Wallkill Wildlife Refuge – Page 6

Liberty Loop, 7/21/14

My FOS in Orange County Black-crowned Night Heron. Wallkill River NWR, 7/21/14.

I had two sets of birding plans for this morning that were foiled. I was initially going to go down to New Jersey to chase the European Golden-Plover that had been reported, but all the reports I read and received indicated that it was likely that this bird had moved on. My second plan was to get out to Sullivan County with Linda Scrima to try for the Stilt Sandpiper that Karen Miller found yesterday – you can read about it at the Bashakill Birder. That plan was cut short with a couple of phone calls this morning from John Haas, letting me know that the bird had not been relocated. With a change of plans, we decided meet up with Maria Loukeris and walk the Liberty Loop at Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge. What a good decision that turned out to be; it was a very active morning with wading birds stealing the show. It started with Linda locating a BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON from the viewing platform moments after our arrival. This was my FOS BCNH in Orange County so that was a bonus for me. In the distance we could see three Great Egrets in flight and as we began to walk the loop, it was apparent that Great Blue Herons were present in numbers. We eventually caught up with the egrets and they were quite accommodating, allowing for many photos. I am not thrilled with my results, but still it was great to see them.

I love how thin this bird looks from this perspective. Great Egret at Wallkill River NWR, 7/21/14.

Deuces wild! Two Great Blue Herons fly over two Great Egrets. Wallkill River NWR, 7/21/14.

A pair of Great Egrets in flight on the Liberty Loop, 7/21/14.

The big news of the day, however, was a nice collection of shorebirds:

2 Solitary Sandpipers
3 Lesser Yellowlegs
1 Semipalmated Sandpiper
8 Least Sandpipers
12 Killdeer
1 Wilson’s Snipe

One of three Lesser Yellowlegs at Wallkill River NWR, 7/21/14.

It was exciting to see that some shorebirds are moving through and it was a great morning of birding with a large variety of species being seen and heard – we had 47 birds on our list for the walk.

We had many Orchard Orioles while we were out. Wallkill River NWR, 7/21/14.

Liberty Marsh, 7/14/14

Quick Post: Here’s a couple of shots I got yesterday after work during a brief stop at the Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge – Liberty Marsh.

I think this is a young, wet Song Sparrow. Wallkill River NWR, 7/14/14.

Independence Day 2014

Skunk Kit on the Liberty Loop, Wallkill River NWR, 7/4/14.

I woke up early on this rainy Independence Day and walked the Liberty Loop at the Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge. It rained on and off as I walked the loop, but it was quite birdy with high numbers of many of the expected species. The highlight of the morning, however, was not bird related. I was walking the east side of the loop and I saw a skunk up ahead on the trail. It was very white and I believe it is likely the same skunk that I photographed at the same location back in March. I hustled to try to catch up to the skunk and at some point I realized that the skunk was actually heading towards me, rather than away, and that it had something in its mouth – a young skunk! I stepped off the trail and waited. The pair of skunks got pretty close before the adult (mother?) went off trail with her kit still in her grasp. I moved ahead quickly, thinking that she wanted to continue down the trail but didn’t because of my presence, but she never reemerged. I continued along the east side of the trail and saw two more skunk kits on the trail in the distance. In my binoculars I could see no movement; I thought something had happened and they were both dead. Once I reached them, I realized that I was mistaken, they were both fine. I snapped a few pictures of the kits and I was checking behind me to see if the mother was coming back for them. I moved past the kits to a safe distance and the mother eventually did come back. I watched as the she collected one of them and then headed back the way she came. I did not stay to watch her pick up the third kit, but I was thinking that I was happy it was a rainy morning and that she would not likely be disturbed again this morning as she relocated her kits.

Adult skunk transporting a kit down the trail. Wallkill River NWR, 7/4/14.

As far as the birding went, I had a nice morning seeing the expected birds and I totaled 29 species for the day. My best bird for the day was a young Red-bellied Woodpecker, a bird that I’ve never seen before:

I have this as a young Red-bellied Woodpecker. This shot is a little soft, but it was low light all morning with the rainy conditions. Wallkill River NWR, 7/4/14.

I was just saying recently that I never get shots of Northern Cardinals in the field. NOCA in the swamp, Wallkill River NWR, 7/4/14.

This Downy Woodpecker was in the same tree as the young Red-bellied. Wallkill River NWR, 7/4/14.

I feel like I am getting very few opportunities to shoot Great Blue Herons this year. Wallkill River NWR, 7/4/14.

It was an enjoyable morning for me, I have been busy lately so I haven’t gotten out as much. I am finding that I appreciate getting out much more at times like this. Here is my list for the morning:

Canada Goose 44
Wood Duck 5
Mallard 35
Great Blue Heron 5
Green Heron 2
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Killdeer 3
Mourning Dove 1
Yellow-billed Cuckoo 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 4
Downy Woodpecker 1
Eastern Kingbird 4
Blue Jay 8
American Crow 1
Barn Swallow 15
Wood Thrush 3
American Robin X
Gray Catbird 8
European Starling 35
Common Yellowthroat 2
Yellow Warbler 6
Song Sparrow X
Swamp Sparrow X
Northern Cardinal 3
Indigo Bunting 5
Bobolink 3
Red-winged Blackbird X
Common Grackle X
American Goldfinch 6

Thursday 5/29/14

Yellow-billed Cuckoo at Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge, Liberty Loop, 5/29/14.

After work today, I made it out to the Liberty Loop. I wanted to follow up on an eBird report from last night that included a King Rail and (5) Sora. When I arrived, Linda Scrima was already there having just walked out Liberty Lane. I heard what I believed was a Sora from far out into the marsh as soon as I got out of my car. I have never heard or seen a Sora before, so I was listening to the call on my phone app to be sure. We walked the east side of the loop out and back, and Sora intermittently called as we walked. The calls could still be heard as we pulled out of the parking lot just after 7:00 pm. From what I could tell, there were at least two Sora present. Out on the trail, I tried clacking rocks together to see if the King Rail would respond – the first time I did it both Linda and I thought we heard a response. It was distant and faint and we only heard it the one time, and again, this is a bird that I have no experience with, so I am hoping to get another opportunity to see or hear this bird and hopefully get a good ID on it.

The highlight of the evening was seeing my first Green Heron of the season. That’s right, my FOS Green Heron. I feel like I have been out quite a lot this spring, but somehow I have not seen a GRHE until today. Unfortunately, no good photos of the bird. Another highlight was seeing and getting photos of a beautiful Yellow-billed Cuckoo, my current favorite bird. The lowlight was definitely the lack of shorebirds, with only a couple Killdeer and a single Spotted Sandpiper being seen.

Tree Swallow at Wallkill River NWR, 5/29/14.

Yellow-billed Cuckoos 5/26/14

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.

Saturday 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!

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

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. I did not get any decent shots of this bird, this was taken — 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. — 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:

FOS Semipalmated Plover – 5/15/14

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:

Semipalmated Plover (2) FOS
Killdeer (1)
Greater Yellowlegs (4)
Solitary Sandpiper (1)
Spotted Sandpiper (1)
Least Sandpiper (1)

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.

5/11/14 – Pochuk Mountain State Forest and Wallkill River NWR

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:

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. — 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.

Thursday 5/8/14

A Horned Lark shows off his namesake. Pine Island Turf Nursery, 5/8/14. — 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.

Wallkill River NWR – Winding Waters Trail

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

Tree Swallow on the Winding Waters Trail, 5/4/14.