Despite a lack of overall migration, there were some good birds around North Dutchess County today. At Ferncliff Forest in Rhinebeck this morning I was shocked when I heard what sounded like a textbook GOLDEN WINGED WARBLER call close to the firetower on the East Tower Trail. As fate would have it though, a couple vocalizations were all I got before things went deathly silent and it didn't call after that. For all I know it was probably an extremely demented and genetically confused Blue-Wing but having heard many of both species before I will say the overall high-pitched timbre of the song definitely seemed to match Golden-Winged more-so than the harsh nasal rasp of the Blue-Wing. If I went ahead and confidently called this a GW (and in reality I'd say I'm 90% confident) then this is the 30th warbler sp I've documented at Ferncliff in the three years I've been birding there. For such a small, secluded park in the middle of Dutchess County I would never have even imagined breaking 15. Other highlights at Ferncliff included an extremely vocal BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO also on the Tower Trail, and also like the Golden-Wing he never managed to provide a visual. Migrants were few and far between (with no sign of the Cape Mays, Bay Breasteds, Blackburnians and the rest that had dominated in the last couple weeks), but MAGNOLIA, BLACK THROATED BLUE and BLACKPOLL WARBLERS, YELLOW THROATED VIREO and LEAST FLYCATCHER all managed to make appearances.
Later in the afternoon I stopped by Rockefeller Lane in Red Hook following reports from Mid-Hudson Birds that there had been really cooperative Grasshopper and Vesper Sparrows singing in the expansive farm fields along the road. I birded from the road for about an hour and was unable to locate either of those species but SAVANNAH SPARROWS and BOBOLINKS seemed to be abundant as well as a couple WILLOW FLYCATCHERS. After leaving Rockefeller however I decided to bird the private trail next to my house in Red Hook which is conveniently right next to Rockefeller Rd and consists of alot of the same habitat. So I wasn't surprised when I ended up coming across several GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS (including once which gave me incredible prolonged looks) as well as several FIELD SPARROWS and a LINCOLN'S SPARROW. Unfortunately my lease for this property ends today, leaving me wondering what other grassland bird potential this really productive area could have had. If you do try to find any of the sparrows however Rockefeller Road is your best bet. There's parking in the public soccer fields and the elementary school along the road and traffic usually isn't that obtrusive. The fields across from the elementary school and north of the soccer field are likely the most productive areas but the whole road is worth birding. Good luck to anyone who checks it out, 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/[email protected]/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/ --
