Category: Sullivan County

Basha Kill 5/18/13

Chestnut-sided Warbler at the Stop Sign Trail at the Basha Kill, 5/17/13.
Chestnut-sided Warbler at the Stop Sign Trail at the Basha Kill, 5/18/13.

In a brave move, I went out to the Basha Kill solo this morning. As you probably know, I do plenty of birding alone, but in this case I say it is brave because it is warbler season, and this being only my second year of looking for warblers, it still does not come very easily to me. I find both aspects of looking for warblers a challenge: 1. birding by ear, and 2. finding these littlest of birds in the vastness of the rapidly growing foliage. I felt pretty good about it when I was out, I was really enjoying myself. But by the end of the morning, I had only totaled 6 species of warblers, which is not exactly spectacular. Even though I did not get many warblers, I was seeing, hearing and identifying many birds. I ended the morning with 41 species, which a very nice total for me. Here’s my list for the day:

This was one of the highlights of the morning for me, one of two White-crowned Sparrows at the Deli Fields, 5/17/13.
This was one of the highlights of the morning for me, one of two White-crowned Sparrows at the Deli Fields, 5/18/13.

Canada Goose  X
Wood Duck  4
Mallard  5
American Bittern  1
Great Blue Heron  10
Green Heron  1
Osprey  1
Bald Eagle  2
Rock Pigeon  10
Mourning Dove  7
Black-billed Cuckoo  1
Chimney Swift  2
Ruby-throated Hummingbird  2
Eastern Phoebe  3
Eastern Kingbird  4
Yellow-throated Vireo  2
Warbling Vireo  X
Blue Jay  3

American Crow  1

These little Yellow Warblers are everywhere right now, and I think they take nice photos. This one was at the Nature Trail, 5/17/13.
These little Yellow Warblers are everywhere right now, and I think they take nice photos. This one was at the Nature Trail, 5/18/13.

Barn Swallow  8
Veery  1
Wood Thrush  4
American Robin  X
Gray Catbird  X
Brown Thrasher  1
Black-and-white Warbler  1
Common Yellowthroat  X
American Redstart  6
Magnolia Warbler  1
Yellow Warbler  X
Chestnut-sided Warbler  1
Field Sparrow  1
Song Sparrow  X
Swamp Sparrow  2
White-crowned Sparrow  2
Northern Cardinal  1
Rose-breasted Grosbeak  1
Red-winged Blackbird  X
Common Grackle  X
Baltimore Oriole  X
American Goldfinch  6

This was my first opportunity to photograph a Wood Thrush. This is a bit noisy and also a little soft because of the low light. Nature Trail, Basha Kill 5/17/13.
This was my first opportunity to photograph a Wood Thrush. This is a bit noisy and also a little soft because of the low light. Nature Trail, Basha Kill 5/18/13.
I had my first of season AMERICAN BITTERN shortly after arriving at Haven Road this morning.
I had my first of season AMERICAN BITTERN shortly after arriving at Haven Road this morning. For a change, the bird was pretty easy to pick out in the sea of green.
Always photogenic, Eastern Phoebe at Haven Road, 5/17/13.
Always photogenic, Eastern Phoebe at Haven Road, 5/18/13.

 

Wonderful Waterfowl – A Birding Walk at the Basha Kill with John Haas

John Haas with the group at his Wonderful Waterfowl Bird Walk, Basha Kill 3/23/13.
John Haas with the group at his Wonderful Waterfowl Bird Walk, Basha Kill 3/23/13. Photo by Karen Miller.

In spite of the cold and windy weather, yesterday morning I attended John Haas’ waterfowl walk along with 18 other hardy souls. We were not disappointed, as there were many bird species present, waterfowl and otherwise. Visit John’s blog, The Basha Kill Birder to see his post which contains his account and a list of all species. Normally for me the highlight of any birding outing has to do with seeing and identifying a particular species, or maybe seeing some sort of new behavior. In this case it was being able to spend a few hours with John, who has a wealth of bird knowledge that is incredible. He is a fantastic teacher; he touched on basics for the beginners in the group, but also got more in depth for some of the more experienced birders in the group. On top of all this, John is a “bird magnet”. We were not on Haven Road for very long when he spotted an accipiter flying overhead…could it be? Yes! A NORTHERN GOSHAWK!

A NORTHER GOSHAWK flies over Haven Road at the Basha Kill, 3/23/13.
A NORTHER GOSHAWK flies over Haven Road at the Basha Kill, 3/23/13.

We got good looks at most of the waterfowl, but only because John and several other people brought scopes. Most of what we saw was quite distant, making it tough for photos. Here are a couple of Common Goldeneyes, a life bird for me on a visit to the Basha Kill earlier in the week:

The Canada Geese on the muskrat hill in the background sort of steal the show, but there are two C Goldeneyes in the foreground. Basha Kill 3/23/13.
The Canada Geese on the muskrat hill in the background sort of steal the show, but there are two Common Goldeneyes in the foreground. Basha Kill 3/23/13.

Huge thanks to John for a very enjoyable and rewarding outing, and also thanks to my birding buddy Karen Miller for the group shots. Here’s a shot of me and the rest of group:

I'm looking for a pair of Blue-winged Teals that had been reported by Scott Baldinger...I had no luck.
I’m looking for a pair of Blue-winged Teals that had been reported by Scott Baldinger…I had no luck. Photo by Karen Miller.

Later in the day I spent some time out at the Shawangunk Grasslands in the south blind. It was my first time in that blind and it paid off as I got many good looks at the “Gray Ghost”:

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Fall Birding Photos

 

Red-tailed Hawk at Wallkill River NWR 11-4-12.
A close-up of the same hawk – this bird was perched on a wire and was extremely accommodating.
My first Dark-eyed Junco of the season. Shawangunk Grasslands 10-27-12.
I played a hunch and stopped at the parking lot of a cafe on route 207 north of Goshen. It payed off with this adult Bald Eagle in the field across the street.
This might be my favorite photo of the year. Ruddy Duck at Kiamesha Lake 10-27-12.
This Golden-crowned Kinglet was very cooperative on my first visit to the Wood Duck Trail at the Wallkill River NWR 11-4-12.

Basha Kill 9/15/12

I put my kayak into the water at the Basha Kill right at sunrise this morning. It was a chilly paddle at first, but as the sun made it over the mountain it warmed up quickly. There were many Wood Ducks flying over and I came across at least a half a dozen Great Blue Herons as I paddled the channel. I spotted a couple of falcons that darted behind the trees before I could get a good ID on them. Ironically the highlight of my paddle this morning came when I stopped at Haven Road and got out of my kayak to chat with fellow birder/blogger John Haas (The Bashakill Birder). We watched as a Merlin flew across Haven Road and then chased a Mourning Dove over the kill and around the corner. The Merlin was overhead again shortly after that and then perched on a tree right on Haven road, giving me a good opportunity to get a photo:

Merlin on Haven Road at the Basha Kill
Two of the many Wood Ducks that flew over as I paddled the channel.

After my paddle, I headed over to the Deli Fields to have a look around:

Eastern Phoebe at the Basha Kill Deli Fields
A sad looking American Goldfinch at the Deli Fields
Song Sparrow posing at the Deli Fields

Basha Kill By Kayak II – 7/6/12

I made it back out to the Basha Kill early this morning and I had a little better luck this time around. I identified 25 species including a Pied-billed Grebe which I was able to get some photos of and I was lucky enough to see two Common Gallinules – a first for me. It was a beautiful morning with some excellent birding.

*Click on photos to enlarge*

Pied-billed Grebe at the Basha Kill.
Here is the grebe again, nearly completely submerged.
This Great Blue Heron had no idea I was there, it flew right at me and then over me to my left.
The same bird as it passes just to my left.
It was a beautiful morning and the moon was still very visible.
This Great Blue Heron was too involved in fishing to notice me floating by.
I know, enough of the Wood Duck duckling photos. But they are so darn cute!

 

Basha Kill By Kayak 7/1/12

The recently fledged Bald Eagle, Basha Kill WMA

 

 I read John Haas’ blog, The Bashakill Birder on a regular basis. Recently John has posted about the great birding he has been doing from his kayak. He has been seeing some of the birds that are little more interesting to me: American Bitterns, Least Bitterns, Common Gallinules and high numbers of Great Blue Herons and Wood Ducks. Inspired by this, I made it out to the Basha Kill early this morning to do some birding by kayak. It was a beautiful morning and it was very refreshing to be out in the marsh all alone. While I did not have success with some of the harder to find birds, I did get to see many Wood Ducks (almost at every turn!) and Great Blue Herons too. I was able to get out much closer to the Osprey’s nest where I watched the two adults going after a Great Blue Heron that decided to land in a tree a little too close to the nest. I also got some amazing looks at all three Bald Eagles. I was a little disappointed that I was unable to see (or even hear!) any Common Gallinules or Bitterns, but this is just something I will work towards. It was a great day of birding and I did alright with the camera. Here are some photos from the day:

 

This adult Bald Eagle was keeping a close eye on its young one.
Wood Ducks were everywhere, many of them were ducklings.
One of the many Wood Ducks I flushed as I kayaked the channel.
This Mallard put on a show for me, dipping under the water several times and then flapping her wings like mad.
Adult Bald Eagle, Basha Kill WMA

 

Basha Kill 5/12/12

One of the many Red-winged Blackbirds out at the Basha Kill

I spent a long day birding out at the Basha Kill today. I started out on Haven Road, hoping to see an American Bittern again. I ran into a large group of birders- members of the Edgar A. Mearns Bird Club (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Mearnsbirdclub/). They had just spotted an American Bittern, but it was in the weeds and out of view. The group moved on, but I stayed for a while and I kept looking back to where the bittern had been found and eventually I was rewarded as the bittern flew most of the way across the Kill, only to disappear into the weeds once again.

Next I went to the Deli Fields where I saw Baltimore Orioles collecting nesting materials, many Song Sparrows, a Brown Thrasher (first of season for me), and I got a really nice look at an immature Bald Eagle. The Bald Eagle took me by surprise and was too far away for any good photos before I knew it. In general, it was a frustrating day with the camera. I was slow on the draw all day,  and in addition to that struggled with my settings, forgetting to make the proper changes as the conditions changed.

A good example of my camera struggles occurred at my next stop, the nature trail. I had a Yellow Warbler taking a bath, splashing around having a good time. I had just finished trying to get some shots of an adult Bald Eagle in bright sunlight and this warbler was in the shade. Lesson learned: It is so important for me to be aware of my current settings and change them as the light conditions change. Here is the best picture I got:

I really think I could have gotten some nice photos of this bird if I had my settings right.

I went to the “stop sign trail” next to try and see some warblers. I probably went there a little too late in the day- there was not much bird activity. I did see: more Baltimore Orioles, Yellow Warblers, American Redstarts, a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, and a Common Yellowthroat. I ran into Maryallison Farley from the Basha Kill Area Association. As always, it was really nice to see her and she invited me to go up to her place to get some photos of the Eastern Bluebirds that are nesting there:

Eastern Bluebird that is nesting in Maryallison Farleys yard at the Basha Kill. Thanks Maryallison!

At the end of the day I had identified 28 species, which not bad for me, but only a fraction of what can be seen out there. In addition, I saw and photographed a couple flycatchers which I continue to struggle to identify. The American Bittern in flight was the highlight of the day for me. Here are some more photos:

An Eastern Kingbird was hunting under the bridge on Haven Road
This Tree Swallow was also at Maryallison Farley's place.
An American Redstart sings.
Gray Catbirds are everywhere out at the Basha Kill.

Where’s Waldo?

Can you find the American Bittern?

The above photo of an American Bittern was taken at The Basha Kill Wildlife Management Area (http://www.thebashakill.org/aboutbk.htm) in Sullivan County, New York. The American Bittern is a fascinating bird that I have wanted to see for a while now. A couple of weeks ago I finally got a really good look at one. Much thanks to Scott Baldinger who posted the bird’s whereabouts and to Tricia for locating the bird in the field. American Bitterns are very secretive and their markings make an amazing camouflage. In addition to the markings, the bird moves very slowly and deliberately and will sometimes point his head straight up to blend with its surroundings. Here’s a close up of the same photo. You can see the Bittern creeping through the foliage.

Zoomed in and cropped you can see the American Bittern

Here are some more photos of the same bird: