Field Trip Reports

Shawangunks Grasslands N.W.R. with Anne Lazarus and Alice Deutsch, 3/6/2021

March 6, 2021

Registrar: Debbie Mullins
Participants: 12
Weather: Overcast, mid to high 30s F
Bird Species: 22

Twelve birders finally made it up to the Shawangunks Grasslands N.W.R. after the January 16 trip had to be rescheduled. Immediately after we arrived we found a cooperative Rough-legged Hawk perching in a tree on the periphery of the grasslands, allowing participants good views through spotting scopes. After introductions, we started the day on the observation platform, keeping an eye out for raptors on the hunt and early arriving spring passerines. At least five Northern Harriers (including a grey ghost), a Turkey Vulture, a Red-tailed Hawk and another Rough-legged Hawk were observed, as well as a large flock of Canada Geese. The feeders near the entrance to the Refuge were quite active. We city slickers were thrilled to see eight Eastern Bluebirds and two Common Redpolls, species not commonly seen in Manhattan. A sharp-eyed participant spotted a muskrat in the small pond near the feeders, and two White-tailed Deer grazed on the eastern side of the grassland.

We left the Shawangunks around 2:30 and drove to the bridge over the Wallkill River on the Albany Post Road. Unlike our 2020 trip, when we saw many duck species here, this area was almost a bird-free zone this year, with only a single Red-tailed Hawk present. After observing the grasslands from Galeville Town Park on the north side of the Refuge, we returned to the observation platform in hopes of spotting a Short-eared Owl. To our disappointment, none were seen. However, the Eastern Bluebirds and the Common Redpolls were year birds or even life birds for most of the group.

Species Lists

Birds
Canada Goose
Turkey Vulture
Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Rough-legged Hawk
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
American Kestrel
Blue Jay
Black-capped Chickadee
White-breasted Nuthatch
Carolina Wren
European Starling
Eastern Bluebird
House Finch
Common Redpoll
American Goldfinch
Dark-eyed Junco
White-throated Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
Northern Cardinal

Mammals
Muskrat

Common Redpolls — American Kestrel © 2021 Sherry Felix

New Jersey Meadowlands at DeKorte Park, with Rick Wright 2/27/2021

February 27, 2021

Registrar: Debbie Mullins
Participants: 10
Weather: Morning rain, afternoon sun, mid 40s F
Bird Species: 39

Our walk at DeKorte Park in the New Jersey Meadowlands started with drizzle and fog and ended with clear blue skies. By the end of the day, the Manhattan skyline was visible in the distance, reminding us how close we live to this wonderful birding hotspot. Under the expert leadership of Rick Wright, we saw 39 bird species, including raptors, waterfowl, and passerines. We met at the AMVETS Memorial Carillon and began the walk on Saw Mill Creek trail, adjacent to the old capped landfills. Northern Harriers, both adults and juveniles, were seen hunting over the landfills, along with Red-tailed Hawks and an American Kestrel. While walking along the embankments separating the estuaries, we had good looks at 19 species of waterfowl, including Northern Pintails, Ring-necked Ducks, Common Goldeneyes, and all three species of mergansers. The area surrounding the park headquarters held some early spring migrants, including Red-winged Blackbirds, Common Grackles, and a Brown-headed Cowbird. A Gambel’s White-crowned Sparrow was an especially exciting find. This subspecies is characterized by pale lores and is typically seen in the western US. All participants agreed this was a wonderful end-of-season trip.

Species Lists

Birds
Canada Goose
Northern Shoveler
Gadwall
Mallard
American Black Duck
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Canvasback
Ring-necked Duck
Greater Scaup
Lesser Scaup
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Hooded Merganser
Common Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Mourning Dove
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Northern Harrier
Red-tailed Hawk
Belted Kingfisher
American Kestrel
Black-capped Chickadee
European Starling
Northern Mockingbird
House Sparrow
American Tree Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow (Gambel’s)
White-throated Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Common Grackle
Northern Cardinal

Mammals
White-tailed deer

Meadowlands — DeKorte Park © 2021 Sanford Sorkin

Eastern Long Island with Eileen Schwinn and Tom Moran, 2/20/2021

February 20, 2021

Registrar: Mary Beth Kooper
Participants: 20
Weather: Sunny, 31 degrees, little wind
Bird Species: 33

Our trip started on the west side of Shinnecock Inlet in Shinnecock County Park where we observed a nice assortment of sea ducks including White-winged Scoters and many Long-tailed Ducks. From there our group made a couple of stops along Dune Road where we saw a Snowy Owl nestled in the dunes, a lone Snow Bunting, a number of Common Goldeneyes and more. Our caravan of hardy winter birders continued traveling back west and stopped at the Quogue Wildlife Refuge where we observed some land birds before our last stop at EPCAL (the Enterprise Park at Calverton, formerly Grumman), which has the largest remaining grassland on Long Island. While there we were delighted to see some new birds for the day, including Horned Larks and a very beautiful Eastern Meadowlark. Many thanks to our leaders for showing us such warm hospitality and sharing their extensive local knowledge.

Species Lists

Birds
Brant
Canada Goose
Mallard
American Black Duck
Common Eider
White-winged Scoter
Black Scoter
Long-tailed Duck
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Hooded Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Common Loon
Great Blue Heron
Northern Harrier
Snowy Owl
Belted Kingfisher
Peregrine Falcon
Blue Jay
American Crow
Black-capped Chickadee
Horned Lark
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Carolina Wren
European Starling
Snow Bunting
Dark-eyed Junco
White-throated Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Eastern Meadowlark

Mammals
Eastern Cottontail Rabbit

Staten Island with Anne Lazarus and Miriam Rakowski, 2/13/2021

February 13, 2021

Registrar: Ursula Mitra
Participants: 9
Weather: 26 – 28 deg F, overcast, winds from the NE 16-8 mph
Bird Species: 54

Nine participants braved the icy cold and slippery slopes exploring four locations in Staten Island: The Moravian Cemetery, Fresh Kills Park, Wolfe’s Pond and Mt Loretto Unique Area. They even returned to the Moravian Cemetery after word of sightings of a Common Merganser and Evening Grosbeak there reached them.

The first stop was the Moravian Cemetery where we saw 21 species, including Ring-necked Duck, Wild Turkey and Ruby-crowned Kinglets. White-tailed deer roamed the cemetery in good numbers as well.

We moved on to Great Kills Park where we saw 12 species, notably many Common Goldeneye and Greater Scaup, but we also had wonderful close looks at a flock of 18 Horned Lark in the parking lot!

Our next stop at Wolfe’s Pond produced 26 species, among them a Merlin, Brown Thrasher, Horned Grebe, Red-breasted Merganser and Common Loon.

After lunch, we visited our last location, Mt Loretto Unique Area which was beautiful with wide open, snow covered fields and long vistas. We saw 25 species here, including a nice variety of raptors: Sharp-shinned Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, Peregrine Falcon, and two Bald Eagles! Notably absent were Red-tailed Hawks.

Everyone returned to Moravian Cemetery to be rewarded with the Common Merganser, but we could not re-locate the Evening Grosbeak that had been seen there earlier in the day. It was a long but rewarding day in good company. In all 54 species were observed by all. Many thanks to Anne Lazarus and Miriam Rakowski for leading this wonderful trip!

Species Lists

Birds
Brant
Canada Goose
Mute Swan
Gadwall
Mallard
American Black Duck
Ring-necked Duck
Greater Scaup
Black Scoter
Long-tailed Duck
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Hooded Merganser
Common Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Wild Turkey
Horned Grebe
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Sanderling
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Red-throated Loon
Common Loon
Great Blue Heron
Turkey Vulture
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper’s Hawk
Bald Eagle
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Merlin
Peregrine Falcon
Blue Jay
American Crow
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Horned Lark
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Carolina Wren
European Starling
Brown Thrasher
Northern Mockingbird
American Robin
House Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
White-throated Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Northern Cardinal

Mammals
White-tailed Deer

Carolina Wren — Brant © 2021 Susan Axelrod

Coney Island Pier with Rob Jett, 2/6/2021

February 6, 2021

Registrar: Linda LaBella
Participants: 9
Weather: Cold, 35 degrees, windy and sunny.
Bird Species: 40

We started this field trip at the Coney Island Pier where we saw a tremendous variety of sea ducks. A great surprise was the discovery of a Razorbill; it was so close to the pier that we all saw it without binoculars or scope.

We then walked down to the 35th-Street Overlook and Rob, our leader, found a Thick-billed Murre out in the bay. We had great looks at this rare bird, but after about 40 minutes it moved farther out and the waves made it too hard to see it.

Rob then took us to Coney Island Creek Park where we had the opportunity to see the Redhead, an annual visitor to the creek, as well as a number of other birds to add to the list.

Species Lists

Birds
Brant
Canada Goose
Mute Swan
Gadwall
Mallard
American Black Duck
Redhead
Greater Scaup
Lesser Scaup
Common Eider
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Black Scoter
Long-tailed Duck
Bufflehead
Hooded Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Pied-billed Grebe
Horned Grebe
Rock Pigeon
Purple Sandpiper
Thick-billed Murre
Razorbill
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Red-throated Loon
Common Loon
Double-crested Cormorant
Cooper’s Hawk
Belted Kingfisher
American Kestrel
Peregrine Falcon
American Crow
European Starling
Northern Mockingbird
House Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Northern Cardinal

Black Scoter — Cold Happy Birders © 2021 Linda LaBella

Breezy Point and Fort Tilden with Gordon Lam, 1/31/2021

January 31, 2021

Registrar: Lori Lam
Participants: 8
Weather: 20-30 F, sunny, wind mph 5-10 mph
Bird Species: 32

We would like to thank our excellent leader Gordon Lam for an exciting trip with many outstanding sightings. We also want to thank Lori for registering this complicated trip. Due to the cold and windy weather we began our journey at Fort Tilden, as a possible inland alternative to Breezy Point beach. We were immediately greeted by a Northern Harrier flying over the ball fields. Despite the cold, Northern Cardinals, Song Sparrows, White-throated Sparrows, Dark-eyed Junco, Black-capped Chickadees and two Northern Mockingbirds emerged, along with a serenading pair of Carolina Wrens. A walk to the beach also proved productive, with six Common Eiders, two Long-tailed Ducks, Black Scoters and one lonely Sanderling acting as a preview of what was to come. With the weather being much more cooperative than we expected we all agreed to return to the cars and caravan to Breezy Point.

The walk down the ORV (off road vehicle) path leading to the Breezy Point beach was productive, Our first observation was a pair of beautiful American Tree Sparrows. Several playful, vocalizing Black-capped Chickadees seemingly followed us down the path, along with small flocks of Yellow-rumped Warblers. Another exciting sighting was a Lincoln’s Sparrow (finely streaked buffy breast, broad gray supercillium). The next surprise was a Tree Swallow, a few of which overwinter. It cooperated enough to pose for pictures. We were also captivated by an Eastern Red Fox, which ran across the path, our mammal species for the trip. The fox is beautiful, but it is known to eat Piping Plovers and turtle eggs.

After a 45-minute walk, we arrived at the beach. We were greeted by large flocks of Sanderlings and several Long-tailed Ducks and female Black Scoters. Heading west along the beach we kept an eye on the upcoming jetty, where we saw 12 Great Cormorants and 8 Double-crested Cormorants, along with 13 Common Eiders (one relaxing on the beach) and more Black Scoters. Looking west over the rocks we saw two beautiful male Surf Scoters and later two female Surf Scoters. Adding to our duck list were three Buffleheads, one Red-breasted Merganser and four White-winged Scoters in flight.

Other highlights were the interesting invertebrate remains found by Gordon. He explained the anatomy and burrowing habit of the Razor Clam, the importance of the Horseshoe Crab eggs in the ecological food chain, the unique reproductive strategies of the Common Slipper Shell and more. The grand finale was the sighting of a Snowy Owl by Michelle Talich, We followed proper etiquette and did not approach the owl.

Species Lists

Birds
Brant
Canada Goose
Common Eider
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Black Scoter
Long-tailed Duck
Bufflehead
Red-breasted Merganser
Sanderling
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Red-throated Loon
Common Loon
Great Cormorant
Double-crested Cormorant
Northern Harrier
Snowy Owl
Downy Woodpecker
Black-capped Chickadee
Tree Swallow
Carolina Wren
Northern Mockingbird
House Sparrow
American Tree Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
White-throated Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Lincoln’s Sparrow
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Northern Cardinal

Mammal
Eastern Red Fox

Invertebrate Remains
Horseshoe Crab
Razor Clam
Surf Clam
Common Slipper Shell
Whelk

Tree Swallow — Snowy Owl © 2021 Michelle Talich

Pelham Bay Park with Rob Jett, 1/23/2021

January 23, 2021

Registrars: Louise Fraza and Linda LaBella
Participants: 10
Weather: Cold and sunny, 30 degrees Fahrenheit with a 17 degree wind-chill factor
Bird Species: 43

We started the walk on Orchard Beach where we immediately observed a Peregrine Falcon eating what looked like a gull sp. at the shoreline. We then went up the trail to Hunter Island covering the rocky eastern shore and Twin Island. At 10:30 AM we drove up Shore Road to explore the grounds of Bartow-Pell Mansion. It turned out to be a very productive morning despite the below freezing wind-chill factor.

Species Lists

Birds
Brant
Canada Goose
Mute Swan
Gadwall
American Wigeon
Mallard
American Black Duck
Greater Scaup
Lesser Scaup
Surf Scoter
Long-tailed Duck
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Red-breasted Merganser
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Common Loon
Great Blue Heron
Turkey Vulture
Red-tailed Hawk
Barred Owl
Belted Kingfisher
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Merlin
Peregrine Falcon
Blue Jay
Fish Crow
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Winter Wren
Carolina Wren
European Starling
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
Fox Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Northern Cardinal

Croton Point Park with Miriam Rakowski and Amy Simmons, 1/9/2021

January 9, 2021

Registrar: Miriam Rakowski
Participants: 10
Weather: Mostly sunny, 28-35 F, winds north, 12-14 mph
Bird Species: 32

Our birding adventure began en route to Croton when we saw at least two perched Bald Eagles from the train. Bald Eagles turned out to be the highlights of the day. After leaving the train station, we saw another one sitting on a nest of twigs. It swooped down towards us, flying low overhead and giving us great views. Later we witnessed three Bald Eagles gliding overhead effortlessly on flat wings in the heavy wind.

The other stars of the trip were five sparrow species. As we approached the Park, we noticed a few small brown birds feeding on the ground. Several had bright red heads, with creamy breasts and a central chest spot. We had great looks at these lovely Tree Sparrows. Mixed in with them were a few Song Sparrows.

Arriving at Croton’s landfill, we took the middle path of the three available up to the top. It was very windy, keeping most birds away, out of our sight. However, we did see a small bird scurrying on the ground like a mouse. It turned out to be a furtive Savannah Sparrow. As we continued to ascend, another small sparrow was spotted exhibiting the same behavior. We had only fleeting looks at this Savannah, which was quite white in appearance—perhaps an Ipswich type?

Some other highlights were the distant Common Mergansers on the Hudson and the even more distant Common Goldeneyes. At the trailer park above the landfill, we happened upon a feeder with a goodly number of birds to entertain us and bring our list up to 32 species for the day, despite the very gusty winds.

Species Lists

Birds
Canada Goose
Mute Swan
Mallard
American Black Duck
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Common Merganser
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Double-crested Cormorant
Bald Eagle
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Blue Jay
American Crow
Fish Crow
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Carolina Wren
European Starling
Northern Mockingbird
House Sparrow
American Tree Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
White-throated Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
Northern Cardinal

Red-tailed Hawk — Bald Eagle © 2021 Amy Simmons