Sunday, October 31, 2021
Cattle Egrets at the Hollo Road retention pond~ October 31, 2021
I already had afternoon and evening plans established when I found out that Ryan Patrick had found a group of Cattle Egrets at the Hollo Road retention pond. Since the finding of Cattle Egrets are few and far between and usually only of single birds, I veered a little out of my way to get over there between stops. Luckily, the birds were still there and several birders were checking them out when I pulled up. I saw all twelve(!) of them and quickly snapped some distant photos before heading on.
Saturday, October 30, 2021
Laughing Gull and Greater White-fronted Goose in Northampton County ~ October 30, 2021
I had just left Green Pond, where I had a Snow Goose, Green-winged Teal, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Yellow-rumped Warblers, and a White-crowned Sparrow when I saw the text that Adam Miller had found a Laughing Gull at the Silver Crest Road retention pond! Last night's storm with easterly winds probably had a hand in this coastal bird showing up here in eastern PA. I had planned on going up there anyhow to see if I could find the Greater White-fronted Goose that Mike Schall saw there earlier in the day. I ended up seeing both birds and got some fairly decent photos of the gull. Unfortunately, it apparently has an injury at the wrist area of its left wing, which is visible in the photos. The body is also apparently blood-stained at the spot where the folded wing would rest.
More photos of it and a distant one of the Greater White-fronted Goose are on my eBird checklist.
More photos of it and a distant one of the Greater White-fronted Goose are on my eBird checklist.
Wednesday, October 27, 2021
Vesper Sparrow at the Newburg Road pond ~ October 27, 2021
When I stopped at the Newburg Road retention pond, I found a mostly empty pond due to some workers and a running pump there, but one Greater and one Lesser Yellowlegs were feeding in the far back corner. I decided to cross Wellness Way and check a small, grassy patch with some young trees on its west side. This spot had produced numbers of Savannah Sparrows in the past month. As I checked it, one bird popped up and seemed notably different even with the naked eye. When I got my binoculars on it, I realized it was a Vesper Sparrow! Luckily, it stayed long enough to get some decent photos of it.
One of the expected Savannah Sparrows also permitted me to get a photo of it as it perched next to the Vesper.
One of the expected Savannah Sparrows also permitted me to get a photo of it as it perched next to the Vesper.
Tuesday, October 26, 2021
Northern Harrier harasses Turkey Vulture ~ October 26, 2021
A stop at the Lower Nazareth Township Park retention pond produced 5 Greater Yellowlegs that were spooked a little when a Cooper's Hawk flew by.
On my way over to Green Pond, I turned off of Hecktown Road and noticed two birds interacting with each other. They both held their wings in a dihedral, but one was smaller than the other. I pulled over at an abandoned barn, got my binoculars on them, and realized that it was a Northern Harrier harassing a Turkey Vulture. The lighting was terrible for photos, but I was able to get a few showing the battle. It went on for about 15 minutes until they both parted ways.
On my way over to Green Pond, I turned off of Hecktown Road and noticed two birds interacting with each other. They both held their wings in a dihedral, but one was smaller than the other. I pulled over at an abandoned barn, got my binoculars on them, and realized that it was a Northern Harrier harassing a Turkey Vulture. The lighting was terrible for photos, but I was able to get a few showing the battle. It went on for about 15 minutes until they both parted ways.
Sunday, October 24, 2021
Kinglets rule the day ~ October 24, 2021
As soon as I got out of the car in the parking lot at the Woodland Hills Preserve, I heard and noticed a number of both kinglets flitting around in the large oak overhead. I started down the trail and kinglets were zipping around seemingly everywhere! The Golden-crowneds were mainly sticking to the spruces while the Ruby-crowneds were in the lower vegetation. I was seeing three to four Golden-crowneds in several spruce trees while standing in one spot. My very conservative count for the morning was 29 Golden-crowneds and 19 Ruby-crowneds plus six other kinglets that I couldn't see well enough to tell which ones they were. I met Joe Yuhas later in the walk and he also noted the large numbers of kinglets. It was reassuring that we both had similar counts of them. It was definitely the highest number of kinglets that I've ever seen in one day.
Other notables there included a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, 2 Blue-headed Vireos, 3 Hermit Thrushes, lots of White-throated Sparrows, 2 Swamp Sparrows, a Lincoln's Sparrow, a White-crowned Sparrow, and two Pileated Woodpeckers, one of which I got a nice flight shot of.
A few warblers were also present. In addition to several Yellow-rumped Warblers, there was a Palm, a Blackpoll, and this Nashville Warbler.
If interested, the counts and more photos from the day can be found on my eBird checklist.
Other notables there included a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, 2 Blue-headed Vireos, 3 Hermit Thrushes, lots of White-throated Sparrows, 2 Swamp Sparrows, a Lincoln's Sparrow, a White-crowned Sparrow, and two Pileated Woodpeckers, one of which I got a nice flight shot of.
A few warblers were also present. In addition to several Yellow-rumped Warblers, there was a Palm, a Blackpoll, and this Nashville Warbler.
If interested, the counts and more photos from the day can be found on my eBird checklist.
Wednesday, October 20, 2021
A Stilt and a Pectoral Sandpiper ~ October 20, 2021
Late on the 19th, Bill Etter found a Stilt Sandpiper at the West Gremar Road retention pond. Unable to get over there to see it on Tuesday, I was glad to see that it was still there when I stopped late Wednesday morning on the way to my daughter's place. I got some fairly decent photos of it.
In the late afternoon, I stopped again on the way home and the Stilt Sandpiper wasn't there, but a Pectoral Sandpiper was. It, too, cooperated for photos.
Another surprise was the arrival of about 200 Tree Swallows that descended on the pond and swirled around like a small tornado as they fed on the surface. I tried to get some photos of a portion of the masses but it had to be seen to be appreciated.
In the late afternoon, I stopped again on the way home and the Stilt Sandpiper wasn't there, but a Pectoral Sandpiper was. It, too, cooperated for photos.
Another surprise was the arrival of about 200 Tree Swallows that descended on the pond and swirled around like a small tornado as they fed on the surface. I tried to get some photos of a portion of the masses but it had to be seen to be appreciated.
Monday, October 18, 2021
The season's a-changing ~ October 18, 2021
The drop in temperature from the 80's on Saturday to the 40's on Monday morning has changed the birding scene. Several skeins of geese, no Killdeer, and some arriving waterfowl and gulls signified a turnover, although the Pectoral Sandpiper continued at the Newburg Road retention pond. A couple Yellow-rumped Warblers worked the nearby trees there.
Yellow-rumped Warbler
The Green Pond area produced American Black Ducks, Hooded Mergansers, and a large group of 68 Lesser Black-backed Gulls.
If interested, more photos from the day can be found in my 2021 Notables photo album.
The Green Pond area produced American Black Ducks, Hooded Mergansers, and a large group of 68 Lesser Black-backed Gulls.
If interested, more photos from the day can be found in my 2021 Notables photo album.
Friday, October 15, 2021
Finds from a few stops in Northampton County ~ October 15, 2021
I recorded 40 species in the morning at the Woodland Hills Preserve. Highlights included two Pileated Woodpeckers, an American Kestrel, two Blue-headed Vireos, a Common Raven, several kinglets, Cedar Waxwings, Palm, Blackpoll, and Black-throated Blue Warblers, and this Belted Kingfisher.
A stop at the Newburg Road retention pond produced a Pectoral Sandpiper and several Horned Larks in the large field between the pond and the hospital.
If interested, more photos from the day can be found in my 2021 Notables photo album.
A stop at the Newburg Road retention pond produced a Pectoral Sandpiper and several Horned Larks in the large field between the pond and the hospital.
If interested, more photos from the day can be found in my 2021 Notables photo album.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)