Month: May 2025

Sunday Shots, 05/11/25

After a couple of days of focusing on shorebirds, I figured I better get out and try for some songbirds this morning before they all pass me by. I spent some time early at Elks Brox Memorial Park, and it was fairly productive. I added several species to my OC 2025 list: Blue-headed Vireo, Cedar Waxwing, Nashville Warbler, Black-throated Blue Warbler, and Black-throated Green Warbler. Afterwards, I went to Port Orange Road and enjoyed trying for photos of a couple of Cerulean Warblers that were present.

~Cerulean Warbler at Port Orange Road, 05/11/25.~
~Cerulean Warbler at Port Orange Road, 05/11/25.~
~Magnolia Warbler hiding in the shadows at Elks Brox Memorial Park, 05/11/25.~
~Prairie Warbler at Elks Brox, 05/11/25.~
~Eastern Phoebe at Port Orange Road, 05/11/25.~

OC Shorebirds, 05/10/25

Yesterday evening, and then again first thing this morning, I was out in the Black Dirt Region, looking for shorebirds in the all the puddling from the recent heavy rains. Between the two days, at a couple different locations, I had a total of 8 shorebird species:

  • Wilson’s Snipe (1)
  • Spotted Sandpiper (4)
  • Solitary Sandpiper (9)
  • Lesser Yellowlegs (14)
  • Greater Yellowlegs (3)
  • DUNLIN (3)
  • Least Sandpiper (84)
  • SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER (3)
~Lesser Yellowlegs in the black dirt, 05/10/25.~
~Close up of a Spotted Sandpiper in the Black Dirt Region, 05/10/25.~
~I kind of like this photo. Solitary Sandpiper, in the rain, on a pile of onions, in the black dirt region, 05/09/25.~
~Least Sandpipers in flight, 05/10/25.~

Sunday Shots, 05/04/25

Well, it was quite a bird-filled weekend. It’s that time of year where just being out and about you will see many new birds for the year. If I include Thursday, I personally added nearly 30 birds to my Orange County year list. I’ve included a list of all my new birds at the bottom of this post.

While most of the birds were nothing out-of-the-ordinary, there were some highlights. On Saturday morning, the Camel Farm was well stocked with shorebirds. While most of the birds were Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, I did add several new species, including a single DUNLIN in beautiful plumage. It was funny, because Linda Scrima joined me there; she was trying to get on the Dunlin and she casually asked me if it was near the GLOSSY IBIS… I was like what GLOSSY IBIS??? The ibis must have flown in while I had my head down in my scope, so that was a funny, pleasant surprise.

~This photo made my weekend. It’s been absolutely years since I’ve gotten a decent cuckoo photo, so I was thrilled to spend a little time at Winding Waters Trail with this Yellow-billed Cuckoo, 05/04/25.~

On Sunday morning, for my final stop, I took a walk out at Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge’s Winding Waters Trail, where two excellent things happened. First, I ran into and caught up with my friends Jeff and Liz; It had been ages since I’ve seen them, and I was coincidentally just thinking about them the day before. And second, a little while after that, I ran into a relatively cooperative YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO. It’s been absolutely ages since I’ve had a good cuckoo experience, so I really enjoyed it.

~Greater Yellowlegs at the Camel Farm, 05/04/25.~
~My warbler game is right on par, lol. Here’s snazzy shot of a distant Blue-winged Wabler on an electrical tower in Sterling Forest, 05/03/25.~
~There were loads of Yellow Warblers at most locations I went to over the weekend. This one was taken at Winding Waters Trail, 05/04/25.~
~One more Yellow-billed Cuckoo shot. Winding Waters Trail, 05/04/25.~
~Cuteness. Canada Goose goslings at Wickham Lake, 05/03/25.~
  • 130. Barred Owl – Beaver Pond – 05/01/25
  • 131. Black-billed Cuckoo – Beaver Pond – 05/01/25
  • 132. Solitary Sandpiper – Beaver Pond – 05/01/25
  • 133. Northern Rough-winged Swallow – Beaver Pond – 05/01/25
  • 134. Northern House Wren – Beaver Pond – 05/01/25
  • 135. Bank Swallow – Wickham Lake – 05/03/25
  • 136. Eastern Kingbird – Wickham Lake – 05/03/25
  • 137. Northern Waterthrush – Wickham Lake – 05/03/25
  • 138. American Redstart – Wickham Lake – 05/03/25
  • 139. Dunlin – Camel Farm – 05/03/25
  • 140. Least Sandpiper – Camel Farm – 05/03/25
  • 141. Pectoral Sandpiper – Camel Farm – 05/03/25
  • 142. Glossy Ibis – Camel Farm – 05/03/25
  • 143. Red-eyed Vireo – Pochuck Mountain – 05/03/25
  • 144. Ovenbird – Pochuck Mountain – 05/03/25
  • 145. Scarlet Tanager – Pochuck Mountain – 05/03/25
  • 146. Yellow-throated Vireo – Elks Brox – 05/03/25
  • 147. Worm-eating Warbler – Elks Brox – 05/03/25
  • 148. Wood Thrush – Reservoir #1 – 05/03/25
  • 149. Rose-breasted Grosbeak – Reservoir #1 – 05/03/25
  • 150. Indigo Bunting – Reservoir #1 – 05/03/25
  • 151. Green Heron – Sugar Loaf – 05/03/25
  • 152. Eastern Whip-poor-will – Sterling Forest – 05/03/25
  • 153. American Woodcock – Sterling Forest – 05/03/25
  • 154. Blue-winged Warbler – Sterling Forest – 05/03/25
  • 155. Cerulean Warbler – Sterling Forest – 05/03/25
  • 156. Chestnut-sided Warbler – Sterling Forest – 05/03/25
  • 157. Prairie Warbler – Sterling Forest – 05/03/25
  • 158. Yellow-billed Cuckoo – Winding Waters – 05/04/25