December 2013 – Orange Birding

2013 – The Year In Review

Wow, another year is in the books! I had a great year of birding, I saw so many birds and I feel like I learned quite a bit. It’s time to take a quick look at the year that was here at Orange Birding. First of all, here are my species totals for the year. I have included my numbers from 2012 for comparison:

2013 2012

World: 240 199
United States: 240 171
New York State: 211 167
New Jersey State: 107 85
Orange County: 176 126
Sullivan County: 133 112

I started 2013 with 215 Life Birds. By the end of the year my total had grown to 284, an increase of 69 species! I feel like that’s a lot of life birds in a year, indicative of where I am with my birding, really still just beginning with so much to see and learn. Twenty-two of those birds were from our trip to Colorado, giving me Western birds that I had never been exposed to before.

Bird of the Year: SNOWY OWL

The Snowy Owl invasion at the end of 2013 was certainly one of the top stories in birding for the year. For me personally, the Snowy Owl was a bird I thought I would hopefully see one day, but I figured it would likely have to be a bird I would have to chase down. I did not think it would be remotely possible that I would be seeing a total of 6 Snowies in 2013, two of which were right here in Orange County only 15 minutes from the house. It was incredible really, and it’s possible that we may not be done with them for the season yet.

Favorite Photo of the Year: COMMON LOON AT FOLLENSBY CLEAR POND

I just cannot resist this photo of a young Common Loon. I love the sweet expression and the water droplets on head and back are a clincher. Runner-up for photo of the year is this shot of two Black-crowned Night Herons, taken at Wallkill River NWR. I really love the dreamy quality of this photo:

Favorite Birding Location of the Year: SHAWANGUNK GRASSLANDS NWR

The Shawangunk Grasslands NWR is a hotspot that I returned to again and again this year. There are many amazing species to be seen there, and the photo opportunities are off-the-charts good. In the colder months I spent many hours in a blind trying for Short-eared Owls, Northern Harriers, Red-tailed Hawks, and Rough-legged Hawks. In the Spring, American Kestrels were nesting in the refuge and many folks (including myself) were able to see the SMITH’S LONGSPUR that was present for several days at the end of April. I got great shots of the many Bobolinks present in June and also saw and heard the Grasshopper Sparrows. It is always great to run into Ralph Tabor while I am out there, and I would like to thank him for all he does at the refuge, putting up nesting boxes, moving the blinds into prime locations, putting up posts for the birds to perch on, and reporting bird activity on the Mearns Bird Club site.

Most Exciting Birding Experience: SNOWY OWL AT WARREN SOD FARM

The Snowy Owl at Warren Sod Farm on November 26, 2013 was my life bird Snowy, and the way it went down was truly exciting. The night before, Elizabeth McKnight posted on the Mearns Bird Club site. I tried for the bird early the next morning but failed to locate it, so I went in to work. Just before noon, Bruce Nott called to let me know the bird had been relocated. A moment of panic set in at first, but after that passed I knew what I had to do. I called my boss and he totally got it; his parting words were for me to try and get a good photo of the bird. Additionally, Tricia and her brother were supposed to be on their way to Syracuse for Thanksgiving week, but they were running late and were able to see the bird before they got on the road. It was really an incredible day, I could barely sleep for days after that!

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone in the birding community, their generosity truly astounds me; everyone is consistently very helpful. Special thanks to Rob Stone, John Haas, Judy Cinquina, and Karen Miller for all their help this year. I’d also like to wish everyone a Happy New Year, let’s hope that 2014 brings more amazing birding experiences!

Indiana Road 12/27/13

Northern Harrier at Indiana Road in Orange County NY, 12/27/13.

Quick Post: Yesterday morning I did a quick tour of some of the hotspots in the Black Dirt Region and Indiana Road was by far the most productive, with the following present:

Snow Goose (1)
Canada Goose (1200)
Northern Harrier (4)
Red-tailed Hawk (3)
Rough-legged Hawk (2)
Horned Lark (15)
American Crow (150

Long Island SNOWIES

One of two Snowy Owls seen from Dune Road, Suffolk County NY on 12/26/13.

Tricia and I were back on Long Island this week to spend Christmas with our families. The day after Christmas, I went birding out east with with Tricia’s Brother-in-law Bill. We basically started out at Cupsogue County Park (a spot I’ve been wanting to get to, having seen many reports of good birds there), and then we headed east on Dune Road. The highlight of the day was locating two (!!!) SNOWY OWLS. Both owls could be seen easily from the car on the beach side of Dune Road and the light was nice which made for some nice photos. Aside from the Snowies, we did pretty well, identifying 28 species and seeing a few more than that; I did not have my scope with me which meant leaving some of the more distant birds unidentified. The birding on Long Island is pretty amazing, the birding hotspots seem endless. Thanks once again to Bill for showing me around; it was a super day of birding.

Here is my species list for the outing:

I have this as a Red-throated Loon, Eastern Long Island 12/26/13.

Canada Goose
Mute Swan
American Black Duck
Black Scoter
Long-tailed Duck
Bufflehead
Common Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Red-throated Loon
Common Loon
Horned Grebe
Northern Gannet
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Northern Harrier
Black-bellied Plover
Ruddy Turnstone
Sanderling
Dunlin
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Mourning Dove 9
Snowy Owl
American Crow
American Robin
European Starling
Snow Bunting

Always a favorite, we had a large flock of Snow Buntings on Dune Road. There were close to 100 birds in the flock, by far the most I've ever seen. — Always a favorite, we had a large flock of Snow Buntings on Dune Road. There were close to 100 birds in the flock, by far the most I’ve ever seen.

This was the first Snowy Owl of the day, located on Dune Road, just east of Tiana Beach, 12/26/13.

I was happy to see some shorebirds! It's been a while. We did alright at Cupsogue County Park for shorebirds getting these Sanderlings... — I was happy to see some shorebirds! It’s been a while. We did alright at Cupsogue County Park for shorebirds getting these Sanderlings…

…a single Ruddy Turnstone... — …a single Ruddy Turnstone…

…and several Black-bellied Plovers. All at Cupsogue County Park, 12/26/13.

Weekend Wrap Up

Downy Woodpecker at 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary, 12/12/13.

SATURDAY

With the days being at their shortest, Christmas on the immediate horizon, and the cold gray evenings we’ve been having, I have not gotten much birding in during the week. So, when Saturday finally rolled around, I was dying get out. I met up with Karen Miller at Wallkill RIver NWR early in the morning. It was a warm, beautifully sunny morning. We walked part of the loop but it was not very birdy and walking in the melting snow was taking the fun out of it for both of us. We decided to jump in our cars and hit a few spots. As we were getting in our cars we had our best bird – a light morph Rough-legged Hawk.

We headed over to Missionland Road, where Rob Stone told me he had Snow Buntings and Lapland Longspurs the day before. We mostly struck out, finding only a small flock of Horned Larks.

Next we went to Skinner Lane, where there was much hunting going on and the road still had enough snow on it to make me nervous about driving on it. We decide to head over to Goshen to hit 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary. This was the best stop of the morning, with the highlight being a small group of American Tree Sparrows. I tried in vain to get a shot of one of them, but they would not cooperate.

It was a nice day to be out birding, but it was also frustrating for me because it was a beautiful sunny day I would have loved to have seen some more birds and to have taken more photos.

SUNDAY

A Double-crested Cormorant poses in the rain in Newburgh, NY, 12/22/13. — **12/23/13 Update:** I had this as a Double-crested Cormorant, but thanks to a couple of emails from Rob Stone and John Haas, I have reconsider and now I have it as a Great Cormorant, based on the robust body, black sheen, short tail, blocky head, yellow chin patch, and white throat (DCCO would be 10% smaller, have a shorter tail and a more orange chin patch, a thinner neck, and a less blocky head). Taken in Newburgh, NY, 12/22/13.

Sunday morning was gray and cloudy, with light rain falling. I was heading up to the Shawangunk Grasslands NWR as the rain seemed to be getting heavier. I pulled over and checked the radar, and saw that bands of rain were passing to the north. So, I reconsidered and decided to bird the Hudson River instead. My first stop was in Newburgh where I birded from the Beacon Ferry parking lot. It was still raining, so I stayed in the car mostly, getting out from time to time. I had a single Common Merganser and a Double-crested Cormorant as well. I also really enjoyed seeing the Greater Black-backed Gulls among the Ring-billed Gulls and Herring Gulls.

Greater Black-backed Gull at the Beacon Ferry parking lot in Newburgh, 12/22/13.

I wanted to go to Croton Point Park next, mostly because I had never been there. I made a quick stop at Plum Point Park on the way, where I had an additional 10 Common Mergansers and an adult Bald Eagle, perched way off in the distance.

Croton Point Park was pretty good birding but not great for photography. I had a nice showing of songbirds as well as a Cooper’s Hawk around the feeders at the Nature Center. On the river I had 22 Buffleheads, 2 Common Mergansers, and a single Common Goldeneye. The Common Goldeneye very distant and I watched it for a long while hoping it would come in a bit closer. It was not until I got home that I figured out that the bird was likely a first winter female Common Goldeneye.

Bufflehead at Croton Point Park, 12/22/13.

Long Island – South Shore

Long-tailed Duck at Oak Beach, 12/15/13.

Tricia and I went to Long Island on Saturday afternoon to attend my sister’s annual Christmas Caroling Party. We left a little early to beat the worst of the snow that was coming, so we joined up with Tricia’s brother-in-law Bill to do some birding on the south shore. Bill has a nice “birding by car” loop that he does, which includes Robert Moses Park, Captree Island, Gilgo Beach, Oak Beach, Cedar Beach, Cedar Beach Marina, and various other stops. We did the loop while the snow got heavier and the winds started to pick up. I think due to the high winds, it was not overly birdy; our best birds where several Northern Harriers and a Merlin fly-by. We went to Cedar Beach Marina to look for the Gyrfalcon that had been reported there, but had no luck.

Nothern Harrier, I think this bird was at Oak Beach, 12/15/13. — A Northern Harrier that had recently had a meal – look at the size of that crop! I think this bird was at Oak Beach, 12/15/13.

The party was a blast on Saturday night, but we were still up relatively early, ready to try Bill’s loop again in some better weather. Tricia’s sister Carolyn and her niece Cameron also joined us. The highlight of the day was, without a doubt, finding a SNOWY OWL on Captree Island. It was really exciting because this was a life bird for Bill, Carolyn, and Cameron. Although the bird was very distant (see photo!), we got some decent looks in binoculars and in the scope as the bird changed perches from time to time.

SNOWY OWL on Captree Island, 12/15/13. I can't get enough of the Snowies, this is my fourth! — SNOWY OWL on Captree Island, 12/15/13. I can’t get enough of the Snowies, this is my fourth!

Other highlights of the day included: 2 Peregrine Falcons, Several Northern Harriers, a flock of Brant, many Buffleheads, a handful of Northern Shovelers, several Common Loons, 3 Red-throated Loons, and my personal favorite birds of the day – 4 Long-tailed Ducks. We struck out on the Gyrfalcon once again, but really it was a great day of birding. Huge thanks to Bill and Carolyn for taking us around and showing us all the spots; it’s so good to have the local knowledge and good company too.

I feel like it's been a while since I've gotten close enough to a Great Blue Heron for a photo. This one was on Captree Island, 12/15/13. — I feel like it’s been a while since I’ve gotten close enough to a Great Blue Heron for a photo. This one was on Captree Island, 12/15/13.

I have this as a first winter Herring Gull. Oak Beach, 12/15/13.

Here's a shot of me taking a photo of the Long-tailed Duck. Photo by Bill Martocci. — Where am I? Here’s a shot of me taking a shot of the Long-tailed Duck. Photo by Bill Martocci – thanks Bill.

Weekend Wrap Up

Two of nine Snow Geese at the Camel Farm on 12/7/13.

I got out and birded the black dirt region both Saturday and Sunday mornings, but compared to all the recent Snowy Owl excitement, both days were relatively uneventful. Here’s a few things that folks might find interesting:

Rough-legged Hawk at Skinner Lane on 12/7/13. I hope this bird sticks around, I would love to get a good shot... — Rough-legged Hawk at Skinner Lane on 12/7/13. I hope this bird sticks around, I would love to get a good shot…

On Saturday morning I had 9 Snow Geese among approximately 1200 Canada Geese at the Camel Farm.
At Indiana Road on Saturday, I found 15 Snow Buntings in a flock of approximately 60 Horned Larks.
Raptors were out in numbers, especially Red-tailed Hawks. I felt like you could not throw a rock without hitting a RTHA this weekend. Saturday morning I hit Pumpkin Swamp Road, Indiana Road, and Skinner Lane and had 13 Red-tailed Hawks! I also had several Northern Harriers at each location on both mornings. Additionally, over the span of the weekend, I saw 3 Rough-legged Hawks (Skinner, Wallkill River NWR, and Pumkin Swamp).
Red-tailed Hawks everywhere this weekend, and this is the best I could do. This bird was out at Indian Road on 12/7/13.

SHORT-EARED OWL SURVEY

The highlight of my birding weekend was participating in the First Annual Unofficial Orange County Short-eared Owl Survey. The survey was organized by Curt McDermott and Rob Stone, who wanted an answer to the question of how many Short-eared Owls were currently in Orange County. The idea was to get birders out to known Short-eared Owl haunts both Saturday and Sunday evening to get a total for the county. So, on Saturday evening, Karen Miller and I went out to our designated area to count, which was the Wallkill River NWR. The plan was to get the best count we could there and then shoot over to Scenic Farms Golf Course on Glenwood Road and get a count there. We had a fabulous evening, counting 10! SEOWs at Wallkill River NWR and then picking up an additional 5 at the golf course, totaling 15 for the evening. Late edit: It should be noted that for the owls seen at Wallkill River NWR, for the purposes of this survey we are assuming that the birds pass back and forth over the county border as they work the open areas of the refuge (Thanks for keeping me in check Marianne!). On Sunday my spot was Pumpkin Swamp Road. It was really freezing cold, but it was worth it when I got a count of 6 SEOWs there. When all the locations were combined, the survey revealed a total of 31 Short-eared Owls in Orange County this weekend – very exciting!

During the survey I did not get any owl shots - it was too dark and the birds too distant. I did get this Northern Harrier out at Wallkill River NWR on 12/7/13. — During the survey I did not get any owl shots – it was too dark and the birds too distant. I did get this Northern Harrier out at Wallkill River NWR on 12/7/13.

Horned Lark Dust Bath

I watched approximately 75 Horned Larks taking a dust bath on Indiana Road on Sunday morning, 12/1/13.

On Sunday morning I was birding out at Indiana Road. I had pulled to the side of the road to get a look a several Horned Larks on the dirt road. Before I knew it, I had larks in front of me and behind me, probably close to 100 birds in all. The larks were taking a dust bath, a behavior that I find fascinating.

DUST BATHING

Birds take dust baths to maintain their plumage. They will scratch out a small depression with their feet and then get very low to the ground while wriggling their bodies and flapping their wings. This raises up the dust which falls between feathers and to the bird’s skin. Afterwards the bird will typically shake vigorously and then preen.

The dust bath helps the birds to maintain a proper amount of oil on their feathers. The dust absorbs unwanted oil on the feathers and also helps get rid of dry skin and debris. It may also help keep bird lice, feather mites and other parasites in check. Regular dust baths will keep the bird’s plumage both clean and flexible.

According to Wikipedia, dust bathing is a social behavior for some birds. I like this idea, and seeing all the Horned Larks dust bathing together makes me want to believe that there is a social element to this behavior in addition to the obvious hygienic element.

Done and dusted! Horned Lark at Indiana Road 12/1/13.

Sources:

www.wikipedia.org

www.stanford.edu

www.about.com

Outside My Window Blog by Kate St. John

Cyber Monday

It’s Cyber Monday, so it’s a good time to head over to The Basha Kill Area Association’s website to order John Haas’ book for the birder or nature lover on your list. All proceeds go to the association, and the book is really amazing – perfect for birders in the area as well as those that might be planning to visit Sullivan County to do some birding.

Sullivan Snowy!

Snowy Owl in Bethel, Sullivan County NY 12/1/13.

The Snow Owl invasion continues. It was just before 3:00 pm and I had just gotten home. I thought my birding for the day was done when I received a phone call from John Haas: He was looking at a Snowy Owl in Bethel, NY. Tricia and I jumped into the car in hopes of getting a look at the bird. When we arrived, the bird was still present, and what a beauty! The markings on this bird were darker than the two I had seen in Orange County and the effect was striking. Many birders were present or on their way to see the bird. I was particularly happy for all the Sullivan County birders to finally get a Snowy Owl for the county. Thanks once again to John Haas for the call. You can go to The Bashakill Birder to see John’s account of the events.

This bird was actively hunting while we were there, and seemed to have success at one point. SNOW in Bethel NY, 12/1/13.

Northern Shrike Update

I also did some birding in Orange County in the morning and I wanted to add that the Northern Shrike on Lower Wisner Road in Warwick, NY continues. I located the bird working the old fence line between Upper and Lower Wisner between 10:00 and 11:00 am. I’m still working on a good photo…

Northern Shrike at Lower Wisner Road, 12/1/13.