Day 152: May 31st – Ironwood Road

Warm, sunny, calm

       Not far from the site of the newly sighted Mississippi kites I’ve been writing about over the last several days is a 1 ½ land blacktopped deadend road known as Ironwood Road.  Although there is a good deal of great habitat including a pristine swamp along the roadside, the premiere birding at this site is at the very end where there is a gravel cul-de-sac.  The road ends at a power line right-of-way and it is here where some of the most reliable birding for the Golden-winged warbler can be found.

       Ive had this warbler here earlier this year, but the bird was quite reclusive and I could not get a decent photograph of him for the year.  But, golden or no, this site is very productive in regards to a number of other birds, so it is always worth the trip.

       When we first arrived, we heard the song of the Blue-winged warbler.  Though too distant to get a decent photo, we knew that very often where the blue-wing is, the golden may also be found.  Not so today.  But all was not lost.  Among the birds we found along the powerline were the Cedar waxwing…..

a very shy female Common yellowthroat who would only peak out from beneath the heavy brush which provided her with cover……

and a pair of snapping turtles lying in the middle of the trail, excavating pits for their soon to be deposited eggs. 

       A couple of ubiquitous Yellow warblers and many Redstarts were also present, but once again we were to be denied out Golden-winged warbler.

       When we went back to the Visitors’ Center of Sterling Forest to get still more looks at the rare Mississippi kite, we were treated to a very close Eastern phoebe which was perched just feet away from the deck of the center.  

       When we think of the many beautiful birds we’ve seen the last couple of days along with the kite, we really can’t feel denied by not having the Golden.  That will wait for another day.

Day 151: May 30th – Kites revisited

Overcast and humid, temps in the low 80s

       When a bird like this Mississippi kite shows up in an area where he has never been seen before, you can be that it will become quite an attraction.  The parking lot at Sterling Forest State Park has not seen this much weekday activity in some years, all due to the appearance of this most handsome bird.

       We arrived around 8:00 AM this morning to see if I could photograph the kite perched rather than in flight.  My passion is photography and my favorite subject is birds in flight, but the last two days, all I could get were the kites on the wing, and I wanted to capture the bird in a more passive state. 

       Things worked out better than hoped for, however, in that when we arrived, the bird was perched fairly close by.  Were it not for the gray skies and muted lighting, it would be the ideal situation.  A white and gray bird against a gray sky leaves something to be desired, but on the other hand, if there is little color to the bird, you’re not losing  that much by photographing him in these conditions.  Even these clouds today had a silver lining.

        It turned out that because of the overcast skies, the insects upon which the kite dines were slow to appear.  With little to hunt, the kite spent a good part of the morning preening and occasionally scouring the countryside for appropriate nesting material.   I managed to capture several images of the Mississippi as it returned to its roosting site in a bare dead tree.  As the bird landed, its talons flared, the wings opened wide to slow the bird down, and in he came for a soft touchdown.  What great opportunities to capture the most alluring images of this bird. 

       We did find its nesting area, although the bird is cautious enough to place it well out of sight and out of harm’s way.  When it landed, we could barely see movement up in the selected tree, but if you did not see the kite landing back there, you would never expect that the next was located there.  Well, it certainly appears that good Lord willing, and barring the undesired intervention of too many nosey people, we may end up with not only the first documented Mississippi kites in Orange County, but also the first kites to breed in the county.  What a great way to start the summer months!

Day 150: May 29th – Adobe “houses”

Sunny, warm and calm

       We have a boat on Greenwood Lake which we love to use in the summer.  The boat is at a dock in shallow water……very shallow water.  This year, the lack of rain and snow has resulted in a very low level of the lake which is drawn down each year to help control aquatic vegetation.  The process of replenishment has been a long affair and most of the boats have yet to be put into the water.  Bad for the boaters but good for the Barn swallows.

       One of the runabouts ready for launching but on dry land for now has become the site of a determined swallow couple’s new home.  Tirelessly, they move out to the lake’s edge, gather mud, and bring it back to the boats superstructure for inclusion into the new nest.  Unfortunately, the owner of the marina is responsible for each vessel and must reluctantly tear the nest down each night. 

       The next day, back come the swallows to begin anew.  Sooner or later, they are bound to move on and find a more hospitable site to build.  In the meantime, you have to admire the ambition and perseverance of these remarkable birds.  We wish them well.

Day 149: May 28th – A Rare Visit

Sunny, Warm (mid-80s) and calm

       It’s a beautiful Memorial Day.  We have had reports over the past several days of a rare Mississippi kite being seen at the parking lot of Sterling Forest State Park.  This bird is normally found considerably south and west of us with its northern extreme range extending into North Carolina and occasionally Virginia.  The bird has been recorded in the center of New York near Cooperstown in a small village called Root and has actually bred there over the past two years.  This is the first record in Orange County, however, so it has created quite a stir.

       We arrived on site at around 11:00 AM after cheering our grandson on at his baseball game.  He pitched well, and we took that to be an omen that the rest of the day would also produce positive results.  When we got to the area at Sterling Forest, we were greeted by a dozen or so members of our bird club as well as several birder/photographers from New York City.  Word spreads fast in this digital age.  We were told that the kite had in fact been at the site around 9:00 but had not been seen since.  We settled in and began to wait the kite out.  And wait we did…..over 4 hours of scanning the skies until around 3:00 PM one of our number called out,
“There’s the bird!”  Everyone grabbed cameras and binoculars to see this rare visitor and to our amazement, we had not one but two kites!  Reports yesterday said that the bird apparently had nesting material in its bill, raising the possibility of a nest being built.  But up until today, only one bird had been seen.  

       Will this pair actually nest here in Orange County.  Is the pair in fact a male/female pair?   From the photos, one of the birds at least looks like a juvenile raising more questions about potential nesting.  We will follow the progress of this  pair of rarities and see what develops.  Stay tuned!

Soaring Mississippi kite

Day 148: May 27th – Backyard Birds

Sunny! Warm (80), and calm

       It’s one of the nicest days we’ve had in some time.  It’s also the end of May, which means parties, baseball tourneys, yard work, etc.  In other words, not a lot of free time to go birding.  But, bird we must in order to keep the blog of the “Image of the day” going.  Where do you go when you have basically no time available?   The Back Yard!  I keep at least some of my feeders filled year-round and it is always interesting to see what species are attracted to the free meal during these warmer spring and summer months.

       There are some usual visitors which we expect to see every day…. House sparrows, Tufted titmice…….

.....Northern cardinals, Downey woodpeckers, American robins searching the grass and soil for those delicious worms, Mourning doves picking up all the seed scattered from the feeders by those less than tidy birds…….

and this year, many more House finches than usual.  Today, it was predominantly the females with their dusky blurry streaks on a white breast and belly and a finely streaked brown head.  

The males are much more spectacular, especially at this time of year, with reddish-orange to deep red  on their head, breast and rump. (See image below of a male I photographed earlier this month) 

Male, taken earlier this month

       Sadly, I had no males at the feeder while my camera lens was trained on the feeder.  As I watch the feeder birds each morning and evening, I’m glad that I persist in maintaining them with fresh seed and nectar.  I’m sure that there will be plenty more reports on the backyard birds as we go into summer with the warblers making their move out of the valley and other birds receding into the forest to make their nests and rear their young.

 

       Tomorrow, the plan is to head over to Sterling Forest State Park where a relatively rare (for this region) Mississippi kite has been spotted over the past two days.  Wish us luck!

Day 147: May 26th – Pond plants

Warm, unsettled with a few thunderstorms

       The avian activity was pretty low today.  It could be the impending storms, it could be that the warbler migration is ebbing, or it could simply be that the birds were not at the same locations as Sharon and me.  And so, I decided to pick out a couple of plants that we see around the edges of ponds at this time or year and make those the nature shots of the day.

Arrow arum

       The first is Arrow arum.  Thick stands of this lush plant are often found along the shore of freshwater ponds.  The foliage and thick stems along with the root masses help to stabilize the underwater sediment and protect the shoreline from erosive action of wind driven waves and wakes from powerboats.  While not being a prime food source for many birds, the Wood duck does feed on the fruit of the plant as do muskrats and rails.  The heavy leaves of the Arrow arum serve as cover for smaller wading birds, aquatic mammals and insects.

       Duckweed is another very common freshwater plant which can be found throughout the world with the exception of the coldest climates.  It is a free-floating plant which quickly grows in large colonies.  Like so many other plants, the duckweed can be beneficial in that it feeds many kinds of waterfowl.  On the down side, if uncontrolled, it can literally cover the surface of a lake, blocking the sunlight from reaching the bottom of the lake and thus killing off other vegetation.  Being green plants, they take up oxygen in the process of photosynthesis and can lead to oxygen depletion and resultant fish kills. 

Duckweed on Beaver Dam Lake, Salisbury Mills

       The Wild blackberry, while being considered a pest or a weed, is an important food source for many mammals and birds.  The seeds therefore can be carried and dispersed over large areas and the plant can spread voraciously.  Once established, the plant spreads by rhizomes resulting in a single plant covering large tracts of land.

      While the fruits are very tasty and the plant blossoms are very attractive, these plants can choke out other native vegetation.  In addition to this, the plants attract rats that use the plants for food and shelter.  So, basically, you can’t always tell a book by its cover!

Day 146: May 25th – Shades of Blue

Cloudy, high 60s and calm

       Another dreary day, but at least it is not raining.  Our forecast is for possible heavy thunder showers this afternoon, so I have to fit in my birding outing between lawn mowing, lock fixing, errands over in Monroe and a wedding this afternoon.  That being said, I head over to our most reliable site as of late….Mine Road.

       I stopped at the location where for the past two weeks we have been hearing though not seeing the Kentucky warbler.  I was somewhat surprised, although I really should not have been, that the warbler was silent.  In fact, the warbler more than likely is not silent but rather is singing his song elsewhere.  I was surprised that he stayed here in one place as long as he did.  Still, there was chatter from other birds across the street, so I grabbed the Nikon and walked across.

       One of the most prevalent birds along Mine Road in summer is the Indigo bunting.  I know….never say “always”, but this bird can really be counted on.  If you drive the several miles of Mine Road in summer, you will see several Indigos at least.  Sure enough, there perched right above my head as if to say, “Sure, the Kentucky is gone, but take a look at this!”, the gorgeous cobalt blue bunting sat in clear view and sang its melody for as long as I chose to shoot.  When I felt I had my fair share of images, I walked away and the bunting took off in a different direction.  Such cooperation.

       As I drove on, I couldn’t help but notice that one of the most spectacular wildflowers, the Blue flag iris, was in bloom all along the roadside.  I started to see a theme for the day developing…..deep blue bird, radiant blue flowers…. What was going to emerge for the lens next? 

       I pulled into the dirt parking area where I have had Cliff swallows gathering mud for their nests in years past.  So far this year, I have yet to see them.  I’ll keep checking the area because I just know they will show up sooner or later.  In the meantime, however, I noticed several butterflies at the mud puddles’ edges. 

       Through my binoculars, I could see that they were similar to Red-spotted purples, but I will update this entry when I get a definitive ID.  In the meantime, check out the trailing edge…..blue.  Blue is definitely the hue of the day!

Day 146: May 25th – Shades of Blue

Cloudy, high 60s and calm

       Off to a wedding.  Text to follow later today or tomorrow.  Thanks.

Day 145: May 24th – Benedict Farm

Overcast, low 70s, and calm

       In the Town of Montgomery, NY, Benedict Farm Park remains as one of the few parcels of true grassland habitat in the county.  Well, that is at least partly true.  Several years ago, a true rarity in Orange County, the Sedge wren, was found in the park.  Folks were hoping that the bird would have a mate and breed, but that never seemed to be in the cards.  In any case, the powers that be in Montgomery had it in their mind that the park would be better utilized as a sports complex and playground that preserving the grounds as native grasslands as it was originally intended.

     Orange County Audubon, the State DEC, and the Mearns Bird Club all fought to prevent the town from developing the site and were in the process of legal action when the town took it upon themselves to begin the project without all the proper impact studies being completed. 

       Along with the wren, many other grassland birds such as Grasshopper sparrows, Bluebirds, Eastern meadowlarks, and Bobolinks were calling the park home when development began.  Fortunately, the state intervened and stopped the project, but only after a large parcel of the land had been cleared and turned into a huge playground.  Access to the park’s interior via a dirt road was plowed under and now one must park up in the playground lot and hike down into the area.  Not a big deal except for those folks who find it difficult to get around and enjoy birding at sites they can gain access to by car.

       Well, today, we decided to check out the area and see what damage the town had done.  We were pleases to see that although the mowers were hard at work, they were sparing much of the grassland habitat and leaving it to the purpose for which it was originally intended.   We found Bobolinks still using  the area that was untouched.  Both Barn swallows and Tree swallows were present with the Tree swallows using Bluebird boxes as nesting sites. 

Willow flycatcher

       Our best sighting of the day was the Willow flycatcher doing its thing in the swampy area located at the area near the entrance of the park.  We searched for Grasshopper and Swamp sparrows to no avail, but we really did not have a great deal of time to devote to said search, so the birds may in fact still be there.  It certainly warrants further birding outings to check and recheck the site. 

      Bottom line is that if the town had gone ahead and built the baseball fields it was planning on, none of the prime habitat would remain here at Benedict Farm.  Thanks goodness for the intervention of those interested parties that were willing to take on the town and fight the good fight.

Day 144: May 23rd – An Injured Broad-wing

Rainy (again!), mild 72 degrees, and calm

Bashakill swamp

       The migration of the warblers is nearing its end and the chances of another fallout of large numbers of the beauties grow smaller with every passing day.  We returned to the Bashakill for one more shot at the migrants and had a few nice sightings of the late arrivals.  We joined friends from Cape May Audubon who had made the trip north to spend a few days here in the Hudson Valley, birding a few of our very special sites. 

Scarlet tanager

       A fine Canada warbler gave us nice looks along one of the waterside trails and the Redstarts were still fairly abundant.  Other birds such as the Scarlet tanager will be around for much of the summer, but today’s individual was quite out in the open, and we all seized the opportunity to get great views and some better than expected shots given the overcast skies.

       The “happening” of the day, however, was a report of an injured hawk brought to us by an alert cyclist who had seen the raptor lying along the roadside.  We were led to the site of the ailing bird, and one of our number, Don Frieday of the Brigantine NWR in New Jersey, skillfully retrieved it to see if he could ascertain the extent of its injuries if any.

     Don found that one of its wings seemed to be compromised and noted that the bird seemed to be malnourished.  We used the “smart-phones” of several members to eventually locate the closest Raptor Center that might be able to help the hawk. 

       Eventually, a rehab unit in Orange County was found, contacted and plans were made for one of our number to drive the bird north to drop it off and hopefully help save the bird’s life.  We’ll probably never know the outcome of the story, but just being aware of the fact that everyone made an effort to help this stately raptor made us feel better about the bird’s chances.  We can only hope for the best.

Day 143: May 22nd- Ducks on the pond

Cool, mid 60s, overcast with periods of rain

       Rainy weather is often referred to as “Good weather if you’re a duck!”.  And so, Sharon and I decided to play along with that old adage and check out a couple of duck ponds in the nearby area.  We had reports of both a leucistic mallard duck and Snow goose at Downing Park in Newburgh.  Both would make interesting shots for the blog we decided and so moved out to see what we could come up with.

       A condition of leucism refers to an abnormality in the pigmentation of an animal which causes that critter to lack certain coloration.  In other words, it looks partially white.  An albino would be completely white with pink eyes and that is not the case with leucistic animals.  When we arrived, I immediately spotted a mallard-like duck which had a mottled white and brown coloration, possibly our target bird. 

       Later, at Ring Sands Pond in Cornwall, I found another duck with a similar scheme but was also crested.  There are a number of “domestic” ducks which are descended from mallards and which freely interbreed with the rather promiscuous mallard.  I began to think and do now believe that our hoped for leucistic duck was actually a mallard hybrid.  I may be wrong, but that’s my best guess right now.

       All was not lost, however, as Sharon spotted the second target, the Snow goose, sitting on the far side of the pond.  We did a quick U-turn and headed back into the park where we hoped for a close look.  There is plenty of pedestrian traffic in Downing Park and the goose was only slightly cautious of my presence.  Thankfully, I had the 40mm lens on my camera and did not need to approach beyond the bird’s comfort zone.  Examining the photos I shot, I determined that his is a first year bird.  He still has a fair amount of a grayish wash along his neck which will eventually disappear as he matures.  So, for Downing Park we batted .500.

       Heading back through Cornwall, I decided to check out the ducks on the rainy day.   Mallards and Canada geese were the waterfowl most abundant, but there were several more of the strange looking domestic/mallard crosses in the mix.  One was especially interesting as it had what appeared to be a cotton ball stuck to the top of its head.  There are a number of these crested ducks found in barnyards and these are more than likely either escapees or descendants of other escapees and mallards.

       One more sighting was really a match for the Snow goose as far as the pix of the day.  As I photographed the ducks and geese, I noticed a bright red head on a fairly large bird pecking at the base of a tree stump.  Checking it out with the telephoto, I realized that it was a Pileated woodpecker. 

       I’ve never seen one standing on the ground and pecking the base of a tree stump before and had to snap off a few shots before it lost interest and flew off. 

       All in all, it was a pretty productive day for one filled with clouds, rain and fog.  Hopefully, this weather will begin to clear for tomorrow.

Day 142: May 21st – Rainy Day White-tails

Constant rain in cool 61 degree conditions

       When you live in the Hudson Valley, you have to expect the good with the bad.  This weekend was spectacular with bright sunny calm skies and mild temperatures.  Today is payback with rain, heavy at times, and chilly temperatures (considering it is May 21^st!)  We went exploring with the intention of picking up a few waterfowl and little else.  What we did not expect was the number of deer we saw.

       Our first order of business was to pick up a package which our friends Alan and Della had carried up from Florida for us.  As we drove up the hill to their home in Tomkins Cove, we were surprised at the number of deer we found out in broad daylight browsing on folk’s gardens and shrubs.  One of the deer we saw was a young “button buck” with just the beginnings of a pair of antlers starting to show.  These bucks are generally only around 6 months old.  The “buttons” on this buck are pretty well developed, so it may be a bit older than that.  When we arrived at the house, we noticed that much of the greenery around the house was shielded from the deer with wire fencing.  Apparently the deer in these parts don’t have to work too hard for their dinner.

      Moving down to Stony Point Battlefield State Park, we were hoping to find some ducks, geese, or swans using the swampy area at the entrance to the park.  We did in fact find a pair of mute swans and a number of Rough-winged swallows along with a few Robins.  But here again, we were surprised to find still more White-tailed deer browsing in the swamp.  As we drove by, they acknowledged our presence with a casual glance and then went on about their business.  These deer apparently hadn’t heard about the free meals up in Alan and Della’s neighborhood and had to pick their way through some pretty heavy vegetation to satisfy their hunger.

       The plan for tomorrow, which is also projected to bring rain, will be to head up to Newburg to find a Jeucistic mallard duck.  Leucism is a condition of reduced pigment which may cause an animal to look abnormally white.  But more on that subject tomorrow.

Day 141: May 20th- Salisbury Mills Fields

Sunny, mid 80s, calm winds

       We’re still a little frustrated over the all too distant views we had of the Bobolinks at Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge last week, so Sharon suggested that we try for a closer view out along Otterkill Road in Salisbury Mills.  The fields we were headed for are near the Moodna Creek Viaduct.   Built in the early 1900’s, the Viaduct is a 3,200 foot rail bridge over a valley and is 193 feet high.  It is the highest and longest railroad trestle east of the Mississippi River! 

       And so, even if we were not to find the hoped for target species today, we would still have something to hold out attention and admire.  That being said, the Bobolinks did not disappoint us.  We no sooner arrived and began our drive along Otterkill Creek Road than we spotted a Bobolink on a fencepost not too far ahead of us.  These have to be one of the most well dressed birds in North America with their black head sharply contrasting with a yellowish-buff nape and cap.  Top this off with bright white scapulars which give the impression of a cape or shawl as well as the white rump and you have one fine looking bird!

       After spending some time photographing this fine specimen, we headed for home.  In transit, we passed under a low-flying Red-tailed hawk which was climbing with the help of a thermal on this warm afternoon.  Within minutes, he had risen to an altitude that put him pretty much out of sight. 

  

           How nice to be able to spend a little time out in the countryside looking at a marvel of engineering and a marvel of the natural world.  We are certainly blessed to be living here in the Hudson Valley!

Day 140: May 19th – Break-a-Hundred

Sunny, mild and calm winds….in a word, “Perfect”

Daybreak at the Bashakill

        Once a year the Edgar A. Mearns Bird Club hosts a competition between teams comprised of groups of 2 – 6 members in which each team attempts to find and identify at least 100 species of birds in a 24 hours period. 

       We began our 24 hours out in the town of Warwick at the Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge on Oil City Road.  Our team consisted of 4 members as well as a visiting “guest” from Cape May who used to be an Orange County resident and still knows the birding hotspots of the county well.  Promptly at 4:00 PM, we began our list with a fine specimen of a Solitary sandpiper.  While generally not the most common bird in Orange County, today they were here in good numbers and it did not take a great deal of effort on our part to check this one off.

       After adding a few more shore birds to our list and checking the grasslands across the street for more species such as sparrows and hawks, we moved over to the Right side of the preserve and walked along the western edge of the main impoundment.  From here, we were able to add a considerable number of new species to our growing total.  Among these were the Northern waterthrush, Spotted sandpiper, Yellow warbler, Warbling vireo, Least sandpipers, and the russet colored Orchard oriole.

Orchard oriole

       We finished the day with other fields, marshes and wooded areas, adding such species as the Virginia rail, Marsh wren, and Wood ducks.  Finally, we wound up or first day with a stop along Mine Road after dark.  This location is always (yes, always!) reliable for two otherwise hard-to-get species.....the Whip-poor-will and the Woodcock.  The climax of the day was adding the Eastern screech owl to the list before taking a few hours off for R and R.

       The next day we were out on site by 4:00 AM and watch the sun rise over the Bashakill swamp (see photo above).  We listened for our target species and scored with the American bittern.  It was difficult to hear anything over the cacophony of the Bullfrogs' chorus which pretty much drowned out any other sounds of the night.  It would be quiet for a short period of time and then one frog would begin his bellowing call...."jug arum, jug arum, jug arum...." soon to be joined by hundreds of other bullfrogs.  Once the sun began to peek over the horizon, the frogs began to quiet down and it became easier to hear the faint delicate calls of the warblers.  We spent a couple of hours at the "Bash" as it is affectionately known before heading west out towards the border of Orange and Sullivan counties.  In an area near the Rio Reservoir, we bird a narrow roadway which winds along the edge of a rather steep precipice.  Here we found Ravens, the melodious Winter wren, Juncos (so common in winter, but not so much in spring), and a few more warblers.  

       Coming back east, we stopped at Port Orange Road where we were able to score with the Acadian flycatcher, Prairie, and Chestnut-sided warblers.

Prairie warbler, Port Orange Road

Chestnut-sided warbler, Port Orange Road

       After several more hours of scouring the Orange County countryside, the magic hour of 4:00 PM was approaching.  We returned to Mine Road where last night we had the Orange County rarity Kentucky warbler, Veery and several more warblers.  We added this little House were which looked as if it were also ready to call it a day.

        By day's end, we had tallied a total of 116 different species in our travels of the County.  Later, at the "countdown dinner" we were to find that only one team had surpassed out totals.  The results were overall slightly lower than those recorded last year, but all in all, it was a great day with great friends and great places to visit.  Oh yeah......Great birds as well!  I think I'll sleep well tonight!