[nysbirds-l] Croton Pt continuing RH Woodpecker and OC Warbler
Hello all, A visit to Croton Point Park early this afternoon with Luke Tiller, Mike Warner, Ken Mirman and Catherine Hamilton yielded the previously reported RED-HEADED WOODPECKER near the parking lot adjacent to the model airplane field and ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER by the campground parking lot. Waterfowl was strangely sparse today at Croton, with not much more than some Bufflehead by the Train Station. Viewing from the "beach" area below the campground parking lot was a bit better -- more Bufflehead, some Common Goldeneye and Ruddy Ducks, and a large group of Common Mergansers (40+). A handful of Bald Eagles also around, though the river has largely thawed. Also notable, while crossing the Bear Mountain Bridge we encountered a group of vultures on the west side. Many were in the air, and I was able to pick out at least 4 BLACK VULTURES among the 7 or so Turkey Vultures circling. Then I noticed a group of around 15 vultures perched close together in a group of trees, but I was unable to identify them all to species as we drove by. Good birding, Benjamin Van Doren White Plains, NY warblings.wordpress.com -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[nysbirds-l] Eared Grebe, Glaucous Gull, Killdeer - Chautauqua Co.
The EARED GREBE and the "Blonde Gull" (1st-cycle GLAUCOUS GULL) originally found mid-week by Dave Neveu were both present today at Dunkirk Harbor in Chautauqua Co. with the Grebe frequenting the area in close just off the Main Pier between the docked Margaret Ann (boat) and the east inner breakwall. The Glaucous was making its rounds through the docks on both sides of the pier as well as the inner breakwalls, mostly mooching fish scraps from the Great Black-backed Gulls, but also readily took some bread which I threw out I threw out in hopes of drawing it in for photos (the local RB Gulls appreciated this too). A Horned Grebe was also present, along with a Ruddy Duck (seen by Bill Watson), and at least 9 BALD EAGLES that were sitting either out on the ice edge or in the tall oaks at the point just south of the harbor. At one point it was interesting to watch as two immature Eagles tirelessly pursued and then eventually captured a Ring-billed Gull out over the ice. Bill Watson and I then continued south into the towns of Clymer and French Creek in the very SW part of the state and near the French Creek preserve on Route 4 had a nice sooty black adult m. ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK and at Clymer Pond in the hamlet of Clymer, a pair of KILLDEER that were working the limited patches of grass and shoreline along the pond, and most probably were recent arrivals on last night's clear skies and SW winds. Jim Pawlicki Amherst, NY -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[nysbirds-l] Seals, harriers, harlequins, birders & lunch...not neccessarily in that order.
This afternoon's trip to Shinnicock Inlet was different-birds were not the goal...seals were! While I'm usually alone, enroute to this location, today my wife, Ruth Ann, was riding "shotgun". With the temperature and sunlight pulling her outdoors, along with her rememberence of my description of seal activity earlier in the month at Shinn.Bay/Inlet...she suggested taking a ride there. Upon arrival at the inlet, we ate the tasty lunch she had prepared, and while I was sent out on a one man, seal "scouting party", she made her usual Sunday telephone calls to our married daughters. As I walked out on the w/jetty, I came upon 2 birders I didn't know. Gerhardt & Tracy W. are from upstate, had spent the weekend at Montauk, and were on their way home, hoping to see some of the species they missed out east, here at the inlet. We talked for a bit, with the only bird of note being the male N.Harrier (aka The Gray Ghost), that flew up the inlet (jetty high) into the bay...first time I've ever seen this specie take this flight pattern-wind related? After a fast, negative scan for Harlequins & King Eiders, but finding a lone seal in the inlet, I headed for the car, while Gerhardt & Tracy headed out. By the time I returned, Ruth had finished with her calls, and "the game was afoot"! We couldn't find the seal again. However, feeding at the mouth of the inlet, close to the e/side of the w/jetty, were the 5 Harlequin Ducks reported previously. When we looked earlier, they must have been at the very end of the w/jetty, possibly up on the rocks. Moral of the story...don't forget to walk out to the end of those jetties! Also, if you"re looking for seals at Shinnicock, don't forget to check the sandbars out in the middle of the bay! The eastmost bar held 20-25 seals this afternoon, and the view through the spotting-scope made for one happy lady! The ride home, by way of Dune Rd. produced 3 N.Harriers, 2 females and a male, which could have been the bird seen earlier in the inlet. Cheers, Bob -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[MidHudsonBirds] SGNWR 2/21/10
Many observers were treated to excellent looks at 11 Short-eared Owls this evening at the Shawangunk Grasslands NWR. The previously reported Rough-legged Hawk was not seen but many Northern Harriers we actively hunting. Christine Guarino New Paltz, NY
[nysbirds-l] South Fork LI: Montauk area gulls
With a brisk WNW wind and brilliant sunshine I ended up doing a lot of beach walking today. There were at least 450 Bonaparte's Gulls working along the ocean between Montauk Village (Suffolk Co.) and Ditch Plains. Among them, I found an adult *BLACK-HEADED GULL*, likely the same bird I saw out here last weekend. It was feeding in the surf off the middle of Shadmore State Park. This winter I've noticed a marked paucity of first-year birds, today I counted only 14 (3%). A priori, this would suggest a poor 2009 breeding season but I know that the ratio of adults to young varies with location so it seems unsafe to draw conclusions from this one area. It would be interesting to know if others have observed something similar elsewhere? Otherwise there wasn't too much to see. I even slogged all the way along the sand to the Warhol Estate but could not find a King Eider or a Harlequin Duck. The only birds of note along in this section were three *RAZORBILL *(a pitiful number this winter) and 12 *PURPLE SANDPIPER*, roosting on the large triangular bolder east of the Ditch Plains Trailer Park. The 2 wintering adult *LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS* were at their usual stations on Fort Pond Bay (rocks at the western corner) and on Lazy Point in Napeague. At Montauk Inlet, there were 3 *KUMLEIN'S ICELAND GULLS*, two first winter birds and a second winter. Lone Great Cormorants were on one of the jetty towers at the inlet and on the ice of Oyster Pond. I spent a lot of time looking for vultures but saw none - too windy perhaps? Likewise I was unable to find the Great Egret that Carl Starace and party found at Napeague yesterday. The egret is a darn good bird out here in February - I haven't seen one since November. -- Angus Wilson New York City & The Springs, NY, USA http://birdingtotheend.blogspot.com/ -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[nysbirds-l] Hudson-Mohawk Birdline
This is a summary of the Birdline reports for the week ending February 17, 2010 Report your sightings in New York's Hudson-Mohawk Region to birdl...@hmbc.net. Only thirty species were reported this week. The most interesting were: ICELAND GULL: Crescent 2/13; Coxsackie Boat Launch 2/14 (2), 2/15. LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL: Coxsackie Boat Launch 2/14. SHORT-EARED OWL: Saratoga Battlefield 2/14 (2). NORTHERN SHRIKE: Charlton 2/13. Other highlights: Gadwall: Cohoes Falls 2/15 (2). Ring-necked Duck: Stillwater 2/15 (6). Common Goldeneye: Stillwater 2/15 (75). Great Blue Heron: Albany 2/11. Turkey Vulture: Ravena 2/12 (2). Bald Eagle: Stillwater 2/11; Lake George 2/14. Northern Harrier: Coxsackie Grasslands 2/12, 2/14; Amsterdam 2/14. Sharp-shinned Hawk: Coxsackie 2/14; Amsterdam 2/14. Cooper's Hawk: Colonie 2/11; Coxsackie 2/14. Rough-legged Hawk: Coxsackie Grasslands 2/14; Amsterdam 2/14. American Kestrel: Amsterdam 2/14. Peregrine Falcon: Troy 2/13. Eastern Screech-Owl: Colonie 2/15. Great Horned Owl: Loudonville 2/13. Barred Owl: Rensselaerville 2/13; Warrensburg 2/13. Northern Flicker: Rexford 2/11. Fish Crow: Schenectady 2/15. Common Raven: Brunswick 2/13 (2). Carolina Wren: Rexford 2/11 (2). Eastern Bluebird: Stillwater 2/11 (6). Northern Mockingbird: Charlton 2/13. Cedar Waxwing: West Sand Lake 2/16 (flock). Thanks to Phil Whitney (compiler), Cathie Bryant (Stillwater 2/11), Gerry Colborn (Rensselaerville, Crescent), Bernie Grossman (Rexford), Rich Guthrie (Ravena, Coxsackie Boat Launch 2/14, Coxsackie, Coxsackie Grasslands 2/14), David Harrison (Cohoes Falls, Warrensburg, Saratoga Battlefield, Stillwater 2/15), Peg Hasselwander (Albany), Eric Krantz (Lake George), Anne Magee (Albany 2/11), Curt Morgan (Coxsackie Grasslands 2/12), Jeff Nadler (Charlton, Coxsackie Boat Launch 2/15), Pat Newman (Stillwater 2/14, Saratoga Battlefield), Ellen Pemrick (Colonie), Bob Ramonowski (Schenectady), George Steele (Amsterdam), Scott Stoner (Loudonville), Brad Walker (Brunswick) and two anonymous reports (Troy, West Sand Lake). -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[nysbirds-l] Hudson-Mohawk Birdline
This is a summary of the Birdline reports for the week ending February 17, 2010 Report your sightings in New York's Hudson-Mohawk Region to birdl...@hmbc.net. Only thirty species were reported this week. The most interesting were: ICELAND GULL: Crescent 2/13; Coxsackie Boat Launch 2/14 (2), 2/15. LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL: Coxsackie Boat Launch 2/14. SHORT-EARED OWL: Saratoga Battlefield 2/14 (2). NORTHERN SHRIKE: Charlton 2/13. Other highlights: Gadwall: Cohoes Falls 2/15 (2). Ring-necked Duck: Stillwater 2/15 (6). Common Goldeneye: Stillwater 2/15 (75). Great Blue Heron: Albany 2/11. Turkey Vulture: Ravena 2/12 (2). Bald Eagle: Stillwater 2/11; Lake George 2/14. Northern Harrier: Coxsackie Grasslands 2/12, 2/14; Amsterdam 2/14. Sharp-shinned Hawk: Coxsackie 2/14; Amsterdam 2/14. Cooper's Hawk: Colonie 2/11; Coxsackie 2/14. Rough-legged Hawk: Coxsackie Grasslands 2/14; Amsterdam 2/14. American Kestrel: Amsterdam 2/14. Peregrine Falcon: Troy 2/13. Eastern Screech-Owl: Colonie 2/15. Great Horned Owl: Loudonville 2/13. Barred Owl: Rensselaerville 2/13; Warrensburg 2/13. Northern Flicker: Rexford 2/11. Fish Crow: Schenectady 2/15. Common Raven: Brunswick 2/13 (2). Carolina Wren: Rexford 2/11 (2). Eastern Bluebird: Stillwater 2/11 (6). Northern Mockingbird: Charlton 2/13. Cedar Waxwing: West Sand Lake 2/16 (flock). Thanks to Phil Whitney (compiler), Cathie Bryant (Stillwater 2/11), Gerry Colborn (Rensselaerville, Crescent), Bernie Grossman (Rexford), Rich Guthrie (Ravena, Coxsackie Boat Launch 2/14, Coxsackie, Coxsackie Grasslands 2/14), David Harrison (Cohoes Falls, Warrensburg, Saratoga Battlefield, Stillwater 2/15), Peg Hasselwander (Albany), Eric Krantz (Lake George), Anne Magee (Albany 2/11), Curt Morgan (Coxsackie Grasslands 2/12), Jeff Nadler (Charlton, Coxsackie Boat Launch 2/15), Pat Newman (Stillwater 2/14, Saratoga Battlefield), Ellen Pemrick (Colonie), Bob Ramonowski (Schenectady), George Steele (Amsterdam), Scott Stoner (Loudonville), Brad Walker (Brunswick) and two anonymous reports (Troy, West Sand Lake). -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[nysbirds-l] South Fork LI: Montauk area gulls
With a brisk WNW wind and brilliant sunshine I ended up doing a lot of beach walking today. There were at least 450 Bonaparte's Gulls working along the ocean between Montauk Village (Suffolk Co.) and Ditch Plains. Among them, I found an adult *BLACK-HEADED GULL*, likely the same bird I saw out here last weekend. It was feeding in the surf off the middle of Shadmore State Park. This winter I've noticed a marked paucity of first-year birds, today I counted only 14 (3%). A priori, this would suggest a poor 2009 breeding season but I know that the ratio of adults to young varies with location so it seems unsafe to draw conclusions from this one area. It would be interesting to know if others have observed something similar elsewhere? Otherwise there wasn't too much to see. I even slogged all the way along the sand to the Warhol Estate but could not find a King Eider or a Harlequin Duck. The only birds of note along in this section were three *RAZORBILL *(a pitiful number this winter) and 12 *PURPLE SANDPIPER*, roosting on the large triangular bolder east of the Ditch Plains Trailer Park. The 2 wintering adult *LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS* were at their usual stations on Fort Pond Bay (rocks at the western corner) and on Lazy Point in Napeague. At Montauk Inlet, there were 3 *KUMLEIN'S ICELAND GULLS*, two first winter birds and a second winter. Lone Great Cormorants were on one of the jetty towers at the inlet and on the ice of Oyster Pond. I spent a lot of time looking for vultures but saw none - too windy perhaps? Likewise I was unable to find the Great Egret that Carl Starace and party found at Napeague yesterday. The egret is a darn good bird out here in February - I haven't seen one since November. -- Angus Wilson New York City The Springs, NY, USA http://birdingtotheend.blogspot.com/ -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[MidHudsonBirds] SGNWR 2/21/10
Many observers were treated to excellent looks at 11 Short-eared Owls this evening at the Shawangunk Grasslands NWR. The previously reported Rough-legged Hawk was not seen but many Northern Harriers we actively hunting. Christine Guarino New Paltz, NY
[nysbirds-l] Seals, harriers, harlequins, birders lunch...not neccessarily in that order.
This afternoon's trip to Shinnicock Inlet was different-birds were not the goal...seals were! While I'm usually alone, enroute to this location, today my wife, Ruth Ann, was riding shotgun. With the temperature and sunlight pulling her outdoors, along with her rememberence of my description of seal activity earlier in the month at Shinn.Bay/Inlet...she suggested taking a ride there. Upon arrival at the inlet, we ate the tasty lunch she had prepared, and while I was sent out on a one man, seal scouting party, she made her usual Sunday telephone calls to our married daughters. As I walked out on the w/jetty, I came upon 2 birders I didn't know. Gerhardt Tracy W. are from upstate, had spent the weekend at Montauk, and were on their way home, hoping to see some of the species they missed out east, here at the inlet. We talked for a bit, with the only bird of note being the male N.Harrier (aka The Gray Ghost), that flew up the inlet (jetty high) into the bay...first time I've ever seen this specie take this flight pattern-wind related? After a fast, negative scan for Harlequins King Eiders, but finding a lone seal in the inlet, I headed for the car, while Gerhardt Tracy headed out. By the time I returned, Ruth had finished with her calls, and the game was afoot! We couldn't find the seal again. However, feeding at the mouth of the inlet, close to the e/side of the w/jetty, were the 5 Harlequin Ducks reported previously. When we looked earlier, they must have been at the very end of the w/jetty, possibly up on the rocks. Moral of the story...don't forget to walk out to the end of those jetties! Also, if youre looking for seals at Shinnicock, don't forget to check the sandbars out in the middle of the bay! The eastmost bar held 20-25 seals this afternoon, and the view through the spotting-scope made for one happy lady! The ride home, by way of Dune Rd. produced 3 N.Harriers, 2 females and a male, which could have been the bird seen earlier in the inlet. Cheers, Bob -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[nysbirds-l] Eared Grebe, Glaucous Gull, Killdeer - Chautauqua Co.
The EARED GREBE and the Blonde Gull (1st-cycle GLAUCOUS GULL) originally found mid-week by Dave Neveu were both present today at Dunkirk Harbor in Chautauqua Co. with the Grebe frequenting the area in close just off the Main Pier between the docked Margaret Ann (boat) and the east inner breakwall. The Glaucous was making its rounds through the docks on both sides of the pier as well as the inner breakwalls, mostly mooching fish scraps from the Great Black-backed Gulls, but also readily took some bread which I threw out I threw out in hopes of drawing it in for photos (the local RB Gulls appreciated this too). A Horned Grebe was also present, along with a Ruddy Duck (seen by Bill Watson), and at least 9 BALD EAGLES that were sitting either out on the ice edge or in the tall oaks at the point just south of the harbor. At one point it was interesting to watch as two immature Eagles tirelessly pursued and then eventually captured a Ring-billed Gull out over the ice. Bill Watson and I then continued south into the towns of Clymer and French Creek in the very SW part of the state and near the French Creek preserve on Route 4 had a nice sooty black adult m. ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK and at Clymer Pond in the hamlet of Clymer, a pair of KILLDEER that were working the limited patches of grass and shoreline along the pond, and most probably were recent arrivals on last night's clear skies and SW winds. Jim Pawlicki Amherst, NY -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[nysbirds-l] Croton Pt continuing RH Woodpecker and OC Warbler
Hello all, A visit to Croton Point Park early this afternoon with Luke Tiller, Mike Warner, Ken Mirman and Catherine Hamilton yielded the previously reported RED-HEADED WOODPECKER near the parking lot adjacent to the model airplane field and ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER by the campground parking lot. Waterfowl was strangely sparse today at Croton, with not much more than some Bufflehead by the Train Station. Viewing from the beach area below the campground parking lot was a bit better -- more Bufflehead, some Common Goldeneye and Ruddy Ducks, and a large group of Common Mergansers (40+). A handful of Bald Eagles also around, though the river has largely thawed. Also notable, while crossing the Bear Mountain Bridge we encountered a group of vultures on the west side. Many were in the air, and I was able to pick out at least 4 BLACK VULTURES among the 7 or so Turkey Vultures circling. Then I noticed a group of around 15 vultures perched close together in a group of trees, but I was unable to identify them all to species as we drove by. Good birding, Benjamin Van Doren White Plains, NY warblings.wordpress.com -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
