March 2026 – Orange Birding

Sunday Shots 03/07/26 – More Shorties

I’m feeling pretty under the weather today, so, in spite of reports of some very good birds, I’ve stayed home all day to rest and recuperate. Reported birds included: 11 Tundra Swans at the Liberty Loop, 4 Tundra Swans at the Bashakill, Snow Geese and Tundra Swans near Winding Hills Park, and a Greater White-fronted Goose at the Camel Farm. It’s good to see some things are happening.

Luckily, I still have some photos to post this evening. Yesterday afternoon I was driving in the black dirt when I inadvertently flushed a pair of Short-eared Owls. They were roosting in the taller roadside grasses, and they flushed as I approached in my car. One bird didn’t go very far when it flushed; it was the best look I’ve gotten of a Short-eared Owl in quite some time.

~Short-eared Owl in the Black Dirt Region, 03/07/26.~

~Shorty in the black dirt on Saturday 03/07/26.~

~One final Shorty shot, black dirt, 03/07/26.~

Orange County Snow Geese, 03/07/26

Right on cue, our first Snow Geese descended on the county yesterday morning when Matthew VanDyk reported approximately 40 birds on Skinners Lane. Shortly afterwards, Linda Scrima located a Ross’s Goose in the flock. By evening, Travis Rubio reported the flock had grown to over 500 birds. When I arrived this morning, I had an estimated 1,200+ birds. The birds were distant and very active, so I did not really have a chance to search for the Ross’s, but it’s always a good day of birding when you have a nice big flock of Snow Geese.

~Snow Geese flying over horizon in the Black Dirt Region on 03/07/26.~

~Snow Goose in the black dirt, 03/07/26.~

~Snow Geese in the black dirt, 03/07/26.~

Sunday Shots, 03/01/26

There’s not very much going on in the area these days. On Saturday morning I went to Reservoir #3 in Port Jervis to try for Red Crossbills again, but didnt’ have any luck. My consolation prize was a nice and somewhat accommodating flock of Pine Siskins. That’s a species that I don’t get too many photos of, so I enjoyed that. Also of note on Saturday morning, I went to the Liberty Loop where I had at least (6) Rough-legged Hawks. It’s been a while since we’ve seen those types of numbers in our area.

~Pine Siskin at Reservoir #3, 02/28/26.~

~One of six Rough-legged Hawks at the Liberty Loop, 02/28/26.~

I put a lot of miles on my car on Sunday morning, but it was mostly unproductive. The only notable observation I had was seeing that the Tundra Swan was still around – I found it on the banks of the Wallkill River on Celery Avenue.