Under Clear Skies

Red-headed Woodpecker - Luke Tiller

But I prefer Red-heads. Well Red-headed Woodpeckers anyway! There can hardly be a bird that combines just three colors that has such an amazing wow factor in North America as the Red-headed Woodpecker. Although essentially a southern species these birds seem to wander north into the upper reaches of New York State in small numbers. Interestingly the first ‘good’ bird I ever found in the states was a Red-headed Woodpecker over at Stratford Point in Connecicut a few Junes ago; probably a post breeding wanderer (Stratford Point is now obviously more famously as the site of the long staying White-tailed Kite). I can distinctly recall the excitement of finding this bird with long-time friend and birding buddy Penny Solum and even better it stayed around long enough for a few of the states more notable birders to go see it, which was nice.

Anyway this was another nice addition to the Bigby list and one that I both was pleased to get a decent (for digiscoping) picture of and hope will actually hang on to breed.You can find out more about the species on the Cornell All About Birds Website (here). Bigby list so far = 151 with these new additions: Green Heron, Whip-poor-will, Red-Headed Woodpecker, Least Flycatcher, Eastern Kingbird, Warbling Vireo, Horned Lark, Wood Thrush, Black-Throated Green Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Rose-Breasted Grosbeak

Yellow Warbler - Luke Tiller

The hawkwatch had to be abandoned due to fog and thunderstorms Tuesday, so I decided that I might as well spend the time trying to scrape up a few species for my Big Green Big Year. I guess whenever the rain broke off on Monday night a good number of birds decided to make a break for the border but in the end got trapped on this side of the lake. As the fog lifted enough to be able to see more than a few feet in front of ones face it became clear that thousands of Hermit Thrushes were scattered along the lake shore. They occupied almost every patch of viable habitat and were even to be found in seemingly less likely spots (although none in quite as unlikely a spot as the time my friend Joe and I discovered a migrant that was lost somewhere on Cimarron National Grasslands!)

Amongst the abundant migrants were good numbers of Juncos, White-throated and Chipping Sparrows. Less abundant but still relatively common a few Fields and a Fox Sparrow or three. Some slightly more exotically bejeweled fair were also gracing the area including a few dazzling Yellow Warblers and a Black and White or two. I was pleased to pick up on the distinctively sharp chip of a rather nice Pine Warbler before it sang and was treated to my first multi-warbler tree of the season as singleton Palm, Yellow and Yellow-rumped Warblers all worked one of the pine trees out near to Ontario State Parkway. My final warbler addition for the day a rather drab Northern Waterthrush, but in a rather dynamic setting, as it eagerly worked the edge of the rather dramatic lake.

As I turned for home I decided to check out a neighbors feeding area, which has been productive for me since I arrived here and was happy to add both Pine Siskin to the Purple Finches I had already seen in Owl Woods, boosting my tally for both the day and the year. Rusty Blackbirds although not new are always a welcome bonus – especially when one considers the parlous state they seem to find themselves in these days. The only other bird to add to the list today was a skulking Catbird that seemed to have somehow avoided the BBBO banders.  Still 7 new birds on the day and a total of 123 for the year is nothing to be sniffed at. I have a feeling that number may be rapidly growing in the next few days and weeks.

Sandhill Crane - Luke Tiller

A notable bird down in Greenwich Connecticut  where I usually find myself residing (although two years ago I did manage to find nine on the season for the Quaker Ridge Count), but an increasingly common bird up here in Western NY State. Still in my humble opinion it never gets old getting to see this incredible species. This one spent the majority of the day sat in the field next to us bugling away, I think their call is almost as magnificent as the way they look  (listen to the call on the all about birds website here).

After a crazy day on Saturday in which we racked up our first largish Broad-winged Hawk flight (circa 5,500 birds) and saw the first numbers of immature Sharp-shinned Hawks joining the adults, the last couple of days at the watch have been a little slow. That however has given me a little more time to dig up more bird related music and go and crank up my numbers for the Big Green Big Year I am doing (list so far on a separate page here). A couple of mornings light wandering have seen me add Cedar Waxwings, Spotted Sandpiper, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher and both House and Winter Wrens to the list. I imagine with gas creeping over $4 a gallon that Big Green Big Years might be becoming an increasingly popular undertaking out here in the US?

My friend thinks that I should look for work DJing bird related  music at birding festivals and birding conference parties. Having a fairly minor DJing career in the past I’m sure I could make it work “this one goes out to all the ladeez in the house…”, and I imagine there would be about as much money to be made in that as there is in hawkwatching and bird tour guiding so maybe I should look into it 😉

A. White Pelican - Luke Tiller

The last couple of day have been pretty incredible, so it’s very hard to know where to start first with the blog posts! I guess I’ll space them out a bit, otherwise I’ll be spending the next 5 hours writing blog posts and I still have taxes to go stick in the post. After an incredible day was winding down at the hawkwatch, which included almost 9,000 raptors, I was lucky enough to spot a pair of American White Pelicans cruising over Braddock Bay towards the West Spit area. Amusingly Josh Lawrey (who was helping out today) has an amusing story about White Pelicans at Braddock Bay, so when I called them out he initially thought I was trying to wind him up!

Sure enough though the pelicans were real though and not part of a rather corny old joke. After a while drifting about the bay area they eventually were followed as far as the eye could see and seemed to disappear over towards Salmon Creek on Manitou Rd, where they were eventually relocated loafing around in the shallow water there by some of the local birding community. This gave a good number of people the chance to drop in to see these birds, and also gave me the opportunity to drive home after work and walk the mile and a half to add these to my Bigby list just before sunset. This has to be the best sighting so far on the Bigby year so far – easily eclipsing the Barrow’s and the Snowy Owl (you can see the full list on the Bigby page).

As spring begins to break here at Braddock, I have managed to pick up a few migrant birds each morning and today I finally broke through the hundred barrier. The Bigby birding gods must have been with me this morning though as I broke through 100 birds in some style. Perhaps it was birding karma for popping out early to check and see if the pelicans had over-nighted at Salmon Creek (they had) in order to get a message on Genesee Birds to let people know they were still out there. As I pulled back into the drive this morning after checking the pelicans, I heard the distinctive grunt of Sandhill Cranes and low and behold there were two of them drifting over my head and out towards the lake – a great Bigby score!

I popped in and posted that the pelicans were hanging in at the creek and made myself the cuppa that I never quite managed the morning before, more on that story later, before popping out on the deck to drink it. The decision to go en plein air for the tea was an inspired one. As I stepped outside the racket that the blackbirds and starlings usually make cranked up about 100 decibels, and to my surprise a beautiful, crisply marked juvie Northern Goshawk muscled his way in and perched at the top of the tree right outside my house – simply incredible! A half hour into my morning and I had already spotted 2 pelicans, 2 cranes and a Northern Goshawk, that just gives you some idea of how good the birding at Braddock Bay can be!

I wasn’t finished with the excitement for the day, and still have to jot down some thoughts on yesterdays incredible hawkwatch, but for now those experiences can wait – time for another cuppa and to pop out and see what else I can find for my Bigby list!