BirdingWeek

Friday, June 21, 2013

Around Saratoga County...

Fox Hill Rd., Edinburg (click to enlarge)

Hans Creek at Fox Hill Rd. (click to enlarge)

Mourning Warbler habitat (click to enlarge)

Lake Desolation (click to enlarge)

Eastern Meadowlark, Saratoga National Historical Park (click to enlarge)

Eastern Kingbird, Saratoga National Historical Park (click to enlarge)

male Orchard Oriole, with fledgling shaking wings (click to enlarge)

male Orchard Oriole, with fledgling (click to enlarge)

Tour Road flyover, Saratoga NHP (click to enlarge)

Hudson River from Bemis Heights, Saratoga NHP (click to enlarge)

male Indigo Bunting, Saratoga NHP (click to enlarge)

Great Egret, Wright's Loop (click to enlarge)

Green Heron, Wright's loop (don't enlarge)

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

I'll have a White Pelican, on the rocks...

The American White Pelican was resighted this morning (6/18), so we drove over to Niskayuna and parked by the Aqueduct Rowing Club just west of Balltown Rd. About 200 yards down a grassy trail from the parking lot, there was an opening in the tree line and the pelican could be seen sitting on a rocky outcrop.

stretching the "pouch" (click to enlarge)

iPhone-through-scope images, they get better later (click to enlarge)

iPhone-through-scope image (click to enlarge)

iPhone-through-scope video (click to begin)

A Bald Eagle was interested in the pelican, too. After he made a few close passes, the pelican took flight and was last seen headed south...

Bald Eagle eyeing the pelican (click to enlarge)

Monday, June 17, 2013

The Brief Pelican

On June 9th, a report of an American White Pelican near Poughkeepsie was circulated in local birding communities. Subsequent reports from Rockland County, and then Westchester County over the next couple of days suggested the bird was heading south down the Hudson River towards coastal areas.

An infrequent visitor to our region, the American White Pelican breeds from the western Great Lakes states across the northern half of the Plains states into southern Canada. Some non-breeding birds remain throughout the summer in wintering areas along the Gulf coast and up to the Carolinas. From western New York down to the mid-Atlantic states, strays, usually individuals, are sighted passing through, mostly in May and June.

Last evening, June 16th, another report of an American White Pelican was received, this one seen settling in for the night on an "island' just west of the Rexford Bridge near Alplaus. I headed there early this morning, hoping for a chance sighting. Nothing was apparent from the north or south sides of the Mohawk River west of the bridge. I decided to head downriver, stopping at every opportunity along the way to check out the river, especially islands, buoys, and structures. From Niskayuna to Latham to Crescent and finally Cohoes, where the water level was very high, and a remarkable volume of water was passing over Cohoes Falls. Oh, and no pelican. But I did get a close up view of the falls:

(click to enlarge)

Northern Rough-winged Swallow blurs through the view (click to enlarge)

Northern Rough-winged Swallow perched, some fed on the ground, too (click to enlarge)

(click to enlarge)

Sunday, June 9, 2013

The Great Vly

At the Great Vly near Saugerties, NY, a King Rail has been present for a couple of weeks. It frequently crosses the road from one side of the marsh to the other. It has a loud, distinctive call "kek-kek-kek-kek..." that is repeated often.

King Rail at Great Vly (click to enlarge)

Other species seen and heard were Least Bittern, Common Gallinule, Green Heron, and several species of swallows. A Black-billed Cuckoo perched for a while, too.

Black-billed Cuckoo, Great Vly (click to enlarge)

Saturday, June 8, 2013

NYPA Nature Trail, Schoharie County

The New York Power Authority runs the Blenheim-Gilboa Power Project near North Blenheim in Schoharie County, NY. Their visitor center is very educational concerning power generation in New York State, but it also has a wildlife education room and observation area as well. A nature trail ("bluebird trail") runs south from the center to Mine Kill State Park.