Orange Birding

Challenging Chat

~Yellow-breasted Chat at Canal Road in Vernon Township, captured by Linda Scrima on 6/26/15.~

On Thursday evening, I received word from Marianne Ofenloch that she had a Yellow-breasted Chat along the Appalachian Trail, off the Canal Road bike path in Vernon Township, New Jersey. I tried for the bird on Friday after work and ran into Marianne while I was there. The bird was heard for sure, and we were actually contemplating the possibility of there being two chats; there seemed to be one calling from either side of the trail, but the calls were never close enough together to be 100% sure there were two birds rather than the one moving around. Since I never got a look at that bird, I went back this morning to try for it again, in spite of the steady rain that was falling. Once again the bird was heard but not seen. At a couple of points, I could hear the bird, no more than 25 feet in front of me, but it stayed hidden from view! This is what I should have expected from a chat; I should have known it would not be as easy as when I went to Hopeland Sanctuary in Staatsburg for my lifer YBCH. On Friday morning, while I was working (poor me, ha ha!), Linda Scrima and Maria Loukeris went for the chat and had great success, as witnessed by the super photograph of the bird at the top of this post, provided by Linda.

It’s worth mentioning that this is a really good birding spot. In my two visits this weekend I had a total of 41 different species. The trail has a very wild and lush feel to it, but with enough open spaces to allow for good bird viewing and photographing. I am putting it on my list of places to frequent. Highlights included a pair of Yellow-billed Cuckoos that I was just a little slow on the draw for photos, a Scarlet Tanager family which included a young Brown-headed Cowbird, and Blue-winged Warblers. I should also mention that on Thursday Marianne also had a Golden-winged Warbler there.

~A young Scarlet Tanager with what looks like some sort of seed on it’s bill. Canal Road Appalachian Trail, 6/28/15.~

~Male Scarlet Tanager just off the AT at Canal Road, Vernon Township, NJ, 6/26/15.~

~A busy female Scarlet Tanager, Canal Road, Vernon Township, New Jersey, 6/28/15.~

Orange County BLUE GROSBEAK

~Blue Grosbeak at Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge, 6/23/15.~

QUICK POST: Yesterday evening I finally caught up with the Blue Grosbeak that was reported out at Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge (it was my third try in two days). Tonight I went back and managed to get some post-able photos of the bird (I was brain dead last night and blew a pretty good opportunity by not having my camera on the right settings). I’ve included a couple additional shots that I took along the way while out at the refuge.

~BLGR with a Song Sparrow, Wallkill River NWR, 6/23/15.~

~Red-winged Blackbird in flight, Walkill River NWR, 6/22/15.~

~Another bird I haven’t photographed in a while – American Goldfinch at Wallkill River NWR, 6/22/25.~

Adirondack Birding

~It was cool and a little strange to see Dark-eyed Juncos at the peak of Whiteface Mountain, 6/13/15.~

Well, it was another busy week; I thought for sure I would have gotten this post together well before now. I spent last weekend in the Lake Placid/Saranac Lake area of the Adirondacks. My main goal was to photograph Common Loons, but I also spent a good amount of time birding some of the hotspots of the area. Early Saturday morning I went to Whiteface Mountain’s Veterans’ Memorial Highway, hoping for my lifer Bicknell’s Thrush. After a little bit of a setback (the toll to access VMH doesn’t open until 8:45 am), I had a really enjoyable morning. I had never been up there before, the views were amazing and after parking the car, there is a short, but exciting hike to the peak. It was great to see (and hear!) the many Dark-eyed Juncos that were present. White-throated Sparrows were heard often and Yellow-rumped Warblers were seen and heard. I heard the Bicknell’s Thrush in four different locations, but disappointingly, I did not see any. I guess this is a bird that will have to wait for another time for me. I would not leave the mountain totally disappointed however. As I worked my way back down, pulling over often to bird, I finally got my lifer YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER. I don’t think this should be difficult bird to get in this area, but when I was last here (2 years ago), I missed out completely.

~The view from the peak of Whiteface Mountain, elevation over 4,800 feet.~

~Lifer YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER at Whiteface Mountain, 6/13/15.~

Later in the morning, I headed over to Bloomingdale Bog to walk the trail there. I had three main target birds – Gray Jay, Black-backed Woodpecker, and Boreal Chickadee. Gray Jays are usually very easy to get here; there is actually a feeder station on the trail where they can usually be found, but on this day there were none to be seen. I eventually saw one young Gray Jay further down the trail (a fleeting look, no photos), but struck out on my other two targets. Alder Flycatchers (FREE BEER!) were easily seen and heard on the trail, and my best bird outside of the Gray Jay was a Nashville Warbler that I saw 100 yards from he trail head as I was heading back to my car. I then headed over to Bigelow Road, but by then it was the heat of the afternoon and it was not very birdy at all.

On Sunday morning, I headed back to Bloomingdale Bog, this time starting from the south end of the trail. It was here that I finally got a Black-backed Woodpecker (unfortunately, it was a very distant look). Other highlights included Least Flycatchers right at the trailhead, and hearing a male Ruffed Grouse do its drumming display several times, which was very exciting. A Boreal Chickadee had been reported at this location just a few days earlier, so I was really hoping for one, but it was not to be.

~One of several Alder Flycatchers at Bloomingdale Bog, 6/13/15.~

~An acrobatic Nashville Warbler at Bloomingdale Bog, 6/13/15.~

~One of two Merlins I had over the weekend. This one was located at Follensby Clear Pond, 6/13/15. I also had one as I was heading towards Whiteface Mountain earlier in the day.~

Appalachian Trail – Vernon, NJ

~Ah, one of my favorites – Grasshopper Sparrow on the Appalachian Trail in Vernon Township, 6/19/15.~

I met up with Kyle Dudgeon today after work and we hit a couple of spots. Our first stop was the Appalachian Trail – Pochuck Creek Boardwalk, which was pretty much a bust. Swamp Sparrows were heard but only seen at a distance. Marsh Wrens were heard but not seen. We had distant looks at Wood Ducks and a Great Blue Heron that flew over a couple of times.

So, from there we headed over to the Appalachian Trail on Route 94 in Vernon Township. The first half a mile of this trail is a good spot for Grasshopper Sparrows, Prairie Warblers, and Field Sparrows. We did well with all three, getting very good looks in nice light. I don’t think this is a great spot to see a large variety of species (we had just over 10 tonight), but you can certainly get good looks at a few.

~Prairie Warblers were numerous and easily spotted at the Appalachian Trail in Vernon Township, 6/19/15.~

~Field Sparrow on the Appalachian Trail in Vernon Township, NJ, 6/19/15.~

~I haven’t photographed many Eastern Phoebes this year. This one was at the Appalachian Trail – Pochuck Creek Boardwalk, 6/19/15.~

Photographing Common Loons in the Adirondacks

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~A nice look at a Common Loon after reemerging from the water. Follensby Clear Pond, Santa Clara NY 6/13/15.~

One of my main goals for my weekend trip to the Adirondacks was to photograph the Common Loons. A couple years ago, Tricia and I kayaked one of the “Fish Creek Loops” in Santa Clara, New York, which included kayaking five ponds with four carries between ponds. We had great luck with Common Loons on that day, particularly in one pond in particular, Follensby Clear Pond. This year I went on my own while Tricia was having a “Ladies Weekend” here at the house. I planned my paddling around the good light; Saturday morning was forecasted to be a little cloudy, so I planned to try in the late evening when skies were forecasted to be clear.

As I put in and head out, I was immediately a little bit worried. The water was very choppy, with waves lapping over the front of my kayak as I made my way out. I had seen a single Common Loon from the shore and I headed in its direction. I worked my way around a small island to get the sun at my back, but when I got to where I thought the loon should be, the loon was not to be found. I eventually located the bird, but it kept its distance. I tried for some distant photos, but it was so wavy that I could barely keep the focus point of my camera on the bird. This was discouraging, but the pond is very large, so I figured I would just paddle the perimeter and see what I could find.

In the northwest section of the pond, I saw two more Common Loons. I paddled far and wide around the birds to get the sun at my back. The water was much calmer here, and I stopped paddling and just floated, my kayak drifting slowly towards the birds, which were eventually joined by two more loons. At first the foursome seemed wary of my presence and kept their distance. But as I sat basically motionless, they appeared to get used to my presence and maybe even become curious. Before I knew it, the birds were surfacing from dives less than 15 feet from my kayak! This was just like that first paddle a couple years earlier (when a loon surfaced right next to my kayak within moments of being in the water!). It is difficult to describe what an incredible and almost magical experience it is to see these birds up close like that; diving and interacting with one another. I enjoyed this for a good while, gently back-paddling every once in a while to keep the sun at my back. I love loons; it’s hard to convey what a blast this was!

Next post…birding in the Adirondacks – Bloomingdale Bog, Bigelow Road, and Whiteface Mountain.

~A Common Loons stretches its wings at Follensby Clear Pond, 6/13/15.~

~A COLO takes a break from looking underwater for prey. Follensby Clear Pond, 6/13/15.~

~A pair of Common Loons cruise by my kayak, Follensby Clear Pond 6/13/15.~

~I thought this was a little bit of a different look at a COLO. Follensby Clear Pond, 6/13/15.~

~COLOs at Follensby Clear Pond, 6/13/15.~

~Stretching COLO, Follensby Clear Pond, 6/13/15.~

~COLO close-up. Follensby Clear Pond, 6/13/15.~

~COLO at Follensby Clear Pond, 6/13/15.~

~The fabulous four Common Loons huddle up. Follensby Clear Pond, 6/13/15.~

Orange County Birds

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~I have this as a Bank Swallow and a Northern Rough-winged Swallow flying in tandem, Cedar Swamp Road 6/11/15.~

QUICK UPDATE: Boy, last week was a busy one for me, with tons going on at home and at work as well. I did manage to get out and get a couple of county birds for the year, but I never had the opportunity to process the photos and make a post. On Monday I went to Elks Brox Memorial Park to try for the RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS which had been reported there. Huge thanks to Karen Miller for the heads up on those birds. Then on Thursday I went to Cedar Swamp Road to go for the Bank Swallows that have been there for at least the last couple of years. I had a blast trying for photos of those birds, and though nothing amazing, I was happy to get some decent shots of those birds.

This weekend I went up to the Adirondacks to bird for the weekend. I have loads of photos to go through, so I will get a post together in a couple of days. Meanwhile I have included a teaser shot at the bottom of this post.

~BASW in flight, Cedar Swamp Road 6/11/15.~

~A RED-HEADED WOODPECKER checks things out, Elks Brox Memorial Park, 6/8/15.~

~RHWO, Elks Brox Memorial Park, 6/8/15.~

~Adirondack Appeteaser - Common Loon at Follensby Clear Pond, 6/13/15.~ — ~**Adirondack Appeteaser** – Common Loon at Follensby Clear Pond, 6/13/15. Full post to follow in the next couple of days.~

WOW! UPLAND SANDPIPERS!

~Wow wow wow! UPLAND SANDPIPER in Ulster County NY, 6/9/15.~

My work took me up north today, so I figured I would hit the Shawangunk Grasslands NWR on my way home. I was hoping to have some better luck photographing the Grasshopper Sparrows at the reserve. On my way there, I checked Blue Chip Farms for Upland Sandpipers but did not have any luck. I was a little bit annoyed by it because there have been SO many reports of the bird at that location on eBird lately. I continued to the grasslands where I walked the trails briefly but had no luck with Grasshopper Sparrows (maybe it was the time of day? It was around 4:00 in the afternoon…). I enjoyed seeing and photographing the Bobolinks and I saw a distant Northern Harrier hunting.

On my way home, as I was checking Blue Chip Farms once again (I was doing a drive-by basically), I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw an UPLAND SANDPIPER perched on the fence closest to the road!!! I stopped the car and the bird did not flush. As I reached for my camera, a motorcycle went screaming by and flushed the bird! My heart was broken! It relocated to a far off fence where I got good looks and some distant photos. I went back to my car and waited, and I couldn’t believe it when not one, but two Upland Sandpipers flew in and landed on the grass just beyond the closest fence. Then, one of them flew closer and perched briefly on the fence! I couldn’t believe my luck, what a great day, to get photos of this bird, which until today was considered one of those awesome birds that I would probably never get a decent photograph of!

~UPSA at Blue Chip Farms in Ulster County NY, 6/9/15.~

~Love this shot on the distant fence too, UPSA at Blue Chip Farms, 6/9/15.~

~Upland Sandpiper in flight, Ulster County NY, 6/9/15.~

Dutchess County YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT!

~**YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT!** Hopeland Sanctuary in Staatsburg, NY 6/6/15.~

All twitches should be this easy! Actually it would probably get boring if they were all this easy, but this morning I was more than happy to have an easy time finding the YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT which had been initially located by Steve Bauer and reported by many. I got up very early and headed north towards Hopeland Sanctuary in Staatsburg, NY. It was raining pretty good as I left, and I was beginning to think it was a mistake to try and fit this into my busy day. When I arrived, it was cloudy and gray, but rain-free. I did not have any details about the bird or the sanctuary, I was figuring that there might be some other birders present to point me in the right direction, but unfortunately this was not the case, so I parked and headed up the trail. About 100 yards in, the trail split, the Hopeland Trail continued straight and the Huntington Trail went off to the right. I’m not sure why I took the Huntington Trail, but I did, and a couple hundred yards later I heard and saw the bird, perched out in the open! I watched and photographed as the bird moved around in the brush on the right hand side of the trail, more often out of sight than in sight, but calling nearly non-stop. I took photos whenever the bird did come out in the open, the light was low so the shots are a noisy, but I am so thrilled to get any chat photos at all! This was as different as can be from my Yellow-breasted Chat FAIL from last spring! This was a life bird for me (#341), and an exciting one at that!

~YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT cooperating for a photo! Hopeland Sanctuary, Staatsburg NY 6/615.~ — ~**YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT** cooperating for a photo! Hopeland Sanctuary, Staatsburg NY 6/615.~

~What a thrill to see this bird! **YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT** at Hopeland Sanctuary, 6//6/15.~

~This Pileated Woodpecker was SO close but never got out into the open! Mills-Norrie State Park, 6/6/15.~

Florida 2015 – Burrowing Owls

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~Close up of one of the young Burrowing Owls, Cape Coral Florida, 5/5/15.~

I’m not sure why it has taken me so long to get this post together, seeing as the BURROWING OWLS were one of my favorite birds during our Florida trip in early May. To be honest, Burrowing Owls were not entirely on my radar as a possibility for this trip until I was looking through the Birder’s Guide to Florida by Bill Pranty. In it, the author says that the owls are easy to locate in the development of Cape Coral, you just have to keep an eye out for the stakes that mark their burrows. I then looked on eBird to find some recent reported sightings and saw several reports from the Cape Coral Public Library. Having never been to Cape Coral, I was imagining stakes WAAAY out in the distance and maybe getting a decent look at an owl or two in the scope, IF we got lucky. Well, I couldn’t have been more wrong. The owls are everywhere in the development, mostly on the residents’ lawns and marked very clearly with white posts and signs! Tricia and I drove around one afternoon and found several active burrows, most with owlets present. What a super experience, and to top it off, I got my only Loggerhead Shrikes of the trip in the development (no good photos unfortunately, they were all backlit).

~An adult Burrowing Owl perched on one of the crosses installed outside the burrow. Cape Coral, Florida 5/5/15.~

~A pair of young Burrowing Owls in Cape Coral, Florida 5/5/15.~

I also did pretty well for other raptors during the trip: Osprey were absolutely everywhere, Vultures and Black Vultures were abundant, SWALLOW-TAILED KITES were numerous, I had Red-shouldered Hawks and Barred Owls at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, a Cooper’s Hawk and an Adult Bald Eagle at the Naples Botanical Garden, and of course I had the SNAIL KITES and a Red-tailed Hawk near Harn’s Marsh.

~A very accommodating Red-shouldered Hawk at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, 5/5/15.~

~A young Barred Owl at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, 5/5/15.~

~I did not take many photos of Osprey during the trip, but I could not resist this one at the J.N. Ding Darling National Wildife Refuge, 5/3/15.~

~A Swallow-tailed Kite flies over our neighborhood in Bonita Springs Florida, 5/3/15.~

~STKI at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge, 5/4/15.~

Another Swallow-tailed Kite seen while biking in our neighborhood, Bonita Springs Florida 5/3/15.~

Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 5/30/15

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~Male Bobolink perched at the Shawangunk Grasslands, 5/30/15.~

I got up really early this morning and headed over the the Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge. It was a little bit overcast as I arrived at just around 6:30, but it quickly cleared up and turned into a gorgeous morning. I parked my car out by the road in an effort to see as many species as possible, it can be quite birdy on the road into the refuge. It was towards the end of that road that I had my first Brown Thrasher of the year. As I entered the refuge, I could immediately hear one of my target birds, the Grasshopper Sparrow. I really like this bird for some reason, it is certainly not the most attractive bird, but I love its behavior and its call as well. I walked the Red Trail out to the furthest blind and then back; I saw 3 and heard an additional 3 Grasshopper Sparrows which seems like more than I had in that area last year at this time.

~It was a frustrating day photographing Grasshopper Sparrows, I had ample opportunity to do better than this, but it was not to be today; lots of out of focus shots. GRSP at Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 5/30/15.~

Bobolinks were numerous and very busy calling and flying over. Meadowlarks were heard more than seen, but I did see ten or so, some perched and some in flight in the distance. Killdeer could be heard and seen on occasion and I saw three American Kestrels. One pleasant surprise was a female Northern Harrier that flew close to me; she had a Red-winged Blackbird in hot pursuit.

~I was not planning on this! NOHA at the Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 5/30/15.~

~A flying, calling Bobolink. Shawangunk Grasslands NWR 5/30/15.~

~I love the legs on this female Bobolink. Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 5/30/15.~

My only disappointment of the day is that I struck out with the Upland Sandpipers. I stopped by Blue Chip Farms after leaving the refuge and then I also tried the airport in Montgomery, but it was not to be. At the grasslands, I accumulated what I think is a respectable species list for the morning, with 35 species being seen or heard:

~Calling Bobolink at the Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 5/30/15.~

Canada Goose
Wild Turkey
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Northern Harrier
Killdeer
Red-bellied Woodpecker
American Kestrel
Willow Flycatcher
Great Crested Flycatcher
Yellow-throated Vireo
American Crow
Purple Martin
Tree Swallow
Barn Swallow
Carolina Wren
Wood Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher
European Starling
Common Yellowthroat
Yellow Warbler
Savannah Sparrow
Grasshopper Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Indigo Bunting
Bobolink
Eastern Meadowlark
Common Grackle
Baltimore Oriole
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow

~I wanted to include this shot because you can see the yellow on the Grasshopper Sparrow’s wing. Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 5/30/15.~

~I love this shot! Northern Harrier being harassed by a Red-winged Blackbird at the Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 5/30/15.~

~A nice look at a male Bobolink, Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, 5/30/15.~

~Brown Thrasher, just off the road into the refuge, 5/30/15.~

~I went to Wallkill, NY to get Bank Swallows (no photos!), but this Red-tailed Hawk flew over with an Eastern Kingbird giving chase.~