A few late August sightings:
Hermit Thrushes and Eastern Wood-Pewees vocalize outside our home throughout the day. I have observed many fledgling Hermit Thrushes in August - it appears late nesting was widespread this year. Ruffed Grouse, Wild Turkeys, and Common Loons have also been observed with small young late this year. 8/26/15 Tupper Lake (Franklin Co.) and Long Lake (Hamilton Co.) On my way back to Long Lake from Potsdam, I drove down Stetson Road in Tupper Lake hoping to find the 2 Sandhill Cranes that have been observed in this area for 2 months now. I found them! I had my camera with me and took quite a few photos (posted to Facebook below). Based on where the observations have been over the past two months, the birds are feeding in fields close to the Raquette River. The area between Stetson Road and the Raquette River is marshy. I observed them in a field by mailbox 131 at about 2:45 p.m. Eventually, they disappeared into the trees at the back of the field - in the direction of the river. Beautiful birds! As I finished the drive on Stetson Road, a Bald Eagle flew over my car. In the morning, I observed a Gray Jay perched at the top of a tree along Route 30 in the vicinity of John Dillon Park. 8/25/15 Roosevelt Truck Trail (Essex Co.) We had beautiful weather for the Roosevelt Truck Trail field trip cosponsored by the Long Lake Parks and Recreation Dept. and Northern NY Audubon. Long Lake's "Little Bus" dropped us at the northern trailhead and picked us up at the southern trailhead, so we only had to walk 2.5 miles on a thru-hike. We spent a lot of time looking at fungus, wildflowers, and tracks in addition to birds. Here are some of the species found: Ruby-throated Hummingbird Black-backed Woodpecker - female (another woodpecker was foraging nearby, but it was way too wet to bushwhack!) Pileated Woodpecker Boreal Chickadee - 9 Winter Wren - several Golden-crowned Kinglet Swainson's Thrush - 1 Hermit Thrush - several Ovenbird Magnolia Warbler Blackburnian Warbler Black-throated Blue Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler Purple Finch Flowers (will post some photos to Facebook soon): New England Aster Bladder Campion Turtlehead Pearly Everlasting White Aster Heal-all Common St. Johnswort Goldenrod Spotted Touch-me-not Blind Gentian Dewdrop Eyebright Deptford Pink 8/24/15 Long Lake A Hermit Thrush was singing outside our home (about 10 days later than when they typically stop singing). An American Kestrel migrant was along Route 30 in Long Lake. I visited Sabattis Bog and as I headed back to my car, I observed a Black Bear running down the road toward me! I left the car door open (just in case) as I got my scope out. The bear ran into the forest and then it would dart across the road - several times. Sadly, its back right leg appeared to be broken (mangled) and just hanging. It was able to run, but I wondered if it could climb a tree. Strangely enough, Thomas Cullen, summit steward for Mount Arab, was on the 8/25 field trip and he said that a visitor mentioned they hit a Black Bear on Sabattis Road with their car - and that the bear limped into the forest. It is likely the same bear I saw. Very sad. 8/23/15 Minerva (Essex Co.) and Long Lake I observed two male Red Crossbills foraging and drinking water for 1.5 hours in Minerva. The crossbills called when they flew in, but were silent as they foraged on Red Spruce cones. I took many photos and videos of their behavior (foraging, drinking (upside down!), and a bird cleaning its bill on a piece of wood sticking out of a stump in the water). As I watched the Red Crossbills, 3 Boreal Chickadees flew all around me! I ignored them to watch the crossbills! A Northern Harrier flew over a nearby marsh and a Swamp Sparrow sang. I saw several Broad-winged Hawks on the move. I also observed a Great Blue Heron juvenile in the Hudson River and heard a Gray Catbird along the edge of the river. I fed 3 Gray Jays at Sabattis Bog. A Blue Jay was un-caching their food! 8/22/15 Minerva (Roosevelt Truck Trail, Railroad bed, and locations along Route 28N) Some of the 38 species found: Ruffed Grouse - family group Wild Turkey - with small young Broad-winged Hawk - several Ruby-throated Hummingbird - feeding on Spotted Touch-me-nots Belted Kingfisher Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Black-backed Woodpecker - 2 (Along Route 28N and the railroad bed) Northern Flicker Pileated Woodpecker Eastern Wood-Pewee Alder Flycatcher Eastern Phoebe Eastern Kingbird - 2 Boreal Chickadee - 19 (Groups of 3 and 3 along Route 28N and 13 along the Roosevelt Truck Trail in groups of 4, 4, & 5) Brown Creeper Winter Wren Golden-crowned Kinglet Hermit Thrush Nashville Warbler Common Yellowthroat Magnolia Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler Purple Finch Red Crossbill - 7 Amer. Goldfinch 8/16/15 Long Lake The day after my younger son's wedding, there was another warbler wave outside our home, and it held a couple of surprises this day! A Brewster's Warbler and Yellow-throated Vireo were in the mix - both a first for our property! After breakfast, I gasped when I heard a Black-billed Cuckoo vocalizing outside our kitchen window - also a first for our property! I took photos of the bird with my scope and iPhone attachment. A non-birder friend was staying with us and she was ecstatic and declared this was now her favorite bird species! I also took a video of the bird as it sang - will post to Facebook when I have time. Joan Collins Editor, New York Birders 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/ --
