BirdingWeek

Sunday, March 9, 2014

Waiting for the sun...

One of our Pileated Woodpeckers returned the other day, to start connecting the dots, apparently.

Pileated Woodpecker, Colonie

A flock of Wild Turkeys has been living in the small woodlot behind our house for the last few years. Periodically, they make a foray out into civilization and visit our bird feeder area. It is nice to see that all eight poults from last season have survived and grown up.

Wild Turkeys, Colonie

A Common Grackle finally showed up here in our yard on March 9th; this is about ten days later than normal, but not surprising for a short-distance migrant considering recent weather conditions and snow cover. On a trip through Ravena that same day, we saw our first Turkey Vultures of the year, soaring along the small ridge behind R-C-S Senior High School. No sign of Killdeer or American Woodcock yet, their arrival is imminent, though.

What's next:

March 8-14: American Woodcock typically return around the second week of March. Listen for their "peent" call around dusk in open areas adjacent to woodlands. Dabbling ducks, such as Wood Duck, American Wigeon, Northern Pintail, and Green-winged Teal, will arrive wherever they can find open water for foraging. Snow Goose, and perhaps other rare geese mixed in with Canada Goose flocks, begin to show up at this time as well. By the end of the period, other returnees would include Red-shouldered Hawk, Tree Swallow, Pied-billed Grebe, and Fox Sparrow. However, given the unrelenting grip winter has applied this year, these species may well be delayed until we thaw out a bit.

Next week: More ducks, cormorants, and Rusty Blackbirds

Capital Region Bird-finding Calendar is here

Monday, March 3, 2014

Winter, and our discontent...

"When Chekhov saw the long winter, he saw a winter bleak and dark and bereft of hope. Yet we know that winter is just another step in the cycle of life. But standing here among the people of Punxsutawney and basking in the warmth of their hearths and hearts, I couldn't imagine a better fate than a long and lustrous winter." ~ Phil Connors, "Groundhog Day"

I'm starting to lean towards the Chekhovian view. The 12-18 inches of snow on Feb. 13th-14th, and subsequent below normal temperatures, have left us with a thick blanket of snow that refuses to yield to the warmer sun of March. It will take quite a while to get short-distance migrants moving north from their wintering grounds just to our south. A few reports of Turkey Vulture, Common Grackle, and Red-winged Blackbirds (I saw a group of sixteen in Niskayuna along the Mohawk) have been noted over the last ten days, but the pipeline is not full of birds yet by any means. The Hudson River is frozen solid as far south as Catskill. The Great Lakes are approaching 90% ice coverage. Medium-range weather forecasts offer a brief return to near normal temperatures this coming weekend, but no hint of a real thaw.

female Red-breasted Merganser, Crescent Power Plant, Cohoes

Cedar Waxwings, Five Rivers, Delmar

female Purple Finch, Five Rivers orchard, Delmar

What's Next:

MARCH 1-7: Mute Swan, and Killdeer. Neither species will find tolerable conditions this week, although a few ambitious Killdeer will probably show up in favored locations. Hope they have a round-trip ticket.

Next Week: Ducks (?) and more

Capital Region Bird-finding Calendar is here

TW

Sunday, February 23, 2014

Shoveling the driveway again...

...to go look for winter goodies.

Eastern Screech-owl, Vly Creek marsh

drake Barrow's Goldeneye, Mohawk River near Ft. Hunter. Found by David Harrison.

Greater Scaup with Common Goldeneyes, Hudson River, Green Island

immature Iceland Gull, Mohawk River, Halfmoon

Merlin, Green Island

Regional Bird-finding Calendar:

http://hmbc.net/hmbc_docs/misc_pdf/Capital%20District%20Bird-finding%20Calendar.pdf

TW

Saturday, February 8, 2014

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.