Despite chilly North winds it proved to be a productive morning at Ferncliff in Rhinebeck, Dutchess cty. The obvious highlight was a jaw-dropping male CAPE MAY WARBLER that I first found around 9:30 AM calling high in a deciduous tree along the East Tower Trail. After a brief look I couldn't locate it again for another 20 mins until I found it again lower down foraging in a group of pines in the vicinity of the log camping shelter along the trail. This was the first time I'd ever seen/heard the species in the preserve, bringing my list of warblers seen there to 29 species in the 3 years that I've been at college in the region. Besides the Cape May the woods were pretty active with 15 other warbler species including numerous BLACKBURNIANS, TENNESSEE, NASHVILLE and CHESTNUT-SIDED amongst the usuals as well as a RED BREASTED NUTHATCH, YELLOW THROATED VIREOS and LEAST FLYCATCHER. Ferncliff Forest is located off of Route 199 in Rhinebeck (right across the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge) on Mount Rutsen Road, which can be reached by making the first right at the traffic light onto River Road after crossing over the bridge. When you reach a fork bear left onto Mt. Rutsen and the preserve entrance will be on your right shortly after with trail maps available at the head of the trail. I would have to say that this is in my opinion one of the most underrated spring warbler spots in NY State and I'm shocked how little people report from this location considering how productive it is. If your in the Dutchess county/Hudson Valley region I'd suggest you get to Ferncliff in the next couple weeks because I've rarely been there on a day that hasn't produce large quantities of warblers even in half-decent conditions. Also if any of you are members of Bedford Audubon Society I'll be leading a trip there this Saturday May 14th at 7:30 AM which you can register for at www.bedfordaudubon.org.
Good birding- Ryan MacLean Bard College -- 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/ --
