I like the little tilt of the head of the bird in this photo. Short-eared Owl at Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 12/14/14.
I had a full day of birding today, but the best was saved for last. Huge thanks to PJ Singh who texted me to let me know that there was a single Short-eared Owl up early at the Shawangunk Grasslands NWR. I was over in Newburgh picking up a couple of birds I needed for the county (Great Black-backed Gull and Great Cormorant), and I was not going to go to the grasslands. It had been gray and cloudy all day which would not make for good photos, and the owls had not been up early yet this year as far as I knew. I decided to head over to check it out and boy am I glad I did. Sun came out and the so did the SEOWs, right before 3:30. I was lucky enough to get into the south blind and that’s where the birds seemed to spend most of their time tonight. PJ joined me in the blind shortly after the owls got up and wow did they put on a show! I approximate at least 10 Short-eared Owls were there, but it is tough to get a good count while photographing. What an exciting afternoon!
Short-eared Owl in flight at Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 12/14/14. This is my favorite shot of the day, I love how both the bird and the grasses are well lit on a dark background. SEOW at Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 12/14/14.SEOW at Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 12/14/14. This stick was a favorite perch of the Short-eared Owls, Shawangunk Grasslands NWR 12/14/14.This shot was taken as the sun started to get lower, SEOW at the Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 12/14/14. Ralph put this perch in the perfect position, directly in front of the blind, and the owls love it. Perched Short-eared Owl at Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 12/14/14.
A backlit light morph Rough-legged Hawk at the Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge, 12/7/14.
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One thing I knew I wanted to do this weekend was to try to get out to the Shawangunk Grasslands NWR. When Ken McDermott let me know on Friday evening that he had a Northern Shrike there that day, I knew for sure that’s where I was headed. Saturday was, unfortunately, a wash. Steady rains all day made for poor birding, though it was not for lack of trying. I went to the grasslands early in the day where I met up with John Haas and Ralph Tabor and we had no luck with the shrike. Sunday was a different story; it was a beautiful, sunny, cold, and crisp day which was very refreshing. No luck again with the Northern Shrike, but I did REALLY well with raptors. I spent a few hours in the morning in the new blind that Ralph placed pretty far into the eastern most portion of the refuge. The blind is well placed with several nearby trees for the birds to perch on, and it is in an area where the Rough-legged Hawks seem to spend a lot of time. By the time I headed back to my car in the early afternoon, I had put together what I consider a pretty good list of raptors:
Black Vulture (3)
Turkey Vulture (4)
Bald Eagle (2 adults)
Northern Harrier (4)
Red-tailed Hawk (5)
Rough-legged Hawk (5 – at least!)
American Kestrel (1)
Peregrine Falcon (1)
And, being in a blind, I had some very good opportunities for photos:
This male American Kestrel could be seen working the grasslands all morning long, and then luckily stopped to perch in the tree right in front of the blind. Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 12/7/14.American Kestrel in flight, Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 12/7/14.xDark morph Rough-legged Hawk in flight over the blind at the Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 12/7/14.This is the same bird pictured above, as it came in to perch. RLHA at Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 12/7/14.VERY distant shot of a Pergrine Falcon that seemed to just pass through. Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 12/7/14.
In the parking lot of the refuge I ran into PJ Singh who decided to join me in looking for some waterfowl. At our first stop, Lippincott Road in Wallkill, we saw a half dozen Common Mergansers, but that’s it. We did much better at our second stop, Chadwick Lake. The highlight for me was five Common Goldeneyes, and we also had: Ruddy Duck (9), Ring-necked Duck (35), Hooded Merganser (6), Common Loon (1), and a single Mute Swan.
Ruddy Duck at Chadwick Lake, 12/7/14. This is one of the few that were not tucked in.xThree of five Common Goldeneye at Chadwick Lake, 12/7/14.
Since it was such a gorgeous afternoon, I returned to the grasslands in the afternoon to try for photos of the Short-eared Owls. The light was a good as it could be, but unfortunately the owls did not cooperate and did not get up until after dark. It was tough to see, but when they did come up I counted at least three. I sat in the north blind until it was too dark for photos and did alright with Northern Harriers:
The harriers seem to be eating well at the grasslands. Many of the birds I photographed had full crops like this bird. Northern Harrier at Shawangunk Grasslands, 12/7/14.NOHA at the grasslands, 12/7/14.Here’s another bird with a pretty full crop. Northern Harrier hunting at the Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 12/7/14.And finally, the deer are plentiful at the refuge.
I just love these Horned Larks and I I was trying to get some more interesting photos of them today. I was trying to anticipate when the birds would interact like this. Black Dirt Region, 11/22/14.
I birded in the black dirt this morning and didn’t have any out-of-the-ordinary sightings but the light was nice and I took a lot of photos, so I’m going with basically a photo post.
It’s the Northern Harrier time of year. I didn’t have any terrific opportunities but I did take some distant shots. Black Dirt Region, 11/22/14.I love the light and the shape of this bird the streetlight and a truck in the background….ugh. Northern Harrier in Pine Island, NY 11/22/14.I have this as a first winter White-crowned Sparrow, at Wallkill River NWR, Liberty Loop Trail, 11/22/14.This not a bird that I get many photos of for some reason. Northern Cardinal at Wallkill River NWR, Liberty Loop Trail, 11/22/14.
The highlight of the day was being able to spend some time with some Horned Larks in several locations in the black dirt. These two shots preceded the photo at the top of this post:
I love the dirt flying in this photo! Horned Lark in the Black Dirt Region, 11/22/14.Gorgeous individual here, in my opinion. Horned Lark in the Black Dirt, 11/22/14.Sweetness. Horned Lark in the Black Dirt Region, 11/22/14.This is a more typical look; Horned Lark in the Black Dirt, 11/22/14.
A local Peregrine cruises by, State Line Hawk Watch, 11/4/14.
I was on the road for work today and I was passing near State Line Hawk Watch right around lunch, so I stopped in. The raptors were certainly flying; I was there for less than a half hour and I saw: Turkey Vulture (8), Black Vulture (2), Peregrine Falcon (2), Red-tailed Hawk (4), Sharp-shinned Hawk (2), and a single Merlin. Not too shabby for some unexpected birding!
A Red-tailed Hawk at eye level. State Line Hawk Watch, 11/4/14.This is a very typical view at the watch – looking down at the birds. Peregrine Falcon at State Line Hawk Watch, 11/4/14.I believe that this is the local female Peregrine Falcon, at the “perch”. State Line Hawk Watch, 11/4/14.
Right before sunset, I was in the Black Dirt Region and I finally got a half way decent shot of an American Pipit (which are plentiful in the area right now).
Scarlet Tanager at 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary, 9/18/14.
I stopped by 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary after work today. It started out slowly, particularly because I was hoping for shorebirds and found NONE. But, in the end, it was a relatively productive day with 25 species being identified. Here’s my list for the day and some more photos:
Six and a Half Station Rd. Sanctuary, Orange, US-NY
I finally got a shot (not a good one yet!) of one of my photo-nemisis birds – Pileated Woodpecker at 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary, 9/18/14.
Canada Goose 35
Mute Swan 4
Wood Duck 10
American Black Duck 2
Mallard 8
Green-winged Teal 15
Great Blue Heron 2
Great Egret 13
Turkey Vulture 1
Common Nighthawk 3
Downy Woodpecker 2
Pileated Woodpecker 1
Blue Jay 7
American Crow 5
Black-capped Chickadee 2
Tufted Titmouse 3
American Robin 3
Gray Catbird 2
European Starling 12
Common Yellowthroat 1
Black-throated Green Warbler 2
Scarlet Tanager 2
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 2
Bobolink X Heard
American Goldfinch 5
Black-throated Green Warbler at 6 1/2 Station Road Sanctuary, 9/18/14.
And now to catch up a bit. On Sunday evening I got this shot of a juvenile Black-crowned Night-Heron at Wallkill River NWR:
I was happy to see these guys are still around. BCNH at Wallkill River NWR, 9/14/14.
Then, on Monday of this week, I stopped by Mount Peter Hawk Watch and got some decent birds including an adult Bald Eagle and a juvenile Northern Harrier. On my way out, Linda Scrima alerted me to the fact that there were some shorebirds at the Wallkill River NWR:
One of these things is not like the others…. 6 Lesser and one Greater Yellow legs at Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge, 9/15/14. Totals were 8 Lessers and 2 Greaters. Lesser Yellowlegs – Wallkill River NWR, 9/15/14.
On Tuesday I stopped by Mount Peter again and got very lucky. Tom Millard and I had a total of 278 Broad-winged Hawks and 2 Sharp-shinned Hawks from 4:00 to 5:00. Then on Wednesday I had some business in Wappingers Falls NY, so I stopped by Denning’s Point on my way back. It was not very birdy, but I did get a shot of this young buck:
I’ve been wanting to post this series of photos for a while. I took these back on July 18th while kayaking at the Bashakill Wildlife Management Area. It was an extremely foggy morning, so much so that until late in the morning, the fog prevented any good photos. This Great Blue Heron was shot just as the fog had lifted.
I allowed the kayak to just drift in the direction of this perched Great Blue Heron…I love this shot – you can barely see the bird as it compresses before lift off. I actually had one frame where the bird was not visible at all. The heron seems to simultaneously leap and flap its wings to take off…Air born! Miraculously the bird took off straight to my left instead of away from me. I love the full extension in this photo. I’m not sure if this is due to my crop or if the heron actually got a little closer as it passed by……And one more shot as the bird passed to my left.
A Green Heron strikes a pose at Denning’s Point in Beacon NY, 7/20/14.
So, I have gotten out a number of times this week but have not had time to post. For the most part it was the expected cast of characters, but there were some exceptions. My best bird of the week was the PURPLE MARTIN, four of which were observed at Stewart State Forest on both 7/17 and 7/20. A close second place was a single HORNED LARK in the black dirt region on 7/16, and it was also really great to see some shorebird movement with three LEAST SANDPIPERS and two LESSER YELLOWLEGS at the Camel Farm on 7/15 and three more LESA out in Sullivan County on 7/18. So, things are starting to happen, which is exciting. Here are my shots from the week:
BLACK DIRT REGION, WEDNESDAY 7/16/14
I don’t normally crop this tightly, but it seems to hold up for me with this shot. Horned Lark in the Black Dirt Region, 7/16/14.HOLA in the Black Dirt, 7/16/14.
STEWART FOREST, THURSDAY 7/17/14 & SUNDAY 7/20/14
Purple Martins in flight overhead at Stewart Forest, 7/17/14.COYE at Stewart Forest, 7/20/14.Eastern Wood Peewee, a bird that I don’t get many photos of. Stewart Forest, 7/20/14.Eastern Towhee in the tree tops at Stewart Forest, 7/20/14.
BASHAKILL WMA, FRIDAY 7/18/20
I flushed this (and many more) Wood Duck while kayaking the Bash in the early morning fog. The fog was so thick that it pretty much prohibited any good photos for most of the morning. Later this week, however, I will be posting a series of Great Blue Heron shots taken as the fog started to lift.
SULLIVAN COUNTY, FRIDAY 7/18/14
Least Sandpiper in Sullivan County, 7/18/14.This Killdeer kept looking skyward, I’m not sure why. Sullivan County 7/18/14.
DENNING’S POINT, SATURDAY 7/19/14
Two Great Blue Herons spar just off of Denning’s Point, with Bannerman Island Arsenal in the background, 7/19/14.
Last night, Tricia and I were fortunate enough to be present for the release of not one, but three EASTERN SCREECH-OWLS. The owls were all injured in the Warwick area and rehabilitated by Missy Runyan at the Friends of the Feathered and Furry Wildlife Center. Our friend Carol Linguanti, who is also a wildlife rehabber, was given the wonderful task of releasing the birds and invited me along to witness and take some photos. This, of course made me nervous about getting good shots, but I was thrilled to have the opportunity. Our first stop was at Homestead Village, where one of the birds was found on the lawn of a resident. Since the bird was brought in for rehabilitation a short time ago, it was released in the same spot where it was picked up. Here are some shots from the release:
An Eastern Screech-owl seems to be waiting for its eyes to adjust to the light before being released. Warwick, NY 7/18/14.The EASO was out of the box before I knew it, but I did manage one silhouetted flight shot.Tricia faired much better from the other side, getting this shot.The owl perched on a nearby branch for probably less than a minute and then seemed to get its bearings and took off.
The second and third owls apparently had been in rehab for a longer period of time, during which, they bonded. They were to be released together on a large tract of land that Carol owns in Warwick. This release was made even more exciting with the sighting of TWO BEARS! How good can it get? Here are the photos from that release:
Getting ready to be free again, one rufous and one gray Eastern Screech-owl. Photo by Carol Linguanti, Warwick, NY 7/18/14.This EASO behaved similarly to the first release, perching nearby for a short period of time before taking off into the woods.The first bear we saw was relatively small, presumably a young bear.The second bear was huge and Carol’s husband Bobby was very excited when we watched the bear use the bridge that Bobby had built to get over a stream.
I really cannot thank Carol enough for inviting me to be part of this. It was so exciting to get to see these owls up close and fulfilling to know that they had been successfully rehabbed and now were back where they belonged.
American Redstart at Wolf Brook Multi-use Area, 7/11/14.
This morning I met John Haas out in Sullivan County and we birded Wolf Brook Multi-use Area and Neversink Unique area. We left my car at Katrina Falls Road Access and then took John’s car to the Wolf Brook Access. We hiked approximately 4 1/2 miles back to my car and I have to say that this place is loaded with birds. If you threw a rock you would certainly hit an Eastern Towhee as they were present in high numbers. Here’s a distant shot of a young towhee:
A young EATO at Wolf Brook Multi-use Area, 7/11/14.
One highlight for me was seeing a mother Common Merganser with two young on the Neversink River. Our look was distant and partially obstructed, so no photos of those birds. Worth mentioning is that we did really well with warblers, with 12 species:
Yellow Warbler Pine Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler Prairie Warbler
Magnolia Warbler Black-and-white Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler American Redstart
Black-throated Green Warbler Ovenbird
Blackburnian Warbler Common Yellowthroat
Chestnut-sided Warbler at Wolf Brook Multi-use Area, 7/11/14.This Black-and-white Warbler found one patch of bright sunlight on the trail. Of course my camera was set for being in the low light of the trail so this shot is overexposed but I tried to salvage it. Neversink Unique Area, 7/11/14.
As birdy as the walk was, the best part of the hike was certainly seeing the falls. At about 30 feet high, they are really spectacular to see and my photos don’t do justice in the slightest. Also, it is wonderfully cool with a nice mist coming off the falls, accompanied with small rainbows. It’s really a great experience and I recommend it highly.
This panoramic shot was taken with the Photosynth app on my iPhone.
I want to thank John for showing me this great hike, one that I will surely take for years to come, and also for all his help identifying birds by ear today. As we walked, I wondered from time to time just how many birds I would be able to identify if I was doing it on my own? I guess I’ll find out next time….
