Orange County – Page 42 – Orange Birding

Common Nighthawk in Flight

After a spring where I didn’t see any in the county, I’ve been fortunate this fall when it comes to Common Nighthawks. I’ve had nearly a dozen sitings in Orange County, including two occasions when they flew right over our house in Goshen, NY. I was on my way home on September 4th in the evening, when I noticed this bird as it, and several others, hawked insects over the small ice cream stand on the corner of Matthews Street and West Main in Goshen. I pulled over and grabbed my camera. I was pretty excited since the birds were up early and I had good light. I enjoyed trying to track the birds as they flew erratically and hunted; it was certainly a nice end to the day.

Mount Peter, 09/16/17

~An adult Bald Eagle flies over Mt. Peter Hawkwatch; it never gets old! 09/16/17.

I had a great day today at Mt. Peter Hawkwatch. The birds were flying, at least to a certain extent, and I had a respectable 493 migrating raptors (448 of them were Broad-winged Hawks). I also had many visitors – it’s an exciting time of year at the hawkwatch, so there are plenty of folks coming an going: Joyce Depew, Kathy Ashman, Maria Loukeris, Linda Scrima, Rob and Anthony Stone, Denise Ferrel, Carol Linguanti, the Zahns, and Phil and Ann (who’s last name I don’t know but they are avid hawk watchers and yearly visitors to Mt. Pete) all spent time on the mountain today, scouring the skies for hawks. Here’s my report for the day:

~A kettle of Broad-wings streaming out. Mt. Peter Hawkwatch, 09/1617.~

~A young Bald Eagle flies over the valley. Mt. Peter Hawkwatch, 09/16/17.~

~Look at this! I was so excited when Denise Ferrel gave me mine! Thanks Denise, you have no idea how awesome this is to me! ~

~Later in the day, when things had quieted down a bit – Me, Phil, and Ann chilling on the platform. Mt. Peter Hawkwatch, 09/16/17. Photo by Carol Linguanti. ~

Orange County SANDERLINGS, 09/06/17

~Two of the five SANDERLINGS at Skinners Lane, 09/06/17.~

SUPER QUICK POST: I had loads to do tonight to get ready for my Vermont golf trip, but made it out to the black dirt this evening because conditions seemed ripe for good shorebirds. I was happily surprised beyond what I would have hoped for. On Skinners Lane, I located a really great collection of shorebirds, all in a single field: 12 Black-bellied Plover, 43 American Golden-Plover, 10 Killdeer, 1 Greater Yellowlegs, 4 Lesser Yellowlegs and definitely the best bird of the day, 5 SANDERLINGS.

I put the word out and Linda Scrima and Rob Stone both joined me to enjoy the birds. Excellent OC birding!

A Small Hawk in the Rain

09/03/17: After an early morning searching unsuccessfully for shorebirds in the Black Dirt, I came across this Broad-winged Hawk on a wire near 6 1/2 Road Sanctuary. My impression is that this was a very small hawk, in fact, likely the smallest buteo I’ve ever seen; to my eye it appeared to be just a little larger than a Merlin. I’m thinking that this is a small, young, male BWHA. I’m not a fan of wires as a perch for photos, but I do like this one just because it gives a really good look at the hawk.

Hawkwatch Begins!

~Ahh, the first Turkey Vulture photo of the season. Mt. Peter Hawkwatch, 09/02/17.~

Time flies. It’s hard for me to believe the summer is over and hawkwatch is upon us already. I am excited for the season; hawk watching is one of my favorite types of birding, and, with the exception of next week (9/9), I will be the official counter at Mount Peter Hawkwatch every Saturday for the duration of season.

I got off to a decent start to the season today with 17 migrating raptors counted, which isn’t horrible for September 2nd. I had 11 Broad-winged Hawks, 5 Sharp-shinned Hawks, and a single Osprey. Five of the Broad-winged Hawks came over in a “mini-kettle” that formed to the right of the tower in front of the viewing platform. The birds climbed quite quickly and then streamed off, migrating to the southwest. I was joined by Bill Connolly and Rob Stone – not coincidentally, I had my most productive hour (8 birds) when they were both present.

It was a good day for birding up on the mountain and I had nice count of 28 species of birds (in addition to 3 species of migrating raptors): Common Raven (4), American Goldfinch (20), Blue Jay (24), White-breasted Nuthatch (2), Tufted Titmouse (4), Black-capped Chickadee (4), American Crow (4), Ruby-throated Hummingbird (1), Cedar Waxwing (30+), Chimney Swift (7), Gray Catbird (2), American Robin (3), Northern Flicker (1), European Starling (8), Northern Mockingbird (1), Red-bellied Woodpecker (1), Northern Cardinal (2), Turkey Vulture (many), Black Vulture (many), Red-tailed Hawk (2), Mourning Dove (1), Pileated Woodpecker (1), Baltimore Oriole (1), Great-crested Flycatcher (1), Barn Swallow (1), COMMON NIGHTHAWK (1), Black-throated Green Warbler (1), and Red-eyed Vireo (1). The most exciting for me was the Common Nighthawk that Rob picked up just beyond the tower – it was my first time having one at Mt. Peter.

~Okay, this wasn’t taken today at Mt. Pete. Our CONI today was much more distant than this one, which I took at Turtle Bay earlier in the week, 08/30/17.~

Here’s my report from the day:

Orange County GLOSSY IBIS, 08/29/17

QUICK POST: While at work today, Bill Fiero reported to the Mearns Bird Club App a GLOSSY IBIS at Citgo Pond. I made plans with Linda Scrima to meet there after work and go for the bird. When we first got there, it appeared that the bird had moved on, but eventually we located it on the far side of the pond hanging out with the Mallards and the Canada Geese. We were able to get some documentary photos; the lighting was terrible and the bird was pretty distant. Meanwhile, I was also scanning the shorebirds present. Numbers were up considerably, with over 20 Lesser Yellowlegs present, a couple of Semipalmated Sandpipers, a handful of Least Sandpipers, a single Killdeer and the shorebird of the day… a half dozen dowitchers. I think they are likely SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS. I’m sort of playing the odds here because the time is right for SBDO rather than Long-billed, but also, the birds do not appear to be overly humpbacked and their undersides do not seem to be as solidly marked as found in LBDO. Please comment if you have any thoughts on the accurate identification of these birds – thanks. What a great evening of birding, I sort of wasn’t really expecting it! Huge thanks to Bill for locating and reporting the GLIB.

~Short-billed? Dowitchers at Citgo Pond, 08/29/17.~

~One more shot of the GLIB at Citgo Pond, 08/29/17.~

~I sort of like this photo – all you dowitchers get to the left, Lesser Yellowlegs to the right! Citgo Pond, 08/29/17.~

Interesting Birding

Friday night’s shorebirds were definitely the highlight of this weekend’s birding, but I did get out both Saturday and Sunday mornings, trying mostly for shorebirds. I had mostly the usuals and my best birds for the weekend were 3 BAIRD’S SANDPIPERS first thing Saturday Morning in the Black Dirt. Also noteworthy was a single Pectoral Sandpiper at Citgo Pond on Sunday morning.

I feel like I have some interesting birding experiences recently. The one that stands out most for me was Saturday morning, when I found a bird at Pine Island Turf Nursery (remember – by permission only), that I was unable to identify. I am at the point with my birding that, when I’m in the black dirt, it’s unusual for me not to be able to identify a bird. Luckily, I was able to get some photos of the bird and I sent them immediately to John Haas and Rob Stone. Both came back with the same answer: a hatch year HORNED LARK. Rob added that it likely had recently fledged. When I first saw the bird, I was thinking HOLA or maybe American Pipit, but looking at it, I could not pin it down. It was really cool to see this bird and also excellent to document that HOLAs are breeding in Orange County. There was a tremendous amount of heat distortion in the air Saturday morning, and I photographed the bird from my car, so I think the heat from my car distorted the pics. What an interesting looking bird:

~Hatch year Horned Lark at Pine Island Turf Nursery 08/26/17.~

~Another look at the hatch year HOLA, Pine Island Turf Nursery 08/26/17. Look at the “jowls” on this bird!~

Also on Saturday morning: At Turtle Bay, I had a pair of young Cooper’s Hawk’s in a distant field. They were among a murder of crows, perhaps 25 or so. The crows were making a racket generally harassing the hawks, as they do. The young hawks seemed to think this was a game and repeatedly chased the crows, sometimes flying after them and other times “hopping” towards them.

All week, Bobolinks have been present in large flocks in the black dirt. They have been quite a sight and I was hoping that I would eventually get a decent photo op; I finally did on Saturday morning and I’ve include my best shot at the top of this post.

On Thursday evening I was at Citgo Pond trying for shorebirds. As I was scanning the pond, a large number of Cedar Waxwings were flying over my head, presumably hawking insects. They were very acrobatic in their flying, turning on a dime and at times bordering on hovering. I attempted to take some flight shots and it proved more difficult than I would have thought; I did manage to get a couple of interesting shots:

~Cedar Waxwing “hovering” above me. Citgo Pond 08/24/17.~

And, finally, on Sunday morning I went to Citgo Pond once again for shorebirds (9 Least Sandpipers, 1 Semipalmated Sandpiper, 1 Pectoral Sandpiper, 5 Lesser Yellowlegs, 4 Killdeer). On my way in, I had a pair of young wrens on the trail. I wasn’t sure if they were Marsh or House; I was sort of assuming House but looking at the photos when I got home, I’m thinking they must have been Marsh Wrens. They were along the trail and spending some time in the trees, but also some time in the marsh grasses. Please comment if you can confirm/deny this ID, thanks.

~I have this as a young Marsh Wren – Citgo Pond 08/27/17.~

~It’s not all that unusual to have a Great Blue Heron in the Black Dirt, but on Saturday morning, 08/26/17, I had 3 during my travels.~

~I’m sure folks are getting tired of Least Sandpiper photos, but I’m not. LESA at Citgo Pond, 08/24/17.~

OC Shorebird Report, 08/25/17

~One of 5 Lesser Yellowlegs at the Citgo Pond, 8/24/17.~

QUICK POST: Things are finally happening! It was a heck of a week in Orange County for shorebirds. On Tuesday 8/22, Linda Scrima reported a single BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER in the black dirt. I tried for that bird in the evening, but came up empty. On Thursday 8/24, Karen Miller had 12 AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERS in the black dirt. I could not get out there, because I was at the Citgo Pond, checking on conditions, which are bordering on excellent for shorebirds. I had nearly a dozen Least Sandpipers, 5 Lesser Yellowlegs, 1 Greater Yellowlegs, and some Killdeer.

So, today, Friday 8/25, John Haas had two BAIRD’S SANDPIPERS and 4 AMGPs at Pine Island Turf Nursery (be advised that you need permission to bird at PI Turf Nursery. They are very accommodating to birders but if there is work being done access will be denied). I was headed there after work when I was contacted by Linda Scrima, who had 2 BAIRD’S SANDPIPERS at another location in the black dirt. I changed my plans, met Rob Stone, and we got Linda’s two BASAs as well as a single AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER. I was thrilled to finally get some good fall shorebirds, and the icing on the cake was later in the evening, just as it was getting dark, I got fabulous scope views of a pair of UPLAND SANDPIPERS! What a night! Let’s hope this is just the beginning!

~A Least Sandpiper treks through the mud at Citgo Pond, 08/24/17.~

~Two BAIRD’S SANDPIPERS in the black dirt, 08/25/17.~

~A distant American Golden-Plover, Black Dirt 08/25/17.~

Shorebird Report, 08/13/17

~One lonely Least Sandpiper in the Black Dirt. I was really enjoying seeing this bird today – fortunately the bird was foraging close to the road so I able to get close looks and some photos. Black Dirt, 08/13/17.~

SHOREBIRD REPORT: Well, there is actually not very much to report, but it’s not for lack of trying. I am more than ready for some shorebirds to show up in Orange County, but really, the birds have been sparse. Here’s the latest:

Friday 8/11: I had a single Greater Yellowlegs at the Camel Farm, where conditions are finally shaping up a bit for shorebirds.

Saturday 8/12: The Camel Farm was a bust, but I had a single Semipalmated Plover at one location in the Black Dirt, and I had three Lesser Yellowlegs and a single Least Sandpiper at another location in the BD (as well as hundreds of Killdeer).

Sunday 8/13: I had a single Least Sandpiper in the Black Dirt that was very accommodating for photos, the Camel Farm had no shorebirds, and Citgo Pond had 5 Least Sandpipers. All the recent rain has made conditions at Citgo less than ideal, so I was happy to have the 5 LESAs. I ran into Jeff Goulding and Bill Fiero at Citgo, and they informed me that they had several Lesser Yellowlegs at the Liberty Loop earlier in the day. They also informed me that the LITTLE BLUE HERON continues at that location. And, finally, John Haas had 20 Least Sandpipers, 2 Solitary Sandpipers, and a Semipalmated Sandpiper at Morningside Park in Sullivan County this morning. I plan on getting out to that location in the upcoming days for sure. Check out his post here.

~One of the MANY Killdeer in the Black Dirt right now, 08/1/17.~

~Another look at the Least Sandpiper in the Black Dirt, 08/13/17.~

~Two Lesser Yellowlegs at Turtle Bay, 08/12/17.~

~When looking for shorebirds, it seems much more likely to find falcons. American Kestrel in the Black Dirt, 08/13/17.~

~A young American Kestel perched on some farm machinery – I don’t mind the man made perch in this case. Black Dirt, this one if from a couple weeks back, 07/29/17.~

~The Little Blue Heron at Liberty Loop continues through today. This shot was taken on Friday, 08/11/17.~

Uppy Update, 08/07/17

~One of 2 UPLAND SANDPIPERS in the Black Dirt, 08/07/17.~

After work today, I went out in the rain and checked the Black Dirt for shorebirds. Right where I had a single Upland Sandpiper last Wednesday, today I located a pair of them. The big difference is that this time around the birds were pretty close to the road, AND I had my camera, so I was able to get some decent shots. I put the word out and Linda Scrima was able to join me.

We photographed the birds from our cars for a while, until I saw a white bird fly across one of the fields. I jumped out of my car and snapped some shots. It was a swallow of some sort; I am guessing leucistic rather than albino since there was hints of brown on the underside of the bird. It was flying with a single Barn Swallow, so I am guessing that it might be one as well. Any thoughts on the ID of this swallow, please comment.