Tuesday, August 18, 2010 A short jaunt to the Saugerties Lighthouse with Steve Chorvas this evening produced 12 picturesque Great Egrets in the cove just northwest of the lighthouse; four hummingbirds seen at once in the air above patches of jewelweed; an Osprey feeding on its customary perch across the Esopus; Wood Thrush; Veery; Baltimore Oriole; and an American Redstart still singing. Earlier in the morning there were 20 Least Sandpipers flying around the water chestnut in the cove. Most of the swallows have headed south I think. Bobolinks were still being reported today at the former IBM country club near Ulster Landing; they should be headed south any day now.
Hummingbird feeders take note - do Not use organic sugar ! Stick with the white cane sugar - it's cheaper and safer; 3 to 4 parts water to 1 part sugar. Fall migrants - Apples are two weeks ahead of schedule, as are most of the plants this year. I was wondering how this might affect the fall migration ? Nighthawks - Will they come through early this year ? Late August is usually prime time but there have already been some reports of small flocks. Keep looking up :-) Mallard Mutant Swan Double-crested Cormorant 40 Great Blue Heron 2 Great Egret 12 Osprey 1 Least Sandpiper 20 Ring-billed Gull 30 Mourning Dove Ruby-throated Hummingbird 4 Kingfisher 1 Downy Woodpecker 1 Hairy Woodpecker 1 Flicker 1 Eastern Kingbird 3 American Crow 2 Barn Swallow 2 White-breasted Nuthatch 1 Carolina Wren 2 Gnatcatcher 1 Veery 2 Wood Thrush 1 Catbird 6 Jellow Warbler 1 Redstart 1 Song Sparrow 1 Cardinal 3 Baltimore Oriole 2 Goldfinch 2 Good birding, Frank Murphy Southern Saugerties Northern Ulster County [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
