March 27, 2016 Long Lake (Hamilton Co.)
It was a beautiful night with a bright moon and stars, so I drove to Sabattis Circle Road at 2:30 a.m. It was cold (27 degrees), but Amer. Woodcocks were peenting! I found two different Snowshoe Hares - one I observed well, and it was about 50% transitioned to its summer brown color. I also found 2 Porcupines waddling down the road together. I didn't hear any owls. In a brief outing midday in Long Lake, I found the following species: Black-backed Woodpecker - calling bird at the Round Lake Trailhead Gray Jay - 4 (1 at Sabattis Bog, 2 during a bushwhack off the Round Lake Trail, and 1 foraging along Route 30) Boreal Chickadee - 3 along Route 30 White-winged Crossbill - 2 flyover calling birds (heading toward Bog Stream) while I was watching two Gray Jays at the Round Pond Trailhead I took a short walk on the Round Pond Trail and bushwhacked off trail in a boreal area that I like. Two Gray Jays found me! It was warm, so I didn't have a jacket on and I didn't have pockets for Gray Jay food (which was in the car). I explained this to the Gray Jays and decided to end the bushwhack and hike back to the car. I was quite surprised to find the 2 Gray Jays staying with me - all the way to the car! They ended up with raisins for their determination. The more time I spend with Gray Jays, the more remarkable I find them. It was nice to run into Anthony Collerton at Sabattis Bog! March 26, 2016 Newcomb, Minerva (Essex Co.) and Long Lake (Hamilton Co.) On a tour with 2 birders from Long Island, we had a wonderful boreal birding day in perfect weather. Here are some of the species found (* - first of the season for me): *Wood Duck - pair on the Hudson River (first of the season for me) Hooded Merganser - Hudson River Ruffed Grouse - standing in Sabattis Circle Road in Long Lake! Wild Turkey - flock along Route 28N in Long Lake (on our way to Newcomb) Bald Eagle - soaring adult over Minerva *Golden Eagle - adult over Newcomb (battling with a raven) (first of the season for me) Black-backed Woodpecker - 3!; pair in Newcomb with the female working on a nest cavity - extremely early!; and one calling in Minerva Pileated Woodpecker - several Merlin - flying over a marsh in Newcomb Northern Shrike - observed perched at the marsh in Newcomb Gray Jay - 5 (2 in Minerva, 2 along Sabattis Circle Road in Long Lake, and 1 at Sabattis Bog in Long Lake) American Crow - including one carrying a stick Common Raven - many, including 2 at the side of Route 30 in Long Lake picking grass for nesting material, and one that fought the Golden Eagle Boreal Chickadee - 3 heard in Newcomb - they flew over the road and perched near us, but were difficult to observe in thick trees Red-breasted Nuthatch Brown Creeper - singing! Golden-crowned Kinglet - singing! American Robin American Tree Sparrow *Fox Sparrow - Newcomb feeder (first of the season for me) Song Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco Northern Cardinal - Newcomb Red-winged Blackbird Common Grackle Purple Finch Red Crossbill - 5 observed and many heard, (3 in Newcomb observed gritting in Route 28N, and 2 observed gritting in Route 28N in Minerva) Pine Siskin - everywhere! American Goldfinch Evening Grosbeak - many! (male and female observed in Newcomb near feeders, a flyover flock of 7 in Newcomb, and a huge flock behind multiple houses just outside the village of Newcomb, and more heard at stops in Newcomb and Minerva) As it turns out, one of the birders took a number of photos of the Golden Eagle when it dropped down low and noticed a GPS tracking device on its back when he uploaded his photos to his computer! I am in contact with several Golden Eagle folks, and we may be able to find out more about the bird. Tom Salo thinks the particular GPS unit is an older one since it is larger than the devices they currently use. I posted a photo of the male Black-backed Woodpecker and the female Black-backed Woodpecker working on the new nest cavity on my Facebook page below. She was able to lean-in, so it is apparent that they began this excavation in winter! I also took a couple of videos of the female excavating - will post one soon. I also posted a photo of a 1st year male Red Crossbill gritting in the road in Minerva. Joan Collins President, NYS Ornithological Association 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/[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/ --
