Sunday Shots 3/2/14

WALLKILL RIVER NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE – 2/28/14

It was for some reason unexpected that I had a nice evening shooting raptors on Friday after work. But, the light was nice and I was lucky enough to have a few birds close enough for some decent shots. Also noteworthy were my first Red-winged Blackbirds for the year in Orange County.

Rough-legged Hawk on Mt. Eve Road, on my way out to Wallkill River NWR, 2/28/14.
Rough-legged Hawk on Mt. Eve Road, on my way out to Wallkill River NWR, 2/28/14.
When I arrived at the parking area of Wallkill River NWR, this Red-tailed Hawk was perched on the wire across the road. The bird did not leave its perch for a good 25 minutes. I kept waiting for the bird to fly, but when it finally did I missed the shot.
When I arrived at the parking area of Wallkill River NWR, this Red-tailed Hawk was perched on the wire across the road. The bird did not leave its perch for a good 25 minutes. I kept waiting for the bird to fly, but when it finally did I missed the shot.
It's been ages since I've gotten a good Northern Harrier shot - I think I was spoiled last winter when they seemed to always be around. Wallkill River NWR, 2/28/14.
It’s been ages since I’ve gotten a good Northern Harrier shot – I think I was spoiled last winter when they seemed to always be around. Click to enlarge this shot – I think it looks really nice. Wallkill River NWR, 2/28/14.

RONDOUT RESEVOIR – 3/1/14

I had a nice outing at Rondout Resevoir on Saturday afternoon. I knew there was a good collection of waterfowl present because I read about it on John Haas’ blog, Bashakill Birder. I got all the birds John reported in his post, including three first of the year birds for me: American Wigeon (5), Redhead (7), and Killdeer (1). It was not a great outing for photos, the birds were for the most part distant and from where you view the birds, in the afternoon all the birds are backlit. I did have a Common Merganser that didn’t seem to mind my presence at all:

Common Merganser at Rondout Reservoir, 3/1/14.
Common Merganser at Rondout Reservoir, 3/1/14.

 

SOUTHERN ORANGE COUNTY – 3/2/14

This morning I made the rounds in southern Orange County without seeing much of note. I did see a single Common Grackle and a single Red-winged Blackbird, both on Celery Avenue. I sorted through MANY Canada Geese without anything out of the ordinary. American Crows rivaled the Canada Geese in numbers and seemed to be everywhere.

Horned Larks are still present in numbers in Orange County, I came across several good sized flocks today. This shot was from Onion Avenue, 3/2/14.
Horned Larks are still present in numbers in Orange County, I came across several good sized flocks today. This shot was from Onion Avenue, 3/2/14.
It's tough to get a good shot of American Crows. Pierce Circle, 3/2/14.
It’s tough to get a good shot of American Crows. Pierce Circle, 3/2/14.

 

 

 

Celery and Onion

It was a nice surprise to find 4 Wood Ducks on the Wallkill River at Celery Ave, 2/23/14.
It was a nice surprise to find 4 Wood Ducks on the Wallkill River in New Hampton NY, 2/23/14.

I spent the bulk of my birding time this Sunday morning in New Hampton, NY. I picked up a few first of the year birds while I was out: Wood Duck (4), Ring-necked Duck (1), and Common Grackle (2). It was quite birdy out and I put together a nice list of 22 species in a relatively short period of time:

Horned Larks in New Hampton NY, 2/23/14.
Horned Larks in New Hampton NY, 2/23/14.
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
American Black Duck
Mallard
Ring-necked Duck
Bald Eagle
Red-tailed Hawk
Blue Jay
American Crow
Horned Lark
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Carolina Wren
Eastern Bluebird
American Robin
European Starling
Song Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Northern Cardinal
Common Grackle
American Goldfinch
I sorted through many Canada Geese today without finding anything out of the ordinary. CANG flyover in Orange County NY, 2/23/14.
I sorted through many Canada Geese today without finding anything out of the ordinary. Canada Goose flyover in Orange County NY, 2/23/14.

A Pleasant Evening…

A SEOW does a fly-by at the Wallkill River NWR, 2/19/14.
A SEOW does a fly-by at the Wallkill River NWR, 2/19/14.

I took advantage of the foggy, misty weather by having a peaceful evening watching the Short-eared Owls out at the Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge. The parking lot, which has been filled most evenings lately, was practically empty. The owls were up early, and plenty of other raptors could be seen from the viewing platform, including numerous Red-tailed Hawks, a couple of Rough-legged Hawks, and a single male Northern Harrier. Also noteworthy were the seven Northern Cardinals flew into a bush near the entrance to the parking area. It started to rain after a little while, but that didn’t put damper a pleasant evening.

A pair of SEOWs perched in the distance at Wallkill River NWR, 2/19/14.
A pair of SEOWs perched in the distance at Wallkill River NWR, 2/19/14.

Wallkill River NWR

American Tree Sparrow at the Winding Rivers Trail in Wallkill River NWR, 2/8/14.
American Tree Sparrow at the Winding Rivers Trail in Wallkill River NWR, 2/8/14.

Karen Miller and I decided to start the morning of birding off with some snowshoeing at the Winding Waters Nature Trail at Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge. Unfortunately, the frozen crust of ice on top of the snow made every step we took so loud that there was no way we were going to have any success birding. Fortunately a truck had been down the trail, so we decided to forego the snowshoeing a just walk in the tire tracks instead.

Karen Miller in action at the Winding Waters Nature Trail, 2/8/14.
Karen Miller in action at the Winding Waters Nature Trail, 2/8/14.

We saw and heard many of the expected species, but our best moment on the trail was not bird related. On our way back, Karen spotted a beaver working hard on a tree on the far side of the Wallkill River. We watched and took photos of this critter for a good while, fascinated by it. In the field, it was really just awesome to see this animal. In photos, however, the beaver is not the most handsome of creatures:

A beaver does its thing. Wallkill River NWR, Winding Waters Nature Trail, 2/8/14.
A beaver does its thing at the Wallkill River NWR, Winding Waters Nature Trail, 2/8/14.

Another highlight for me was watching as a Northern Harrier  successfully chased down an unidentified songbird. The harrier made such acrobatic maneuvers in order to successfully kill its prey – the songbird dove down into the brush and the harrier somehow came to a quick stop, changed directions quickly a couple of times and then pounced on the bird. Here is the Northern Harrier flying away with a firm grip on the songbird:

This not much of a photo, but it was fascinating to watch this Northern Harrier successfully hunt. Winding Waters Nature Trail, 2/8/14.
This not much of a photo, but it was fascinating to watch this Northern Harrier successfully hunt. Winding Waters Nature Trail, 2/8/14.

On our way out we made a quick stop at the viewing platform by the Liberty Loop, where not much was flying so we decided to make a few stops in the Black Dirt Region on our way back. We made a couple of stops and Karen got to see the Lapland Longspurs I had seen the evening before, as well as a good number of Horned Larks and some Snow Buntings too.

We headed our separate ways and I took the long way home winding through the Black Dirt. In Goshen, I got lucky and found a nice flock of Horned Larks (with a couple of Snow Buntings in tow) AND another 5 Lapland Longspurs!  This was my best opportunity to take photos all morning and I was happy with the results:

Horned Lark in Goshen NY, 2/8/14.
Horned Lark in Goshen NY, 2/8/14.
One of five Lapland Longspurs in Goshen NY, 2/8/14.
One of five Lapland Longspurs in Goshen NY, 2/8/14.

 

LAPLAND LONGSPURS!!!

Nine of at least 12 (!!!) LAPLAND LONGSPURS, Pine Island 2/7/14.
Nine of at least twelve (!!!) LAPLAND LONGSPURS, Pine Island 2/7/14. Three birds were cropped out of this photos, see below for all 12 in one shot.

I had an awesome evening of birding today after work. I headed to the Pine Island area, as I have for the last three evenings; it has been very active with good numbers of Horned Larks and Snow Buntings being seen. Today, my travels were rewarded with quite the treat- at least 12 LAPLAND LONGSPURS feeding on the roadside. While I was in the field I estimated 15 birds, but the most I have in any of my photos is 12. What an experience seeing these birds and to also be able to get some decent photos!

Lapland Longspur in the snow, Pine Island NY 2/7/14.
Lapland Longspur in the snow, Pine Island NY 2/7/14.

Just before sunset I headed over to Wallkill River NWR to see if the Short-eared Owls were flying. The owls were up early and putting on a show. I took some photos and I would guess that while I was there, 7 or 8 owls were up flying, all very close to the viewing platform. There were also many Northern Harriers present, I counted at least 8 which is the most I’ve had out there in a while.

Short-eared Owl at Wallkill River NWR, 2/7/14.
Short-eared Owl at Wallkill River NWR, 2/7/14.
SEOW in a nice sunset light. Wallkill River NWR, 2/7/14.
SEOW in a nice sunset light. Wallkill River NWR, 2/7/14.
Here's the top photo with less of a crop - showing 12 Lapland Longspurs in one shot. Pine Island NY, 2/7/14.
Here’s the top photo with less of a crop – showing 12 Lapland Longspurs in one shot. Pine Island NY, 2/7/14.

 

 

Orange County Saturday

Song Sparrow on the Liberty Loop at Wallkill River NWR, 2/1/14.
Song Sparrow on the Liberty Loop at Wallkill River NWR, 2/1/14.

I woke up before sunrise this morning and headed out; I was going to spend the morning birding in southern Orange County. My first stop was at Wallkill River NWR, where I walked the Liberty Loop for the first time in a while. The weather had finally warmed up a bit after the extended cold spell, so it felt really good to be outside and walking the trail. During my walk I had many of the expected birds for this time of year, but the highlight of my hike was seeing a Coyote crossing the marsh.

It's amazing to me how easily this Coyote disappeared from view in the marsh. Still it was a thrill to see, Wallkill River NWR 2/1/14.
It’s amazing to me how easily this Coyote disappeared from view in the marsh. Still it was a thrill to see, Coyote out at Wallkill River NWR just after sunrise, 2/1/14.

After walking the loop, I did a car tour of Pines Island and the Black Dirt Region. I hit many of my usual stops as well as some of new ones, such as Cedar Swamp Road, where I saw a couple of falconers flying their birds way off in the distance, and not surprisingly, I did not have any luck with the pair of Snowy Owls that were reported there. I ended up with 26 species for the day which I don’t think is too bad for not being anywhere near open water all day. Species highlights for the morning included seeing the same Snowy Owl that I’ve been seeing all week and a pair of LAPLAND LONGSPURS in a flock of approximately 45 Horned Larks. The real highlight for me, however was running into several birders I know while viewing the Snowy Owl. It was good to spend time and shoot the breeze with fellow Mearns Bird Club members Gerhard and Tracey, as well as Jack Austin and Linda – they are all such nice folks.

A Rough-legged Hawk flies over, Black Dirt Region 2/1/14.
A Rough-legged Hawk flies over, Black Dirt Region 2/1/14.
American Kestrel in flight, Black Dirt, 2/1/14.
American Kestrel in flight, Black Dirt, 2/1/14.
I will keep posting Snowy Owl shots whenever I get them, not matter how distant. I can't get enough of this bird! Black Dirt Region, 2/1/14.
I will keep posting Snowy Owl shots whenever I get them, not matter how distant. I can’t get enough of this bird! Black Dirt Region, 2/1/14.

Here’s my list for the morning, the numbers are a bit rough since I totaled everything I saw while I was out, but I definitely was very conservative with my counts.

It's not very often an American Kestrel flies towards me. This one was flushed by another vehicle, Black Dirt, 2/1/14.
It’s not very often an American Kestrel flies towards me. This one was flushed by another vehicle, Black Dirt, 2/1/14.

 

Canada Goose  1000
Turkey Vulture  1
Northern Harrier  3
Red-tailed Hawk  8
Rough-legged Hawk  5
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  14
Mourning Dove  2
Red-bellied Woodpecker  2
Downy Woodpecker  2
Northern Flicker  3
American Kestrel  2
Blue Jay  2
American Crow  500
Horned Lark  60
Black-capped Chickadee  2
Tufted Titmouse  2
White-breasted Nuthatch  3
American Robin  18
Northern Mockingbird  1
European Starling  80
Lapland Longspur  2
American Tree Sparrow  10
Song Sparrow  20
Dark-eyed Junco  55
Northern Cardinal  2
House Sparrow  12

American Kestrel perched on some farm equipment. Black Dirt, 2/1/14.
American Kestrel perched on some farm equipment. Black Dirt, 2/1/14.
Red-tailed Hawk shot through the grasses at Round Hill Road, Florida NY, 2/1/14.
Red-tailed Hawk shot through the grasses at Round Hill Road, Florida NY, 2/1/14.

 

 

Cackling Goose? – Wallkill River NWR 1/30/14

A likely Cackling Goose does a flyover at Wallkill River NWR, 1/30/14.
A likely Cackling Goose does a flyover at Wallkill River NWR, 1/30/14.

I spent the evening at Wallkill River NWR, the light was really nice and I was hoping to get some hawk photos or that maybe the Short-eared Owls would get up early. Neither of those happened, but there was a steady stream of Canada Geese flying over, so I was checking them out, wishing for a Barnacle or Greater White-fronted Goose. Instead, I saw a smaller goose and took several shots. To me this looks like it is good for a Cackling Goose, mostly because of the small stubby bill and the small squarish head. Please comment if you have thoughts on this ID.

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One more shot…

Snowy in the Black Dirt 1/28/14

Snowy Owl in the Black Dirt Region, 1/28/14.
Snowy Owl in the Black Dirt Region, 1/28/14.

The past two evenings after work, I made my way out to the Black Dirt Region hoping to relocate one of the Snowy Owls that has been seen out there. I was successful on both nights and was rewarded with distant but extended views of the bird. It is very enjoyable for me to watch from such a great distance – I can spend some time watching the bird’s behavior and there is no risk of bothering the bird. I can still snap a few distant photos, and sitting in my car, I can entertain the thought that the bird might decide to come a little closer for better looks and photos. This, of course, didn’t happen (this time!), but I like the idea that it might.

Meanwhile, I think I can now identify Snow Buntings by ear. While looking through my binoculars at the Snowy, I heard some birds passing overhead and I immediately thought they sounded like Snow Buntings. My suspicions were confirmed when the flock landed not too far from my car, revealing approximately 15 Horned Larks and 10 Snow Buntings.

Ten Snow Buntings in the Black Dirt Region, 1/28/14.
Ten Snow Buntings in the Black Dirt Region, 1/28/14.
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I love these Snow Buntings, they’re so sweet to watch. Black Dirt Region, 1/28/14.