Day 274: September 30th – Habitat fragmentation

Periods of sun and rain, mid 60s, calm winds

       As is usually the case on Sundays in the fall, we are out traveling from baseball field to baseball field following our grandkids as they pursue the endeavor they love most at this time of life.  After an early game for elder grandson Ty (they won!), we travel south to Chester and watch the semi-final game of a tourney that younger grandson Ry is playing in.

       I figure this will be a tough day to find a shot of the day and to find something to write about, but as it turns out, there is always something waiting to spark our interest.  Today, it is the stark contrast between two habitats separated by a little two lane road.

       On the one side (left in the photo above) is a pristine grassland with a small pond surrounded by reeds, cattails and fragmites.  On the other is a developed recreational area owned and operated by a private concern.  The question is and always will be, what are the beneficial effects of the complex as compared to the habitat it replaced. 

       I simply don’t know enough about what was here before these rather exquisite baseball fields were built, but it’s obviously not the habitat that the Great blue heron seen here was enjoying across the road.  What was here before the diamonds?  Were any species forced out of the area because of the development here? 

       We are presently facing a complicated situation north of us in an area known as the Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge.  We know that there are a number of threatened species which use the refuge throughout the year, and we also know that the town of Shawangunk is proposing to develop a recreational site such as we see here (only bigger) adjacent to the refuge.  What effect will it have?  Do we want to wait and see and then be reactive or do we stop the development now and be proactive.  There are a lot of folks like me who would rather see the safe route taken and leave well enough alone.

Day 273: September 29th – Colors in the meadows

Overcast, 70 and calm

        When we think of autumn colors, we naturally think first of the spectacular hues of the leaves of our forests.  Rather than looking up, however, one can look down and find an even more amazing palette of brilliance in the wildflowers of autumn.  Today, I visited Three Rivers Meadow Park in Woodbury, Connecticut and found the edges of the meadow aglow with wildflower blossoms. Below is a sampling of some of the beauty found in the meadows of fall.

Woodland sunflower

Red clover

Bouncing Bet

New England Aster

White campion

Goldenrod

Next photo

Day 272: September 28th – Feeder birds, again

    Rain, rain, cloudy, rain and in the 60s

         I’ts one of those rare days when its almost impossible to find a half hour when there is no rain falling.  In anticipation of the poor conditions forecast for the day ahead, I decided to start shooting the birds at my feeders through the fogged and rain-soaked windows.  

        There were plenty of opportunities to photograph the birds, that was not the problem.  The concern is trying to get a clear image through the glass.  But, if you take enough shots, chances are one or two will be suitable for the blog. 

        Chickadees (not all that common at the feeders in summer), House finches, House sparrows, Cardinals, Jays, and American goldfinches were abundant around all the feeders this morning, but they were often fleeting and were often less than perfect views.  So, with enough excuses being offered here, I’ll post what images we could get on this rainy

rainy day.

Day 271: September 27th – Ravens at the Hawkwatch

Sunny, 70, and a NE wind

       The title may have you believing that we had more ravens than hawks today at the watch on Bear Mountain.  Not quite.  In fact, we had 79 hawks including 9 Bald eagles today.  We only had a half dozen or so Common ravens, but they were uncommonly low and in close and made for some enjoyable observations.  One bird actually did an inverted flight display for us as seen in this shot.

       In terms of sheer numbers, we probably had more migrating Blue jays than any other species, and to be perfectly honest, we had more “stink bugs” than any other species of critter on the mountain today.

       The stink bug, is an insect that is native to China, Japan, and Korea. It was accidentally introduced into the United States in 1998.  The name comes from the rather nasty habit of emitting a noxious odor from holes in its abdomen normally as a defense mechanism against would- be predators.  We often see the stink bug in our homes around this time of year as they invade through any opening available to avoid the cold autumn nights.  They can actually survive through the winter in the warmth of homes and other buildings.  Well, they are not inside yet, that’s for sure.  We had hundreds of them all over the mountain today. 

       As for the hawks, the dominant species was the sharp-shinned followed by Broadwings.  The most unexpected species was the occurrence of several Red-shouldered hawks, a real treat for us.  The Red-tail I photographed which was also around today is a much more common hawk observed at the watch.

        Tonight, strong storms with plenty of rain are due and they are expected to last through tomorrow, so what we will encounter tomorrow and where remains to be seen.  Tune in to find out what is happening on this stormy day.

Day 270: September 26th – Rainy day birding

Cloudy with light rain, SW winds, 68 degrees

       Once again the winds are not quite right for the mountain and the hawks.  Yesterday, we had 98 hawks….Broadwings, ospreys, Sharpies, Red-tails, and a few Bald eagles.  Today, zip.  It’s amazing to see the difference a small change in wind direction can bring.  We did have a few Turkey vultures soaring around to keep us busy.  When all you have is the buzzards, you take a little more time to study and appreciate them.  They are masters of the wind.   You can watch them travel from one end of the valley to the north all the way to our south, disappear over Black mountain and never once beat their wings.

       Their chocolate colored wings are accentuated with enough tan to make for an almost elegant quilted pattern.  If you can get past that pretty horrible looking but functional head, you’ve got a pretty fascinating looking bird, especially in flight.

       We left the mountain top devoid of hawks and made an effort to see if any shore birds or waders might be taking advantage of the low tide at Iona Island below us. 

       Here as up on top, things were pretty quiet.  Another bird we take for advantage, the Mallard, was on site, however, so I grabbed a couple of images.  As with the vultures, these mallards are beautifully plumaged.  We had one pair where the female was beating her wings as if to show that the male is not the only one with bright hues in those feathers.

     We did encounter another bird which is becoming more and more common-place and as such is also becoming more often ignored than appreciated.  “Just another Great blue”. 

       Tomorrow is another day. It’s supposed to be sunnier, but the winds are out of the north, so it will be quiet on the top of Bear Mountain once again.  Ah, but Friday!  Predictions are for sunny skies and winds out of the southeast…..ideal for us.  Let’s see what happens later this week!

Day 269: September 25th – An unexpected find

Sunny, cool (mid 60s), with a southerly wind

       I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again.  You just never know what you’ll run into when you’re out in nature.  This morning, I wasn’t exactly looking for birds.  Actually, I was playing golf with some of my buddies from our club when we heard some really strange calls coming from the brush alongside the 8^th fairway.  Since I had already placed an errant shot in that general vicinity, I quietly made my way over to investigate.

       I found 6 birds that I simply was not familiar with foraging (loudly) in the high grass.  They seemed comfortable with my presence and I took a while to make a mental image of these strange looking birds.  My best guess was that someone had left the coop door open and their exotic pets had made a hasty getaway.

       Unfortunately, I had failed to bring my little SONY “point and shoot” camera with me….something I try to do whenever I do not have the “big guns” with me.  So a mental image was all I had. 

       My first impression said “guinea fowl”, but the few times I had seen that bird, it seemed so much smaller and so much less bizarre.  I decided to go back later with the little camera and check to see if they were there.  As luck would have it, when I returned, the birds had departed and were not to be seen nor heard.

       Later in the day, after the round was over, I grabbed the big ole Nikon and made one more trip to the place where we had seen the birds.  Eureka!  There they were, all six of them, strutting down the side of the Boulevard!  I started clicking away and now had some images to work from as far as identifying them.  I checked with other birders, but they too had trouble naming them.  When you’re into birding, you pay domestic species little concern as they are not considered “countable”….not real wild birds.

       When I got home, I decided to go with my first hunch and check out guineafowl on Google.  Sure enough, there it was…..an African bird known as the Helmeted Guinea fowl.  They have been introduced to other countries, but not North America other than in some communities in an attempt to control the deer tick population.  They feed extensively on these insects and may be one way of helping to control the ticks which spread Lyme disease.  A drawback to using the birds in populated areas, however, is that they emit a harsh cry when disturbed (like when a Titleist golf ball skips past their heads?).  So, the mystery as to what birds these are has been solved only to pose another question…..where did these birds come from?  A question to be answered on another day…..

Day 268: September 24th – Goose Pond

Sunny, NW breeze, and cool (63)

       It’s feeling more and more like fall as the days are growing shorter and the temperatures are slowly falling.  Nights can see cool temps of 45 and lower and even the days are consistently in the mid-60s to low 70s.  After a brief 9 hole round this morning, I took the short drive over to Kenridge Farm and decided to simply concentrate on the area around the first body of water known as Goose Pond.

  

     We are getting into some good warbler movement now that the season has changed and today I was quite happy to be greeted by a female Common yellowthroat under the large tree at the corner of the pond.

       I photographed the bird as it hopped from branch to branch in the brush below the tree.  In following the bird, I happened to see another bird come into my field of view.  From the tail bobbing, I surmised that it was a Palm warbler. 

       

       

       As I shot this bird, a third, also bobbing its tail appeared.  This was no warbler, however, and when I finally got it into my view finder, I discovered that it was a Carolina wren. 

       Soon, there was more movement in the same bushes below the tree.  This was much plainer in coloration, however, but it too was bobbing the tail and fluttering its wings.  It had to be a Song sparrow, a young bird who felt the security of the deep cover of the brush.

       Finally, while all this was going on, I noticed another bird flying in off to the right.  A beautifully plumaged Green heron came in for a landing on a log that lies close to the shore of the pond.  It sat quietly, watching the surface of the water for any movement indicative of a morsel-in-the-making.  As I photographed the bird, it suddenly shuttered and fluffed out its feathers, either drying or cooling itself and creating a “bad hair day” image for the camera.  No human would ever allow me to publish such an image of itself, but this poor bird has now one to speak up for it, and so it is included as today’s shot of the day.

       Finally, I stopped off at home and picked up Sharon to take a run up to Bear Mountain to see if there was any action.  With the northwest winds prevailing, there was next to no action until our friend Joe noticed movement in the ailanthus tree below us.  A pair of Black-throated green warblers appeared on the scene and with a bit of patience and a lot of help from editing software, I was able to get a shot good enough for documentary purposes. 

       It’s great to see that slowly but surely, the changing of the seasons has brought about some new faces in the groups of birds that are showing up.  It won’t be all that long before the winter finches and their associates begin to show up  Always something new to look forward to.

Day 267: September 23rd – Mt. Airy Road

A fine autumn day, sunny, breezy and cool (67)

       On such a beautiful day, we decided to ride the length of Mt. Airy Road in New Windsor, NY.  A two lane country road, this byway winds through farmland, pleasant residential areas, and lakes.  We figured we might get a nice diversity of birds given the varied habitat.

        We first checked out the lakes and found that there was little going on.  Later in the fall and winter, these lakes will be dotted with waterfowl right up until the water freezes over.  Today, however, we were limited to Canada geese, a lone Great egret on the far side of the shore, a Double-crested cormorant fishing the shallows, and a pair of adult mute swans gliding over the smooth surface.

Mute swan

       We sampled one of the meadows next hoping for some “LBJ’s” (little brown jobs) such as sparrows and finches.  The default sparrow of the day was the Chipping sparrow.  Dozens of them flitted over the fields and into the tall isolated pines.  It was interesting to note the varied stages of plumage with some of the birds still sporting their deep rusty caps while other had the streaking more commonly found in winter.  By mid-winter, many of the birds will have caps that are barely discernable. 

      There were also plenty of American goldfinches, most of whom had begun to lose that lemon yellow hue from which they take their name.  Now, they would be more appropriately named “green finches”.  Regardless, they are here in good numbers and the interactions are a joy to watch.  This afternoon, when you saw one, there were generally several more chasing each other all over the fields.  They often included an Eastern bluebird or two into the game of cat and mouse, adding to the excitement.  Bird-watching is so much more than simply going out and identifying a bird, checking it off you list and then moving on.  The activity of the birds is what makes it so enjoyable and so enriching.  Thank God no matter where you go, the actors are on stage, ready to entertain.

Day 266: September 22nd – Autumn

Overcast and cool, light breeze

       Statistically, this is a significant day.  First of all, autumn began at 10:29 this morning and already, the trees are beginning to show signs of the change.  A few hints of red, yellow, orange and brown are beginning to change the hue of the landscape, and predictions are that this will be a colorful fall due to the drought we sustained over the summer.

       Secondly, this marks the point in the daily blog where we are 100 days away from the goal of a full year of entries without missing a day.  We had a long dry spell as far as trying to drum up some good images and subjects to write about during the end of summer, but things are suddenly beginning to pick up as autumn enters the scene. 

Cooper's hawk

        Today, our birding club met at the Bashakill where we had visited on Monday in search of the Connecticut warbler and any other migrants that might have taken advantage of this most wonderful sight.  The warbler in question was seen once again on Thursday, but has not reappeared since and unfortunately, he did not do so today.  What we did have in the early morning gloom was a great performance by the raptors on site.  The main players were kestrels, Cooper’s hawks, Sharp-shinned hawks, Broadwings, and a female Northern harrier. 

       Not only were these birds actively engaged in hunting this morning, but they were also engaged in one another.  On multiple occasions, sharpies. Coops and kestrels were seen in conflict.  At one point, a Cooper’s hawk left its perch and attacked a kestrel for no other apparent reason than the fact that the kestrel had chosen to perch in the same tree.  The Cooper’s hawk made a bee-line for the kestrel whose speed and agility kept it out of harm’s way.  Even the similary sized sharpies seemed to take exception to the presence of the kestrels and drove them away.  Often, there were near misses in mid-flight and it certainly was exciting to watch the confrontations.

     

          Later in the morning, a murder of crows was seen chasing a Cooper’s hawk out of the area.  It seems as if all the birds including these starlings are feeling their oats as they make their way to their wintering grounds in the south.  We’ll join them in January, but for now, it is keeping us entertained watching their progress as they proceed into the season of change….autumn.

Broad-winged hawk over "the Bash"

Day 265: September 21st – Hawk migration continues…

Sunny, 70, SE winds

      With the winds coming out of the SE, we are treated to a few nice fly-overs of some of our migrating hawks.  The fear is that the majority of the Broadwings have already moved on through, but we still manage to get a few stragglers making it past our vantage point. 

       In addition, we had two Bald eagles, several ospreys, Sharpies, and a kestrel or two.  The best sighting of the morning was a pair of Northern harriers that flew by. 

       The first was intent on keeping her distance from the group of watchers and photographers.  The second, however, flew right down the valley within a hundred yards of us and gave us great looks and great photo-ops.  If you miss these opportunities, you have no one to blame but yourself.

       The Northern harrier happens to be my all-time favorite bird.  They are masters of the sky, able to hover just feet above the ground in one place for extended periods of time.  At other times, they will be flying at a good pace and higher in the air.  When they spot prey, they can stop on a dime and drop like a lead balloon directly down onto the unsuspecting small bird or mammal.  Even though we are watching these harriers move south, there will still be some in the Hudson Valley and points north during the winter as the year-round range for the harrier is a narrow band extending through southeast New York.  We are lucky folks!

Other blog-worthy hawks flying overhead included the Sharp-shinned hawk......

       Osprey.......

       And Cooper's hawk.  All-in-all, it was a productive day species-wise if not great numbers.  We'll take what we get!

Day 264: September 20th – Back to the mountain

Mix of clouds and sun, 64 degrees, easterly winds

Juvenile Broad-winged hawk

       It still was not the ideal wind conditions, but what a difference today’s shift made in our total count.  As we approach the peak of the Broadwing migration, you really have to make an effort to get up on the mountain over the next couple of days….no excuses. 

       In yesterday’s entry, I mentioned that the Northwest winds we had yesterday were exactly the opposite of what would be considered ideal for Bear Mountain.  Bearing testament to that principal was the fact that we had a total of three migrating hawks yesterday.  Today, the count totaled 230!  While still considered a trickle of what it could be, it sure was more exciting than three birds!  For the most part, it was Broadwings as expected….more than 200 of them. 

       Sharp-shinned hawks, ospreys, a stray Cooper’s hawk now and then, and several kestrels rounded out the migrants moving past our position.  While some were really close and easily identified, some must be noted from afar, and identification is often done by behavior and silhouette rather than the more defining field marks.  For example, this “sharpie” is tagged as such because of his relatively small head and long squared-off tail.  As he flied, the pattern is flap-flap-flap-flap-glide with the wing beats often being so fast that they are difficult to count.  A very similar Cooper’s hawk has a head which sticks out beyond the leading edge of his wings and while having a similar flight pattern, the wing beats are more deliberate and can usually be easily counted. 

Sharp-shinned hawk

       As with many other exercises in observation, the more eyes the merrier.  With more folks around to spot the distant birds and then more minds to come to consensus as to what bird it was, the final counts are more accurate and more easily justified.  This is “citizen science” at its best, and it’s a real joy to be able to be a part of it.

Day 263: September 19th – Bear Mt. Hawkwatch revisited

A beautiful sunny day with mild NW winds and low 70s

      Following yesterday’s tempest, today is a gorgeous pre-fall day with bright sunshine and cool temperatures.  We decided to spend the afternoon at the hawkwatch atop Bear Mountain in the hopes of coming across one of the major migratory moves of Broadwing hawks which occur in mid-September.  One thing we’ve learned about Bear Mountain is that the prevailing winds must be out of the Southeast in order to bring in the most birds.  The wind is exactly the opposite today meaning one thing……birds will be at a premium.

       Upon our arrival, I spotted a Bald eagle heading down the valley far to our south.  We have more and more eagles frequenting the Hudson Valley over the past decade and some will actually spend their entire lives here.  If, however, we see a bird heading south with a certain level of “determination”, we assume it is a migrant.

       From that point on, it was downhill.  In spite of ideal viewing conditions with fluffy cumulus clouds punctuating crystal clear skies, there was nothing to see other than an occasional resident Red-tailed hawk, a rarer than usual Black vulture, and one lone Eastern wood pewee that perched in front of our viewing station.

       One lone Sharp-shinned hawk did manage to garner our attention as it zipped by us heading due south, but that was about all she wrote.  With mid-September being the peak for the Broadwings, we can only hope that the next day or so will see a shift of the wind patterns to the SE. 

       Meanwhile, we ended the day with a quick drive though our old stand-by, Iona Island.  It was actually pretty birdy if only with species we often see around these parts.  Nonetheless, it was nice to get a couple of shots of this cedar waxwing after spending a very quiet afternoon on the mountain.  Any port in the storm, as they say.

Day 262: September 18th – The “calm” before the storm

Overcast, windy!, with periods of rain, high 70s

       This morning was a windy and rainy start to the day.   But we are not out of the woods yet.  Later this afternoon, strong steady rains are predicted and we are presently in a “Tornado watch” until early this evening.  The skies are an eerie gray and the winds have been strong and steady out of the south.  All this and yet the 30 – 40 mph winds are strangely warm. 

       We decided to take a quick ride south to the Croton Point Park area and see what effect the strong winds are having on the avian life.  We really did not expect to see the Hudson River behaving as it was, however.  With the winds coming directly out of the south and the high tide occurring around 12:40 P.M. and having just passed the New Moon phase, the water was extremely high.  The waves looked more like the ocean than the Hudson!

       As for the birds, the only sign of avian life we encountered that paid little heed to the wild conditions on the river were the mallards.  In Croton Bay, somewhat protected from the wild wave action of the river, we found three mallards simply riding the waves with little if any worry about the bad weather.

       At the south side of the park where the land is totally exposed to the south, the winds were driving the surf up and over the breakwater.  Here, even the mallards knew better than to tempt the fates.  Check out the conditions as recorded on the video below.

       As we headed back north, we stopped at George’s Island Park in Montrose.  The waves were crashing ashore here much as they were back at Croton.  A lone mallard was tucked in behind the seawall and didn’t seem to mind the waves crashing just above his head.

       With all this activity occurring on the river before the arrival of the predicted storms, we can only imagine what conditions on the Hudson will be like later today.  If I were a mallard, however, I’d think about getting back into quieter waters.  We wish them luck and smooth sailing.