I am lucky to be able to cover the Nazareth Quarry every year for the Bethlehem-Easton-Hellertown Christmas Bird Count. Our team makes it a point to get there by first light before many of the Snow Geese fly off to feed in the surrounding fields. Again this year, the quarry was filled wall-to-wall. This photo of a tiny portion of the quarry shows how densely packed the birds were.
With the quarry already filled, we discovered numerous, large skeins of birds in the eastern sky, coming from the direction of Merrill Creek Reservoir. In the late morning, it was literally "snowing" geese as about 20,000 birds returned to the quarry, which was still half-full at this point. I took a video clip of it with my cell phone. Due to the file size, I couldn't include it here, but you can watch it if you go to the following link. Turn up the volume and enjoy.
While checking the quarry for other waterfowl, Jason picked out a Ross's Goose. We also had "fly-by's" of 3 Peregrine Falcons (including one that chased and dove on one of four Common Ravens) and 3 Bald Eagles, two of which are in this photo.
Another surprise was this adult Golden Eagle. I managed to get this distant documentation photo of it before it headed east.
It was interesting that an immature Golden was seen here two years ago, raising the possibility of it being the same bird.
Although I get to see this Snow Goose spectacle annually, it still amazes me each time.
Wednesday, December 30, 2020
Wednesday, December 16, 2020
Tundra Bean-Goose in Pennsylvania! ~ December 16, 2020
Jason Horn called during the ten o'clock hour to let me know that he was looking at a Bean-Goose by the Springton Lake Middle School, just south of the Springton Reservoir near Media! This bird was originally noticed on the Springton Reservoir at a distance by Rob Fergus, who figured it was most likely a Pink-footed Goose. It was later refound at the school by Jason Horn and correctly identified as a Tundra Bean-Goose! I grabbed my camera and bins and started the one-hour-plus drive down there. Along the way, I found out that the bird had left the school with a flock of Canada Geese and dropped into the nearby backyards along Colt Road. When I got there, the bird was in the backyard at 1800 Colt Road. I managed to get these three, distant photos of it while it was between a tree and the corner of the house.
The group again lifted off and went back to the school's soccer field where the following photos were taken at a closer distance. The bird appeared to be a little smaller than some of the surrounding Canada Geese and equal in size to others. The bill appeared to be too short for 'Taiga', but the waters appear to be muddy on this.
This bird represents the first record for Pennsylvania and one of only a handful of records from the 'Lower 48'. The only other record from the eastern United States was that of a bird killed by a hunter in Arkansas on 1/25/2018. Judging by the location of the two small white spots on the head, this appears to be the same bird that was seen in Ontario, Canada about three weeks ago. I was lucky that the bird remained until I got there and even luckier that I got back home before the big snowstorm started.
There was also a very dark goose near the Bean-Goose. I have included four photos of this goose, which appears to be a very dark "Lesser" Canada Goose (parvipes)? The bird was noticeably smaller than the surrounding Canada Geese and very close to the size of the Bean-Goose. The first two photos show it next to the Bean-Goose, and the last two photos show the size difference between it and the normal, expected 'Atlantic' subspecies. The bird had an overall charcoal gray coloration. There was only a little difference in coloration between the upperparts and underparts of the bird. The breast was only a little lighter gray than the rest of the belly. The bill length, rounded head shape, and medium size seemed to fit Canada Goose and rule out Cackling Goose. The top edge of the white 'chin strap' came almost to a point rather than a rounded top like that of the surrounding Canadas. I'd be interested in hearing any comments on the identification of this goose.
The group again lifted off and went back to the school's soccer field where the following photos were taken at a closer distance. The bird appeared to be a little smaller than some of the surrounding Canada Geese and equal in size to others. The bill appeared to be too short for 'Taiga', but the waters appear to be muddy on this.
This bird represents the first record for Pennsylvania and one of only a handful of records from the 'Lower 48'. The only other record from the eastern United States was that of a bird killed by a hunter in Arkansas on 1/25/2018. Judging by the location of the two small white spots on the head, this appears to be the same bird that was seen in Ontario, Canada about three weeks ago. I was lucky that the bird remained until I got there and even luckier that I got back home before the big snowstorm started.
There was also a very dark goose near the Bean-Goose. I have included four photos of this goose, which appears to be a very dark "Lesser" Canada Goose (parvipes)? The bird was noticeably smaller than the surrounding Canada Geese and very close to the size of the Bean-Goose. The first two photos show it next to the Bean-Goose, and the last two photos show the size difference between it and the normal, expected 'Atlantic' subspecies. The bird had an overall charcoal gray coloration. There was only a little difference in coloration between the upperparts and underparts of the bird. The breast was only a little lighter gray than the rest of the belly. The bill length, rounded head shape, and medium size seemed to fit Canada Goose and rule out Cackling Goose. The top edge of the white 'chin strap' came almost to a point rather than a rounded top like that of the surrounding Canadas. I'd be interested in hearing any comments on the identification of this goose.
Friday, November 6, 2020
Common Cuckoo in Rhode Island ~ November 2, 2020
News broke about a Common Cuckoo that had been discovered in Rhode Island. An old birding friend and I left the house around 2:00 AM and made the 4-hour drive to Snake Den State Park near Johnston. We arrived right around sunrise and, soon after, Steve Schmit refound the bird perched in a tree bordering the field along Brown Avenue. It put on a nice show as it repeatedly dropped into the field to grab food, particularly Wooly Bear caterpillars. At one time, it flew up and perched above me so close that I had to back up to get the whole bird in the camera frame. Here are some of my favorite photos of it.
This was another bird that I never expected to see. From what I've heard, it represents one of only a few records for the eastern U.S. and only a handful or so for the entire 'lower 48'. More photos from the trip can be found in my Rhode Island Photo Album.
Saturday, October 10, 2020
Arizona - New Mexico Trip ~ October 4, 2020
Three of us had driven out to Arizona back in June to see the young male Eared Quetzal and missed it by a couple days. Then in September, Jason Horn and I flew out to Arizona when a pair of the quetzals were being seen in Rucker Canyon. Again, we missed them by a couple days and found out the day after we got back home that the pair had moved over into Cave Creek Canyon, so my bad luck in 2020 continued. Jason went back out with his friend, Matt, and saw the birds on September 28th. I wanted to see these birds so bad that I decided to buy a ticket on the 3rd and began packing for the October 4th flights. I allowed for two full days of searching and would return on the 7th.
I left the house around 2:15 AM and drove to the Newark Airport. My flights were from there to Atlanta, Georgia, and then on to Tucson, Arizona. While sitting in the Atlanta airport, I read that a European Golden-Plover had been identified in, of all places, New Mexico! This bird occasionally shows up in Newfoundland, Canada, so I checked the reports and discovered that it would require an 8-hour drive from the area where the quetzals were being seen. Hopefully, the quetzals would finally cooperate for me and allow me a chance to try for the plover, too, but seeing the quetzals remained my first priority.
I landed in Tucson just before noon, got my rental car, stopped for food and drinks and a styrofoam ice chest to put them in, and drove the 2-1/2 hours east to the Chiricahua Mountains. Near San Simon, a Swainson's Hawk circled over the highway.
I headed south on the road to Portal, which produced Gambel's Quail, Cassin's Kingbird, and Curve-billed Thrasher. I eventually reached Portal around 4:00 PM and entered Cave Creek Canyon.
I parked along Forest Road 42 near the bridge where the pavement ended and started walking down the road to the site where the birds had most often been seen. As I got there, there were three birders watching the pair of Eared Quetzals! Finally, the third time was the charm. It was getting late in the day and the sun was already blocked by the mountain, but I managed to get some documentation photos of the male. Little did I know that the pair would put on a fantastic show for me the next morning.
Eventually, the birds starting working their way up the canyon towards the bridge where I had parked. I grabbed this poor, distant photo of the pair perched together in a tree on the hillside.
Other birds noted there in the late afternoon were Acorn Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Western Wood-Pewee, Hutton's Vireo, Mexican Jay, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Hermit Thrush, American Robin, Chipping Sparrow, a "Gray-headed" Junco among the Yellow-eyed Juncos, Wilson's Warbler, Western Tanager, and a surprising count of seven Red-naped Sapsuckers.
I drove back down to Portal and found Curve-billed Thrasher, White-crowned Sparrow, Canyon Towhee, Northern Cardinal, and Black-headed Grosbeak in the waning light at the feeders by the Portal Cafe's outdoor patio. I spent the night there at the Portal Peak Lodge.
I left the house around 2:15 AM and drove to the Newark Airport. My flights were from there to Atlanta, Georgia, and then on to Tucson, Arizona. While sitting in the Atlanta airport, I read that a European Golden-Plover had been identified in, of all places, New Mexico! This bird occasionally shows up in Newfoundland, Canada, so I checked the reports and discovered that it would require an 8-hour drive from the area where the quetzals were being seen. Hopefully, the quetzals would finally cooperate for me and allow me a chance to try for the plover, too, but seeing the quetzals remained my first priority.
I landed in Tucson just before noon, got my rental car, stopped for food and drinks and a styrofoam ice chest to put them in, and drove the 2-1/2 hours east to the Chiricahua Mountains. Near San Simon, a Swainson's Hawk circled over the highway.
I headed south on the road to Portal, which produced Gambel's Quail, Cassin's Kingbird, and Curve-billed Thrasher. I eventually reached Portal around 4:00 PM and entered Cave Creek Canyon.
I parked along Forest Road 42 near the bridge where the pavement ended and started walking down the road to the site where the birds had most often been seen. As I got there, there were three birders watching the pair of Eared Quetzals! Finally, the third time was the charm. It was getting late in the day and the sun was already blocked by the mountain, but I managed to get some documentation photos of the male. Little did I know that the pair would put on a fantastic show for me the next morning.
Eventually, the birds starting working their way up the canyon towards the bridge where I had parked. I grabbed this poor, distant photo of the pair perched together in a tree on the hillside.
Other birds noted there in the late afternoon were Acorn Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Western Wood-Pewee, Hutton's Vireo, Mexican Jay, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Hermit Thrush, American Robin, Chipping Sparrow, a "Gray-headed" Junco among the Yellow-eyed Juncos, Wilson's Warbler, Western Tanager, and a surprising count of seven Red-naped Sapsuckers.
I drove back down to Portal and found Curve-billed Thrasher, White-crowned Sparrow, Canyon Towhee, Northern Cardinal, and Black-headed Grosbeak in the waning light at the feeders by the Portal Cafe's outdoor patio. I spent the night there at the Portal Peak Lodge.
Arizona - New Mexico Trip ~ October 5, 2020
Since I had already seen both the male and the female quetzals the day before, I checked to see how long it would take me to get to the plover spot, which was way up in northeastern New Mexico, not far from the Colorado border. Realizing that it would require an 8-hour drive, I figured that if I left Portal by 8:00 AM, I could get there and still have at least an hour to look for it before sunset. My hope was that the quetzals would show up before that time and allow me to get some better photos. So, I parked near the bridge at first light and began listening for their calls. Within a half-hour, I heard one call at the same time a lady from Minnesota spotted the pair from her car just down the road. For at least the next hour, the birds put on an amazing show while feeding and sunning themselves between the bridge and the entrance to Hidden Terrace Road. It was really tough to choose which photos to include because they were so cooperative. Here are several of the female showing off her metallic-green back, red belly, and grayish head and chest.
The male displayed his greenish head and breast, larger patch of red, and the metallic blues and greens on the back, rump, and tail.
I was lucky to get a few flight shots of the male. I wish they would have been sharper, but I was still happy with what I got. And yes, the orientation is correct. The bird dropped straight down from his perch.
Several times, the pair perched together, but they were rarely at a spot where both birds could be clearly seen. This was one of those few times when they were both pretty much unobstructed.
The only species additions from the day before were Wild Turkey, Gambel's Quail, and Lincoln's Sparrow.
Totally thrilled with the looks that I got, I left Cave Creek Canyon right at 8:00 AM and headed for Maxwell National Wildlife Refuge in northeast New Mexico. On the way down Portal Road to Route 80, I saw Northern Harrier, Greater Roadrunner, and Loggerhead Shrike.
After heading north on Route 80, the route took me east across I-10 to Deming, northeast on Route 26 to Hatch, and north on I-25 through Albuquerque and past Santa Fe. Along Route 26, I saw a Golden Eagle and two good-sized groups of Sandhill Cranes.
A few Snowy Egrets and Eurasian Collared-Doves flew across the road near the town of Hatch, proclaimed as the "Chile Capital of the World", which had bunches of red chile peppers hanging in many places throughout.
After passing the Santa Fe area, I-25 entered a large area of pinyon-juniper habitat. Birds noted in that habitat included Pinyon Jay, Clark's Nutcracker, and Common Raven. After passing through Las Vegas, New Mexico (not Nevada), the highway entered a massive open area that contained numerous groups of Pronghorn and a few Elk here and there.
I exited at the small town of Maxwell and arrived at the refuge's "Lake 14" at around 5:30 PM. I parked in the small lot and asked a birding couple that was getting ready to leave if they had seen the bird. They told me that it was indeed there in the southwest corner of the lake. After a short walk out, I spotted the European Golden-Plover feeding along the muddy edge with some Pectoral Sandpipers and Killdeer. With the place all to myself and the lowering sun behind me, I started snapping away.
It took a while, but I finally captured the bird's distinctive white wing linings during one of its wing stretches.
I got these two flight photos when a Merlin flew across the lake and stirred things up.
Some of the other birds seen there included Great Blue Heron, Green-winged Teal, Northern Shoveler, American Kestrel, American Coot, Sandhill Crane, Long-billed Curlew, and Western Meadowlark.
As I watched the sun drop behind the mountain, I thought about how fortunate I was to see two life birds 554 miles apart in this one day.
I left the refuge and drove 83 more miles back south to Las Vegas, which was the nearest town with motels, gas, and food. After refueling at the Kentucky Fried Chicken, I spent the night at the Comfort Inn in Las Vegas.
The male displayed his greenish head and breast, larger patch of red, and the metallic blues and greens on the back, rump, and tail.
I was lucky to get a few flight shots of the male. I wish they would have been sharper, but I was still happy with what I got. And yes, the orientation is correct. The bird dropped straight down from his perch.
Several times, the pair perched together, but they were rarely at a spot where both birds could be clearly seen. This was one of those few times when they were both pretty much unobstructed.
The only species additions from the day before were Wild Turkey, Gambel's Quail, and Lincoln's Sparrow.
Totally thrilled with the looks that I got, I left Cave Creek Canyon right at 8:00 AM and headed for Maxwell National Wildlife Refuge in northeast New Mexico. On the way down Portal Road to Route 80, I saw Northern Harrier, Greater Roadrunner, and Loggerhead Shrike.
After heading north on Route 80, the route took me east across I-10 to Deming, northeast on Route 26 to Hatch, and north on I-25 through Albuquerque and past Santa Fe. Along Route 26, I saw a Golden Eagle and two good-sized groups of Sandhill Cranes.
A few Snowy Egrets and Eurasian Collared-Doves flew across the road near the town of Hatch, proclaimed as the "Chile Capital of the World", which had bunches of red chile peppers hanging in many places throughout.
After passing the Santa Fe area, I-25 entered a large area of pinyon-juniper habitat. Birds noted in that habitat included Pinyon Jay, Clark's Nutcracker, and Common Raven. After passing through Las Vegas, New Mexico (not Nevada), the highway entered a massive open area that contained numerous groups of Pronghorn and a few Elk here and there.
I exited at the small town of Maxwell and arrived at the refuge's "Lake 14" at around 5:30 PM. I parked in the small lot and asked a birding couple that was getting ready to leave if they had seen the bird. They told me that it was indeed there in the southwest corner of the lake. After a short walk out, I spotted the European Golden-Plover feeding along the muddy edge with some Pectoral Sandpipers and Killdeer. With the place all to myself and the lowering sun behind me, I started snapping away.
It took a while, but I finally captured the bird's distinctive white wing linings during one of its wing stretches.
I got these two flight photos when a Merlin flew across the lake and stirred things up.
Some of the other birds seen there included Great Blue Heron, Green-winged Teal, Northern Shoveler, American Kestrel, American Coot, Sandhill Crane, Long-billed Curlew, and Western Meadowlark.
As I watched the sun drop behind the mountain, I thought about how fortunate I was to see two life birds 554 miles apart in this one day.
I left the refuge and drove 83 more miles back south to Las Vegas, which was the nearest town with motels, gas, and food. After refueling at the Kentucky Fried Chicken, I spent the night at the Comfort Inn in Las Vegas.
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