Another Kingbird chase

I went into Manhattan to see a reported Couch's Kingbird down in the west village section. I left the house at 9:05 and arrived at the intersection of 11th st and 4th st at 10:15, the most recent reported location. A couple of birders standing there told me the bird was there 5 minutes ago. I pulled the car over and the bird reappeared. I got decent looks. Later it was reported over at the intersection of Bank and Hudson st. I walked over there and got better looks. A crappy picture but good looks at a good bird

I wonder what makes a bird that normally resides in Texas show up in the middle of Manhattan. It's not like this is its migration path, I don't think they migrate this far north anywhere in the country, in checking the range in field guides they go no further north than southern Texas. There are occasional sightings along the east coast. Now here it is in the middle of winter in the middle of Manhattan, seemingly thriving. It looks like it is flycatching successfully. It has no problems hanging out on fire escapes and balconies of the apartment buildings. It has been seen in the small pocket parks in the area of the West Village. Maybe it's a beatnik. Maybe it likes jazz and the bohemian lifestyle. Just something to ponder.

Another winner

What a great run of weather we have had. Again temps in the high fortie and almost no wind. I drove to the beach for a coffee run and the bay was as still as i have ever seen it in an afternoon. Crisp clear sunshine and a silky smooth bay

The marsh off Captree Rd gave a great view of the Captree bridge. Still not many birds around though. Later this week I may drive into the city to try to see the reported Couch's Kingbird. I have been procrastinating  and will probably miss it.

Fifty Five degrees December 27

What a spell of warm weather we are having. The last couple of days have been in the fifties, a lot with sunshine. On this morning's walk through Connetquot it was very quiet, just a couple of woodpeckers and blue jays hanging around.

Even the feeders by the barn were kind of sparsely used. I hope that the action picks up in time for the Birding and Breakfast on January 17.

I didn't check the big pond but the hatchery ponds did not have a lot of ducks this am. That does not bode well for the B&B.

Rainy day in December

And Yet another Picture of the Timber Point Kingfisher

On todays run I took another pass through Timber Point, and not disappointing was the Kingfisher. This must be my 100th picture of these birds. A male and female spend a lot of time there during the colder months.

Beach Patrol 12/17/2014

The weather went from cloudy and damp to sunny and nicely warm as I began my beach patrol, Again very quiet. I think winter needs to get here for real. A few ducks, a few passerines and one Coopers hawk made up my run today.

Ther were some Horned larks in the Robert Moses field % parking that let me get close enough fora picture. Other than that it was a nic eride with a cup of coffe and ppiece on holiday cake,

Captree Christmas Count

Today was our annual CBC Captree Christmas count. I am  the leader for the Eastern section. My team, Bob and Linda Puglielli, Mike and Michael McBrien and Russ Ogden and this year joine by Jack Finkenberg met and atrtedat the West sayville Golf Course parking lot. I tried to call in Owls but was ubsuccessful. We then birded the golf course and then headed to The W.O.R.C. community. finally finishing up at St John's.

Overll species wise we did fairly well, we had sixty five total species,  which I think is our high. Somehow though, it felt not quite substantive. I think the fact that the quantity of the individual  species was down left us feelnig like we missed something.

The weather was good, some say too good, for the time of year. Sunshine little wind and decent temperatures. Next year we will probably add Byron Lake park to our count area.

December at Montauk

Whenever you bird at Montauk you always have to consider the weather, especially in December. Today weather was spectacular. the kind you would always want fo a December bird trip at the point. The temps were in the thirties approaching forty, the wind was 10 to 20 out of the northwest and the su was shining brightly. Tne air was clear and crisp whih would have made bird watching very good if there were more birds around.

There were the typical winter sea ducks, very few in close to get good looks at. A good mix of scoters and some eiders and mergansers, a few of each. we started at the restaurant and then to Camp hero, both were quiet. Off then to Deep Hollow Ranch and a dip on the reported White-fronte Goose. On the East Lake drive where we did see thrre Purple Sandpipers, ou highlight for the day.

A couple of quick stops at Lazy Point and Hook Pond were also light duty. Early home ot get ready for the Christmas Count tomorrow.

Finall some sunshine

After days of rain and clouds, some clouds finally broke and sunshine started shining through. I did some scouting for the CBC coming up this weekend. I didn't see much. I wlaked for about an hour in the West SayvilleGolf Course. I flushed a Great Blur heron and did not see much of anyhing else. Ther were no ducks on the ponds. Usually there is a big flock og Wigeons ther containg a couple of Eurasian types. This might be a miss for us this year,

Later in the day I did my heckscher run and then drove through Timber Point. I took another picture of the resident Belted Kingfisher female that hangs out in the west marina.

Post Nor'easter

I made another run down to the beach today, Captree Rd was passable this time.

The Bay was still at High tide but less rai and less wind.

Then I went to the beach patrol and wound up at Captree looking at a Rusty Blackbird sitting in the parking lot.

I tried to talk myself into Brewers but that's a hard call. Maybe tomorrow will bring some better birds from the storm.

Nor'easter Today

The forecasted nor'easter is here. It is pouring and has been all morning. The winds are heavy and constant with gusting. I did a beach run as I had a decent size car today to do my running arond in, As expected it was more than quiet as far as birds go. They are smarter than I am in this weather. Theonly thing of note was a pair of Dunlin in the Captree parking lot. Captree Rd. was underwater as was Oak beach Rd. There were some Horned Larks in RMSP field 5.

First Flurries

Today we had our first snow flurries of the winter season. Only flurries, no accumulation. We are about to get a nor'easter overnight and into tomorrow, with higher temperatures so no snow in the forecast. There will be high tides as we are coming off a full moon, and the winds and two plus inches of rain will cause local flooding along the coastline.

Not much on my drive through the park, just fed Gimpy and drank my coffee.

Hawk Luncheon Today

While driving to the hawk watch luncheon i decided to get there via Ocean Parkway and do some birding by car. Of interest there was a flock of House Finches on Captree rd. and  a Red-tailed hawk in Cedar Beach marina. The weather was clear and sunny with a lot of wind out of the WNW. All was quiet along the beach as I guess the birds were hunkered down.

The luncheon was well attended, twenty one people attended. Drew an Trudy are just great folks. They put so much into the project. Last year was dismal and thie year was a little bit better, which they now interpret as a swing to the more positive. A glass half full scenario. I enjoy participating and enjoy the interaction of the folks that participate.

Backyard Thoughts

I did a my regular run through Heckscher today. It was fatre lunch which was after the dentist this morning. I was not feeling overly ambitious so just a coffe run and then home to relax and read and take it easy.

I just though to try to add some backyard activity over the last few weeks as something to post.

They only bird feeding I do is keeping a suet feeder going and a heated bird bath. The suet feeder has regular visitors. A pair of Downy Woodpeckers shows up almost every day, not otgether but spaced apart. Occasionaly I have seen a Carolina Wren on the feeder but not lately. Every one in a while a Blue Jay will take a pass but to no avail. Chickadees have also used it,

This fall/winter I have been seeing, White-throated Sparrows, Juncoes, Chickadees, Blue Jays, Song Sparrows and Cardinals in the yard. Not having a seed feeder out makes a big difference in the number and variety of birds in the yard.

A walk in the Park

Today I hit two parks, Connetquot and Heckscher. The weather was gorgeous, mid forties, little wind and brilliant sunshine. I walked in Connetquot and drove heckscher. Both were very quiet as one would expect this time of year.

At Connetquot I heard abunch of jays berating something, as I walked over to investigate an accipiter flew out, kinda looked like a Cooper's to me. The later a Red Tail was seen spiraling overhead. Ther was a nice mix of ducks on the main pond but no quantity asyet in the season.

Heckscher was also quiet excepting for a lone Snow Bunting, nothing worth mentioning. It's good to get out on a nice day.

Rainy day birding by car

It seems like I am doing a lot of rainy day birding by car lately. Ultimately it is because I am getting lazy and like to drink coffe while driving through the park and hoping for a dumb bird to pop up in front of me. Well today nothing special popped up. I did manage to feed Gimpy again today. He is now recognizing my car as I enter field 7 and flies up to me and waits.

Rocky and Rachel were in their usual dumpster today. The board was back in. Someone must be watching over them as well as me. I guess they have survivrd several dumpings and seem to be getting by.

On the way home I stopped at Mill Pond in Sayville and found a Eurasian Wigeon mixed in with the regulars. This species is getting to be a regular in local ponds. We have been seeing them for the past few years on a regular basis.

The temperatures are in the mid forties, overcast and light rain, forecasted to clear tomorrow.
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It's December

I went to the beach patrol today to try for a Snowy owl. Needless to say I struck out. The weather was slightly cloudy changing to overcast as the rai will be moving in from the south this afternoon and evening. The wind was out of the east northeast at about 15 to 20. It was cold on the beach. I went to Cedar beach and parked in the overlook parking lot/. I went to the top of the golf course building to scope the beach. The I walked to Cedar Beach and went to the top of the concession stand, or beach hut as it is called, Again, nothing to be seen. I then walked down to the oceanfront and walked back east into the wind back to the overlook parkin lot.

I finished my beach patrol and headed home. I did see my first of the season Red-breasted Merganser in the Robert Moses Marina.

Heckscher Morning Walk 11/29/2014

I took my morning walk at heckscher todat, stsrting at field 7 headin down the bike path. It was very quiet, then i headed down to the beack to walk the shoreline, where i ran into a small flock of Sparrows. They were mostly Savannh Sparrrows with a few Song mixed in.

As went further down the beach I cut over to the Greenbelt trail to head to the pines near the airplane field. While in the pines i kicked uo a feeding flok of Chickadees and some Red-breasted Nuthatches.

The walk back to the car was unremarkeable. The sun tucked in and it got chillier

Another post to test

Testing entry from iPad

Birding Thoughts 11/28/2014

Trying to find my comfort zone using blogger. Over the last few days I have been doing my birding by car routine.  On Wednesday I was on Oak beach Rd. and spotted a Black Scoter on the shore. I have never seen any scoter out of the water in my short birding life. On checking with the others in the group, they had saud neither had they.

Two trips to heckscher and not much to talk about. Yestarday there were seven Killdeer. Today three Green Wing teal made a momnetary stop in the grass puddle at field seven.

A quick stop at Mill Pond in Sayville today had a nice mix of ducks but nothing unusual.

A quick run through Heckscher before the monsoons peoduced a parking lot Peregrine. There were a small flock of Black-bellied Plovers along the beach also. I did manage to feed gimpy this am.

Today we birded Jones Beach West End. There were aboy 150 American Oystercarchers on the bar opposite th Coast Guard Station. also on the bar were 50 Black-bellied Plovers and 30 or so Dunlin, We then heade to the shrubs along the Coast Gusrd fence and saw a bunch of Sparrows. Over the weekend th sparrows came in in great numbers. We saw White-throated, White-crowned Song and the first of the season Slate-colored Juncoes.