Birding the Polar Vortex...

So, its been pretty cold and snowy outside. Sometimes, the birds come to you...

Pileated Woodpecker, Colonie

but mostly, you have to brave the elements and seek out the "winter" birds and the lingering oddballs.

White-winged Scoter, Tibbits Ave., Green Island

Seven drake Redhead ducks were hanging around the open water just below the Crescent Power Plant.

Redheads, with Mallards, Crescent Power Plant

There was a Glaucous Gull there, too.

 Glaucous Gull, Crescent Power Plant

 A single Long-tailed Duck has been seen in various spots around the Cohoes area.

 Long-tailed Duck, Cohoes Flats

I finally purchased an iPhone digiscoping adapter, it should help me get somewhat better scoped images, with less/no vignetting (the "ring" around the image.) First good image using that is below:

 Glaucous Gull, Crescent Power Plant

We took a road trip out to Beaver Lake Nature Center in Baldwinsville, NY on January 20th. A Northern Saw-whet Owl was being reliably seen, roosting in red cedars on the Bog Trail.

 Hemlock Hollow at Beaver Lake

With the kind help of a local birder, we were able to view the sleeping "giant."  The bird is outlined in red below. Its breast is facing the viewer, but the head is turned to the left as it dozes. That was Life Bird #260 for me.

Northern Saw-whet Owl, Beaver Lake Nature Center, Baldwinsville, NY

Better view of a Northern Saw-whet Owl, on display inside the nature center.

Because much more of the Great Lakes have iced over this winter compared to normal, some species that usually overwinter out on the open lakes have moved southward to whatever open water they can find. Some have even been found stranded, but otherwise unharmed, in parking lots, roadways, and on frozen ponds. These rescued birds are given "rides", in vehicles, to nearby open waters. So if you see a duck on a dashboard, don't give it a second thought...

Horned Grebe, Ontario St. bridge, Cohoes

Red-necked Grebe, Mohawk River, Cohoes

We took a ride down to the Coxsackie area of Greene County on Feb. 2nd. At an open, scrubby area along Johnny Cake Lane, we found a Northern Shrike perched up surveying his local patch.

Distant Northern Shrike, Coxsackie, NY

Sepia-tone view of the new signage at the grasslands.

Lastly, the Snowy Owl incursion continues. Albany International Airport has been hosting at least five of them, along with at least one Short-eared Owl.

Snowy Owl, Albany International Airport, Feb. 8, 2014

Starting in the middle of February, around the 15th or just thereafter, start expecting Turkey Vultures to reappear in our area, if the heavy snow cover doesn't dissuade them for a time. A sunny day, with a warming southerly wind might do the trick. They are the first returning migrant that we'll see every year, so keep a lookout for them. Red-winged Blackbirds and Common Grackles won't be too far behind them, either.