Red Crossbills continue to be heard on most outings. There was a singing Red Crossbill over Larry Master and I while we were birding in the Spring Pond Bog Preserve on the 4th of July! A Pine Siskin was vocalizing up on Whiteface on July 5th.
At least 5 Sandhill Cranes were observed on July 2nd in Tupper Lake. The family of 4 was in its normal marsh location (the young can't fly yet) and we observed at least one Sandhill Crane (I believe there were 2) in the marsh located by the bowling alley along Route 30 (observed from the marsh deck location). So it appears there are more Sandhill Cranes scouting the marshes of Tupper Lake! I conducted the annual Mountain Birdwatch survey of Whiteface Mountain on 6/27/17. I tallied 16 Bicknell's Thrushes. I tallied unusually low numbers for Yellow-bellied Flycatcher and Swainson's Thrush this year. The weather has been cold on the summit (has ranged from 35 to 45 degrees during most birding trips) which may account for lower numbers of Swainson's Thrushes. The several Bobolink pairs nesting in a field along River Road, not far from Whiteface, made it through nesting this year without their field being cut! Many species have been observed carrying nesting material in July. I suspect the severe rain storms have taken a negative toll on nests and many species are now re-nesting. Recent sightings: Out birding on 7/5/17 at Whiteface Mountain, Bloomingdale locations, Tupper Lake, and Long Lake locations, we found 72 species: Canada Goose Wood Duck Ruffed Grouse - several! (babies heard!) Wild Turkey Rock Pigeon Mourning Dove Sandhill Crane - 4! (family group) Ring-billed Gull Common Loon Great Blue Heron Northern Goshawk Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - nest! Hairy Woodpecker Black-backed Woodpecker Northern Flicker Pileated Woodpecker Merlin Yellow-bellied Flycatcher Least Flycatcher Eastern Phoebe Eastern Kingbird Blue-headed Vireo Red-eyed Vireo Blue Jay American Crow Tree Swallow Cliff Swallow Barn Swallow Black-capped Chickadee Boreal Chickadee - 5! (likely a family group) Red-breasted Nuthatch Brown Creeper Winter Wren Golden-crowned Kinglet Ruby-crowned Kinglet Eastern Bluebird Veery Bicknell's Thrush - nice view Swainson's Thrush - nice view Hermit Thrush American Robin Gray Catbird European Starling Cedar Waxwing Purple Finch Pine Siskin - one vocalizing on Whiteface! American Goldfinch Ovenbird Black-and-white Warbler Nashville Warbler Common Yellowthroat American Redstart Northern Parula Magnolia Warbler Blackburnian Warbler Chestnut-sided Warbler Blackpoll Warbler Black-throated Blue Warbler Palm Warbler Pine Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler Canada Warbler Chipping Sparrow Savannah Sparrow Song Sparrow Swamp Sparrow White-throated Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco We also found a Gray Fox, Porcupine, Snapping Turtle, Deer, and Snowshoe Hare! July 4, 2017 Long Lake and Tupper Lake Larry Master and I observed many Ruffed Grouse at the Spring Pond Bog Preserve. We also encountered at least 2 Gray Jays and calling/singing Red Crossbills among many other species. I also found 3 Grays Jays at Sabattis Bog and 2 along Route 30 in Long Lake. I stopped to make sure a baby Porcupine got across Route 30 - it was harrowing to watch. A car was coming at a high rate of speed - I flashed lights, beeped my horn and still the person nearly hit the Porcupine. Roads are such a major threat to wildlife. Out birding on July 2, 2017 at various Long Lake and Tupper Lake locations, we found 74 species: Canada Goose Wood Duck Mallard Ring-necked Duck Ruffed Grouse -adult birds and family groups Wild Turkey Pied-billed Grebe Rock Pigeon Mourning Dove Chimney Swift Ruby-throated Hummingbird - with nesting material at Shaw Pond (cattail fluff!) Sandhill Crane - 5! (family of 4 and one more near the bowling alley marsh deck) Ring-billed Gull Common Loon - several including a pair with a chick Great Blue Heron Turkey Vulture Bald Eagle Northern Goshawk Broad-winged Hawk Belted Kingfisher Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Hairy Woodpecker Black-backed Woodpecker Northern Flicker Merlin - Long Lake Yellow-bellied Flycatcher Alder Flycatcher - nice views Least Flycatcher Eastern Kingbird Blue-headed Vireo Philadelphia Vireo - Beautiful views of a bathing bird! Red-eyed Vireo Gray Jay - 3 (Sabattis Bog) Blue Jay American Crow Common Raven Tree Swallow Barn Swallow Black-capped Chickadee Red-breasted Nuthatch Brown Creeper Winter Wren Golden-crowned Kinglet Hermit Thrush American Robin Gray Catbird European Starling Cedar Waxwing Purple Finch American Goldfinch Ovenbird Black-and-white Warbler Nashville Warbler Common Yellowthroat American Redstart Northern Parula Magnolia Warbler Blackburnian Warbler Yellow Warbler Chestnut-sided Warbler Black-throated Blue Warbler Palm Warbler Pine Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler Canada Warbler Chipping Sparrow Savannah Sparrow Song Sparrow Swamp Sparrow White-throated Sparrow Rose-breasted Grosbeak Red-winged Blackbird Common Grackle Out birding on July 1, 2017 at Whiteface Mountain and Bloomingdale locations for part of the day, we found 53 species: Wild Turkey Mourning Dove Hairy Woodpecker Black-backed Woodpecker - 2! (male and female) Northern Flicker Pileated Woodpecker Yellow-bellied Flycatcher Eastern Phoebe Blue-headed Vireo Red-eyed Vireo Gray Jay - 2 along Bigelow Rd. Blue Jay American Crow Common Raven Tree Swallow Cliff Swallow Barn Swallow Black-capped Chickadee Boreal Chickadee - 2 heard along Oregon Plains Road Red-breasted Nuthatch White-breasted Nuthatch Winter Wren Golden-crowned Kinglet Ruby-crowned Kinglet Eastern Bluebird Bicknell's Thrush - nice views! Swainson's Thrush Hermit Thrush American Robin Gray Catbird Cedar Waxwing Purple Finch Red Crossbill - 2 observed flying over Bloomin Market as they called American Goldfinch Ovenbird Black-and-white Warbler Nashville Warbler Mourning Warbler - nice view! Common Yellowthroat Northern Parula Magnolia Warbler Chestnut-sided Warbler Blackpoll Warbler Black-throated Blue Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler Chipping Sparrow Savannah Sparrow Song Sparrow White-throated Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco Indigo Bunting Bobolink On a 6/29/17 hour-long bird walk at Bloomingdale Bog to look at plants and birds, some of the birds found included: American Bittern - flew over the bog Black-backed Woodpecker - 1 (yelling at the Gray Jays) Northern Flicker Gray Jay - 3 (including a juvenile) Swainson's Thrush Hermit Thrush Cedar Waxwing Red Crossbill - several calling! Nashville Warbler Palm Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Lincoln's Sparrow White-throated Sparrow After the walk, I drove to a Black-backed Woodpecker nest site in the Bloomingdale area and found that the solo male baby had just fledged! It called non-stop, but no parent fed it during the hour that I watched. I am sure it got fed at some point! Whenever the fledgling heard crows or ravens, it immediately stopped vocalizing. Boreal Chickadees vocalized around me as I watched the BBWO fledgling. Out birding on 6/28/17 at Whiteface Mountain, Bloomingdale, and the southern end of Blue Mountain Road, for part of the day, we found 55 species: Ruffed Grouse - with young! Wild Turkey Turkey Vulture Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Hairy Woodpecker Black-backed Woodpecker - nest! Northern Flicker Olive-sided Flycatcher - many! Yellow-bellied Flycatcher Alder Flycatcher Least Flycatcher Blue-headed Vireo Red-eyed Vireo Gray Jay - several Blue Jay American Crow Common Raven Tree Swallow Barn Swallow Black-capped Chickadee Red-breasted Nuthatch Winter Wren Golden-crowned Kinglet Ruby-crowned Kinglet Bicknell's Thrush - nice views in difficult weather! Swainson's Thrush Hermit Thrush American Robin Cedar Waxwing Purple Finch Red Crossbill - calling along Blue Mountain Road in the Madawaska area Ovenbird Northern Waterthrush - several! Black-and-white Warbler Nashville Warbler Mourning Warbler - nice views! Common Yellowthroat Northern Parula Magnolia Warbler Blackburnian Warbler Chestnut-sided Warbler Blackpoll Warbler Black-throated Blue Warbler Pine Warbler - nice view! Yellow-rumped Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler Canada Warbler Chipping Sparrow Song Sparrow Swamp Sparrow White-throated Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco Bobolink Red-winged Blackbird Common Grackle I conducted the annual Mountain Birdwatch survey on Whiteface Mountain on 6/27/17. Here are the results: Yellow-bellied Flycatcher - 4 Black-capped Chickadee - 0 Boreal Chickadee - 0 Winter Wren - 10 Bicknell's Thrush - 16 Swainson's Thrush - 9 Hermit Thrush - 0 Blackpoll Warbler - 6 Fox Sparrow - 0 White-throated Sparrow - 15 Red Squirrel - 0 I also found (not surveyed): Common Raven American Robin Ruby-crowned Kinglet Purple Finch Nashville Warbler Magnolia Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler After my survey, I drove to Silver Lake Bog (Nature Conservancy property in Clinton Co.) and hiked just the boardwalk part of the trail. Some of the birds found: Yellow-bellied Flycatcher Red Crossbill - several calling! Northern Waterthrush Nashville Warbler Magnolia Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Canada Warbler Out birding on 6/25/17 at Whiteface Mountain, Bloomingdale, Tupper Lake and Long Lake locations, we found 78 species: Canada Goose Ruffed Grouse Wild Turkey Pied-billed Grebe Rock Pigeon Mourning Dove Chimney Swift Sandhill Crane - 4 (family!) Wilson's Snipe American Woodcock Great Blue Heron Turkey Vulture Northern Goshawk Broad-winged Hawk Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - nest Hairy Woodpecker Black-backed Woodpecker - 3 (nest!) Northern Flicker Merlin Yellow-bellied Flycatcher Alder Flycatcher Least Flycatcher Eastern Phoebe Blue-headed Vireo Red-eyed Vireo Gray Jay - heard on Bigelow Rd. Blue Jay American Crow Common Raven Tree Swallow Cliff Swallow Barn Swallow Black-capped Chickadee Red-breasted Nuthatch Brown Creeper Winter Wren Golden-crowned Kinglet Ruby-crowned Kinglet Eastern Bluebird Bicknell's Thrush - remarkable views of a bird that sang for an hour at dawn! Swainson's Thrush Hermit Thrush American Robin European Starling Cedar Waxwing Purple Finch Red Crossbill - at 3 different locations in Bloomingdale! American Goldfinch Ovenbird Black-and-white Warbler Nashville Warbler Mourning Warbler - nice views! Common Yellowthroat American Redstart Northern Parula Magnolia Warbler Blackburnian Warbler Yellow Warbler Chestnut-sided Warbler Blackpoll Warbler Black-throated Blue Warbler Palm Warbler Pine Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler Canada Warbler Chipping Sparrow Savannah Sparrow Song Sparrow Lincoln's Sparrow Swamp Sparrow White-throated Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco Rose-breasted Grosbeak Indigo Bunting Bobolink Red-winged Blackbird Common Grackle We also saw a Black Bear on River Road! Out birding on 6/24/17 at Whiteface Mountain, Bloomingdale, Santa Clara, Tupper Lake, and Long Lake locations, we found 74 species: Wood Duck Wild Turkey Pied-billed Grebe Rock Pigeon Mourning Dove Chimney Swift Wilson's Snipe Common Loon - 4 (pair with 2 chicks!) American Bittern Turkey Vulture Broad-winged Hawk Belted Kingfisher Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Hairy Woodpecker Black-backed Woodpecker - nest! Northern Flicker Yellow-bellied Flycatcher Alder Flycatcher Least Flycatcher Eastern Phoebe Blue-headed Vireo Philadelphia Vireo Red-eyed Vireo Gray Jay - 3 at Sabattis Bog Blue Jay American Crow Common Raven Tree Swallow Cliff Swallow Barn Swallow Black-capped Chickadee Red-breasted Nuthatch Brown Creeper Winter Wren Marsh Wren Golden-crowned Kinglet Ruby-crowned Kinglet Bicknell's Thrush - nice views! Swainson's Thrush Hermit Thrush Wood Thrush American Robin Gray Catbird European Starling Cedar Waxwing Purple Finch American Goldfinch Ovenbird Black-and-white Warbler Nashville Warbler Mourning Warbler - nice views! Common Yellowthroat American Redstart Northern Parula Magnolia Warbler Blackburnian Warbler Chestnut-sided Warbler Blackpoll Warbler Black-throated Blue Warbler Palm Warbler Pine Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler Canada Warbler Chipping Sparrow Savannah Sparrow Song Sparrow Lincoln's Sparrow Swamp Sparrow White-throated Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco Bobolink Red-winged Blackbird Common Grackle Joan Collins President, NYS Ornithological Association Editor, New York Birders Long Lake, NY (315) 244-7127 cell (518) 624-5528 home http://www.adirondackavianexpeditions.com/ http://www.facebook.com/AdirondackAvian -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME.htm http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES.htm http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L 3) http://birding.aba.org/maillist/NY01 Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
