Orange Birding

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.

Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge

An immature Bald Eagle enjoys a meal at Montezuma NWR, 11/28/13.

I woke up very early Thanksgiving morning to drive up to Syracuse to join Tricia at her Mom’s place to celebrate the holiday. I left early enough so that I could make a quick stop beforehand at Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge. It was a cold an snowy morning with strong wind gusts. I was at the refuge for just over an hour and in that time I identified 14 species. Here’s my list:

Canada Goose 125
Tundra Swan 80
Mallard 45
Ring-necked Duck 100
Common Merganser 25
Northern Harrier 2
Cooper’s Hawk 1
Bald Eagle 7
Red-tailed Hawk 3
Ring-billed Gull X
Rock Pigeon 30
Mourning Dove 12
American Crow X
American Tree Sparrow 1

At first glance I thought this bird was a Rough-legged Hawk because of the way it was hunting - hovering and flapping. Red-tailed Hawk at Montezuma NWR 11/28/13. — At first glance I thought this bird was a Rough-legged Hawk because of the way it was hunting – hovering and flapping. Red-tailed Hawk at Montezuma NWR 11/28/13.

I saw plenty of Tundra Swans, but unfortunately no Trumpeters. These birds were completely unconcerned with the adult Bald Eagle hanging out nearby. Montezuma NWR, 11/28/13.

Tundra Swans in flight at Montezuma NWR, 11/28/13.

I had ample opportunity to get a good shot of this young Bald Eagle, but I was disappointed, with nearly every photo being underexposed. This was my best effort.

Second SNOWY!

I got home early from work today, and as I was walking in the door I got a call from Rob Stone: A second SNOWY OWL had been located by Ken McDermott! In case you are thinking this is perhaps the same owl, Rob was out looking at the first Snowy Owl when Ken called him to say he had a second one! Incredible birding days in Orange County! I zipped right over to check out the bird and snap some photos. Thanks again to Rob and of course, Ken who located the bird.

I also went to check on the first owl (which I did not locate), but thanks to fellow birder Maria (sorry I did not catch her last name), I was able to finally get some decent Snow Bunting photos:

Snow Bunting in the Black Dirt Region, Orange County NY, 11/27/13.

Snow Bunting in the rain. Black Dirt Region 11/27/13.

A SNOWY Day in the Black Dirt Region

Wow! Snowy Owl in Orange County 11/26/13.

Last night I received an email posting through the Mearns Bird Club. Elizabeth McKnight had located a SNOWY OWL in the Black Dirt Region, not 15 minutes from our house! I was losing my mind last night thinking about this bird. I got up early to look for the bird before work. While I was out, it started to snow pretty good, making the task a bit more difficult. I looked for just over an hour, but I was unsuccessful in relocating the bird. Off to work I went. Just before noon I received a call from Bruce Nott. The bird had been relocated! I believe it was Curt McDermott and Scott Baldinger that found the bird. I jumped on the phone with my boss, and he was kind enough to let me go run for this bird. On my way there I called Tricia and Karen Miller to give them the heads up. I joined Bruce, Curt, John Haas, and Ajit Antony who were viewing the bird. Ken McDermott, Tricia, and Karen Miller joined us not long after that. Rob Stone, his son Anthony, and Jeff Goulding were the last to arrive. We were not disappointed as we all got really great looks at the bird. The folks who know more than I do generally agreed that it was likely a first year female. Thanks to everyone involved, this was a life bird for me and a really special one at that.

Another angle of the SNOWY OWL in flight. Black Dirt Region, Orange County NY 11/26/13. — SNOWY OWL in flight. Black Dirt Region, Orange County NY 11/26/13.

The bird seemed to be doing some hunting, taking short flights before returning to its perch.

Just Ducky in Orange County

It's tough to get close enough to most waterfowl to get photos. One of 24 Ring-necked Ducks at — It’s tough to get close enough to most waterfowl to get photos. One of 24 Ring-necked Ducks at Orange-Rockland Lake, 11/23/13.

I covered a lot of ground today in search of waterfowl in Orange County. I started early and headed north and worked my way south as the morning progressed.

Chadwick Lake Park:

Canada Goose 30
Mute Swan 2
Mallard 5
Lesser Scaup 4
Ring-billed Gull 1
Great Black-backed Gull 1

**I received a phone call from Bruce Nott in the afternoon – 4 Common Goldeneye continue at Chadwick Lake Park (I failed to locate them while I was there).**

Lake Washington and Masterson Memorial Park:

Canada Goose 9
Mute Swan 2
Gadwall 32
Mallard 2
Hooded Merganser 28
Bald Eagle 1
Ring-billed Gull 75
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1

One day I will get a good close up of a Hooded Merganser. Until then there is this. Hooded Mergansers at Masterson Memorial Park,, 11/23/13.

Brown’s Pond:

Canada Goose 145
Mute Swan 5
American Wigeon 4
Ring-necked Duck 18
Hooded Merganser 15
Common Merganser 36
Ruddy Duck 48
Bald Eagle 1
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Ring-billed Gull 7
Belted Kingfisher 1
Northern Flicker 1

Orange-Rockland Lake:

Canada Goose 18
Ring-necked Duck 24
Ruddy Duck 7
Pied-billed Grebe 2
Downy Woodpecker 1

Glenmere Lake:

Mute Swan 1
Ruddy Duck 4
Pied-billed Grebe 3
Dark-eyed Junco 2

In the evening I decided to try for the Short-eared Owls again. It was sunny and beautiful when I left the house. By the time the owls got up, which was early at 3:30, it was very gray and dark out. Here’s my best effort:

A very grainy shot of a SEOW. My ISO was at 3200 for this shot! Shawangunk Grasslands, 11/23/13.

Shawangunk Grasslands NWR 11/16/13

I went out to the Shawangunk Grasslands NWR this afternoon in hopes of getting some photos of Northern Harriers. I had seen reports that the Short-eared Owls were back, but only one report where they up up before dark. I walked out to the north blind without seeing much bird activity, just a couple of harriers in distance. I was not in the blind long when I had a Northern Harrier fly in close:

Not much later, at 3:55 pm, I was pleasantly surprised to see a single Short-eared Owl come up from the grasses. I started to click away and more owls came up. The owls put on quite a show, flying all around the blind, tangling with each other and with the harriers too. The light was beautiful, and I clicked away trying not to miss any good opportunities.

I spoke to Scott Baldinger in the parking lot on my way back to my car and he gave a count for the night: He had 8 Short-eared Owls and 6 Northern Harriers in a single sweep, not too bad! What a great night of birding and bird photography!

SATURDAY MORNING

With all the exitement of getting the Short-eared Owl photos on Saturday evening, I never got around to posting about the birding I did on Saturday morning. I made several quick stops just to see what was going on.

Glenmere Lake:

Canada Goose 25
Mute Swan 6
Mallard 1
Bufflehead 1
Common Merganser 1
Ruddy Duck 2
Pied-billed Grebe 5
Ring-billed Gull 1
Pileated Woodpecker 1
White-breasted Nuthatch 1

Lower Wisner Road:

Canada Goose 300

Turkey Vulture 1
Northern Harrier 1
Red-shouldered Hawk 1
Red-tailed Hawk 2
Rock Pigeon 20
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Downy Woodpecker 2
Northern Flicker 2
Northern Shrike 1
Blue Jay 6
American Crow 35
Northern Mockingbird 5
European Starling 50
Field Sparrow 2
Song Sparrow 4
Dark-eyed Junco 1
Common Grackle 12

The Red-shouldered Hawk was eventually chase out of the area by what I am assuming was a local Red-tailed Hawk. Lower Wisner Road, 11/16/13.

One of my main goals for the morning was to try for a good photo of the Northern shrike on Lower Wisner Road. I did not succeed, but the bird continues.

Warwick Town Hall Pond:

Canada Goose 10 Gadwall 9 Northern Pintail 2

I just happened upon the little pond across from Warwick Town Hall. I was very happy with this photo!

Skinner Lane:

Canada Goose 55
Red-tailed Hawk 3
Killdeer 1
American Crow 250
Horned Lark 40
American Goldfinch 1

Citgo Pond Trail (Goshen):

Canada Goose 10
Mallard 35
Northern Shoveler 2
Green-winged Teal 8
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Downy Woodpecker 2
Blue Jay 2
American Crow 25
Black-capped Chickadee 2
Song Sparrow 6
Swamp Sparrow 2
White-throated Sparrow 1
Dark-eyed Junco 4

One of several Mallards that I flushed on the trail to the pond.

Sandy Hook 11/10/13

Sunday morning I joined Judy Cinquina, Tom Millard, Denise Farrell, B.A. McGrath, and Gene Tappan on a birding trip to Sandy Hook NJ, which is part of the Gateway National Recreation Area. All the folks I went with are experienced birders, and most are also official counters out at Mt. Peter Hawk Watch. It was really great to be able to spend the day birding with this group; the company was excellent and I also saw it as a good opportunity for me to learn. I tried to observe and listen to the other birders in the group as much as the birds in a effort to see how others go about their birding.

The wind was blowing pretty good when we arrived and it got stronger as the day passed. This seemed to keep a lot of the birds down, so it was not as active as we had hoped. I counted a total of 37 species for the day, but I may have missed a few. We did well with raptors, seeing plenty of Turkey Vultures, eight Black Vultures, many Sharp-shinned Hawks, maybe a half dozen Red-tailed Hawks, and at least a couple Cooper’s Hawks.

Sharpies were zipping around all day. I managed to get a shot of this one as it passed right over the group.

The highlight of the trip for me was looking for birds out in the ocean, with the New York City skyline off in the distance to our left. As Sanderlings shot back and forth at the water’s edge, we had many birds in the distance: Black Scoters, White-winged Scoters, Surf Scoters, Common Loons, Red-throated Loons, Royal Terns, and Northern Gannets. I particularly love watching the few gannets that came in a bit closer, they are a fantastic bird to watch in flight.

Sandy Hook is a bit of a trip from Goshen NY (over 2 hours), but well worth it. I certainly plan on getting back there again, hopefully on a day with better conditions.

The view of NYC from Sandy Hook. Not a bad way to do some birding!

Birding at Sandy Hook, — 11//10/13 – Birding at Sandy Hook with (from left to right): B.A. McGrath, Tom Millard, Denise Farrell, Gene Tappan, and Judy Cinquina.

Eastern Phoebe in a pretty setting at Sandy Hook, 11/10/13. — Eastern Phoebe at Sandy Hook, 11/10/13.