January 2025 – Orange Birding

A Good Weekend, 01/26/25

On Saturday, I spent the day birding at the Jersey Shore with birding buds Maria Loukeris and Linda Scrima. I was serendipitous that Maria suggested a road trip, I was feeling like I was definitely ready for a break from local birding, and the beach was already on my mind. We spent most of the morning at Manasquan Inlet. All three of us were able to achieve scope views of our two target birds: Razorbill and DOVEKIE. I was hoping to get an alcid close enough for photos, but it wasn’t in the cards. As expected, the location was very birdy and also very, very cold. Other highlights included photo ops of Snow Buntings and Long-tailed Ducks, a couple of seals, and a nice-sized flock of Purple Sandpipers (with a trio of Sanderlings mixed in).

~It’s a little different seeing Snow Buntings at the beach! I’m so used to seeing them in the typically drab black dirt habitat. SNBU at Manasquan Inlet, 01/25/25.~

Afterwards, we went to Shark River Inlet, where we had a close encounter with a Cooper’s Hawk, got some better looks and photos of Purple Sandpipers, enjoyed our first Surf Scoters of the day, and watched as hundreds of Black Scoters streamed by. A delicious late lunch at The Greek Spot was a nice way to wrap up a good day of Jersey Shore birding.

~The puppy dog of ducks, a Long-tailed Duck at Manasquan Inlet, 01/25/25.~

~Purple Sandpiper at Shark River Inlet, 01/25/25.~

~I always enjoy it when I get to see some Brant. This one was at Manasquan Inlet, 01/25/25.~

~Cooper’s Hawk at Shark River Inlet, 01/25/25.~

~Locally, I would have spent much time with any Common Loon. On the Jersey Shore, they are numerous and easy to take for granted. COLO at Manasquan Inlet, 01/25/25.~

~Snow Bunting on a rope, Manasquan Inlet, 01/25/25.~

~One more Long-tailed Duck from Manasquan Inlet, 01/25/25.~

On Sunday morning I birded the Black Dirt Region and things were on the quiet side, with just the usuals observed. In the afternoon I went to the Newburgh Waterfront to try for gulls. I was lucky with a cooperative Iceland Gull, however that was the only out-of-the-ordinary gull I was able to locate.

~Gray Ghost in the black dirt, o1/26/25.~

~Iceland Gull with the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge in the background. Newburgh Waterfront, 01/26/25.~

~Iceland Gull at the Newburgh Waterfront, 01/26/25.~

~A sharp looking Horned Lark in the black dirt, 01/26/25.~

Winter Waterfowl Count, 01/18/25

On Saturday, Linda Scrima and I took part in the Mearns Bird Club’s Orange County Winter Waterfowl Count. For the seventh straight year, we covered the Black Dirt Region for the survey. Much of the water in the area was frozen over, but in spite of that, I think we managed to tally some decent numbers:

Canada Goose: 4,716
Cackling Goose: 1
Snow Goose: 3
Mallard: 22
American Black Duck: 4
Green-winged Teal: 1
Ring-necked Duck
Hooded Merganser: 2
Common Merganser: 16

~American Kestrel in the Black Dirt Region, 01/19/25.~

I did some additional birding this weekend, mostly trying to catch up with the GLAUCOUS GULL that Bruce Nott found last weekend. I tried for that bird both days, but unfortunately came up empty. I also birded the black dirt first thing this morning; I was rewarded by an extremely confiding American Kestrel.

~One more shot of the Am. Kestrel in the black dirt this morning, 01/19/25.~

Orange County Northern Shrike, 01/12/25

This morning, Karen VanDyk located a Northern Shrike at Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge’s Winding Waters Trail. I went over to try for the bird, and Kyle Knapp was already present and on the bird. It was a little distant at first and I took some initial documentary shots. Then things got interesting; first the shrike got into a brief tangled with a Northern Mockingbird. The bird then relocated to the backside of a nearby bush; we could just barely through the branches. A Merlin then shot through; it made a pass at the shrike and then perched in tree along the river. Meanwhile, the shrike had somehow procured some sort of prey and we watched as it ate, through mostly obscured views in the depths of the bush. Once finished, the bird started calling, calling, calling. Finally the bird got quiet, and we lost the bird sometime soon after that. What a cool experience to spend some time with such an excellent bird. Huge thanks to Karen for the alert.

~Nothern Shrike at Winding Waters trail, 01/12/25.~

~Red-tailed Hawk perched on some farm equipment. Black dirt region, 01/12/25.~

~I was up early with Coyotes on my mind. I was not disappointed; this photo is pretty terrible, but I enjoyed watching this Coyote running full speed across a field. Black Dirt Region 01/12/25.~

Sunday Shots, 01/05/25

It’s been a nice start to the new year of birding. I started with a nice 5-gull afternoon at the Newburgh Waterfront (Ring-billed, Am. Herring, Great Black-backed, Lesser Black-backed, and Iceland). Then, yesterday, it was exciting to see the Eurasian Wigeon. And I had some more excitement today, chasing a Clay-colored Sparrow that Bruce Nott found in the Black Dirt Region. Unfortunately I was unable to relocate that bird (I don’t think anyone has), but it was exciting to try for a good bird like that. I did get my first Lapland Longspur and Snow Buntings of the year, so that was nice. Anyways, here’s a handful of shots from the past week or so.

~Male Northern Harrier in the black dirt on 01/05/25.~

~Adult Lesser Black-backed Gull at the Newburgh Waterfront, 01/01/25.~

~Adult Bald Eagle at Wickham Lake, 12/30/24.~

~American Tree Sparrow in the Black Dirt Region, 01/05/25.~

~One more shot of the “Gray Ghost”, a male Northern Harrier in the Black Dirt Region 01/05/25.~

Orange County Eurasian Wigeon, 01/04/25

On New Year’s Day, Diane Bliss found a EURASIAN WIGEON in the small ponds across from Warwick Town Hall. The bird was not relocated on the 2nd, but then it resurfaced on the 3rd. I couldn’t run for it because I was working, so I was hoping it would hang in there for me until today. Which it did. Huge thanks to Kyle Knapp, who was on the scene before sunrise, and not only did he let me know the bird was there, he stuck around to make sure I got it. The bird is a beautiful drake and was an Orange County lifer for me, nudging my total number of birds in the county to 278.