photos – Page 28 – Orange Birding

2016 – Year In Review

~My personal favorite photo of the year: Black Vulture in Blooming Grove, NY. Scroll further down to see which photographs fill out the remainder of my Top Ten Photos.~

It’s hard to believe it’s time to look back on another year of birding already. For me, 2016 was the year of birding in Orange County. I started the year with the goal of observing 200 birds in the county, a goal that I achieved in late September when I had, of all birds, a CONNECTICUT WARBLER at Winding Waters Trail. I was on a roll and I continued to get new county birds until early December, when I relocated the PINK-FOOTED GOOSE that Bruce Nott had located the day before. After that, things dried up for me and I ended the year with 214 species, which definitely exceeded my expectations. While I did miss some birds that I figured I would get (Blue-winged Teal, Brant, Stilt Sandpiper, Great Cormorant), ultimately, I feel like I had luck on my side and I got many birds that I was not expecting to. I’ve included my entire county year list at the bottom of this post, including dates and locations.

BY THE NUMBERS

Since I concentrated on birding in Orange County, other areas which I normally bird a little more heavily suffered, often due to my own lack of reporting and record keeping. Not listed below are my Ulster an Sullivan County totals, which were a paltry 38 and 95 respectively. Here are my species totals for 2016, with previous years’ totals included for comparison:

Regarding life birds, I added 27 new life birds in 2016, bringing my life list total to 371. It was during our trip to Portland Oregon where I picked up over half (14) of my new lifers. For New York State, I added 22 life birds, for a total of 278 life birds in NYS.

More Numbers: this is my 99th post of the year, which surprisingly (to me at least), is down from the 128 posts I published last year. And, according to WordPress Stats, the number of views is down from 31,072 in 2015 to just over 27,000 in 2016. Looking at these numbers, I’m wondering if the blog is losing some traction; I sure hope not. I think that the drop in the number of views can be at least partially explained by what I call the Gyrfalcon factor: In 2015, when I posted about the Gyrfalcon in Ulster County, the blog views went through the roof which gave the blog some good momentum at that time.

MOST EXCITING BIRDING EXPERIENCE OF THE YEAR: GOLDEN EAGLE AT MOUNT PETER

~Beautiful bird! A migrating Golden Eagle over Mount Peter Hawk, 10/29/16.~

October 29, 2016: It was towards the end of a very slow day of counting at Mount Peter Hawkwatch. At 3:45 pm, I picked out a distant eagle to the north of the viewing platform. Very quickly, I realized that it was likely a Golden. It was, and the bird slowly made its way towards me and eventually circled several times directly over the platform! I couldn’t believe my luck, after such a slow day, on southwest winds to boot! I’m still excited about this bird two months later, and I have its photo as the screen saver on my phone so I am constantly showing people.

Looking back over the year, I realize that I had many exciting birding experiences this year. The following were all considered for MEBEOTY: *(click on orange links to read original blog post for each)*

-Seven Greater White-fronted Geese, a Snowy Owl, an Upland Sandpiper all in the black dirt.

-A Gray-cheeked Thrush during the Break 100.

-I got some really super birds down in New Jersey: Fork-tailed Flycatcher, Least Bittern, Brown Booby, Wilson’s Phalarope, and Ruff!

-And later in the year, back in Orange County I had a Connecticut Warbler, a Red-throated Loon, and, of course, the Pink-footed Goose!

BIRD OF THE YEAR: CONNECTICUT WARBLER

~Wow! CONNECTICUT WARBLER at Wallkill River NWR’s Winding Waters Trail, 9/23/16.~

September 23, 2016: In the evening after work, I went to Wallkill River NWR’s Winding Waters Trail, looking for the Connecticut Warbler that Rob Stone had previously located. I was not in the least bit optimistic about relocating the bird, but I figured what the heck, I would try. I was walking down the trail and a bird popped up to my left, about eye level. I noticed the prominent eye-ring and immediately took photos which would later confirm the bird as COWA. What a bird to be my 200th bird of the year in Orange County! If that wasn’t lucky enough, I went back 2 days later with Linda Scrima; we met up with several other birders, and we were able to relocate the bird once again AND I was able to get a halfway decent shot of the bird (above). This is not a bird I felt that I was likely to ever get in Orange County, and to see it twice in a weekend was incredible.

TOP TEN PHOTOS OF THE YEAR

I feel like I did not do as well with the camera this year, but I’m not sure if that is the reality or if if I have just had a change in expectations. I definitely feel like I was not as focused on taking photographs as I have been in previous years (pun not intended). I was thinking about reducing this section to the top five until I started going through my pics from the year and I came up with way more than ten, which I then had to cut back for my favorite 10 shots of the year.

~Black Vulture in Blooming Grove, NY 1/10/16.~

~Cooper’s Hawk in the Black Dirt Region, 1/24/16.~

~Merlin with prey at Piermont Pier, 1/916.~

~Red-tailed Hawk at Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge, 8/4/16.~

~Bushtit at Summerlake Park in Tigard, OR 4/4/16.~

~Gray Catbird at Sterling Forest State Park, 7/17/16.~

~Short-eared Owl at the Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 3/6/16.~

~Rusty Blackbird at the Citgo Pond, 10/23/16.~

~Common Loon at Osgood Pond, White Pines Camp in the Adirondacks, 9/21/16.~

~Semipalmated Sandpiper at Morningside Park in Sullivan County, 8/13/16.~

LOOKING FORWARD

It is going to be interesting to see how my birding develops in 2017. I am feeling a sense of freedom since I will not be as tied down to Orange County as I was in 2016. I am hoping to go on more birding adventures where I will explore new spots which are not necessarily on the birding map. I would like to supplement the ‘I went here and I saw that’ format of blog posts which have prevailed on this blog with more reflective or thoughtful in-depth posts which I’m hoping will generate a little more conversation. I am thinking about adding posts that will look at species identification more closely or others that question why we bird and what makes a good birder. Maybe interviews with some of the local top birders would make a good post, we shall see.

As usual, I’d like to thank all the birders in our area, as you likely know, they are some of the nicest, most helpful people you will meet. Special thanks to Rob Stone, John Haas, Linda Scrima, Maria Loukeris, Kyle Dudgeon, Judy Cinquina, Karen Miller, Bruce Nott, and Ken McDermott for all their help and good company this year. Happy New Year to everyone, I’m looking forward to seeing what 2017 has in store for all us!

ORANGE COUNTY YEAR LIST – 2016 (In chronological order. Species with location of just ‘Orange County’ were gotten during the Break 100)

1 Wild Turkey: 17A and Houston US-NY 01 Jan 2016
2 Eastern Screech-Owl: Albany Post Rd and 52 US-NY 01 Jan 2016
3 Canada Goose: Black Dirt Region US-NY 03 Jan 2016
4 Mute Swan: Black Dirt Region US-NY 03 Jan 2016
5 American Black Duck: Black Dirt Region US-NY 03 Jan 2016
6 Mallard: Black Dirt Region US-NY 03 Jan 2016
7 Turkey Vulture: Black Dirt Region US-NY 03 Jan 2016
8 Northern Harrier: Black Dirt Region US-NY 03 Jan 2016
9 Cooper’s Hawk: Black Dirt Region US-NY 03 Jan 2016
10 Red-tailed Hawk: Black Dirt Region US-NY 03 Jan 2016
11 American Coot: Black Dirt Region US-NY 03 Jan 2016
12 Mourning Dove: Black Dirt Region US-NY 03 Jan 2016
13 Blue Jay: Black Dirt Region US-NY 03 Jan 2016
14 American Crow: Black Dirt Region US-NY 03 Jan 2016
15 Horned Lark: Black Dirt Region US-NY 03 Jan 2016
16 European Starling: Black Dirt Region US-NY 03 Jan 2016
17 Snow Bunting: Black Dirt Region US-NY 03 Jan 2016
18 Dark-eyed Junco: Black Dirt Region US-NY 03 Jan 2016
19 Song Sparrow: Black Dirt Region US-NY 03 Jan 2016
20 Northern Cardinal: Black Dirt Region US-NY 03 Jan 2016
21 American Goldfinch: Black Dirt Region US-NY 03 Jan 2016
22 House Sparrow: Black Dirt Region US-NY 03 Jan 2016
23 Bald Eagle: Wickham Woodlands TP US-NY 03 Jan 2016
24 Ring-billed Gull: Wickham Woodlands TP US-NY 03 Jan 2016
25 Belted Kingfisher: Glenmere Lake US-NY 03 Jan 2016
26 Black-capped Chickadee Glenmere Lake US-NY 03 Jan 2016
27 Tufted Titmouse Glenmere Lake US-NY 03 Jan 2016
28 White-breasted Nuthatch: Glenmere Lake US-NY 03 Jan 2016
29 Sharp-shinned Hawk: Our Yard US-NY 03 Jan 2016
30 Gadwall: Masterson Memorial Park US-NY 04 Jan 2016
31 Hooded Merganser: Masterson Memorial Park US-NY 04 Jan 2016
32 Great Blue Heron: Masterson Memorial Park US-NY 04 Jan 2016
33 Rough-legged Hawk: Black Dirt Region US-NY 10 Jan 2016
34 White-throated Sparrow: Black Dirt Region US-NY 10 Jan 2016
35 Red-bellied Woodpecker: Tomahawk Lake US-NY 10 Jan 2016
36 Black Vulture: Prospect and Round Hill US-NY 10 Jan 2016
37 Great Horned Owl: Black Dirt Region US-NY 11 Jan 2016
38 Snowy Owl: Black Dirt Region US-NY 14 Jan 2016
39 Short-eared Owl: Black Dirt Region US-NY 14 Jan 2016
40 Snow Goose: Black Dirt Region US-NY 16 Jan 2016
41 Ring-necked Pheasant: Black Dirt Region US-NY 16 Jan 2016
42 Red-shouldered Hawk: Black Dirt Region US-NY 16 Jan 2016
43 Rock Pigeon: Black Dirt Region US-NY 16 Jan 2016
44 Downy Woodpecker: Black Dirt Region US-NY 16 Jan 2016
45 American Kestrel: Black Dirt Region US-NY 16 Jan 2016
46 Northern Mockingbird: Black Dirt Region US-NY 16 Jan 2016
47 American Tree Sparrow: Black Dirt Region US-NY 16 Jan 2016
48 White-crowned Sparrow: Black Dirt Region US-NY 16 Jan 2016
49 Red-winged Blackbird: Breeze Hill and Lynch US-NY 17 Jan 2016
50 Common Grackle: Breeze Hill and Lynch US-NY 17 Jan 2016
51 Brown-headed Cowbird: Breeze Hill and Lynch US-NY 17 Jan 2016
52 Herring Gull: Newburgh-Beacon Ferry Lot US-NY 25 Jan 2016
53 Iceland Gull: Newburgh-Beacon Ferry Lot US-NY 25 Jan 2016
54 Great Black-backed Gull: Newburgh-Beacon Ferry US-NY 25 Jan
55 Common Merganser: Newburgh waterfront US-NY 29 Jan 2016
56 Lesser Black-backed Gull: Newburgh waterfront US-NY 29 Jan 2016
57 Greater White-fronted Goose: Black Dirt Region US-NY 31 Jan 2016
58 American Robin: Black Dirt Region US-NY 31 Jan 2016
59 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker: Reservoir #3 US-NY 06 Feb 2016
60 Common Raven: Reservoir #3 US-NY 06 Feb 2016
61 Hairy Woodpecker: Laurel Grove Cemetery US-NY 06 Feb 2016
62 Brown Creeper: Laurel Grove Cemetery US-NY 06 Feb 2016
63 Eastern Bluebird: Laurel Grove Cemetery US-NY 06 Feb 2016
64 Northern Flicker: Tomahawk Lake US-NY 06 Feb 2016
65 Pileated Woodpecker: Six and a Half Station Rd. US-NY 14 Feb 2016
66 Greater Scaup: Laurel Grove Cemetery US-NY 21 Feb 2016
67 Common Goldeneye: Laurel Grove Cemetery US-NY 21 Feb 2016
68 Cedar Waxwing: Reservoir #3 US-NY 21 Feb 2016
69 Peregrine Falcon: Port Jervis US-NY 21 Feb 2016
70 Cackling Goose: Black Dirt Region US-NY 21 Feb 2016
71 Ring-necked Duck: Indian Kill Reservoir US-NY 26 Feb 2016
72 Pied-billed Grebe: Indian Kill Reservoir US-NY 26 Feb 2016
73 Bufflehead: Greenwood Lake US-NY 26 Feb 2016
74 Horned Grebe: Sterling Forest SP–Visitor Center US-NY 03 Mar 2016
75 Green-winged Teal: Greenwood Lake US-NY 03 Mar 2016
76 Wood Duck: Wickham Woodlands TP US-NY 03 Mar 2016
77 American Woodcock: Big Island Road US-NY 03 Mar 2016
78 Killdeer: Next to Goodness Gardens US-NY 06 Mar 2016
79 Tree Swallow: Glenmere Lake US-NY 12 Mar 2016
80 Eastern Phoebe: Laurel Grove Cemetery US-NY 13 Mar 2016
81 Carolina Wren: Laurel Grove Cemetery US-NY 13 Mar 2016
82 House Finch: Laurel Grove Cemetery US-NY 13 Mar 2016
83 Bonaparte’s Gull: Wickham Lake US-NY 15 Mar 2016
84 Ruddy Duck: Wickham Lake US-NY 16 Mar 2016
85 Double-crested Cormorant: Wickham Lake US-NY 16 Mar 2016
86 Merlin: Quarry Rd US-NY 16 Mar 2016
87 Long-tailed Duck: Chadwick Lake Park US-NY 17 Mar 2016
88 Red-breasted Merganser: Chadwick Lake Park US-NY 17 Mar 2016
89 Fish Crow: Goshen (village) US-NY 19 Mar 2016
90 American Wigeon: Liberty Marsh (NY) US-NY 20 Mar 2016
91 Northern Pintail: Liberty Marsh (NY) US-NY 20 Mar 2016
92 Northern Shoveler: Citgo Pond Trail US-NY 20 Mar 2016
93 Eastern Meadowlark: Warren Sod Farm US-NY 21 Mar 2016
94 Wilson’s Snipe: White Oak Swamp US-NY 23 Mar 2016
95 Red-headed Woodpecker: Fancher Davidge Park US-NY 24 Mar 2016
96 Chipping Sparrow: Fancher Davidge Park US-NY 24 Mar 2016
97 Upland Sandpiper: Black Dirt Region US-NY 29 Mar 2016
98 Common Loon: Greenwood Lake US-NY 07 Apr 2016
99 Palm Warbler: White Oak Swamp US-NY 09 Apr 2016
100 Rusty Blackbird: White Oak Swamp US-NY 09 Apr 2016
101 Ruby-crowned Kinglet: Sterling Lake Loop Trail US-NY 09 Apr 2016
102 Louisiana Waterthrush: Sterling Lake Loop Trail US-NY 09 Apr 2016
103 Pine Warbler: Sterling Lake Loop Trail US-NY 09 Apr 2016
104 Swamp Sparrow: Sterling Lake Loop Trail US-NY 09 Apr 2016
105 Osprey: Six and a Half Station Rd. Sanctuary US-NY 10 Apr 2016
106 Lesser Scaup: Glenmere Lake US-NY 10 Apr 2016
107 Red-necked Grebe: Wickham Lake US-NY 12 Apr 2016
108 Caspian Tern: Lake Washington US-NY 14 Apr 2016
109 Northern Rough-winged Swallow: Lake Washington US-NY 14 Apr
110 Vesper Sparrow: Wallkill River NWR (NY) US-NY 15 Apr 2016
111 Savannah Sparrow: Wallkill River NWR (NY) US-NY 15 Apr 2016
112 Broad-winged Hawk: Goose Pond Mountain SP US-NY 16 Apr 2016
113 Golden-crowned Kinglet: Goose Pond Mountain SP US-NY 16 Apr
114 Hermit Thrush: Goose Pond Mountain SP US-NY 16 Apr 2016
115 Yellow-rumped Warbler: Goose Pond Mountain SP US-NY 16 Apr
116 Field Sparrow: Goose Pond Mountain SP US-NY 16 Apr 2016
117 Eastern Towhee: Goose Pond Mountain SP US-NY 16 Apr 2016
118 Barn Swallow: Kenridge Farm US-NY 17 Apr 2016
119 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher: Reservoir #3 US-NY 19 Apr 2016
120 Blue-headed Vireo: Pochuk Mountain State Forest US-NY 23 Apr
121 Black-and-white Warbler: Pochuk Mountain SF US-NY 23 Apr 2016
122 Sora: Wallkill River NWR–Liberty Marsh (NY) US-NY 25 Apr 2016
123 Yellow Warbler: Liberty Marsh (NY) US-NY 25 Apr 2016
124 Orchard Oriole: Liberty Marsh (NY) US-NY 25 Apr 2016
125 Wood Thrush: Pochuk Mountain State Forest US-NY 30 Apr 2016
126 Gray Catbird: Pochuk Mountain State Forest US-NY 30 Apr 2016
127 Ovenbird: Pochuk Mountain State Forest US-NY 30 Apr 2016
128 Blue-winged Warbler: Pochuk Mountain SF US-NY 30 Apr 2016
129 Black-throated Blue Warbler: Pochuk Mountain SF US-NY 30 Apr
130 Prairie Warbler: Pochuk Mountain State Forest US-NY 30 Apr 2016
131 Scarlet Tanager: Pochuk Mountain State Forest US-NY 30 Apr 2016
132 Baltimore Oriole: Pochuk Mountain State Forest US-NY 30 Apr 2016
133 Green Heron: Citgo Pond Trail US-NY 30 Apr 2016
134 Spotted Sandpiper: Citgo Pond Trail US-NY 30 Apr 2016
135 Lesser Yellowlegs: Citgo Pond Trail US-NY 30 Apr 2016
136 Chimney Swift: Citgo Pond Trail US-NY 30 Apr 2016
137 Warbling Vireo: Citgo Pond Trail US-NY 30 Apr 2016
138 House Wren: Citgo Pond Trail US-NY 30 Apr 2016
139 Eastern Kingbird: Sterling Valley Loop US-NY 01 May 2016
140 American Redstart: Sterling Valley Loop US-NY 01 May 2016
141 White-winged Scoter: Wickham Woodlands TP US-NY 01 May 2016
142 Purple Martin: Wickham Woodlands TP US-NY 02 May 2016
143 Least Flycatcher: Laurel Grove Cemetery US-NY 08 May 2016
144 Great Crested Flycatcher: Laurel Grove Cemetery US-NY 08 May
145 Common Yellowthroat: Laurel Grove Cemetery US-NY 08 May 2016
146 Northern Parula: Laurel Grove Cemetery US-NY 08 May 2016
147 Magnolia Warbler: Laurel Grove Cemetery US-NY 08 May 2016
148 Bay-breasted Warbler: Laurel Grove Cemetery US-NY 08 May 2016
149 Chestnut-sided Warbler: Laurel Grove Cemetery US-NY 08 May
150 Blackpoll Warbler: Laurel Grove Cemetery US-NY 08 May 2016
151 Black-throated Green Warbler: Laurel Grove Cem US-NY 08 May
152 Yellow-throated Vireo: Pochuk Mountain SF US-NY 08 May 2016
153 Rose-breasted Grosbeak: Pochuk Mountain SF US-NY 08 May 2016
154 Solitary Sandpiper: Liberty Marsh US-NY 09 May 2016
155 Red-eyed Vireo: Liberty Marsh US-NY 09 May 2016
156 Veery: Wallkill River NWR–Liberty Marsh (NY) US-NY 09 May 2016
157 Golden-winged Warbler: Sterling Forest SPUS-NY 10 May 2016
158 Yellow-billed Cuckoo: Sterling Forest SP US-NY 12 May 2016
159 Barred Owl: Sterling Forest SP US-NY 12 May 2016
160 Hooded Warbler: Sterling Forest SP US-NY 12 May 2016
161 Cerulean Warbler: Sterling Forest SP US-NY 12 May 2016
162 Eastern Whip-poor-will: Orange County, NY US-NY 13 May 2016
163 Eastern Wood-Pewee: Orange County, NY US-NY 13 May 2016
164 Marsh Wren: Orange County, NY US-NY 13 May 2016
165 Worm-eating Warbler: Orange County, NY US-NY 13 May 2016
166 Blackburnian Warbler: Orange County, NY US-NY 13 May 2016
167 Indigo Bunting: Orange County, NY US-NY 13 May 2016
168 Great Egret: Orange County, NY US-NY 14 May 2016
169 Virginia Rail: Orange County, NY US-NY 14 May 2016
170 Semipalmated Plover: Orange County, NY US-NY 14 May 2016
171 Least Sandpiper: Orange County, NY US-NY 14 May 2016
172 Greater Yellowlegs: Orange County, NY US-NY 14 May 2016
173 Black-billed Cuckoo: Orange County, NY US-NY 14 May 2016
174 Bank Swallow: Orange County, NY US-NY 14 May 2016
175 Gray-cheeked Thrush: Orange County, NY US-NY 14 May 2016
176 Swainson’s Thrush: Orange County, NY US-NY 14 May 2016
177 Brown Thrasher: Orange County, NY US-NY 14 May 2016
178 Nashville Warbler: Orange County, NY US-NY 14 May 2016
179 Bobolink Orange: County, NY US-NY 14 May 2016
180 Canada Warbler: Wickham Woodlands TP US-NY 17 May 2016
181 Common Nighthawk: Sterling Forest SP US-NY 20 May 2016
182 Ruby-throated Hummingbird: Sterling Forest SP US-NY 20 May
183 Willow Flycatcher: Six and a Half Station Rd. US-NY 24 May 2016
184 Acadian Flycatcher: Sterling Valley Loop US-NY 30 May 2016
185 Alder Flycatcher: Sterling Valley Loop US-NY 30 May 2016
186 Grasshopper Sparrow: Black Dirt Region US-NY 02 Jun 2016
187 Black-crowned Night-Heron: Wallkill River NWR US-NY 21 Jun 2016
188 Short-billed Dowitcher: Wallkill River NWR US-NY 05 Jul 2016
189 Common Gallinule: 207 Marsh US-NY 18 Jul 2016
190 Semipalmated Sandpiper: Liberty Marsh (NY) US-NY 19 Jul 2016
191 Blue Grosbeak: Pine Island US-NY 04 Aug 2016
192 Pectoral Sandpiper: Citgo Pond Trail US-NY 09 Aug 2016
193 Black Tern: Citgo Trail US-NY 16 Aug 2016
194 Baird’s Sandpiper: Citgo Pond US-NY 25 Aug 2016
195 American Golden-Plover: Black Dirt Region US-NY 28 Aug 2016
196 Buff-breasted Sandpiper: Black Dirt Region US-NY 28 Aug 2016
197 Red-breasted Nuthatch: Mount Peter Hawk Watch US-NY 02 Sep
198 Cape May Warbler: Mount Peter Hawk Watch US-NY 02 Sep 2016
199 Purple Finch: Highland Lakes SP US-NY 04 Sep 2016
200 Connecticut Warbler: Winding Waters Trail US-NY 23 Sep 2016
201 Tennessee Warbler: Winding Waters Trail (NY) US-NY 25 Sep 2016
202 Lincoln’s Sparrow: Winding Waters (NY) US-NY 25 Sep 2016
203 Black-bellied Plover: Black Dirt Region–Skinners US-NY 29 Sep
204 American Pipit: Black Dirt Region–Skinners Lane US-NY 02 Oct
205 Black Scoter: Wickham Woodlands TP US-NY 09 Oct 2016
206 Surf Scoter: Wickham Woodlands TP US-NY 10 Oct 2016
207 Dunlin: Citgo Pond US-NY 18 Oct 2016
208 Sandhill Crane Six and a Half Station Rd. Sanct US-NY 26 Oct 2016
209 Golden Eagle: Mount Peter Hawk Watch US-NY 29 Oct 2016
210 Lapland Longspur: Black Dirt Region US-NY 01 Nov 2016
211 Fox Sparrow: Black Dirt Region Lynch Ave US-NY 07 Nov 2016
212 Winter Wren: Six and a Half Station Rd. Sanctuary US-NY 09 Nov
213 Red-throated Loon: Orange Lake (waterbody) US-NY 28 Nov 2016
214 Pink-footed Goose: Turtle Bay Road US-NY 03 Dec 2016

Weekend Wrap-up, 12/11/16

~First one Bald Eagle came in and landed in a tree not far from where I was standing. The bird called several times and was joined by her partner (it looks to me like the bird on the left is the larger female in this pair). What a treat to see a pair of Bald Eagles just like that. Orange County, NY 12/11/16.~

I did a lot of running around Orange County over the weekend, trying to add to my county year list. While failed to located any new birds, I did enjoy some good birding and I managed to get some photos that I thought were worth sharing. My best birds for the weekend where: Golden-crowned Kinglet (one at Wickham Lake and one at Laurel Grove Cemetery) and Brown Creeper (also two observations, one at Wickham Lake and the other at Watershed Park in Port Jervis).

So, with with 20 days left in the year, I stand at 214 birds in Orange County for the year. I still think there might be a couple of birds out there for me before the end of the year (Pine Siskin, Great Cormorant… maybe get lucky with a Northern Shrike?), but who knows.

~My first Brown Creeper in a LONG time! And I managed to get a photo! BRCR at Wickham Lake, 12/10/16.~

~This bird was moving very quickly, I really struggle to keep up with the camera. Golden-crowned Kinglet at Wickham Lake, 12/10/16.~

~A male Eastern Bluebird enjoys a snack at Mount Peter Hawkwatch, 12/10/16.~

Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 11/19/16

I got a relatively early start and arrived at the Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge at 7 am. I had a couple of goals for the morning. The first was to try for some photographs; it felt like ages since I’ve gotten a decent shot. The shortened days have really limited my ability to photograph in any sort of good light, plus I just feel a little snakebite lately when it comes to photos. My second goal was to relocated the Northern Shrike that has been hanging around out there, on and off. On this past Thursday evening, I made a brief stop and viewed the refuge from the Galeville Park and was lucky enough to find the shrike and get a couple of distant, brief looks at the bird in my scope before I lost track of it.

As for my first goal, I did get some post-able photos this morning, however they are nothing to write home about. But, still it was great fun to be out on such a gorgeous morning and have some good birds in beautiful early morning light. As for the shrike, it was a no show. I spent most of my time in the area where I had seen the bird on Thursday, but I was unable to relocate it.

~Northern Harrier in flight just over the grasses at the Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 11/19/16.~

It was an enjoyable morning of birding, if not amazing. One bird I was hoping to see but did not was Rough-legged Hawk. It leaves something to look forward to for next time, I guess. I’ve include my species list at the bottom of this post.

~A big, beautiful, mean-looking Red-tailed Hawk at the Shawangunk Grasslands, 11/19/16. Good looking bird.~

~While I was shooting the kestrel in the top photo, this dude walked across the trail just off to my right. I saw three bucks while I was at the refuge today.~

~This is, in my opinion, a photogenic bird. Northern Mockingbird at the Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 11/19/16.~

Canada Goose 300
Turkey Vulture 4
Northern Harrier 6
Red-tailed Hawk 4
Rock Pigeon 15
Mourning Dove 8
Red-bellied Woodpecker 4
Downy Woodpecker 2
Northern Flicker 5
American Kestrel 1
Blue Jay 75
American Crow 45
Common Raven 2
Black-capped Chickadee 12
Tufted Titmouse 8
White-breasted Nuthatch 4
American Robin 18
Northern Mockingbird 1
American Tree Sparrow 16
Dark-eyed Junco 12
Northern Cardinal 5
Common Grackle 25
blackbird sp. 200 Distant flock in flight
House Finch 14
American Goldfinch 24

Adirondack Vacation 2016

~I absolutely love, love, love these birds. They have a great personality and they are incredible flyers. I really enjoyed watching them navigate through the woods. GRAY JAY at Bloomingdale Bog, North End, 9/18/16.~

When it rains it pours, here’s my fourth post in as many days. Tricia and I spent a week in the Adirondacks on a family vacation with both of her brothers, her nephew, and her cousin and his family. We stayed at a great place, White Pine Camp in Paul Smiths, New York. I would certainly recommend it to anyone planning to head up to the Adirondacks and we will surely go back.

So, while it was not a birding trip, almost all of our time was spent outdoors. We did a lot of canoeing and kayaking (we did one epic day of 9 lakes in 8 hours in a canoe). And, I did get out and do some birding on my own, checking out some of the local hotspots, including Bigelow Road and Bloomingdale Bog (both the north end and the south end). Unfortunately, it was pretty quiet on the birding front. I did manage to see Gray Jays in 2 locations, and I had a Yellow-bellied Flycatcher at Bigelow Road. On one paddling trip, Tricia’s brother Kevin located a young Red-bellied Woodpecker, which was a bird I wasn’t expecting to see for some reason. I came up empty in regards to Boreal Chickadees and Black-backed Woodpeckers, which was disappointing. For the week I had just over 40 species. Anyway, it was a great time and I hope you enjoy my vacation photos.

~ A foggy morning Ring-billed Gull on a rock in Osgood Pond, where our camp was located. White Pines Camp, Adirondacks 9/17/16.~

~This is another bird that I was sort of surprised to see up there. Belted Kingfisher on the shore of the Osgood River, 9/19/16.~

~Yellow-bellied Flycatcher at Bigelow Road, 9/18/16.~

~I saw plenty of these guys at Bloomingdale Bog’s South End. Golden-crowned Kinglet, 9/21/16.~

~Blue-headed Vireo at Bloomingdale Bog South End, 9/21/16.~

COMMON LOONS

I’ve always enjoyed photographing the Common Loons up in the Adirondacks. In the past I have had some great experiences where the loons were as curious about me as I was about them. They would pop up right next to my kayak and provide for extraordinary photo ops. This time around, I found that the loons were not quite as curious. I’m pretty sure it had to do with the adults tending to and protecting their young, which were still staying very close to their parents and sometimes still being fed. That being said, the birds were still quite confiding and while I did not spend as much time shooting them as I have in the past, I was able to get some decent shots:

Mt. Peter Hawkwatch, 9/24/16

I had a pretty good day at Mount Peter Hawkwatch today, especially early in the morning while there was a good northwest wind and heavy cloud cover. I had 435 migrating hawks, with 407 of them being Broad-winged Hawks. I had many visitors today, and I want to thank them because they were instrumental in finding many of the raptors, especially once the clouds had cleared and the birds were harder to locate. Here’s my report for the day:

Observation start time: 08:00:00
Observation end time: 16:00:00
Total observation time: 8 hours
Official Counter Matt Zeitler
Observers: Rob Stone

Visitors:
Luke Driscoll, Thomas Driscoll, Mike Limatoli, Sue Dougherty, Peter & Glyn Nixon, Anne and Phil Ribolow, and Matt Vrydacjis.

Weather:
Cloudy and cool for the first hour and a half of the watch, then nearly cloudless and warm for the remainder. Wind from the northwest for most of the day. Temperatures ranged from 13 to 21 degrees Celsius.

Raptor Observations:
One adult and one immature Bald Eagle, one unknown Northern Harrier, one unknown Red-shouldered Hawk, and one male American Kestrel.

Non-raptor Observations:
Non Raptor Species: Highlight was a flock of approximately 30 Double-crested Cormorants that passed through, which was very interesting to watch. Other species: Blue Jay (85), Black-capped Chickadee (2), Red-breasted Nuthatch (1), White-breasted Nuthatch (1), Common Raven (2), American Crow (4), Northern Flicker (1), American Goldfinch (2), Ring-billed Gull (7), Chimney Swift (2), Cape May Warbler (2).

~One of the local Common Ravens in flight. One day I will get a decent shot of one of these birds. Mt. Pete, 9/24/16.~

~This Cooper’s Hawk was the only bird to go for my new plastic owl that was mounted high above the viewing platform. It was a tough day for photos for me for some reason, and of course this bird came at the owl with the sun at its back. Mt. Peter Hawkwatch, 9/24/16.~

Wow! WILSON’S PHALAROPE at DeKorte, 8/15/16

~Love, love, loved this bird! WILSON’S PHALAROPE at DeKorte Park, 8/15/16.~

Okay, so at what point do I change the name of this blog to Bergen Birding? Over the weekend, another GREAT bird – a WILSON’S PHALAROPE, was located at DeKorte Park in Lyndhurst, New Jersey. I didn’t go for it then, I but today after work, I ran for the bird and luckily the bird not only stuck around, it was very accommodating for photos. I was talking with Chris Takacs while viewing the bird, and he indicated that this was likely a young bird. The bird is absolutely beautiful, white as white can be with a long very thin and pointy bill. It fed nearly the entire time I was there, only stopping to preen and then relax for a short time. This is the second time I’ve seen a Wilson’s Phalarope, my lifer was at the Liberty Loop back in April of 2013.

Huge thanks to both Maria Loukeris and Denise Farrel, who kept me posted with the alerts for this bird today.

~Beautiful bird. Wilson’s Phalarope at DeKorte Park, 8/15/16.~

~I had to include at least one water flick shot. Wilson’s Phalarope at DeKorte Park, 8/15/16.~

~There were many other shorebirds close by too, but I barely paused to take their photos. Lesser Yellowlegs at DeKorte Park, 8/15/16. ~

~And for comparison, a Greater Yellowlegs at DeKorte Park 8/15/16.~

~This is not a bird I’ve been this close to before. Short-billed Dowitcher at DeKorte, 8/15/16.

Hidden Heron, 8/14/16

Just a week and a day after getting decent photos of an adult Black-crowned Night-Heron at DeKorte Park, I was pleasantly surprised by this juvenile that I saw this morning at Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge. I inadvertently flushed the bird when I paused on the trail to watch an American Kestrel hunting. I watched as the heron briefly flew, then landed and stashed itself in the heavy vegetation. The bird does not look very hidden in this photo, but I can tell you that it took me a long while searching with my binoculars to relocate the bird, and that was after having seen where it had flown in. BCNHs are one of my favorites and it’s always a thrill to see one, especially in Orange County.

Red-tailed Hawk Flight Series

When this Red-tailed Hawk actually took flight TOWARDS me, it was so unexpected that I almost panicked. I picked up the bird fairly early as it took flight (shots #1 and #2). Then I lost focus for a moment but was able to get it back again as the bird came closer (shots #3, #4, and #5). After shot #5, I lost focus again, but this time I think the bird may have been too close for my focus setting. Pretty exciting to get an opportunity like this and to not completely blow it!

Beautiful Baby Black-billed Cuckoo

What a delight and a privilege to see this young Black-billed Cuckoo this morning… if you take a walk in the woods, you never know what you’re going to see.

There is no better pastime than birding to de-stress and bring some joy to your heart after a long work week.

Sunday Shots – More Good OC Birding

~Hard to beat this – Golden-winged Warbler in a blooming Dogwood, Sterling Forest 5/15/16.~

This morning I birded with Linda Scrima and Maria Loukeris. We hit two spots and did pretty well with warblers at both of them:

STERLING FOREST – IRONWOOD DRIVE

Ovenbird
Worm-eating Warbler
Golden-winged Warbler
Blue-winged Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
Hooded Warbler
American Redstart
Northern Parula
Yellow Warbler
Prairie Warbler

POCHUCK MOUNTAIN STATE FOREST

Ovenbird
Worm-eating Warbler
Blue-winged Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
American Redstart
Northern Parula
Magnolia Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Prairie Warbler

Other notable birds included super looks at 2 Yellow-billed Cuckoos (unfortunately, I blew the pics!), a Swainson’s Thrush, and several Scarlet Tanagers all of which were seen at Pochuck Mountain. The Golden-winged Warbler was a lifer for Linda, so congrats to her on that.

It’s really a great time of the year for birding, and I’m embracing warblers for the first time really, so it’s been very enjoyable. I’ve included photos from earlier this week, when I made visits to Sterling Forest and the Liberty Loop.

~Finally, a decent shot of a Blackburnian Warbler, Pochuck Mountain SF, 5/15/16.~

A Yellow-throated Vireo enjoys a snack at Sterling Forest, 5/12/16.~

~Hooded Warblers are numerous at Sterling right now but I can’t seem to get a good photo. Distant shot of a HOWA, 5/12/16.~

~Louisiana Waterthrush at Liberty Loop, 5/9/16.~

~One more shot of the Golden-winged Warbler, Sterling Forest SP 5/15/16.~

~Blue-winged Warbler at Sterling Forest SP, 5/10/16.~

~One of several Scarlet Tanagers at Pochuck Mountain SF, 5/15/16.~