Sunday Shots, 10/22/23

It was an interesting weekend in local birding. On Friday afternoon, Linda Scrima located a NORTHERN WHEATEAR in the black dirt. On Saturday morning, it was raining (as usual this fall), so I was able to spend some time searching for the bird. Unfortunately I didn’t have any luck, but I enjoyed another rainy morning in the black dirt, seeing the absolutely massive numbers of American Pipits, and I also found an unlikely sparrow for this time of year – a late Grasshopper Sparrow.

~Grasshopper Sparrow in the Black Dirt Region, 10/21/23.~

I also enjoyed a nice look a Merlin:

~Merlin perched in the wind and rain. Black dirt, 10/21/23.

In the afternoon, when the rain stopped, I managed to squeeze in two and a half hours at Mount Peter Hawkwatch. I had 15 migrating raptors, including another Merlin and a Peregrine Falcon. I’ve included my full report at the bottom of this post.

On Sunday morning, I found a Long-billed Dowitcher at Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge’s Liberty Marsh. This is a species which we don’t see all that regularly in Orange County; I believe that today was my just 4th siting in the 13 years I’ve birded OC.

~Long-billed Dowitcher at Liberty Marsh, 10/22/23.~
~Love these dudes. American Pipit in the black dirt in the rain, 10/21/23.~
~It’s always good to see our buddy the Leucistic Red-tailed Hawk in Warwick, NY 10/21/23.~

4 thoughts on “Sunday Shots, 10/22/23”

  1. Thanks Matt for the photographic field Trip through the Black Dirt. Nice bunch of birds and great find on the LB Dowitcher! Loved that Red-tailed shot too!

    Scotty

  2. Matt, Great shots! Do you know for sure that the Warwick Leucistic Red Tail is a Male? Just wondering…
    As always, an education reading your Posts.
    Thank You, Patty

    1. Sorry Patty, I somehow missed this comment.The bird is an actually female – a friend shared photos with me of it mating. Matt

Comments are closed.