiper.
I decided to walk the Liberty Loop in hopes of getting perhaps some shorebirds and maybe even an interesting warbler. For shorebirds I had Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Solitary Sandpipers, and a single Spotted Sandpiper. Warbler showing was weak, I only had Yellow Warblers, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Common Yellowthroats, and American Redstarts. I did manage several personal FOS birds however: Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Scarlet Tanager, Wood Thrush, and Baltimore Oriole.
There were plenty of Yellow-rumped Warblers on the west side of the Liberty Loop, 5/8/14.My FOS Rose-breasted Grosbeak at the Liberty Loop, 5/8/14.
This Blue-gray Gnatcatcher is hopefully the last photo I will post using my 55-250mm lens for a long time – I got my 100-400mm lens back today. I took some test shots in the Canon parking lot and the lens seems to be working well, but I will know for sure once I take a look at the shots on the computer. This gnatcatcher was shot at Sterling Forest on Monday 5/5/14 in the afternoon. It was not very birdy out there at that time, but I am pretty sure you can do well for warblers there in the early morning.
A very cooperative American Redstart that we took many photos of. Wallkill River NWR, Winding Waters Trail, 5/4/14.
I was running a little bit early to meet Karen Miller at the Winding Waters Trail, so I decided to make a quick stop at the Pine Island Turf Nursery. There was a good collection of shorebirds present, so I called Karen and she joined me there. We had three Bald Eagles, a Gadwall and did pretty well with the shorebirds, with 12 Semipalmated Sandpipers, 3 Greater Yellowlegs, 8 Lesser Yellowlegs, and a single Pectoral Sandpiper. Our intention was to go for warblers on this morning, so we did not linger and headed over to Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge.
Yellow Warbler at Winding Waters Trail, 5/4/14.Karen and I chased this House Wren around for a while, and I was finally able to get a shot that I like.
In spite of the windy conditions, Winding Waters Trail was full of birds. The area to the right of the trail, for the first 500 yards or so, is flooded and there are some Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs as well as Solitary Sandpipers there. As we walked the trail, we had plenty of birds to look at, and since I haven’t really gone for warblers year, I got several first of the season birds (FOS). Karen was very sharp all day and was finding many of the birds we saw. Karen headed home after we got back to the cars, and I went back to look at the shorebirds with my scope, and then went over to the viewing platform by the Liberty Loop and I walked out Liberty Lane, where the fields were flooded and I was hoping for more shorebirds. It was only somewhat productive; I had 1 Greater Yellowlegs, 1 Lesser Yellowlegs, and 3 Spotted Sandpipers. I ended the day with 45 species and 10 FOS birds. Here’s my list:
A female American Kestrel takes flight, Liberty Lane 5/4/14.
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
American Black Duck
Mallard
Green-winged Teal
Turkey Vulture
Northern Harrier
Bald Eagle
Red-tailed Hawk
Killdeer
Spotted Sandpiper
Solitary Sandpiper
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs (FOS)
Mourning Dove
Belted Kingfisher
Red-bellied Woodpecker
American Kestrel
Eastern Phoebe
Eastern Kingbird (FOS)
Warbling Vireo (FOS)
American Crow
Common Raven
Palm Warbler at Winding Waters Trail, 5/4/14.
Tree Swallow
Barn Swallow
House Wren (FOS)
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Eastern Bluebird
American Robin
Gray Catbird (FOS)
European Starling
Louisiana Waterthrush (FOS)
Common Yellowthroat (FOS)
American Redstart (FOS)
Yellow Warbler (FOS)
Palm Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Eastern Towhee (FOS)
Field Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Solitary Sandpiper, my FOS, Pine Island NY 5/1/14.
So, I did not have a very productive week of birding; my ankle was in pretty rough shape up until Thursday, I had to run down to Jamesburg NJ on Monday after work to drop off my camera lens with Canon, and work was crazy, causing me to work late on three days. Thursday looked to be promising, so I did get out to a few spots. The best stop of the afternoon was at the Pine Island Turf Nursery, which had some substantial flooding. I had a single very distant BONAPARTE’S GULL, many Killdeer, a couple of Greater Yellowlegs, and the Solitary Sandpiper in the photo above. Keep in mind that birding at the turf nursery is by permission only – ask at the office if it’s okay.
This was taken on Sunday, the ankle is looking a feeling WAY better now.
Ankle/lens Update: The ankle is doing much better, it has been only a week and I can get around pretty well already. The swelling is mostly down and the bruising has for the most part cleared up. As for the lens, it was pretty good news. I called Canon on Friday and they let me know that it can be repaired and it’s not going to be too costly. Unfortunately, they had to order in a couple of parts so it will not be ready until later this week at the earliest.
