Late July to early August sightings in Hamilton, Essex, and Franklin Counties
Vocal activity for many species substantially dropped between the 3rd and 4th weeks of July. Chris Rimmer and I have compared notes on vocal activity between Mount Mansfield in VT, and Whiteface Mountain in NY. We have had similar experiences. Swainson's Thrushes were still in full song the 3rd week of July and completely shut down by the 4th week (not even a call note) even though they are still there (at high and low elevation areas). On July 30th, Bicknell's Thrushes all began calling around 5 a.m., and abruptly shut down within about 5 minutes! It is fascinating to observe vocal patterns for all bird species through their breeding cycles. Around our Long Lake home, Barred Owls are heard nearly every night (plenty of small rodents this year). Broad-winged Hawks are still calling. Hermit Thrushes are still singing (they shut down at the end of the 2nd week of August each year, so not much time left to listen to that beautiful sound). Eastern Wood-Pewees were in a vocal mode yesterday - this species' vocal patterns over the season are perplexing (along with many other flycatcher species). Also yesterday, a Common Raven sauntered up our driveway. It marched to a spot near our house at the edge of our driveway and picked up a paper thin, driveway-killed American Toad and proceeded to eat it. Their ability to notice such things is remarkable. There appears to be a good cone crop on Balsam Fir and White Pine trees. I haven't noticed any new cones on spruce species. (I will check tamarack and hemlock soon.) If you like to observe mushrooms, this is a banner year! It has been rather wet, and the variety and colors of mushrooms are spectacular. Here are sightings from recent trips: On a July 30,2014 dawn tour up Whiteface Mountain with 3 birders (2 from Florida and 1 from NYC), followed by lowland boreal birding in the Bloomingdale area, we found the following species: Great Blue Heron Turkey Vulture Northern Harrier Mourning Dove Belted Kingfisher Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - nice views Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker Black-backed Woodpecker - 2 different males in the Bloomingdale area Northern Flicker Merlin - 2 Yellow-bellied Flycatcher - nice views on Whiteface! Alder Flycatcher - many, and still singing! Eastern Phoebe - several Blue-headed Vireo Red-eyed Vireo Blue Jay American Crow Barn Swallow - several Black-capped Chickadee Boreal Chickadee - ~8! (6 on Whiteface including a family group of 4, and 2 in the Bloomingdale area) Red-breasted Nuthatch Winter Wren - many, and still singing! Golden-crowned Kinglet - many Ruby-crowned Kinglet - several on Whiteface Eastern Bluebird Bicknell's Thrush - many heard calling at dawn; several fly-by views, and one perched view Hermit Thrush American Robin Cedar Waxwing Black-and-white Warbler Nashville Warbler - nice views! Common Yellowthroat - nice views! Blackpoll Warbler - many, and still singing! Yellow-rumped Warbler Chipping Sparrow Song Sparrow Lincoln's Sparrow - nice views! Swamp Sparrow White-throated Sparrow - still singing! Dark-eyed Junco American Goldfinch I hiked the Northville-Placid Trail (S) in Long Lake on 7/29/14 and posted photos to my Facebook page. On July 27, 2014, an Eastern Kingbird was fly-catching near Shaw Pond in Long Lake. Along Sabattis Circle Road, I found a Broad-winged Hawk, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Hairy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, Olive-sided Flycatcher, and Tree Swallow among many warbler species. On a July 24, 2014 tour in Long Lake and Tupper Lake (Hamilton and Franklin Counties) with a birder from Rochester, we found the following species: Wood Duck - Tupper Lake (marshy area) Amer. Black Duck - L. Wolf Pond Mallard - several families Common Merganser - a couple families (Simon Pond and Grampus Lake at John Dillon Park) Ruffed Grouse - Spring Pond Bog Common Loon - 3 (2 on Little Wolf Pond, and 1 on Little Tupper Lake) Great Blue Heron Turkey Vulture Bald Eagle Broad-winged Hawk Ring-billed Gull Mourning Dove Ruby-throated Hummingbird - afraid of the Bald-faced Hornets on the birch tree holes created by the Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers! Belted Kingfisher Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - several! (family at Sabattis Bog and a juvenile at Spring Pond Bog) Hairy Woodpecker Black-backed Woodpecker - male at Sabattis Bog being chased by the Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers Northern Flicker Olive-sided Flycatcher - vocalizing at Sabattis Bog - we had a nice view! Alder Flycatcher - marsh at the outlet of Little Tupper Lake Least Flycatcher - Spring Pond Bog Eastern Kingbird - nice view at Simon Pond at the pull-off Blue-headed Vireo Red-eyed Vireo Gray Jay - 8! (4 at Sabattis Bog, and 4 at Spring Pond Bog) Blue Jay American Crow Common Raven Tree Swallow Black-capped Chickadee Red-breasted Nuthatch Brown Creeper Winter Wren Golden-crowned Kinglet Swainson's Thrush Hermit Thrush American Robin Cedar Waxwing Nashville Warbler Common Yellowthroat Northern Parula Magnolia Warbler Blackburnian Warbler Yellow Warbler Black-throated Blue Warbler Palm Warbler - Sabattis Bog Pine Warbler - Spring Pond Bog & Little Wolf Pond Yellow-rumped Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler Chipping Sparrow Song Sparrow Lincoln's Sparrow Swamp Sparrow White-throated Sparrow Red-winged Blackbird Common Grackle Purple Finch American Goldfinch We also took the electric pontoon boat ride on Grampus Lake at John Dillon Park (recharged by solar panels)! On a July 22, 2014 dawn tour up Whiteface Mountain with a birder from Long Island, NY, followed by lowland boreal birding (Hamilton, Franklin, and Essex Counties), we found the following species: Ruffed Grouse American Bittern Osprey Northern Harrier Broad-winged Hawk - several Ring-billed Gull Ruby-throated Hummingbird - chased by Bald-faced Hornets! Belted Kingfisher Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - at feeding holes in a birch attracting bees, insects, and the hummingbird! Hairy Woodpecker Northern Flicker Pileated Woodpecker Merlin - Whiteface Yellow-bellied Flycatcher - nice views Alder Flycatcher - nice views Least Flycatcher - nice views Blue-headed Vireo Philadelphia Vireo - nice views of 2 (photos of a "drab" individual on my Facebook page) Red-eyed Vireo Blue Jay Amer. Crow Common Raven Tree Swallow Black-capped Chickadee Boreal Chickadee - nice views on Whiteface Mountain, more heard in the Bloomingdale area Red-breasted Nuthatch Winter Wren Golden-crowned Kinglet Ruby-crowned Kinglet Bicknell's Thrush - many on Whiteface with one nice view Swainson's Thrush Hermit Thrush Amer. Robin Cedar Waxwing Nashville Warbler Common Yellowthroat Northern Parula Magnolia Warbler Blackburnian Warbler Chestnut-sided Warbler - adult female followed by a continuously begging juvenile! Blackpoll Warbler - on Whiteface Black-throated Blue Warbler Palm Warbler - nice views Pine Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler Chipping Sparrow Song Sparrow Lincoln's Sparrow - nice views Swamp Sparrow White-throated Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco Red-winged Blackbird Common Grackle Amer. Goldfinch There was a Smooth Greensnake at the Bloomingdale Bog trailhead! On July 19, 2014, I once again coordinated coverage of 14-mile Long Lake for the Annual Adirondack Loon Census. This year, we had 10 boating parties (a few in canoes, but mostly motor boats). We tallied 15 Common Loons, with 6 loons south of the bridge over Long Lake, and 9 north of the bridge. An after-count breakfast was held at Phil Terrie's remote, north end camp for 26 loon counters! On July 17, 2014, I hiked part of the Roosevelt Truck Trail in Minerva. I observed a Winter Wren taking a dirt bath (in the root area of a downed tree) for a long time! I caught some of the behavior on a video and added one of the photos of the Winter Wren covered in dirt to my Facebook page. I also spotted a Ruffed Grouse family and many mushrooms! I added many photos to my Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/AdirondackAvian ) yesterday: Roosevelt Truck Trail, Least Flycatcher, Philadelphia Vireo, boreal birds from 7/24, Northville-Placid Trail (S) in Long Lake, Black-backed Woodpecker from 7/30, along with photos of the spectacular sunrise on Whiteface Mountain that day. Joan Collins Long Lake, NY (315) 244-7127 cell (518) 624-5528 home http://www.adirondackavianexpeditions.com/ http://www.facebook.com/AdirondackAvian -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
