We took a walk at Ann Lee Pond in Colonie this morning. The water there is about 40% open. There were a few ducks and geese, but the highlight was a group of at least six Rusty Blackbirds.
Rusty Blackbird foraging at Ann Lee pond, Colonie
Later, we stopped at Lock 7 State Canal Park in Niskayuna. We spotted a pair of Red-throated Loons close to the cement pier. They headed upriver for a while, then returned towards the lock.
Red-throated Loons, non-breeding plumage, Mohawk River Lock 7, Niskayuna
Red-throated Loons, non-breeding plumage, Mohawk River Lock 7, Niskayuna
Red-throated Loons, non-breeding plumage, Mohawk River Lock 7, Niskayuna
Red-throated Loons, non-breeding plumage, Mohawk River Lock 7, Niskayuna
Unfortunately, they don't usually acquire their gorgeous breeding plumage until after they have passed through our region, that is one species that I'd really like to see on the breeding grounds.
Birds are on the move! A good soaking rain, some normal temperatures, and a few sunny days got things going in earnest. In our backyard in Colonie, we even had an American Woodcock calling on consecutive nights, but it didn't stick around. Many reports of waterfowl were received from throughout the region, the river ice has broken up for the most part, and shallow ponds and lakes are melting, too. The inch+ of rain that we received led to some flooding in low-lying areas, and dabbling ducks quickly took up temporary residence.
Flooded field at north end of Wright's Loop in Stillwater, Saratoga County.
Wood Ducks, Hooded Mergansers, Green-winged Teal, American Wigeon, Northern Pintail, and Gadwall are all being seen now. Ring-necked Duck numbers are increasing rapidly, and Bufflehead more slowly. Pied-billed Grebe are still in short supply. I found three Northern Shovelers in a wetland pond across from the Mohawk-Hudson Bike-Hike Trail in Niskayuna on April 3rd. Both Great and Double-crested Cormorants have finally moved north up the Hudson River corridor, and Great Blue Herons have subtly moved back into our wetlands.
Osprey returned right on schedule; I observed one at Collins Lake in Scotia on April 2nd. That was also the return date of Hermit Thrush apparently, as I found one in the Albany Pine Bush Preserve- Madison Avenue Pinelands that day. At Five Rivers EEC, in Delmar, Tree Swallows, Eastern Phoebes, and Fox Sparrows are present. Colleen and I walked the M-H bikepath in Niskayuna on the evening of April 3rd, and as we returned to the parking lot at Lions Park, a Caspian Tern flew by heading downriver, patrolling the shoreline. A bit early for that one, and a nice surprise, seeing the river was covered by ice just last week.
At Restifo Preserve in South Westerlo, Albany County, the ice is partially melted right along the road that splits the wetland in two, allowing close up viewing of waterfowl.
Kiosk at Restifo Preserve in South Westerlo
Wood Ducks and Hooded Merganser drake at Restifo Preserve
At Five Rivers EEC in Delmar, I encountered the most cooperative Hermit Thrush that I have ever observed. It flew up to a low branch to check me out, as they are wont to do. But as I slowly moved past it and turned to put the sun at my back, instead of fleeing farther into the underbrush, it hopped up on a fallen limb and stood motionless. Thanks, dude.
Photogenic Hermit Thrush at Five Rivers
Tree Swallows, Five Rivers Apt. 19A, Delmar, NY, 12054
The morning of April 4th I ventured up to the area around the Crescent Power Plant in Cohoes, hoping to (re)-find a Caspian Tern, or some other gull goody. No tern, but after scanning an estimated thousand gulls, loafing on the remaining ice-shelf just upriver from the power station, I found an Iceland Gull, and a Lesser Black-backed Gull. There was also a Northern Rough-winged Swallow perched on a wire by the parking lot at the power plant.
Iceland Gull (2nd cycle?) at Crescent Power Plant, Cohoes
Lesser Black-backed Gull, Crescent Power Plant, Cohoes
Lesser Black-backed Gull, Crescent Power Plant, Cohoes
Lesser Black-backed Gull (lower left), Great Black-backed Gull (upper right)
Lesser Black-backed Gull, Crescent Power Plant, Cohoes
Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Crescent Power Plant, Cohoes
What's Next:
April 5- 11: Now it starts to get interesting, with new species expected every day. Barn Swallows will show up this week, and the aforementioned Northern Rough-winged Swallow. Red-throated Loon will join Common Loon on large rivers; still waiting for the first Common Loon report. Bonaparte's Gulls and Caspian Terns will use the river corridors to head back towards their breeding grounds. Greater Yellowlegs might be seen in shallow waterways or flodded areas.
Woodland, field, and shrubland arrivals may include Hermit Thrush (yep), Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Eastern Towhee, Winter Wren, Brown Thrasher, and Chipping Sparrow. At the very end of the period Savannah Sparrows may arrive in numbers, supplementing the overwintering birds in the southern part of the region. Cattail marshes will see Virginia Rails on the return, their calls greeting early morning visitors.
Warbler additions this week should be Palm Warbler and Louisiana Waterthrush.
Birds are finally on the move! Many species are two weeks later than normal, but the ground is starting to thaw out, and ice is going out on the rivers. Ponds and creeks are opening gradually, and dabbling ducks are starting to move back in. Wood Ducks and a few Green-winged Teal are being reported. Hooded Merganser numbers are increasing, and a couple more of Pied-billed Grebe sightings as well. Common Goldeneye, on the other hand, seem to be taking leave of the area. Snow Goose have been reported in some decent numbers in the region, and moreso to the west, but the majority are still just south of us. I predict the big flight day may be Tuesday or Wednesday as we flip the calendar page.
Tree Swallow, Eastern Phoebe and especially American Woodcock are slowly increasing their presence.
Colleen and I had an exciting experience at Stanton Pond on Saturday the 29th. We were scanning geese and ducks at Stanton Pond late this morning, and we
found four Greater White-fronted Geese in with a large group of Canada
Geese. They were grazing together in a stubble field. We made sure that
they weren't domestic Greylag Geese, as some exotics hang around the
farm pond there. As we were putting the finishing touches on that ID,
every single duck and goose rose aloft in unison, honking and quacking
in fear of something. "Something" was a very large, dark bird being
escorted over the pond by a relentless crow. The back of its head had a
paler sheen to it, and there was just a hint of white at the base of the
primaries. The head was small compared to the tail, and as it soared
higher, the wings were held in a dihedral, with the primaries spread and
noticeably curved upwards. It was a Golden Eagle! The eagle headed away in a NE direction.
About two thirds of the geese left the area, and the Greater
White-fronteds were not among those that stayed.
One day last week I looked up to see two Black Vultures slowly circling their way north directly over our house. New yardbird whoop...
Black Vulture, Colonie
Black Vultures, Colonie
Possible sign of spring? Pussywillow blooming at Five Rivers
We made a second trip down to the boat launch in Germantown, Columbia County, and were successful in seeing two distant Great Cormorants. They were perched on top of a channel marker with three other cormorants whose identity could not be determined at that great distance (4500 ft. away), i.e. they didn't show the distinctive white flank patch often exhibited by Great Cormorant (see photos below.)
Cormorants on channel marker near Inbocht Bay, between Catskill and Germantown
Great Cormorant showing white flank patches, just above IB sign
The ponds at the Coxsackie Grasslands Preserve are open water now, and Killdeer and ducks have returned to the area.
Killdeer at Coxsackie Grasslands Preserve
What's Next:
March 29- April 4:Common Loon, American Coot, and Red-necked Grebe begin to arrive now. There has been a much higher presence of Red-necked Grebes south and east of the Great Lakes this winter, the birds apparently driven from normal wintering spots by ice. It will be interesting to see if we observe greater than normal numbers in our region as the grebes return north. Osprey have been tracking steadily up the East Coast and should appear on time this week. Wilson's Snipe can be found probing in the grass and mud along shallow ponds, streams, ditches, and flooded fields. Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers will be back in earnest, drumming on any hard surface they can find, and making their cat-like "mew" calls. Swamp Sparrows will breathe some life back into the area marshes and wetlands, their song is very welcome after a long winter. And finally, we may find our first migrant warbler of the year, if we get a couple of warm days in early April. Pine Warblers get here first, look for them in the appropriate habitat, namely, uh, pines! I have found a reliable spot for them is from the Albany Pine Bush- Madison Pinelands trailhead, about a quarter mile in.
Down in Florida, the birding this past week was spectacular in some cases, here are a couple of eBird checklists from Fort De Soto County Park (Google map here), near Tampa:
And in our corner of the world, it looks like this, STILL:
Service Road at Five Rivers EEC in Delmar
The deer watching was good...
We took a ride down to Germantown, on the Columbia County side of the Hudson River, on Saturday the 22nd. The hope was that some or all of the river ice had broken up, promoting northward movement of geese, ducks, and especially cormorants. We saw many groups of between two and thirty Canada Geese northbound along the partially unfrozen waterway. Small flocks of unidentified ducks flew past frequently as well.
At the RamsHorn-Livingston Sanctuary in Catskill, two Great Blue Herons flew over the cattail marsh, investigating the mostly frozen RamsHorn Creek. Bald Eagles, one adult and one sub-adult, were in the area also. No sign of any migrants.
Trailhead at RamsHorn-Livingston Sanctuary in Catskill
View from top of the observation tower at RamsHorn-Livingston Sanctuary
What's next:
March 22-28: The fourth week of March usually features a brief break between the early moving migrants, and the steady stream of new species that will be seen almost daily as the calendar turns to April. Blue-winged Teal, Ruddy Duck, and occasionally Long-tailed Duck will begin to show up this week, and Eastern Meadowlarks can be heard singing on sunny, warm mornings (remember those?) around this time. This year, we'll be playing catch up, as we are still waiting for Tree Swallows, Field and Fox Sparrows, Eastern Phoebes, and Pied-billed Grebes, among others. Don't forget to report your Rusty Blackbirds to Ebird, or at this website.
There was finally some northward movement of birds this past week.
Long overdue Turkey Vultures finally arrived, their numbers
increasing to the point that they are now seen daily. Canada Geese
have also suddenly joined the waterfowl mix, but in low numbers for
now. Still very little in the way of dabbling ducks, just a few
reports of Wood Ducks, mostly. Several more sightings of
Barrow's Goldeneye were made, amongst large groups of Common
Goldeneyes along the Hudson River north of the Capital District.
Killdeer made a big push to the north on Tuesday, March
11th. Multiple observers throughout upstate NY and New England had
first-of-season (FOS) birds on that day, which featured above-normal
temperatures and southerly winds early in the day to help propel
migrants. Common Grackle and Red-winged Blackbird
numbers are also increasing every day, their calls and songs have
suddenly become a welcome part of the background noise again. There
were even a couple of reports of Tree Swallows along unfrozen
sections of the Hudson River, these pioneer birds will need to use
all their survival skills for the next day or two.
The best birds of the week were two Tundra
Swans that showed up on the Hudson in Stillwater. This is a
species whose eastern residents spend the winter in the mid-Atlantic
region, and return to their breeding ground in the tundra of Northern
Canada via the Great Lakes and Hudson Bay. Our area averages a
sighting nearly every year, as a few birds use the Hudson River
corridor to head north and south.
Tundra Swans, Stillwater, NY
What's next:
March 15-21:Northern
Shoveler should join the dabbling ducks arriving this week,
and Hooded Merganser, Ring-necked Duck, and
Greater/Lesser Scaup will augment the brigades of diving
ducks. Look for Horned
Grebe as well; in alternate (breeding) plumage they are one
of the best looking of our waterfowl.
This is the week to search the sky for Golden
Eagles heading northward to their breeding grounds in Quebec
and Labrador. Regional hawk watches are already reporting them.
Field Sparrow, Eastern
Phoebe, and Rusty Blackbirds may start to appear at
the end of the period. Please report all Rusty Blackbird
sightings through eBird, or other methods available at this
website. Their population has declined dramatically over the last
quarter century, and scientists are trying to understand their
distribution, movement, and habitat in order to develop a response.
Double-crested Cormorants would normally start
heading up the Hudson River by the end of the period, but as a
diving, fish-eating bird they will await the break up of the river
ice before proceeding.
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
"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.
