New Jersey & New York Birders, I led a winter raptor trip today, for NJAS's, All Things Birds program. We hit seven stops in the Pine Island/Goshen area and then ended at the Shawangunk Grasslands. While diversity was low, numbers of some choice species were incredible. Thanks to the fourteen hearty souls that ventured out with me today. The "Jimmy Lee Warrior Award" goes to Kevin Cronin. The Jimmy Lee award is given to that birder that is both the first to arrive and last to leave. Since Jimmy was not in attendance today...there was not a tie for the award. The "Near Death Experience Award" also goes to Kevin Cronin...a desperately hungry Rough-legged Hawk almost took Kevin's head off, as it chased a sparrow with the vigor of a Cooper's Hawk...through the air, through weeds, and around houses in the neighborhood, at the start of Indiana Road! I have never observed this behavior before but when the snow gets deep, rodent-eaters must be more flexible. I also have to thank Yong Kong for my "care package," he really knows how to "treat" the leader;)
"Highlights" Northern Harrier (8...five gray ghosts) Bald Eagle (pair @ Oil City) Rough-legged Hawk (54...forty-three light, eleven dark) Short-eared Owl (3...Shawangunk) Lapland Longspur (14...in one mixed flock) Snow Bunting (28) Notes: The Harrier count is expectedly low, with such deep snow cover. This species courses low, relying on auditory clues. With the voles staying safely under the insulation of the snow with their food and undetected by most predators, the remaining birds are primarily hunting songbirds and with that said, the ratio of adult males to other adult age/sex classes should not be surprising. Orange County is the southern stronghold for wintering Rough-legged Hawks, in this global climate-changed era. I have tallied 40 Rough-legged Hawks along this route twice in late February. While we attained an amazing record-breaking count (my own personal record) today, there were undoubtedly a few to quite a few that went undetected as Skinner's & Indiana, as they were only accessible a short way...even if plowed, we would not have risked driving on the slippery dikes that are bounded by deep ditches. We observed three Short-ears roosting in deciduous trees on the southern edge of the Shawangunk Grasslands...it's no surprise, since this species abandons ground roosting with heavy snow cover...according to the mayor (Ralph Tabor)...there are still 8-10 around but they have been coming out late lately (5:30ish)...we decided to pack it in, when the snow finally hit. The fourteen Laplands were in a large mixed feeding flock at the intersection of Liberty Corner's Road & Madura's Lane...if heading deeper into Pine Island...there is a house with a 3-walled grain store on the left...the birds were trading between gorging here and working the plowed road. Anyone that wimped out due to the weather...it was kind of epic! Mike Britt Bayonne, NJ -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES 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://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
