Day 365: December 31st – The Last Day

Mostly sunny, light breeze, low 30s

      Sounds ominous, doesn’t it.  Well today is the last day…the last day of the year 2012 in the Gregorian calendar.  It’s also the last day of the daily Natural Digital Blog.  Don’t despair, faithful readers.  The blog will continue to be published on a more irregular basis for the upcoming year.  Entries will be published periodically on a more or less weekly basis or as a special “bulletin” when some sighting of extreme noteworthiness occurs.  So, please continue to check in with natdigital.blogspot.com from time to time.

       On this final day, we made a stab at one last “year bird”, the Lapland longspur.  Spotted yesterday by a couple of more than reliable birders out in the black dirt farms of Pine Island, we just had to follow up and see if we could end the year with a bang.  Well, we missed the longspur, but we did find two great “snow birds” in the forms of the Horned lark and the Snow bunting. 

Horned lark

       The larks were found along Missionland Road in Pine Island and were present in large numbers.  They continually flew back and forth across the road, often landing right next to the snow banks deposited by the plows over the past three days.  With the ground under more than a half foot of snow, the larks were busy feeding on the seeds of the grasses which peeked above the blanket.  Occasionally, you’d see a lark reaching for the highest seeds since the lower crop had already been picked bare.

       There were a number of Snow buntings mixed in, but for the life of me, it seemed every time I had one in the viewfinder, along came another of my favorite birds, the Northern harrier.  The smaller birds would invariably take flight, and I ended up with either a blank field or a blurred bunting. 

       Eventually, we found a large flock of the larks with many more buntings sharing the fields along Rudinski off of Missionland.  While a bit distant, I did manage to get enough of an image to prove that we did in fact see them. 

       The longspur would have been nice, but we know he’ll be on site for a while to come as the snow cover is not going anywhere in the next week or two.  “Our destinations are our new beginnings”, so as we wind down this year, our new year-list begins tomorrow and who knows…perhaps the longspur will be one of the first birds to be added to that log.

       And so, we wish you all a most Happy and Healthy New Year for 2013 and thank you all for following our birding adventures this past year.  Montreal, Montana, Cape Ann, Cape May, Australia, New Zealand, the entire east coast, Florida, California, the Adirondacks and all other parts of New York and more.  It’s been a great birding year for us and we look forward to new birds and new adventures in 2013.  Hope to see you in the field!

Day 364: December 30th - Winter for sure….

Low 30s, windy, and clear

       No snow today, but the strong winds are blowing yesterday’s coating all around and making it look like a blizzard at times.  Winds between 25 and 30 mph with gusts up to 50 mph make the low 30s feel like the low 20s.  Bottom line….it’s cold.

       We drove back home from Cornwall this afternoon and stopped along the way to admire the beautiful snowscapes now being altered on a minute by minute basis by the howling winds.  Moodna Creek was absolutely breath-taking in terms of beauty and chilling temps.  The waterfowl so often seen on these waters was nowhere to be found.  The ducks and geese had more than likely found someplace out of the breeze and hopefully in the sun.

       We checked for our Common redpolls at Earl Reservoir, hoping to find them along the roadway into the area or feeding on the catkins of the birches where we found them two weeks ago.  They too had obviously been wiser than we and had found sanctuary in a deep hollow or behind some heavy vegetation.

Driving into Earl Reservoir 

       The birds we did find were those we expect to see along the roads at this time of year.  Just like yesterday, the Dark-eyed juncos were present and visable by the hundreds.  Trying to capture a photo of these little guys is difficult to say the least, however.  It’s as if they are intentionally teasing you as they lure you closer in the car and then when you raise the camera, off they go.  They only fly far enough so that you can’t possibly get a good shot given their diminutive size.  So, we again drive slowly along, approaching them ever so quietly.  As we get close,  off they go again.  I finally found one more interested in trying to find something to eat on the cold snow covered grounds and managed to get one shot off before he too took off.

       The only other birds out and about on the blustery day seemed to be the titmice, chickadees, and the White-throated sparrows.  In spite of the lack of diversity seen today, the backdrop for all these winter birds was so spectacular as to make the entire outing more than worth-while. 

       Our final stop was out on Iona Island for once last look this year.  Juncos and a few Northern mockers which we always seem to find out here were the only game in town, but once again, the splendor of the winter scenery was all we needed.  Days like this remind us why we don’t live in Florida year round, but a few more nights like are predicted for this evening (still windy and 17 degrees!) bring us back to the reality of why it is we do in fact head down to Florida each winter.  Won’t be long now.

  

Day 363: December 29th – In winter’s grasp

Snow, calm, low 30s

       Winter is here for sure.  Nights have consistently been in the 20s and day brings only slightly warmer temperatures.  We had our first snow of the winter two days ago, and after a one day respite, the snow has returned, covering the already white landscape with a fresh coating.  As today’s storm began, we had just entered the grounds of the Outdoor Discovery Center of the Hudson Highlands Nature Museum.  This has been one of our favorite and most productive sites throughout this year, and as our daily blog will end in two days, I wanted to make sure we got in one final visit in 2012.  As we drove into the preserve this afternoon, we were greeted by a Red-tailed hawk, probably one of the residents we run into almost every time we visit.  As if on cue, he flew over to a tall cedar and perched at the very top, the snow just beginning to fall upon the tree.

       As we moved on, the birds of the winter scene were all about.  Juncos lined the road, escorting us down the trail.  A Song sparrow was feeding upon the seeds of the grasses as we drove slowly by.

       Many White-throated sparrows were feeding likewise on the opposite side of the roadway where it was more difficult for me to shoot.  I decided to work that side of the road on the way out.  As we rounded the turn, a pair of Redtails were perched side-by-side, as if to keep each other a little warmer in the cold snow.

       I turned the car to get a better angle for my photo and one of the pair had decided that he had had enough.  Off he flew while the second hawk was content to remain in place.  I later found the two at a new location, once again perched shoulder to shoulder.

       At the ponds, we found Canada geese squeezed into the small areas of open water, the major part of the pond having frozen over in the past couple of nights.  The snow was falling more heavily and the roads were becoming covered, so we decided to make our way back to the main road.  As I had promised myself, I crept slowly along the section of road where I had seen the white-throats with the camera barrel hanging out the window, collecting a layer of snow.  Sure enough, here were the sparrows right where I had seen them on the way in.  I had not realized how many there were until now.  At least two dozen were down low to the ground feeding on the seeds of the grasses.

       The sparrows were joined by a handsome male Northern cardinal, and neither seemed to be bothered by the presence of the other….. “Let us come together at table” as it were.

       Before heading over to our daughter’s home nearby, we made a quick stop at Ring’s Pond to see if we might find any new gulls or geese.  The solid surface of the pond seemed to have forced the waterfowl down to the river, however, and the only birds on the limited open water were mallards.  It was easy to see why our nice warm parkas are filled with down as the insulating properties of these feathers was obvious when photographing the snow covered ducks.  The warmth generated in the body of these mallards was surely not escaping to melt the cover of the white stuff which had accumulated on the backs of the fowl.  Mother Nature knows how to care for her own!

       

Day 362: December 28th - Winter mergs & others

Clear, light breeze, 36 degrees

       Sharon and I were in Rockland County for a family gathering and decided to stop over at Rockland Lake to see if the cast of characters had changed since our last visit back on December 1^st.  As I approached the lake from Parking Lot #1, I first spotted the Ruddies which were so prevalent at that time.  The Buffleheads which were here in good numbers a month ago were not seen today.  Perhaps they were on the other side of the lake which time will not permit us to explore today, but they were absent from this area.   One bird quite obvious through its constant chatter was the Belted kingfisher.  As I scoped out the waters in front of me, the kingfisher flew first to the left and then to the right and then back again.  These birds are very difficult to get a shot of because they refuse to sit in one spot for very long, especially if you are trying to photograph them!  Finally, I did capture a distant image and I was happy with that. 

       I saw through the binoculars that there seemed to be a concentration of waterfowl over near the fishermen’s parking area, and so, I retreated to the car and drove on around to that lot.  Sure enough, right in front of me were several Common mergansers.  After photographing this fine lady, I began to see more and more swimming from behind the cover of a nearby cove.  The vast majority were females with less than a half dozen males to be found.

       The coots that were so numerous on December 1 were much fewer in number although I did see a few mixed in with the decent number of Ruddy ducks resting in typical Ruddy fashion on the water’s surface.

        As I scanned the far shoreline, I was surprised to find not one, but a group of three Great  blue herons all withing the same field of the binoculars.  I have come to expect to find these herons during the winter on open waters, but I generally don’t find three of them abreast!  I often wonder what will become of these birds when the depth of winter sets in and the water freezes over.  Some I know will find hunting grounds along the Hudson, but will some head south at that late date?

       My last good look of the day was a group of Northern shovelers swimming in close to the boat dock.  The males were beginning to show much better breeding plumage then they exhibited a month ago.  Still, they have a ways to go before reaching the pinnacle at which time their flanks will be a rich rufous color and the head an iridescent green.  We are into the breeding season, so they better get moving!  I expect when I see the shovelers down in Florida, they will be much more brilliantly adorned than these guys were.  It won’t be long before we will be there to see if my hunch plays out.  For now, these males were really not all that shabby!

Day 361: December 27th – The onset of winter

Low 30s, calm winds, snow

       It’s beginning to look a lot like winter all of a sudden.  With a snowfall of 5 inches covering the ground this morning and a light snow falling throughout the day, the overcast skies forebode of still more winter weather on the way. 

       Days like today stimulate all your senses.  You can certainly feel the cold, especially if the wind begins to blow.  The stark contrast of black, white and gray replaces the brilliant hues of autumn, and there is strangely a crisp clean aroma to this wintery air. 

       When there is no wind, the eerie silence is punctuated only by the sound of the water of the ponds lapping upon the shore, the calls of a gaggle of geese flying overhead, snow losing its grip on the nearby branch and cascading to the forest floor, or a startled deer crashing through the dried brush in an effort to avoid my intrusion.

       I visited three nearby ponds today and found most of the lakes with a veil of thin ice, broken through by small openings of ice-free water.  These small open areas were often the site of what little waterfowl remained on these lakes.  In times like this, many of the geese, swans, and ducks head down to the Hudson where it will be a long time before the ice can close in on the main channel.

       The forecast for tomorrow is for a break in the action, but Saturday could bring an additional few inches of the white stuff erasing the blemishes and marred surfaces resulting from the action of wind and animal activity.  Winter certainly seems to be making its mark early this season.

Day 360: December 26th – More Hudson Valley Eagles

Overcast, damp and chilly 37degrees

       With the first major snow storm of the winter forecast for tonight and tomorrow morning, we headed down river to retrace the route we take for Bald eagles between the Bear Mountain Bridge and Croton.  Again, we expect to find eagles that are resident rather than the migrants as the weather to the north has still been too warm to permit the open bodies of water on which the eagles depend for food to freeze over.   Slowly but surely, however, the weather has been growing colder and colder and it is only a matter of time before we can expect to see the visitors from the north begin to trickle in.

       In the meantime, we checked our usual spots in the hopes of finding a few resident birds.  A couple of days ago, we had our first two mature birds near their nest down near Peekskill.  We move a bit further south this morning and checked the surrounding trees at Croton Point Park and Croton Reservoir.

     One lone Redhead was found on the waters of the reservoir, and as hard as I tried, I could not conjure up a single eagle along the shoreline.  We dropped down to the outlet of the reservoir at Black Rock Park and while we came up empty in the eagle department, we did have a couple of nice Buffleheads in fairly close.

       At our next stop, George’s Island in Montrose, we again found one single female Bufflehead in close to shore, but not one eagle.  As we moved over to Verplanck and looked back at the north side of George’s Island, I did find a mature Bald eagle in the proximity of the nest which was built after the nest on Stony Point Battlefield State Park was destroyed by weather events.

       Moving further north, we arrived at our final destination of the day, China Pier in Peekskill.  As we ate a bite for lunch and observed the bay from the comfort of the RAV4, I spotted a young eagle soaring low across the river from east to west.  As he rose, a Ring-billed gull took off in hot pursuit and harassed the poor bird, pushing it closer to our vantage point and allowing me to get off a couple of shots in the darkening skies.  The bird was a mottled chocolate brown and white, apparently a first year bird. 

       As we headed home, we stopped by the eagles nest I had reported on two days ago and found it vacant, its owners apparently off hunting before the onset of the impending snow. 

       What will tomorrow bring?  It looks promising for some accumulations of a half foot or more.  A little late for truly white Christmas, but exciting to have it arriving just the same.

Day 359: A White Christmas

Overcast, 33 degrees, calm

   

       The first snowfall of the winter came just in time to give us some semblance of a white Christmas.  Although light, and although you can still see the blades of grass sticking up above the mantle of snow, it’s enough to qualify this as an official White Christmas.  Several of the birds were up early this morning to welcome the new day and pose for me with the snow as a backdrop.  Hope everyone has a most wonderful and Merry Christmas with family and friends!

Day 358: December 24th – Hudson Valley Eagles

Sunny, calm and 34 degrees

       It’s a clear crisp Christmas Eve day as I head over to the Peekskill area to see if there are any signs of the influx of eagles which will no doubt occur in the next few weeks.  We’ve had some chilly days in this past week and that is a good trend needed to bring our visitors from the north into the valley.

       Near the Annsville Paddle Center on the Hudson, I did not find any birds at all!  I was surprised because the early morning sun was brilliant and I figured there would be some warming effects which the little brown jobs would want to take advantage of.  Even the gulls and geese were absent.  Around the back side of the of the point on which the center lies, however, I did find a promising sign of possible things to come…..ice.  Not a lot, but the small bay I was standing along was covered with a thin coat and that’s what we need for the eagles to come in.  Once the bodies of water to our north our frozen over, the eagles must come down to this part of the river where boat traffic and the topography keep at least part of the river ice-free.  That means that the birds can get to the fish which is a major staple of their diets.

       We do have resident eagles in the valley as well, and it so happened that I knew of a place nearby where there had been an active eagles’ nest in the past.  Off I went and in short order I had found the nest.  To my great joy, there was the nest and there was a mature Bald eagle upon it.  As I watched and photographed the bird adjusting the twigs within the nest, a second bird flew in and took its place alongside the second bird. 

       This nest has been productive in the past and we can only hope that these two birds will have a successful year and produce more “resident” Hudson Valley Bald eagles.  What a nice early Christmas present!

Day 357: December 23rd- The Butcher Bird

Sunny, calm, mid 30s

       We're off chasing birds once again as a report of a Northern shrike which was first seen during the Christmas Count last week has persisted.  The bird which is a rarity for Orange County should be considerably north of us at this time of year.   The Northern shrike is a predatory songbird which breeds in taiga and tundra and generally winters in southern Canada and the northern United States. It has earned the name of “Butcher Bird” because of its habit of impaling its prey on spines or barbed wire fences.  Its diet is primarily insects, small mammals and birds.  It’s been a week since the bird was first sighted, so it appears that it is finding enough of a food supply to keep it well sustained while visiting down here in Orange County.

       The site where the bird has been seen is just outside of the town of Montgomery on Corbett Road.  The habitat is perfect…..large expanses of grassland with brush and saplings spread throughout. 

       Sharon and I spent about a half hour on the site along with several members of the Mearns club before the bird popped up and made its presence known.  It stayed distant and moved from tree to tree for about three minutes before once again disappearing down into the higher grasses.  I continued to watch over the area for another 45 minutes or so before succumbing to the cold and the desire to get home to see the Giants play (should have stayed and looked for the bird…it was more enjoyable and rewarding).

       During the time we spent looking while the shrike remained hidden, a Red-tailed hawk soared above scouting out the area.  As much of a tyrant the “butcher bird” is, he is small and no match for a red-tail, and this could have been the reason the bird remained hidden down in the high grass. 

       This was a “year-bird” for us, and at this late date it is always good to add to that list.  Several other rarities were reported down in Westchester County today, so early tomorrow (Christmas eve), I’ll try to get out and add at least one more to that yearly tally.  Wish me luck.

Day 356: December 22nd – Winter’s first full day

Overcast, mid 30s, windy with periods of snow squalls

       Well, winter really is back and today, the first full day of the season, was a typical New York pre-Christmas day.  We were out all day working on the Audubon Christmas Count for southern Orange County.  Our results were not stellar to say the least with the snow and wind keeping the birds hunkered down.

       Still, it was a wonderful day to be out and about.  We covered areas around Chester, Goshen and Florida, NY.  We don’t have a great deal of ponds and lakes to check out, but those that we did gave us mixed results.  Glenmere Lake between Florida and Goshen gave us beautiful flight views of the Bald eagle.  Another reservoir in the town of Goshen produced yet another eagle and good numbers of Common mergansers….a welcome sight that portends the beginning of the season.

       A view of a group of 8 turkeys grazing along a snow covered farm field in Florida seemed a fitting photograph which typifies a southeastern New York winter’s day.

      Another small farm pond gave us looks at quite a few mallards as well as barnyard ducks.  As might be expected, the two had obviously comingled once too often and the result was a rather striking pair of hybrids.

       We did well with the raptors with both Sharp-shinned and Cooper’s hawks observed.  The Red-tails were spotted once again and a nice fly-in by this Kestrel made this photo possible.

       Plenty of juncos and white-throated sparrows helped confirm the beginning of winter as we rarely see these birds at other times of the year.  The juncos preferred the heavy cover of the thicker forested road edges and having seen the sharpies and coops, it wasn’t hard to question such wisdom on their part.

       As the day wore on and the shadows lengthened, the White-tailed deer began to move about and browse in the farm fields and backyards of Orange Country residents.  Our grandkids are all hoping for a white Christmas, but the chances are about 50 – 50.  The deer would just as soon keep things the way they are.  Browsing is so much easier when the forage is exposed and you don’t have to scratch and dig down to your next meal.  We’ll see who gets their wish in the next couple of days.

Day 355: December 21st – The Winter Solstice

Cloudy with occasional showers, temps dropping rapidly

       After a really windy rainy night, the skies cleared for an hour or so before turning cloudy, wet and chilly once again.  My hope on this first day of winter (which began at 6:12 this morning) was to revisit Rings Pond in Cornwall to see if the roosting vultures I found there last year were still hanging out there.  I had reliable reports that the vultures returned there each evening and my fear was that I was here too early in the afternoon (around 3:00 PM). 

        As I approached the pond, I did see several Black vultures soaring high over Cornwall but unfortunately for me, they had not returned for the evening. Plenty of gulls, mallards, and Canada geese, but not one vulture.

       We decided to head down to the Hudson at Cornwall Landing and then over to Kowawese Unique Area just north of the Landing.  With the rain and the wind, we did not have high hopes.  Good thing.  There was basically nothing on the water save for a few Ring-bills far out on the water and one lone Great black-backed gull sitting atop a piling.

Looking south down the Hudson Valley from Kowawese Unique Area, New Windsor

       Well, let’s try once again at Rings, it being a bit later and darker and all.  Even more gulls had arrived and we spent some time looking in vain for any white-wings and perhaps an aberrant goose. Alas, it was not to be.  And so, in summary, the shot of the day goes to a sad looking duck.  Mallards are notoriously promiscuous, and my guess is that this was the result of one mallard’s wild night out with perhaps a domestic duck of some sort.  If anybody has any idea as to the duck's id, please leave a comment regarding same. 

       I will take this opportunity to wish all you folks a wonderful winter of good health, peace, and plenty of wonderful birds.