As a result of the accelerated migration this Spring Sue and I decided to bird various upstate locations a week and a half earlier than usual. Our first stop was Basherkill WMA, where from Haven Road we observed a few Common Gallinules and many Wood Ducks. After crossing the marsh and parking along the road some local birders quickly alerted us to the presence of a singing Golden-winged Warbler which we quickly found. Along the trail on the south side of the marsh we encountered American Bittern and Virginia Rail. Further south along the east side of Basherkill we finally located, with the able assistance of a local birder, a Cerulean Warbler, singing an atypical song. We tallied sixteen species of warblers at Basherkill. At Blue Chip Farm (BCF) we found, after considerable scanning, an Upland Sandpiper, as viewed from the east side of Hoagerburgh Road looking east into the BCF paddocks. At Shawangunk NWR there were small numbers of Bobolinks and Eastern Meadowlarks. Until site work is completed and the grasslands restored, we would expect lower numbers of these resident species. We did not stop at the county park that borders the north side of the wildlife refuge, there may still be more suitable habitat there.
Good Birding, Ken & Sue Feustel -- 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/ --
