Friday, August 31, 2012

Day 244: August 31st – Berkshire Bird Paradise


Sunny, calm and mid 80s

       For the past couple of weeks, the forecast around here has sounded like a broken record.  Every day has been beautiful.  Following our steamy July and beginning of August, the weather has suddenly taken a turn for the better.  Hope it lasts.

       We are heading up north to friends in Burlington, Vermont for the weekend.  In route, we decided to plug the address of the Berkshire Bird Paradise Sanctuary into the GPS and go see the place.  It is one of the largest bird rehab sanctuary in the US and we were prepared to be in awe of the facility.  Well, paradise is in the eye of the beholder.  When we arrived, we found what looked to be a set out of the old Ma and Pa Kettle show.  Overgrown, in need of a good coat of paint, and at first sight pretty darn dismal. 


       As we walked around the narrow gravel paths between the various chicken coup enclosures, we found hundreds of birds in relatively close quarters.  Not what we were expecting!

       When I photograph birds in the wild, I make an attempt to pay attention to context, making sure to include some of the wild surroundings which accent the beauty of the bird.  So, that is what I was looking for here.

       What I did not pay attention to is the fact that this is no zoo.  These birds are here for a reason.  Either they were shot, or hit by a car, or were pets that people abandoned, or whatever.  The reason for the sanctuary is not to make the people that visit here at peace and happy about what they see, but rather to make the birds better and provide them with a comfortable environment before being released back into the environment or sent off to some other facility. 

       The owner and director of the facility, Peter Dubacher, started the sanctuary back in the early 70’s.  I checked out various stories of the work that Peter has done over the past 40 years and now have an appreciation for what this place is all about.  So……if you want to see birds in their most pristine settings, get outdoors and go birding!  If you want to see wild birds of all ilks from different parts of the world in a beautiful “mock” setting, get to one of the more reputable zoos throughout our country.  But if you’d like to see birds which have been given a second chance at life by a devoted caring individual and don’t really care about the ambiance of the place, go check out the Berkshire Bird Paradise in Petersburg, NY.  Enjoy the birds and just look past the surroundings!





Thursday, August 30, 2012

Day 243: August 30th – Local ponds


Sunny, mid 80s, calm winds

       So often, we take the local environs for granted and rarely give them a second look.  Today, I visited a pond not more than a half mile from my home where I used to fish regularly as a young boy.  Crystal Lake was a bit more accessible back in those days and you could easily walk around much of the shoreline without worrying about the cars and trucks speeding by you within an arms reach.  Still, the area where we used to fish most often is still removed from the main road and is relatively peaceful.  I walked back to one of my favorite spots and located a pair of ducks on the far side of the lake.  They were in the shade and so far removed that I had difficulty identifying them until they took flight and flew not too far from my position.  A hen and a drake Wood duck did their quick fly-by before disappearing around the far end of the lake.  I don’t recall ever seeing Wood ducks here before, but as I said, I kind of ignored this little gem for some time now.

       I then travelled a couple of miles further south to Garrison’s Pond.  This pond is notoriously shallow and usually by mid-June is so weedy that you can barely get a canoe or kayak through the vegetation.  Still, there are always swans on the pond as long as there is open water.  Today was no exception to the rule.  At first, I spotted a pair of mutes.


       Shortly, there were joined by a lone juvenile.  In the early stages of development, the juveniles will have no knob so obvious on the head of the adults and the lores are feathered.  As winter approaches, however, the knob just begins to appear and the lores become naked, exposing dark skin.  On this young bird, you can see those characteristics just coming into being.  Also of note….there are two morphs in the juvenile stage – one rarely seen which is pure white and the second, gray as seen in this bird.  The young usually remain with both parents through the first winter.


       We will probably see these same birds around our area throughout the winter as they generally do not migrate further than necessary.  Once the waters of the pond freeze over, these birds will more than likely head over to the open waters of the Hudson, only a mile or less away. 

       Like the ponds, we sometimes take birds like the swans for granted and don’t take the time to really look at these regal birds.  It’s nice to take a moment and re-examine the beauty of nature that is close at hand.


Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Day 242: August 29th – Dragonflies and Butterflies


Sunny, breezy, and warm low 80s

       There will be more images than words today as we ventured out and quickly realized that there was plenty of action in the world of butterflies and odonates on this beautiful late summer day.  When I checked our butterfly bush earlier in the morning, there were at least a half dozen Painted ladies taking advantage of the bevy of blossoms now on the bush.  I later photographed this one out at Long Pond 


       Among the other butterflies we came across today were…..

          

           Varigated fritillary:



          Great spangled fritillary:


          Checkered skipper:

We also had a good number of dragonflies at Brooks Pond and Long Pond.  Here are images of some of those we saw today…..

       Slaty skimmer:

       Widow skimmer:


       Common Green darner: 


       We did have a couple of nice birds, but they declined to be photographed today.  One of the best was a Broadwinged hawk in great plumage.  The Bear Mountain Hawk Watch will be starting up in a few days and we will be bringing you images of the migrating hawks as they head south.  So I can only imagine that today’s Broadwing was a sign of things to come.  

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Day 241: August 28th – Eclipse at Rockland


Sunny, high in the mid 80s, calm

       Still waiting for the influx of migrants and we figured if the ducks are going to come in any time soon (it really is pretty early!), we probably first find them at Rockland Lake.  And so, we drive the one half hour down and begin our observations  at the “fishing station” on the west side of the lake.  One mallard is all we can come up with.  During the winter, as long as there is open water, there are a myriad of waterfowl to occupy us.  But this is not winter. 

        As we drive along the western shore, we come upon a Great egret which is startled by several of the many walkers strolling and chatting.  I grab the camera and follow the bird in flight and ready myself to start snapping away when he lands.  With wings and tail feathers all fanned out to “put on the brakes”, it is always a great time to photograph these large birds…..especially if the sun is backlighting them.

       Nothing else to brag about along this shore, so we decide to take a look at the small pond opposite the main parking lot.  This area is again very productive in the winter, so let’s take a look now.  There are quite a few ducks on the water here, mostly mallards.  Three of the females have decided to share a log with a painted turtle looking for a “few rays”.  Nice to see that they get along so well.


       In the middle of the pond, there are a few ducks which are of a different plumage.  One is definitely a Wood duck hen, but the others threw me for a moment.  Than I thought…”birds of a feather”….and sure enough on close examination, these are drakes Woodies.  The reason for the momentary confusion was that these ducks are in what is known as an “eclipse” phase.  They are molting into the gorgeous rainbow of colors they will sport this winter.  Several further away and unfortunately our of camera range are much further along and the hues are becoming much richer.  It’s nice to be able to see the progression.


       Finally, way across on the other side, we see a white smudge buried in the branches.  Out comes the scope and we see that it is a mature Black-crowned Night heron.  As I grab the camera, the bird flies.  But as luck would have it, it flies closer to us making a respectable shot possible. 


       And so, it has been an enjoyable morning with some nice new sightings for the season.  It will only get better and better from here on out.  Don’t want to wish the summer away, but…….

Monday, August 27, 2012

Day 240: August 27th – Oil City Road


Overcast with periods of rain, high 85

       On our way out to Oil City Road and the Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge, we passed by another sod farm area along Turtle Bay Road in New Hampton, NY.  This area will be pretty productive later on during the fall migration, and we just wanted to check it out at this early date.  The timothy hay makes a nice foreground in the landscape shot of the fields in this area, but as for the shorebirds that will be here, it is still too early.


       From here, we traveled on to Johnson Road and the animal farm where a wild variety of camels, donkeys, domestic waterfowl, peacocks, and others can be found.  We also find more interesting shore birds here in the shallow ponds and puddles on the grounds of the farm in the fall.  Today, plenty of Canada geese and hundreds of European starlings.  Most of the starlings are in their fall colors now having recently molted into their white tipped finery.  During the winter, the tips will weather away and the birds will become mostly black.  Notice on this photo that the bill is black.  This is another feature of the starling that is a seasonal change since during the summer months, the bill is yellow.

       In amongst the starlings was an American kestrel perched in a bare tree.  The warm brown back of this bird indicated to us that this was a female.  The male would have had a slate-blue back.  We ended up seeing three more of these birds, our littlest falcon…..small in size but big on attitude and fierceness. 


       When we finely arrived at the observation deck on Oil City Road in Pine Island, we scanned the water for early arriving shorebirds.  The water is really low right now because of the dry and hot summer we have experienced.  These conditions are actually quite good for the waders as the bait fish upon which they feed are corralled into small shallow pools.  We found a Great blue heron and a Solitary sandpiper working the flats.


       I then walked down the north trail in search of sparrows.  What I found were quite a few bobolinks in fall plumage.  These birds look quite a bit different now than they did a few months ago.  To see why these birds are here, check out the migration patterns as seen at the following web site


       Further along, I found another heron, or I should say another group of herons.  Three green herons were all perched along one of the canals that helps to bring water to the local farms.  Last year, these fields were severely flooded as Hurrican Irene rolled through.  This year, not enough water!  Mother Nature can be fickle.

       And so, although not abundant, it does appear that the migrants are beginning to trickle in and the long hot summer doldrums may be fading away at last.

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Day 239: August 26th – Celery Farm


A most pleasant sunny, warm day

       
       As we headed back north from our two day stint with friends down in southern Jersey, we decided upon a short detour off the Garden State Parkway, onto Route 17 North, and into Allendale.  One of our favorite birding spots in Jersey has to be the Celery Farm which we have covered earlier in this blog.  We’re still waiting for the fall migration to begin in earnest.  Reports from some locations like the Bashakill have the migration moving along quite nicely, but today at the Celery Farm, it was pretty darn quiet.

       When we first entered the park, we did have some activity in the form of several chickadees bouncing around from limb to limb in dark shade.  It was hard enough following them, but trying to get them in the frame long enough to allow the Nikon to focus upon them was another thing.  I decided upon the built in flash to help brighten them up given the subdued lighting.  Finally, I did get a couple of shots, but it was a lot of work for a bird I see regularly outside my windows at the feeders.

       Gray catbirds and a faintly singing Eastern wood pewee joined in and gave us a false sense of optimism re the birding conditions at the farm today.  As we hiked around the pond, things just seemed to grow more and more silent.  Granted we were entering the hottest part of the day and the temps were working up into the high 80s, so we might have done better earlier or later in the day.  But….it is what it is, and we had to move on.

       We did have some other critters to observe and to photograph.  This Green darner is always a pleasure to see even if it is one of the more common dragonflies in these parts. 


       Another colorful addition to the portfolio of the day was the Painted Lady which adorned these beautiful purple blossoms.  Many birders turn to dragonflies and butterflies to occupy their time in the heat of August, and it certainly is a pastime well worth the time and effort expended.

       Finally, on the way home, we drove through Harriman State Park along the newly paved (thank God and Governor Cuomo) Seven Lakes Drive.  A short stop at Silvermine recreation area yielded little in the way of birds but gave us a nice landscape shot to round out the day.  



Saturday, August 25, 2012

Day 238: August 25th – Skimmers and more….


Overcast, high70s, calm

       When we visited the “Brig” yesterday, we were surprised that we had not seen any Black skimmers.  These master fishers are commonly found during the summer months at the first canal you pass on the Wildlife Drive, but the tide was extremely high yesterday making it difficult to locate and grab their prey.

       We returned today for a quick run around the drive in an attempt to get one more view of the Reddish egret we found yesterday.  One of our hosts from this weekend had not been with us yesterday, and we hoped to find the bird for him on this go-round.  It was not to be…..BUT…..the skimmers were back!


       We could have spent hours just watching these superb fliers ply their trade and they fly inches away from the water’s surface with their lower mandible dipped down into the water. 

       Occasionally, the bird would come up empty.  This bird was obviously frustrated with a near miss.


     Second time was the charm, however, as you can see from this photo.  A stipped killifish was the prize for his continued efforts.  We actually photographed several with their prey in their bills, an indication that there are probably more successful runs than disappointments.


       The other expert fishers have to be the terns.  The major players here at the Brig at this time of year are the Forster’s terns.  They have an uncanny ability to hover above the water and then plunge into the canals, usually emerging with prey in their beaks.  Fun to watch….unless you are the prey.


       Following our trek around the loop, we headed southwest to the Maurice River in Millville, New Jersey.  We took a two hour cruise down the river, much of which is preserved by the Nature Conservancy, in search of Bald Eagles.  There is a greater concentration of Bald eagles here in Cumberland County than anywhere else in the state and they did not disappoint.  We had two active eagles’ nests, one with an adult and a single juvenile sitting on the nest.  It’s rare to find a location in the northeast where you can be pretty sure of sighting an eagle every time you go out.  This happens to be one of those special places.


      It was one of those days when we just headed out on a whim, not knowing for sure what we would find, only to be rewarded with some fine sightings of some of your favorite birds.  Fall birding is in the air, and the leading edge of some great trips is obviously arrived.

Friday, August 24, 2012

Day 237: August 24th – Back to the Brig


Sunny, low 80s, calm winds

        We’ve had many a fine view of the comical Reddish egret down in our Florida haunts.  The bird is so easy to pick out even at a considerable distance because he acts like he has had far too many cups of espresso earlier in the day.   The bird will bounce around like he is on a trampoline as he folds his wings up into the hooding position hunting for small bait fish which swarm to the shadow of his wings.  This week, one of the few sightings of this bird in New Jersey has brought a good number of birders down to the Brig to be able to see this southern specialty in a location far too north for the field guides.

       This bird is a juvenile and lacks the plumage from which he gets his name.  But the gestures of the bird in the shallows of the refuge don’t lie.  This is a Reddish…..not doubts about it.

       It didn’t take us long to find the bird.  Just look for the cars amassed along the wildlife drive and you have a pretty good idea of where you might find this New Jersey oddity.  Well worth the time and effort to get down here to the Brig…..not that you ever really need a reason to come down to this birding mecca.


       We checked out a few more places where we wanted to follow up observations that we had made the previous trip down.  One area we really wanted to check out was a Marsh wren nest that was being constructed in pretty good view of the “Eco-trail” Boardwalk.  Our good friends who have a summer place neat the refuge had been down just this week and had seen the parent bird feeding its young in the nest.  With eager anticipation of capturing a few great parenting images, we drove over to the site after getting our Reddish shots.  Alas, the nest was empty.  Obviously the  little guys had fledged.  Good for them!  Not so good for us!
 
       Directly across from the nest, an American goldfinch busied itself stripping the seeds from one of the marsh bushes.  Just as I prepared to shoot, the bird took flight and bid me adieu.

       We still found the terns here.  Why should they leave after all?  The weather is still fine.  The bait fish are still visible from the roiling water in the flats.  The old saying of “birds of a feather” didn’t exactly hold true, however as we found Black skimmers, Forster’s terns, gulls of the Laughing, Greater Black-backed, and Ring-billed varieties all hanging out together on the same sand bars.



       In all, we tallied just shy of 40 species today.  You never really get disappointed when you visit the Brig.  It’s one of those magical spots you never say no to when the opportunity to bird here arises.  If you love birds and have the opportunity (and don’t mind nasty little biting flies in summer) make it a point to visit the Brig.

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Day 236: August 23 – Typical summer fare


A fine summer’s day…mild, fair skies, and light breezes

       Many years ago, Sharon and I used to go camping with our children as our standard vacations and weekend outings.  They loved the outdoors (or so we told them) and it was a nice cheap way to get away.  Some trips were at a fair distance from home while others were closer.  Fahnstock State Park was a park we could camp at within a 45 minute drive.  Today, we revisited that site to see the changes that occurred over the past 30 years and to see what the park had to offer in the arena of nature photos.

        We scouted out the shoreline in hopes of some shorebirds or waders.  While there were none to be found, the area did have a nice assemblage of what you normally would expect to find in the late summer months.  Our first subject was a Bullfrog sitting in wait for a juicy insect to come near.  While the Bullfrog appears quite similar to the Green frog, it is usually larger (not so much in the case of this individual) but also has a ridge that runs from its eye back and around its eardrum.  The Green frog also has a ridge, but its ridge runs past the eardrum and back towards the rear of the frog.


       Next on tap was one of our more familiar summer insects, the Carolina locust.  This critter is actually a grasshopper, not a locust at all.  It has a leathery pair of wings on the outside which actually cover and protect the inner more delicate wings used for flying.  As was the case today, this grasshopper is often found on sandy soil or beaches where its color helps it blend in with its surroundings and protects it from some hungry birds.


        Next, an entry from the avian world.  The White-breasted nuthatch is admittedly not all that rare, often being sighted right outside our windows at the feeders.  But when it is seen in its more natural woodland environment, it makes for a nice image.  This one was in its common attitude of descending down the tree as it ate, head first.

       Finally, another insect which we will be seeing right into October.  The Monarch butterfly has been pretty obvious all summer and will become even more so as it moves down the coast on its trip to Mexico. 

       So, another day which was not extraordinary, but was wonderful in its representation of a typical summer’s day.  

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Day 235: August 22 – Green on Green


Sunny, High of 80, calm winds

       The last time I saw a Green heron on Greenwood Lake was August 12, 2011.  Today, just about a year later, a Green heron appeared on the dock leading out to our boat.  We had just returned from an outing with all 6 grandkids swimming and tubing and I knew I needed to find a Pix of the day.  It was already 4:00 PM, so I figured I might be hard pressed to find an suitable subject now.


       But as is usually the case, just when you don’t expect it, there’s the subject all willing and able to be the object of today’s blog.  He stayed on the dock in better than average lighting and walked carefully along in front of the boats looking for any morsel that might be in the shade of the wooden fingers of the dock.  A few shots later and off he went.  I wonder if the bird has been here all summer and simply eluded my eyes or has he just returned here en route to points south for the winter?  For whatever reason, it was really nice to see the bird here today and get an image or two for the blog.


       Following the photo session with the heron, I returned to our picnic table and the kids.  As we sat there recounting all the spectacular flips, jumps, and submergings of the days tubing experience on the lake, a Great egret flew in behind us and sat for a portrait.  A nice little encore from the water bird world on this beautiful day.  Hopefully this is a sign of what’s to come in the upcoming months here in SE New York.

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Day 234: August 21 – Rockefeller Preserve Revisited


Sunny, mid 70s, calm

       We visited Rockefeller State Park in Pleasantville last May 14th under rainy skies.  We had gone to the reserve on that day because reports had been issued of a major warbler “fall out” with more than 20 different species identified on site several days earlier.  We got skunked that day and found only a smattering of the hoped for quarry. 


       I headed back today once lured by the report of a Tennessee warbler, a bird that has eluded by camera thus far.  Any warbler sightings at this time of year peak my interest, but this one was too good to pass on.  Unfortunately, the specifics of the “where and when” regarding this sighting were pretty sketchy.  As was the case the last time I travelled down to Westchester for the fallout, I once again failed to find the bird I was chasing. 

       It was a beautiful day for a hike and after the two plus hours on the trails without the Tennessee warbler, I did not have any regrets about visiting the park.  I did have several nice bird sightings while I trekked over the gravel trails.  One of interest was a large number of Gray catbirds that were all found in one small area flying back and forth across the trail.  Here in southeastern New York, we find ourselves on the northern fringe of the catbirds year round range.  Normally in the summer, we find one or two together at most.  These birds tend to stay spread out across their territory.  During migration, however, groups of 10 – 20 are known to flock together in groups appropriately called “mewings”.  I surmise that this was such a group I found today.


       Near the catbirds was a lone female Rose-breasted grosbeak.  Her drab coloration in the shadows allowed her to mix into the crowd of catbirds without being noticed.  It was only while photographing individual catbirds that I noticed this “bird of a different feather”.


       Back down at the Swan Lake, I was somewhat surprised to find no geese, not ducks, no shorebirds, and believe it or not….not one swan.  There were plenty of the Painted turtles we talked about the other day, sunning themselves on the logs lying across the placid waters of the lake.

       And so, it was one of those days where the chase did not produce the desired results, but still was worth the effort.  Maybe another day……

Monday, August 20, 2012

Day 233: August 20th – Marshlands Conservancy


Mostly sunny, mid-70s, calm

       In the city of Rye, New York lies the only extensive salt marsh in Westchester County.  With over 150 acres of woodlands, open fields and an estuarine marsh, the site has recorded more than 300 species of birds.  We have visited this site in late fall and winter and have found it to be quite “birdy”, but, at the cost of sounding like a broken record, this is the doldrums of summer.

       I spent almost two hours hiking through all three habitats and was hard pressed to find anything out of the ordinary to report to you in today’s blog.  I attempted to call in a variety of rails to no avail.  The woodlands did yield several nice Northern flickers and numerous robins, but little else.  We were greeted upon entering the trail heading down towards the water by a little chipmunk that peeked out at us from behind a tree stump.


       I walked down to the marsh and hiked across the wetlands hoping for herons, egrets, waders, or whatever.  What I got was a little of whatever.  A lone Northern rough-wing swallow was perched above the marsh on a dead snag.  I have gotten use to seeing quite a few swallows of various species lately as they get ready to head south, but rarely are they solo.  The rest of the year, that would not be uncommon for the “roughie”, but he seemed out of place being here all alone.


       As I walked back, I heard a call note from the reeds right next to the trail.  He was close, but buried in the vegetation to the point where I really had to strain to find him.  The only way to get him in focus was to switch over to manual and over-expose him.  It was only then that I realized that the bird was a young Brown thrasher.  The mosquitoes found me before I could really get my best effort in, and I being the wimp that I am succumbed to the pressure and headed back up to the relative sanctuary of the cool woods.

       I came back towards the nature center via the trail that parallels the open fields hoping for sparrows and butterflies.  I did manage to find a trio of Spicebush swallowtails all making an attempt to get nectar from the same Bull thistle blossom.  With acres and acres of thistle to be found in these fields, why they insisted on jockeying for position to get the best seat at the table I’ll never know.

       Hopefully, we’ll return to the marshlands here in Rye later this year and allow it to give a better account of itself once the migrants begin to show up.  The doldrums can’t last much longer!