I sent out alerts to other birders. In the next hour or so, Joe Yuhas, who spotted a Greater White-fronted Goose here early this morning, Adam Smith, Guy de Bruyn, and Bill & Regina Hobbs showed up and got looks at the goose.
Wednesday, November 27, 2024
Pink-footed Goose still at the Nazareth Quarry ~ November 27, 2024
Around 1:30 this afternoon, I stopped at the Nazareth Quarry to see if the Pink-footed Goose was still there. Jason Horn was there and had seen the bird a little while before I got there. I set up my scope and was surprised to find it after a few minutes of searching among the Canadas. Since it wasn't almost dark like yesterday, I was able to get somewhat better photos of it today.
I sent out alerts to other birders. In the next hour or so, Joe Yuhas, who spotted a Greater White-fronted Goose here early this morning, Adam Smith, Guy de Bruyn, and Bill & Regina Hobbs showed up and got looks at the goose.
I sent out alerts to other birders. In the next hour or so, Joe Yuhas, who spotted a Greater White-fronted Goose here early this morning, Adam Smith, Guy de Bruyn, and Bill & Regina Hobbs showed up and got looks at the goose.
Tuesday, November 26, 2024
Pink-footed Goose at the Nazareth Quarry! ~ November 26, 2024
Late this afternoon, I got an alert from Adam Miller that he had found a Pink-footed Goose at the Nazareth Quarry. It was about 15 minutes before sunset, so I quickly left the house and drove there, getting there right around sunset. Adam was still there but had lost the goose because of the vegetation between the fence and the quarry edge. We both scoped the general area he had it in for several minutes. I eventually found it and got some identifiable looks before it went behind a nearby tree trunk. Soon after, Adam spotted it again. This time is swam out into a more open area where I was able to get some horrendous, distant photos of it in the failing light.
While searching through the geese for the Pink-footed, I came across at least one Cackling Goose. This bird's grayer body, 'blocky' head, shorter neck, and short bill seemed to be a good candidate for one.
Also after sunset, a large flock of about 750 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 25 Herring Gulls, and 2 Ring-billed Gulls dropped into the quarry for the night. Other birds present in the quarry included 40 Ruddy Ducks, 5 Common Mergansers, 3 Ring-necked Ducks, and 2 Buffleheads among about a hundred Snow Geese and a few thousand Canadas.
While searching through the geese for the Pink-footed, I came across at least one Cackling Goose. This bird's grayer body, 'blocky' head, shorter neck, and short bill seemed to be a good candidate for one.
Also after sunset, a large flock of about 750 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 25 Herring Gulls, and 2 Ring-billed Gulls dropped into the quarry for the night. Other birds present in the quarry included 40 Ruddy Ducks, 5 Common Mergansers, 3 Ring-necked Ducks, and 2 Buffleheads among about a hundred Snow Geese and a few thousand Canadas.
Monday, November 25, 2024
Unusual Brown Creeper Behavior at the Melchor Tract Park ~ November 25, 2024
I returned to the Melchor Tract Park for a couple hours this morning. The treeline on the east edge of the park produced Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Hairy Woodpecker, Eastern Bluebird, and Brown Creeper. I was photographing the one Brown Creeper as it went up the tree, but I was really surprised when I saw it fly across to the next tree and work its way back DOWN that tree like a nuthatch would. I had never seen a Creeper go upside-down DOWN a tree before. It spent most of its time on the back side of the trunk, so I only got one photo of it doing that.
Other birds seen there included 4 Field Sparrows, 3 White-throated Sparrows, 2 American Tree Sparrows, and a Chipping Sparrow among 27 Song Sparrows and 12 Dark-eyed Juncos, plus 8 Red-winged Blackbirds and 2 American Goldfinches.
Other birds seen there included 4 Field Sparrows, 3 White-throated Sparrows, 2 American Tree Sparrows, and a Chipping Sparrow among 27 Song Sparrows and 12 Dark-eyed Juncos, plus 8 Red-winged Blackbirds and 2 American Goldfinches.
Wednesday, November 20, 2024
St. Luke's Anderson Campus Trails ~ November 20, 2024
I spent a couple hours walking around some of the trails behind the St. Luke's Anderson Campus. There were a good number of sparrows around. In addition to the 47 Song Sparrows and 31 Dark-eyed Juncos, I spotted 2 White-crowneds, a Savannah, and a Swamp Sparrow.
Other birds present were 13 Ring-billed Gulls, around 250 Fish Crows heading for the Bethlehem landfill, a 'fly-by' Common Raven, and 3 Red-winged Blackbirds.
Other birds present were 13 Ring-billed Gulls, around 250 Fish Crows heading for the Bethlehem landfill, a 'fly-by' Common Raven, and 3 Red-winged Blackbirds.
Tuesday, November 19, 2024
Little Gap, Graver's Arboretum, and the Nazareth Quarry ~ November 19, 2024
I again spent the morning at Little Gap. I knew it wasn't going to be a good day for raptors, but I was again hoping for a Pine Siskin or a crossbill to pass by. And again, unfortunately that didn't happen. The only birds of note were a Pileated Woodpecker, a Northern Flicker, 46 American Robins, and 41 Dark-eyed Juncos.
My next stop was Graver's Arboretum, again hoping for a siskin or a crossbill. I wasn't seeing any small bird activity at all. I realized why when I saw a Merlin perched nearby in a tall tree. Closer inspection of the Merlin revealed an extremely pale, grayish individual, the most pale Merlin I had ever seen. There were almost no brownish tones to this bird. The upperparts and top of the head were gray. Even the underside markings were more grayish than brownish, and the vent and undertail coverts were whitish instead of the usual buffy or rusty coloration. I was able to get several photos of it, which show this pale pattern.
The last stop was at the Nazareth Quarry, which produced 106 Snow Geese among about 2000 Canada Geese, 40 Ruddy Ducks, 5 Ring-necked Ducks, 2 Buffleheads, 4 American Coots, and 2 Herring Gulls with 26 Lesser Black-backed Gulls.
My next stop was Graver's Arboretum, again hoping for a siskin or a crossbill. I wasn't seeing any small bird activity at all. I realized why when I saw a Merlin perched nearby in a tall tree. Closer inspection of the Merlin revealed an extremely pale, grayish individual, the most pale Merlin I had ever seen. There were almost no brownish tones to this bird. The upperparts and top of the head were gray. Even the underside markings were more grayish than brownish, and the vent and undertail coverts were whitish instead of the usual buffy or rusty coloration. I was able to get several photos of it, which show this pale pattern.
The last stop was at the Nazareth Quarry, which produced 106 Snow Geese among about 2000 Canada Geese, 40 Ruddy Ducks, 5 Ring-necked Ducks, 2 Buffleheads, 4 American Coots, and 2 Herring Gulls with 26 Lesser Black-backed Gulls.
Friday, November 15, 2024
Another Afternoon Run Around the County ~ November 15, 2024
I did another afternoon run to several spots in the area. At the Regency Boulevard retention ponds, I saw 16 Buffleheads among about 500 Canada Geese.
At the Silver Crest Road retention pond, 2 Snow Geese (one white and one young "Blue" Goose) were there with 5 Ruddy Ducks, 2 Green-winged Teal, a Common Merganser, and a Great Blue Heron among about 300 Canada Geese.
A stop at the Gun Club Road retention ponds between Bath and Newburg produced nothing of note in the ponds, but a male American Kestrel was perched on the fence and 6 Dark-eyed Juncos were in the overgrown area across the road.
My last stop was the Nazareth Quarry, which held 22 Ruddy Ducks, 4 Buffleheads, and 2 Pied-billed Grebes among about 3500 Canada Geese.
At the Silver Crest Road retention pond, 2 Snow Geese (one white and one young "Blue" Goose) were there with 5 Ruddy Ducks, 2 Green-winged Teal, a Common Merganser, and a Great Blue Heron among about 300 Canada Geese.
A stop at the Gun Club Road retention ponds between Bath and Newburg produced nothing of note in the ponds, but a male American Kestrel was perched on the fence and 6 Dark-eyed Juncos were in the overgrown area across the road.
My last stop was the Nazareth Quarry, which held 22 Ruddy Ducks, 4 Buffleheads, and 2 Pied-billed Grebes among about 3500 Canada Geese.
Thursday, November 14, 2024
Crested Caracara in Pennsylvania! ~ November 14, 2024
On Wednesday the 13th, Sam Perloff found a Crested Caracara at the Pine Run Reservoir in Bucks County! I found out about it right before I had to go to an appointment, so there was no way I could try for it. He found it perched in a tree along the reservor around 11 AM, but it took off a little while later and flew off to the northwest. Other birders searched there and the surrounding area. At around 4 PM, the bird was refound in the same tree it was seen in earlier. Again, it stayed there for a short time before flying off to the west and disappearing in the vicinity of a vulture roost out beyond the dam.
At 5 AM, I picked up Rick Wiltraut at the nearby Park & Ride and we drove down to Pine Run. We got there just before sunrise and walked out the paved trail towards the dam. The water level of the reservoir was extremely low due to the drought. I was surprised that vultures started lifting off of the roost right at sunrise. Normally, they don't tend to lift off until around mid-morning. We checked out the group, which was comprised of both Turkey and Black Vultures. Ross Gallardy decided to station himself at the roost. About an hour later at 7:42 AM, Ross spotted the bird among a group of vultures and called to let us know that it was flying somewhat in our direction. We quickly searched through the group and found the Crested Caracara! The fairly narrow and long wings with white outer wing patches, long white head with a dark cap, and long tail were all noted. Unfortunately, the bird was very distant and never came close enough for a good photograph. It flew off to the northeast and dropped behind the ridge to the north.
We spent the rest of the day there, hoping that it would come back for better views, but that never happened. While there, a couple Bald Eagles flew in and perched in a tree across the reservoir.
The Crested Caracara represents my 400th species for Pennsylvania. It was the second time I had reached 400 species for the state after seeing Kirtland's Warbler and then losing Hoary Redpoll after it was 'lumped' with Common Redpoll. Both are now considered subspecies and are simply called "Redpoll".
At 5 AM, I picked up Rick Wiltraut at the nearby Park & Ride and we drove down to Pine Run. We got there just before sunrise and walked out the paved trail towards the dam. The water level of the reservoir was extremely low due to the drought. I was surprised that vultures started lifting off of the roost right at sunrise. Normally, they don't tend to lift off until around mid-morning. We checked out the group, which was comprised of both Turkey and Black Vultures. Ross Gallardy decided to station himself at the roost. About an hour later at 7:42 AM, Ross spotted the bird among a group of vultures and called to let us know that it was flying somewhat in our direction. We quickly searched through the group and found the Crested Caracara! The fairly narrow and long wings with white outer wing patches, long white head with a dark cap, and long tail were all noted. Unfortunately, the bird was very distant and never came close enough for a good photograph. It flew off to the northeast and dropped behind the ridge to the north.
We spent the rest of the day there, hoping that it would come back for better views, but that never happened. While there, a couple Bald Eagles flew in and perched in a tree across the reservoir.
The Crested Caracara represents my 400th species for Pennsylvania. It was the second time I had reached 400 species for the state after seeing Kirtland's Warbler and then losing Hoary Redpoll after it was 'lumped' with Common Redpoll. Both are now considered subspecies and are simply called "Redpoll".
Tuesday, November 12, 2024
Little Gap, the Nazareth Quarry, and Hollo Road ~ November 12, 2024
Jason Horn and I spent seven hours at Little Gap on a favorable day for a good raptor flight. On the way up the trail, Jason spotted a Fox Sparrow.
From the hawkwatch, raptor totals included 16 Bald Eagles, 7 Golden Eagles, 2 Black Vultures, 20 Red-tailed Hawks, a Merlin, a Peregrine Falcon, 5 Cooper's Hawks, and a Sharp-shinned Hawk.
A total of 362 Canada Geese, a Common Loon, 7 Common Ravens, 30 Cedar Waxwings, 16 Red-winged Blackbirds, and a Common Grackle were also seen.
A stop at the Nazareth Quarry on the way home revealed a Cackling Goose among the roughly 1500 Canada Geese, 30 Ruddy Ducks, 5 Buffleheads, 3 Ring-necked Ducks, 2 American Black Ducks, 6 American Coots, 19 Herring Gulls and 2 Ring-billed Gulls among about 300 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, and a Horned Grebe that was too close to the near cliff to be able to get a documentation photo through the vegetation.
One last stop was at the Hollo Road retention pond where 9 Green-winged Teal and 3 Killdeer were present along with 67 Mallards. There was no sign of the Least Sandpiper, which was last seen on the 9th.
From the hawkwatch, raptor totals included 16 Bald Eagles, 7 Golden Eagles, 2 Black Vultures, 20 Red-tailed Hawks, a Merlin, a Peregrine Falcon, 5 Cooper's Hawks, and a Sharp-shinned Hawk.
A total of 362 Canada Geese, a Common Loon, 7 Common Ravens, 30 Cedar Waxwings, 16 Red-winged Blackbirds, and a Common Grackle were also seen.
A stop at the Nazareth Quarry on the way home revealed a Cackling Goose among the roughly 1500 Canada Geese, 30 Ruddy Ducks, 5 Buffleheads, 3 Ring-necked Ducks, 2 American Black Ducks, 6 American Coots, 19 Herring Gulls and 2 Ring-billed Gulls among about 300 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, and a Horned Grebe that was too close to the near cliff to be able to get a documentation photo through the vegetation.
One last stop was at the Hollo Road retention pond where 9 Green-winged Teal and 3 Killdeer were present along with 67 Mallards. There was no sign of the Least Sandpiper, which was last seen on the 9th.
Monday, November 11, 2024
Another Day at Little Gap ~ November 11, 2024
I once again spent the day at Little Gap. It was a slow day for raptors, but I was hoping for a Pine Siskin or a crossbill to pass by. Unfortunately, neither one appeared. The minimal raptor count was comprised of 4 Bald Eagles, 3 Northern Harriers, 13 Red-tailed Hawks, 2 Sharp-shinned Hawks, and a Cooper's Hawk.
Other birds seen included a Northern Flicker, 2 Common Ravens, an Eastern Bluebird, 71 American Robins, 2 Purple Finches, and 8 Dark-eyed Juncos.
Other birds seen included a Northern Flicker, 2 Common Ravens, an Eastern Bluebird, 71 American Robins, 2 Purple Finches, and 8 Dark-eyed Juncos.
Sunday, November 10, 2024
Little Gap ~ November 10, 2024
I decided to spend most of the day at Little Gap. Two Eastern Bluebirds were seen along the pipeline cut near the parking lot.
Although there wasn't a lot of activity at the hawkwatch, 2 Red-shouldered Hawks, 2 Common Ravens, a Bald Eagle, and a Golden Eagle did pass by.
A total of 204 American Robins were counted, and what was strange was that they were all flying north, not south. On the way back down the trail to the car, I saw 2 Golden-crowned Kinglets, a Brown Creeper, and a Winter Wren.
Although there wasn't a lot of activity at the hawkwatch, 2 Red-shouldered Hawks, 2 Common Ravens, a Bald Eagle, and a Golden Eagle did pass by.
A total of 204 American Robins were counted, and what was strange was that they were all flying north, not south. On the way back down the trail to the car, I saw 2 Golden-crowned Kinglets, a Brown Creeper, and a Winter Wren.
Saturday, November 9, 2024
An Afternoon Run Around the County ~ November 9, 2024
I got up late after recovering from the drive to Erie and being up for around 24 hours, so I made an afternoon run to a bunch of sites in the area. My first stop was at the Regency Boulevard retention ponds. There, I saw 3 Green-winged Teal, 6 Buffleheads, a Killdeer, a Pied-billed Grebe, a Great Blue Heron, and 5 American Pipits.
Up at the Silver Crest Road retention pond, there were 10 Ruddy Ducks, a Green-winged Teal, a Bufflehead, and a Great Blue Heron among about 200 Canada Geese.
A stop at the Gun Club Road retention ponds between Bath and Newburg produced 3 Killdeer and an American Pipit.
At the overgrown area along the fence across from the large pond, I found a surprising number of 9 White-crowned Sparrows plus 3 White-throated Sparrows and 2 Dark-eyed Juncos.
A White-crowned Sparrow and a White-throated Sparrow perched side-by-side on a fence for a great comparison between the two. Compare the bolder head stripes, the uniform plain gray face and throat, and pinkish bill on the White-crowned (left) with the obvious white throat patch and, on this bird, the yellow lores on the White-throated Sparrow (right). The White-crowned is a much larger sparrow with a longer tail, but that isn't quite as noticeable here because of the head-on views.
I then checked the Nazareth Quarry, which held 24 Ruddy Ducks, 4 Buffleheads, 2 Pied-billed Grebes, 2 American Black Ducks, and an American Coot among about 2500 Canada Geese.
Over at the Hollo Road retention pond, I was a little surprised to see that the Least Sandpiper was still there feeding in the remaining tiny puddles that were getting smaller each day because of the drought that had been going on since late September.
Four Killdeer were also there. The nearby Shoeneck Creek produced 45 American Robins, 18 Red-winged Blackbirds, 2 White-throated Sparrows, an American Goldfinch, and a Brown-headed Cowbird.
At my last quick stop, 5 Killdeer were present over at the Newburg Road retention pond behind the Hecktown Oaks campus of the Lehigh Valley Hospital.
Up at the Silver Crest Road retention pond, there were 10 Ruddy Ducks, a Green-winged Teal, a Bufflehead, and a Great Blue Heron among about 200 Canada Geese.
A stop at the Gun Club Road retention ponds between Bath and Newburg produced 3 Killdeer and an American Pipit.
At the overgrown area along the fence across from the large pond, I found a surprising number of 9 White-crowned Sparrows plus 3 White-throated Sparrows and 2 Dark-eyed Juncos.
A White-crowned Sparrow and a White-throated Sparrow perched side-by-side on a fence for a great comparison between the two. Compare the bolder head stripes, the uniform plain gray face and throat, and pinkish bill on the White-crowned (left) with the obvious white throat patch and, on this bird, the yellow lores on the White-throated Sparrow (right). The White-crowned is a much larger sparrow with a longer tail, but that isn't quite as noticeable here because of the head-on views.
I then checked the Nazareth Quarry, which held 24 Ruddy Ducks, 4 Buffleheads, 2 Pied-billed Grebes, 2 American Black Ducks, and an American Coot among about 2500 Canada Geese.
Over at the Hollo Road retention pond, I was a little surprised to see that the Least Sandpiper was still there feeding in the remaining tiny puddles that were getting smaller each day because of the drought that had been going on since late September.
Four Killdeer were also there. The nearby Shoeneck Creek produced 45 American Robins, 18 Red-winged Blackbirds, 2 White-throated Sparrows, an American Goldfinch, and a Brown-headed Cowbird.
At my last quick stop, 5 Killdeer were present over at the Newburg Road retention pond behind the Hecktown Oaks campus of the Lehigh Valley Hospital.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)