Birding Adventures of Dave DeReamus

Hooded Crane at Hiwassee National Wildlife Refuge ~ January 5-7, 2012

2012-01-08T23:10:00.001-08:00

Devich Farbotnik and I left Thursday night and drove to the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge in Tennessee, getting there before first light Friday morning. We spent all day Friday looking for the Hooded Crane that had been seen there since mid-December among about 10,000 Sandhill Cranes, but it never came into view.
Sandhill Cranes at the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge.

Despite not seeing the Hooded Crane all day Friday, we did see a young Whooping Crane.
A long-distance photo of a Whooping Crane at the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge. Note the rusty coloration on the head and neck and some near the rump.

Several Bald Eagles were present most of the day, occasionally stirring up the cranes as they flew overhead. A cooperative Eastern Phoebe flew around the viewing platform.
Eastern Phoebe at the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge.

We stayed overnight in nearby Cleveland and returned Saturday morning. At around 8:45, the Hooded Crane flew in and landed in a field. It was only in view for about five minutes when a Sandhill Crane chased it behind some trees, so I wasn't able to get a documentation photo of it, but Devich was able to get an identifiable photo of it with his phone through his scope.
Devich Farbotnik's photo of the Hooded Crane (center, facing left) at the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge. Note the dark forehead and light bill on the white head and the charcoal-colored body.

We left around noon and got back home around 11:00 Saturday night. The trip encompassed 1537 miles.

Common Chaffinch in Hunterdon County, New Jersey ~ January 3, 2012

2012-01-03T23:09:00.000-08:00

Just three days into the new year, I got news of a potential 'lifer' less than thirty minutes from my house! So I headed across the Delaware River to Hunterdon County, New Jersey where, after about a half-hour wait, I got to see a male Common Chaffinch that was visiting a private feeder.
Common Chaffinch in Hunterdon County, New Jersey.

The bird's plumage looked pristine and there were no leg bands of any kind. If this bird is accepted by the New Jersey records committee, it would be my 750th ABA bird!

Bethlehem - Easton - Hellertown CBC ~ December 31, 2011

2011-12-31T23:36:00.000-08:00

Andy Cuttic, Stephen Kloiber, and I were at the Nazareth Quarry at first light to try and get a fairly accurate count of the Snow Geese before they started heading out to feed in the nearby fields. We conservatively estimated 20,000 birds stretching across the entire quarry.
Many of the Snow Geese rising out of the Nazareth Quarry, Northampton County and heading to their preferred feeding areas.

Among the mass of white, we found 4 Cackling Geese, a Hooded Merganser, 3 Pied-billed Grebes, a Horned Grebe, and a 1st-winter Iceland Gull in addition to 14 American Black Ducks, 19 Ring-necked Ducks, 14 Buffleheads, 21 Common Mergansers, 16 Ruddy Ducks, 3 Great Blue Herons, 2 Black Vultures, 8 American Coots, 9 Herring Gulls, and a nice count of 56 Lesser Black-backed Gulls.
The surrounding ponds and woods produced a Sharp-shinned Hawk, a Belted Kingfisher, a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, a Winter Wren, a Golden-crowned Kinglet, 18 Eastern Bluebirds, 15 American Robins, a Yellow-rumped Warbler, an American Tree Sparrow, and a Swamp Sparrow.
While checking the quarry out once more before leaving there, an immature Bald Eagle came soaring in from the east.
An immature Bald Eagle over the Nazareth Quarry, Northampton County.

As the eagle approached, a thunderous sound erupted as the Snows launched into the air.
Thousands of Snow Geese at the Nazareth Quarry, Northampton County.

A stop at the flooded fields by Green Pond produced a female Wood Duck, two Green-winged Teal, and this unexpected Northern Shoveler.
A Northern Shoveler at the flooded fields by Green Pond, Northampton County.

After a fairly quiet afternoon along the Lehigh River, we headed back up towards Nazareth and spotted a nice adult Peregrine Falcon that landed on one of the high-tension towers near the Hecktown Road exit of Route 33. We ended the day with 57 species!

Cackling Geese at Green Pond ~ December 18, 2011

2011-12-20T11:25:00.000-08:00

I stopped at Green Pond after doing the Wild Creek / Little Gap Christmas Bird Count and found a few Cackling Geese among about about a thousand Canadas and about 1500 Snow Geese.
A "Richardson's" Cackling Goose with a Canada Goose at the flooded fields by Green Pond, Northampton County. In comparison to the Canada Goose, note the Cackling's much smaller overall size and its more silvery or grayish appearance, shorter neck, stubbier bill, and more vertical forehead, which makes the head look 'blocky'. Another trait that most Cackling Geese show is a white 'chinstrap' that often appears wider and more horizontal at its top edge.

The continuing Sandhill Crane has now been present over five months!

Sandhill Crane and Cackling Geese at Green Pond ~ November 27, 2011

2011-11-28T23:52:00.000-08:00

I made an afternoon stop at Green Pond and found the Sandhill Crane standing among Snow Geese.
Sandhill Crane at the flooded fields by Green Pond, Northampton County.

Just as I picked out a Cackling Goose among the few thousand Canadas, it flew off to the eastern edge of the cornfield.
Cackling Goose flying over the flooded fields by Green Pond, Northampton County. Note the obvious short neck.

Then, a tight group of six "Richardson's" Cackling Geese swam fairly close, providing some great comparisons between them and the surrounding Canadas.
Two "Richardson's" Cackling Geese bracketing a Canada Goose at the flooded fields by Green Pond, Northampton County. In comparison to the Canada Goose, note the Cacklings' much smaller overall size and their more silvery or grayish backs, shorter necks, stubbier bills, and more vertical foreheads, which make the heads look 'blocky'. Another trait that most Cackling Geese show is a white 'chinstrap' that often appears wider and more horizontal at its top edge.

Another Cackling Goose - Canada Goose comparison. In addition to the aforementioned points, note the hint of a white line between the dark neck and the gray breast shown by some birds.

I also found a male Green-winged Teal that had no vertical white bar but only had a hint of a horizontal stripe on the wing, bringing up the possibility of the dreaded American/Eurasian Teal 'hybrid'. I tried to get photos of it, but it was fairly concealed in among the corn stubble and blocked most of the time by Canada Geese.

Rufous Hummingbirds in Northampton County ~ November 19, 2011

2011-11-24T22:59:00.001-08:00

I finally got a chance to get to Jacobsburg State Park on Saturday afternoon and take some photos of "Rufus", the adult male Rufous Hummingbird that originally showed up on the 11th at the park office feeder maintained by Rick Wiltraut.

Rufous Hummingbird at Jacobsburg State Park.

There's a real interesting story behind this little guy. When Rick realized that the bird was already banded, he contacted Scott Weidensaul, who came and captured it on the 14th. The number on the band revealed that it had been banded as an immature male on January 9, 2011 in River Ridge, Louisiana by famed hummingbird bander Nancy Newfield. So, he is now on his second migration and will hopefully end up back in Louisiana for the winter.
In addition to its banded history, it's interesting that this bird's wings made a whistling noise in flight like that of a Broad-tailed. You often heard it coming before it got to the feeder. Since most of the birds that show up in PA are immature birds, it was a special treat to get to see this nice adult male, only the second one I've ever seen in PA.
This has been an exceptional season for Rufous Hummingbirds. A few weeks before, the same park office feeder fed a 'Selasphorus' hummingbird that was most likely a Rufous. And just a few miles away, another Rufous Hummingbird, this one an adult female, was visiting a feeder near Delabole. In addition to these three Northampton County visitors, yet another Rufous was discovered at a feeder in Allentown near Lake Muhlenberg.

Gray-hooded Gull in New York ~ August 1, 2011

2011-08-02T09:58:00.001-07:00

News of an amazing find of a Gray-hooded Gull at Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York sent Jason Horn, Matt Sabatine, and I to the spot. This gull is normally found in South America and Africa. The only U.S. record of this bird comes from Florida back in 1998.
We left Sunday afternoon and found out that the bird flew off about 15 minutes before we got there. We stayed until dark, but the bird never returned. So, we drove back over on Monday and got there just after sunrise. We watched and waited until 1:00 and the bird never showed. After spending a total of about 11 hours there over two days, we dejectedly headed back home. Then, as we were crossing the Verrazano Narrows bridge, we found out that the bird had returned to the very spot we just left! We turned around, headed back, and finally got to see this interesting gull. If accepted, this bird will represent only the 2nd record for the United States.
Gray-hooded Gull at Coney Island Beach in Brooklyn, New York. Note the light gray hood, the pale eye, the red bill with a dark tip, and the red legs.

Gray-hooded Gull at Coney Island Beach in Brooklyn, New York. Note the light gray hood, the pale eye, the red bill with a dark tip, and the red legs.

Gray-hooded Gull at Coney Island Beach in Brooklyn, New York. Note the light gray hood, the pale eye, the red bill with dark tip, the red legs, and all-white tail.

We had many other interesting sightings from Coney Island, but most of them were not bird-related and probably cannot legally be posted here.

White Ibis AND Sandhill Crane at Green Pond ~ July 24, 2011

2011-07-24T19:03:00.000-07:00

I got a mid-afternoon call from Arlene Koch telling me about a very interesting post on PABIRDS. Joe Greco and his son, Jeff, were at the flooded fields at Green Pond where Jeff had just found a juvenile White Ibis. I headed down there and found the bird very near the road in the same easternmost pond.
White Ibis at the flooded fields by Green Pond, Northampton County.

Dustin Welch was also there. Soon after Matt Sabatine and Arlene Koch showed up, the bird flew west over into the main flooded area and landed next to the Sandhill Crane, which was also there to the east of 'the island'. The heat and humidity were nasty, but getting a chance to look at both of these birds standing next to each other in Northampton County was most likely a 'once-in-a-lifetime' proposition. Devich Farbotnik and Billy Weber joined us as we watched the Sandhill Crane periodically harrass the White Ibis as shown in these photos.

White Ibis being chased by a Sandhill Crane at the flooded fields by Green Pond, Northampton County.

This is the 1st record of White Ibis for Green Pond, which brings my unofficial cumulative total for the site at 161 species. To view this list and a map of the area, go to my Eastern PA Birding website and click on the 'Site Guide to Green Pond and the Flooded Fields'.
This bird also represents only the 3rd record for Northampton County.
A good number of shorebirds were also present. They included numbers of Killdeer and Least Sandpipers with some Lesser Yellowlegs and Spotted and Solitary Sandpipers mixed in.

Red-necked Phalarope at Green Pond ~ May 16, 2011

2011-05-16T23:16:00.000-07:00

Even though I'm always hoping to find something good during poor migration conditions, I was happily surprised to find a Red-necked Phalarope at the flooded fields by Green Pond this afternoon. The bird spent much of its time behind 'the island'. It eventually wandered around to the left (east) side of the flooded area and got close enough to allow me to get some photos of this breeding-plumaged female despite the dreary conditions.
Red-necked Phalarope at the flooded fields by Green Pond, Northampton County.

Red-necked Phalarope at the flooded fields by Green Pond, Northampton County.

This cooperative Spotted Sandpiper was one of several there in addition to a Lesser Yellowlegs and about a dozen Least Sandpipers.
Spotted Sandpiper at the flooded fields by Green Pond, Northampton County.

An American Black Duck and a Great Egret were also there.
To view a map of the area, go to my Eastern PA Birding website and click on the 'Site Guide to Green Pond and the Flooded Fields'.

Around Northampton County ~ April 25, 2011

2011-04-25T16:04:00.000-07:00

After seeing Blue-headed Vireo, several Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Palm Warbler, Black-throated Green, and several Yellow-rumped Warblers outside my house on Easter morning and waking up this morning to Rose-breasted Grosbeaks on my feeders, I decided to take advantage of my day off today and take a run around the county, which happily turned out to be more than worth the amount I spent on gas.
I started out by walking the Bethlehem Boat Club area, which held Warbling Vireo, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Wood Thrush, several Northern Parulas, Yellow-throated Warbler, and American Redstart. An Eastern Screech-Owl stuck its head out of one of the Wood Duck boxes along the old canal.
Eastern Screech-Owl along the Lehigh Canal near the Route 33 boat launch.

A stop at Green Pond yielded Green-winged Teal, Northern Pintail, and a Great Egret at the pond itself.
Great Egret perched along the edge of Green Pond.

At Christian Springs Road in Lower Nazareth Township, I saw a Snow Goose, Green-winged and Blue-winged Teal, and a Green Heron.
Green Heron along Christian Springs Road in Lower Nazareth Township.

My next stop was Graver's Hill, where I found a Horned Lark and a couple of singing Vesper Sparrows.

Vesper Sparrow at Graver's Hill in Moore Township. The chestnut-colored shoulder patch is really obvious in the bottom two photos.

I then headed halfway up Smith Gap. In addition to Blue-gray Gnatcatcher and a few Black-and-white Warblers, I had 'fly-by's of Cooper's Hawk, Broad-winged Hawk, and a Common Raven that called as it soared by.
Common Raven over Smith Gap in Moore Township.

The Albert Road ponds, near Wind Gap, produced Ring-necked and Ruddy Duck, Pied-billed Grebe, and American Coot.
I did a real quick stop at Jacobsburg State Park at mid-day and came up with House Wren, Eastern Towhee, and Field Sparrow.
The day ended with an exclamation point when a male Ruby-throated Hummingbird popped into the feeder three feet away from where I typed this. Not a bad day!

Ruby-throated Hummingbird at my feeder in Williams Township.

Iceland Gull Bonanza in Northampton County ~ March 19, 2011

2011-03-20T00:20:00.000-07:00

I spent the afternoon (1:00 to 4:15) at the flooded fields by Green Pond and had a record day there. In addition to seeing the 1st-winter Iceland Gull and the 2nd-winter Iceland that were there earlier in the week, I also found two different adult Iceland Gulls. These are the first adults that I've ever seen in the county. The first adult that I found had very dark markings on the primaries while the second adult had gray barring on the primaries.
Iceland Gull at the flooded fields by Green Pond, Northampton County. Note the charcoal gray markings on the pale primaries and the streaking on the head and neck. The mantle appears much darker here than it actually was because of the bird being backlit.

Iceland Gull at the flooded fields by Green Pond, Northampton County. Note the very limited charcoal gray markings on the pale primaries and the streaking on the head and neck.

Iceland Gull at the flooded fields by Green Pond, Northampton County. Note the light grayish markings on the pale primaries compared to the much darker markings on the previous adult. Also note the fairly clean neck compared to the fairly extensive streaking on the previous bird's neck.

Iceland Gull at the flooded fields by Green Pond, Northampton County. Again, note the light grayish markings on the pale primaries compared to the much darker markings on the previous adult. Also note the fairly clean white neck compared to the fairly extensive streaking on the previous bird's neck.

When I originally spotted the first adult, thoughts of Thayer's popped in my head but were quickly ruled out when noticing other points (not enough black in the primaries, wrong head and bill shape, and eventually getting to see the light eye). I admit that the Thayer's/Kumlien's complex still confuses the crap out of me.

The Icelands were among about 250 Lesser Black-backed Gulls (counts of 257 and 233 were taken at two different times), about 250-300 Ring-billed Gulls, and about 20 Herring Gulls. Around 3:30, most of the gulls lifted off thanks to a Red-tailed Hawk and headed east, but the adult Iceland Gull with the gray primaries was still there when I left with about 100 other gulls.

Other notables included the following:
27 Snow Geese (two with yellow bands marked "12CC" and "51CC")
4 Green-winged Teal
3 Northern Pintail
1 American Coot
2 Killdeer
2 Tree Swallows.

These two adult birds plus the continuing 1st-winter and 2nd-winter birds produced a site record four Iceland Gulls at one time!

California Trip ~ January 11, 2011

2011-01-17T10:40:00.001-08:00

I left home at 2:30 AM, headed for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Airport, and caught my flight to Philadelphia. From there, I transferred to a flight to Los Angeles. In Los Angeles, I met up with Jason Horn and Devich Farbotnik and we headed for south end of the Salton Sea. We stopped along Vendel Road and spotted the group of dark geese among the many Snow Geese. Among the eight Greater White-fronted Geese was the 'Taiga' Bean Goose! It was a life bird for all of us. The bird never came closer than a hundred yards but was very obvious with a scope. Some Ross's Geese were in among the Snow Geese flock. Other birds seen from there were Eared Grebe, Great Egret, White-faced Ibis, Green-winged Teal, Northern Pintail, Northern Shoveler, American Wigeon, White-tailed Kite, American Avocet, Long-billed Curlew, Long-billed Dowitcher, Black and Say's Phoebe, Horned Lark, White-crowned Sparrow, and Red-winged Blackbird.

In the waning daylight, we drove to the north end of Vendel Road. From the observation deck, we watched the numbers of Sandhill Cranes and Snow Geese flying in to their roost locations.
Sandhill Cranes flying over the Salton Sea near Westmorland, California after sunset. A Northern Harrier cruises the area at the bottom of the photo.

Also seen from there were Ruddy Duck, American White Pelican, Cattle Egret, Black-necked Stilt, and Marsh Wren. At dusk, we had Sora, Virginia Rail, American Bittern, and the 'Yuma' Clapper Rail. We spent the night at the Brawley Inn.

California Trip ~ January 12, 2011

2011-01-17T10:40:00.000-08:00

In the early morning, we found the Black-throated Green Warbler that was reported in Brawley, a rare find for southern California. We went back out to Vendel Road to see if the 'Taiga' Bean Goose might be closer to the road. It was there, but was about the same distance away as the day before. Considering the long distance, I was happy to get a few identifiable photos of the bird.
'Taiga' Bean Goose along Vendel Road at the southwestern end of the Salton Sea near Westmorland, California. This bird associated with 8 Greater White-fronted Geese. The orange-yellow band near the tip of the bill is barely visible here.

'Taiga' Bean Goose (facing right) along Vendel Road at the southwestern end of the Salton Sea near Westmorland, California. Again, note the orange-yellow band near the tip of the bill.

At the northern end of Vendel Road, a 'Large-billed' Savannah Sparrow perched in a bush near a Black Phoebe.
Black Phoebe along Vendel Road near Westmorland, California.

The nearby roads held a number of Mountain Plovers, Long-billed Curlews, and a Ferruginous Hawk.
Ferruginous Hawk at the southern end of the Salton Sea near Westmorland, California.

We scanned the sea and the shoreline from Lack Road and found Eared and Western Grebe, Brown Pelican, Double-crested Cormorant, Snowy Plover, Willet, Western and Least Sandpiper, Dunlin, California Gull, and Caspian Tern. Other birds seen along the way included Snowy Egret, Black-crowned Night-Heron, Peregrine Falcon, Black-bellied Plover, Marbled Godwit, Stilt Sandpiper, Long-billed Dowitcher, American Pipit, Loggerhead Shrike, "Audubon's" Warbler, and Western Meadowlark.
A stop of the heaquarters of the Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge produced Gambel's Quail, Common Ground-Dove, Anna's Hummingbird, Verdin, Black-tailed Gnatcatcher, and Abert's Towhee.
Gambel's Quail at the headquarters of the Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge, California.

Common Ground-Doves at the headquarters of the Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge, California.

Anna's Hummingbird at the headquarters of the Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge, California.

At the headquarters, we found out about three Lesser Flamingos that were being seen at the north end of Garst Road. So, we took the short drive there and, sure enough, they were still there. They were several hundred yards out in the shallow water, so I took a crude photo of one of them through my scope.
Lesser Flamingo at the southeastern end of the Salton Sea, California.

A stop at Salton City on the west side of the sea yielded Surf Scoter, Merlin, Black-bellied Plover, Willet, Long-billed Dowitcher, a Laughing Gull, California Gull, and two Burrowing Owls that stood along one of the streets.
Two Burrowing Owls at Salton City, California.

We drove back to Los Angeles and slept a few hours in the car in a nearby parking lot before heading to the airport.

California Trip ~ January 13, 2011

2011-01-17T10:38:00.000-08:00

We flew from Los Angeles to San Francisco, got our rental car and headed north across the Golden Gate Bridge and up Highway 101 toward McKinleyville. Along the way, we spotted Western Grebe, Red-shouldered Hawk, Mew, Western, and Glaucous-winged Gull, and Western Scrub-Jay.
We arrived at the Vista Point Overlook in the early afternoon and walked down the trail in light rain and drizzle towards two ponds below the bluff along the beach.
The view from the Vista Point Overlook along Highway 101 north of McKinleyville, looking towards the area where the Brown Shrike was found. The shrike was seen near the left edge of this pond and another that is just out of view.

After a few minutes of searching the area between the two ponds, Devich spotted the Brown Shrike, another life bird for Devich and I. It stayed low in the bushes most of the time. Despite the dreary weather conditions, I got a mediocre photo of it.
Brown Shrike near McKinleyville, California. Note the dark mask with white border, the overall brownish color on the head and the back, and the bi-colored bill. The barred sides were present but are not visible in this photo.

Mallard, Ring-necked Duck, and Bufflehead were in the nearby pond. Along the trail were White-tailed Kite, Anna's Hummingbird, 'Red-shafted' Flicker, the coastal form of Bushtit, Marsh Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Hermit and Varied Thrush, American Robin, Wrentit, "Audubon's" Warbler, 'Sooty' Fox Sparrow, and White-crowned Sparrow. Satisfied with the looks we had at the shrike, we drove to nearby Trinidad Head. There, we saw Pelagic Cormorant, Canada Goose, California Quail, Hermit Thrush, Song Sparrow, and 'Sooty' Fox Sparrow. We headed back south on 'the 101' and stayed at a Motel 6 in Ukiah.

California Trip ~ January 14-15, 2011

2011-01-17T10:37:00.000-08:00

January 14, 2011

We headed west on Highway 253 towards Boonville. About seven miles from Ukiah, I pointed out a round blob in a tree on Jason's side of the car. He said, "Pygmy-Owl!" We parked and walked back to the bird, which was more interested in looking for breakfast than us.
Northern Pygmy-Owl along Highway 253 between Ukiah and Boonville, California.

We continued west towards Point Arena. Birds seen along the way included Band-tailed Pigeon, Acorn and Lewis's Woodpecker, Steller's and Western Scrub-Jay, Oak Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Western Bluebird, Townsend's Warbler, Lark Sparrow, and 'Oregon' Junco. At Point Arena Cove, 'Big Al', the Laysan Albatross that's visited the cove since 1994, was floating and preening off the pier. This was another 'lifer' for me.
Laysan Albatross at Point Arena Cove, California.

Laysan Albatross at Point Arena Cove, California. Here, the bird is scratching its head.

Also found at the cove were Pelagic Cormorant, Surf Scoter, Peregrine Falcon, California Quail, Black Oystercatcher, Western and Glaucous-winged Gull, Belted Kingfisher, 'Sooty' Fox Sparrow, White-crowned and Golden-crowned Sparrow, and Western Meadowlark.
From there, we headed back to Boonville along Mountain View Road. A quick stop was made at a redwood grove to take some photos.
A redwood grove along Mountain View Road between Point Arena and Boonville, California.

A redwood grove along Mountain View Road between Point Arena and Boonville, California.

From Boonville, we headed south towards the Stockton area where a Whooper Swan and "Bewick's" Swan had been reported. Along the way, we found Great, Snowy, and Cattle Egret, Bufflehead, Ruddy Duck, White-tailed Kite, Sharp-shinned and Red-shouldered Hawk, Golden Eagle, and Marbled Godwit.
We arrived at King Island, northwest of Stockton, to find about 6000 Tundra Swans in a flooded field and many more flying in and out of the area. After about an hour of searching, one "Bewick's" Swan was picked out among the masses. Other birds seen there included Green Heron, Black-crowned Night-Heron, Wood Duck, Northern Pintail, Northern Shoveler, American Wigeon, a Eurasian Wigeon that Jason spotted, Common Goldeneye, Sandhill Crane, Greater Yellowlegs, and Barn Owl.
When it was too dark to scan anymore, we headed back to San Francisco, staying near the airport at the worst Motel 6 I'd ever been in.

January 15, 2011

We drove to the airport, returned the rental car, and got on a plane for Philadelphia. I switched planes, flew to Wilkes-Barre, and drove home, getting there around 11 PM. It was an extremely successful trip. I saw three 'lifers' and several subspecies that might be split in the future among the 139 species.
More photos of the trip can be found at my PicasaWeb site.
The trip list follows.

California Trip ~ January 11-15, 2011

1) Greater White-fronted Goose
2) 'Taiga' Bean Goose*
3) Snow Goose
4) Ross's Goose
5) Canada Goose
6) Tundra Swan (including "Bewick's" Swan)
7) Wood Duck
8) Mallard
9) Green-winged Teal
10) American Wigeon
11) Eurasian Wigeon
12) Northern Pintail
13) Northern Shoveler
14) Ring-necked Duck
15) Surf Scoter
16) Common Goldeneye
17) Bufflehead
18) Ruddy Duck
19) Wild Turkey
20) Gambel's Quail
21) California Quail
22) Eared Grebe
23) Western Grebe
24) Laysan Albatross*
25) American White Pelican
26) Brown Pelican
27) Pelagic Cormorant
28) Double-crested Cormorant
29) American Bittern
30) Black-crowned Night-Heron
31) Green Heron
32) Cattle Egret
33) Snowy Egret
34) Great Egret
35) Great Blue Heron
36) Lesser Flamingo (origin unknown)
37) White-faced Ibis
38) Turkey Vulture
39) Osprey
40) White-tailed Kite
41) Northern Harrier
42) Golden Eagle
43) Bald Eagle
44) Sharp-shinned Hawk
45) Red-shouldered Hawk
46) Red-tailed Hawk
47) Ferruginous Hawk
48) American Kestrel
49) Merlin
50) Peregrine Falcon
51) 'Yuma' Clapper Rail {yumanensis}
52) Virginia Rail
53) Sora
54) American Coot
55) Sandhill Crane
56) Black-bellied Plover
57) Snowy Plover
58) Semipalmated Plover
59) Killdeer
60) Mountain Plover
61) Black Oystercatcher
62) American Avocet
63) Black-necked Stilt
64) Willet
65) Greater Yellowlegs
66) Long-billed Curlew
67) Marbled Godwit
68) Dunlin
69) Western Sandpiper
70) Least Sandpiper
71) Long-billed Dowitcher
72) Stilt Sandpiper
73) Laughing Gull
74) Ring-billed Gull
75) Mew Gull
76) California Gull
77) Herring Gull
78) Western Gull
79) Glaucous-winged Gull
80) Caspian Tern
81) Band-tailed Pigeon
82) Rock Pigeon
83) Mourning Dove
84) Eurasian Collared-Dove
85) Common Ground-Dove
86) Barn Owl
87) Northern Pygmy Owl (Pacific coast)
88) Burrowing Owl
89) White-throated Swift
90) Anna's Hummingbird
91) Belted Kingfisher
92) Acorn Woodpecker
93) Lewis's Woodpecker
94) Gila Woodpecker
95) Northern (Red-shafted) Flicker
96) Hairy Woodpecker
97) Black Phoebe
98) Say's Phoebe
99) Brown Shrike*
100) Loggerhead Shrike
101) Steller's Jay
102) Western Scrub-Jay
103) American Crow
104) Common Raven
105) Horned Lark
106) Tree Swallow
107) Wrentit
108) Oak Titmouse
109) Verdin
110) Bushtit {minimus}
111) White-breasted Nuthatch
112) Marsh Wren
113) Ruby-crowned Kinglet
114) Black-tailed Gnatcatcher
115) Western Bluebird
116) Hermit Thrush
117) Varied Thrush
118) American Robin
119) Northern Mockingbird
120) European Starling
121) American Pipit
122) Cedar Waxwing
123) Yellow-rumped (Audubon's) Warbler
124) Townsend's Warbler
125) Black-throated Green Warbler
126) Abert's Towhee
127) Lark Sparrow
128) Fox Sparrow {fuliginosa}
129) Savannah Sparrow (including "Large-billed" Sparrow {rostratus})
130) Song Sparrow {morphna}
131) White-crowned Sparrow
132) Golden-crowned Sparrow
133) Dark-eyed (Oregon) Junco
134) Western Meadowlark
135) Red-winged Blackbird
136) Great-tailed Grackle
137) Brewer's Blackbird
138) House Finch
139) House Sparrow

* Denotes "Life Bird".

Harlequin Duck in Northampton County ~ January 1, 2011

2011-01-01T18:56:00.000-08:00

In order to get the New Year off to a great start, I went back to see if the Harlequin Duck was still present. After not seeing it at the spot next to the recreation fields, I walked down the Martins Creek Environmental Preserve's 'Blue Trail' and found it with four Buffleheads. A couple hours later in the failing afternoon light, I got to see it hop up on a rock and preen a little before dropping back down into the river.
Harlequin Duck on the Delaware River at the Martins Creek Environmental Preserve, Northampton County.

Harlequin Duck on the Delaware River at the Martins Creek Environmental Preserve, Northampton County.

Harlequin Duck in Northampton County ~ December 29, 2010

2010-12-29T14:41:00.000-08:00

I made another trek up to see the male Harlequin Duck this afternoon. I met Billy Weber at the parking lot, who told me that the bird was much farther up the river, closer to Belvidere. So I, along with a few other birders, drove up to the Lower Mount Bethel Recreation Fields, parked there, and walked over to the river. This puts you at the head of the rapids that are found between there and the point where the Blue Trail meets the river. The bird was there with several Buffleheads, spending almost all of its time on the New Jersey side of the river although it did eventually cross the imaginary border into PA. Later, the group lifted off and flew down the middle of the river past the rapids, which most likely put them back at the area that the bird was seen yesterday.

I managed to get another fairly good photo of the bird given the distance. This bird represents the 1st documented record for Northampton County!
Harlequin Duck on the Delaware River near Riverton, Northampton County.

For those interested in visiting the area where the bird spent most of the day, continue past the Tekening parking lot and turn into the Lower Mount Bethel Township Recreation Fields parking lot, which is just before the Belvidere Bridge. Park at the far end of the parking lot and walk across the soccer fields towards the river. The bird was most often near a boat launch on the New Jersey side, which is downriver from a distinctive aqua-colored house with bright pink shutters.

Harlequin Duck in Northampton County ~ December 28, 2010

2010-12-28T18:42:00.000-08:00

While birding with Kathy Sieminski, Stephen Kloiber found a male Harlequin Duck along the Delaware River at the Martins Creek Environmental Preserve in Northampton County. After calling several birders and giving directions to others, I headed up to the spot. The bird seemed content, swimming and diving with a group of Buffleheads and Common Goldeneyes. I took some long-distance photos of the bird for documentation purposes. This bird represents the 1st documented record for Northampton County!
Harlequin Duck on the Delaware River at the Martins Creek Environmental Preserve, Northampton County.

Harlequin Duck on the Delaware River at the Martins Creek Environmental Preserve, Northampton County.

All of the birders that were there left happy. A few of us drove over to the New Jersey side of the river to see if we could get closer looks, but when we got there, the ducks were gone. The adult Bald Eagle perched in a nearby tree was most likely responsible for that.
Bald Eagle on the Delaware River at the Martins Creek Environmental Preserve, Northampton County.

For those interested in visiting this spot, the bird was present on the river approximately where the first 'R' in the word "River" is on this map.

Prairie Falcon near Newburg, Cumberland County ~ November 28, 2010

2010-11-28T23:00:00.000-08:00

Jason Horn, Stephen Kloiber, and I made a very successful run Sunday for some noteworthy birds. We headed for Cumberland County and were lucky enough to drive up and find the Prairie Falcon in one of the large trees just northwest of the intersection of Duncan and Mud Level Roads. I managed to get this horrible, long-distance photo of the falcon.
Prairie Falcon near Newburg, Cumberland County. You can barely make out the whisker mark and dark sides on this pale brown bird.

It was perched there from 8:50 to about 9:05 AM when it winged east along Mud Level Road until it was out of sight over the little substation area. If accepted, this would be the first record for Pennsylvania.

At the substation, we found a Merlin ripping apart an unfortunate Horned Lark on a nearby pole and a good number of White-crowned Sparrows directly across from there on the north side of the road.
Merlin near Newburg, Cumberland County with an unlucky Horned Lark in its talons.

After about an hour of being unable to refind the Prairie, we headed for Shartlesville to get another look, and maybe some photos, of the Anna's Hummingbird, another first for Pennsylvania! There, after a short wait, the Anna's buzzed into a crabapple tree across from trailer M-69 and then eventually over to the feeder there. To get the background story on the Anna's and see the photos I was lucky enough to get of it, continue on to the next entry.

Anna's Hummingbird in Shartlesville, Berks County ~ November 28, 2010

2010-11-28T22:00:00.000-08:00

Back around late October, Renee Gery noticed a hummingbird visiting her feeder. Eventually, she contacted Jack Holcomb who contacted bander Scott Weidensaul. On November 21st, Scott caught and banded the bird and verified that it was an adult female Anna's Hummingbird, the first record for Pennsylvania! I saw the bird the next morning but never got a chance to get a photo of it. On the 28th, I managed to get these three photos of it.
Anna's Hummingbird near Shartlesville, Berks County. Note the chunky appearance and the stippled gorget.

Anna's Hummingbird near Shartlesville, Berks County. Note the fairly straight bill and the grayish underparts.

Anna's Hummingbird near Shartlesville, Berks County. Again, note the chunky appearance and the fairly straight bill.

White-tailed Kite in Connecticut ~ August 7, 2010

2010-08-07T21:46:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday, news broke of an amazing sighting of a White-tailed Kite in Stratford, Connecticut! Far from its normal range, this striking raptor seemed very content with the area and stayed there throughout the week. Since it had been many years since I had seen my last one (in Texas) and the weather was supposed to be nice, I decided to head up there.

Within minutes of arriving at Stratford Point, the bird was spotted 'kiting', eventually nabbing a meal and devouring it atop a telephone pole. Next, it made a direct flight to nearby Short Beach Park where it perched about a hundred yards away in a snag for about an hour, allowing many happy birders all the looks and photos that they could ask for. From what I've read, this bird represents only the 2nd record for the Northeast; the first one was from Martha's Vineyard on May 30, 1910!
White-tailed Kite at South Beach in Stratford, Connecticut. Note the white tail and black markings on the shoulder of the wing.

White-tailed Kite at South Beach in Stratford, Connecticut. Here the bird is stretching a wing.

White-tailed Kite at South Beach in Stratford, Connecticut. Note the black shoulder patch for which this bird was previously named and the white tail, which generated the newer name.

While at Stratford Point, a Peregrine Falcon zipped by.
Peregrine Falcon at Stratford Point in Stratford, Connecticut.

Other birds noted there included Merlin, Semipalmated Plover, Willet, Ruddy Turnstone, Spotted and Semipalmated Sandpiper, Common and Forster's Tern, Eastern Kingbird, Fish Crow, Carolina Wren, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Yellow Warbler, and Orchard Oriole.

Eurasian Collared-Dove in Northampton County ~ August 3, 2010

2010-08-03T11:01:00.001-07:00

It was just a matter of time before one of these were found in the Lehigh Valley. Yesterday, Billy Weber happened to hear a Eurasian Collared-Dove while driving down Freemansburg Avenue in Bethlehem Township. He turned around and found two birds on the wires near the intersection with Wagner Drive.

This morning, I went down there and found one of the two birds at almost the same exact spot.
Eurasian Collared-Dove in Bethlehem Township, Northampton County. Note the squared-off tail compared to that of a Mourning Dove's pointed tail.

The bird's chest puffed out while it was calling.
Eurasian Collared-Dove in Bethlehem Township, Northampton County. Note the dark line on the collar and the dark primaries contrasting with the rest of the wing.

Eventually, it flew up and circled around a few times, unlike the fast, direct flight of the Mourning Doves, which were also present in good numbers.
Eurasian Collared-Dove in Bethlehem Township, Northampton County. Note the gray undertail coverts and the white band on the outer tail feathers.

Eurasian Collared-Dove in Bethlehem Township, Northampton County. This was the only flight photo I got of the top of the bird. Although blurry, I included it to show the contrasting primaries, which are much darker than the rest of the wing.

This sighting represents the 1st record for Northampton County!

Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush ~ July 22, 2010

2010-07-25T20:00:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, I got a call from Jason Horn asking me if I was interested in going along with him and Dick Colyer to see the Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush that was present in South Dakota. After checking flight availability and prices, I pulled the trigger and the chase was on.
At 2:30 AM, I drove over to Jason's house and we took his car to Harrisburg. There, we picked up Dick and headed to the Harrisburg Airport. We flew to Denver by way of Atlanta, picked up our rental car, and began the six-hour drive to Spearfish Canyon, South Dakota. Birds seen at the Glendo Reservoir along I-25 in Wyoming included American White Pelican, Great Egret, Trumpeter Swan, and Ring-billed Gull. Other birds seen along the way included Swainson's Hawk, Common Nighthawk, Western Kingbird, Lark Bunting, Western Meadowlark, and Brewer's Blackbird. On the way up Highway 85 near Redbird, we headed into the worst thunderstorm that I had ever driven in. I was happily surprised that the golf-ball-sized hail didn't take out the windshield.
Luckily, by the time we reached South Dakota, a new state for me, the weather cleared. We parked the car in the lot beside Iron Creek and soon heard the bird calling. Two other birders were already on the bird and they pointed it out to us. It was singing away in one of the trees along the creek. In the failing light, I managed to get two poor, yet identifiable photos of it.
Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush near Savoy in Spearfish Canyon, South Dakota.

Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush near Savoy in Spearfish Canyon, South Dakota.

Cliff Swallow and American Redstart were also noted at the site. We drove down to Spearfish, ate at the Shoot The Bull Steakhouse, and spent the night at a motel near the canyon entrance.

Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush ~ July 23-24, 2010

2010-07-25T19:00:00.000-07:00

Friday, July 23rd

We headed back to the spot to get more looks at the Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush and hopefully get better photos. The bird showed itself several times but didn't stay very long during each sighting, so I was never able to improve on the previous night's photos.
Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush site near Savoy in Spearfish Canyon, South Dakota.

Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush site near Savoy in Spearfish Canyon, South Dakota.

Other birds noted while there included Cordilleran Flycatcher, Violet-green Swallow, Red-eyed Vireo, Canyon Wren, Swainson's Thrush, and American Restart. We left there and headed up nearby Forest Road 222 where we found Blue Jay, Black-capped Chickadee, Townsend's Solitaire, MacGillivray's Warbler, Pine Siskin, and my first-ever looks at "White-winged" Juncos. These birds are noticeably bigger than our "Slate-colored" version and the white underneath the tail appears to block out all of the darker central tail feathers.
Happy with the looks that we had of the Nightingale-Thrush, we left Spearfish Canyon and headed for Mount Rushmore. We stopped there and at Crazy Horse Mountain long enough to take some photos and then continued down Highway 385.
Mount Rushmore near Keystone, South Dakota.

Crazy Horse Mountain near Custer, South Dakota.

Just south of Wind Cave National Park, we came upon a herd of Bison. While taking photos of them, we also noticed a few Prairie Dogs and several Burrowing Owls feeding young.
A herd of Bison along Highway 385 near Wind Cave National Park.

Bison along Highway 385 near Wind Cave National Park.

Burrowing Owl along Highway 385 near Wind Cave National Park.

Burrowing Owl dropping in to feed its young along Highway 385 near Wind Cave National Park on July 23, 2010.

Burrowing Owl with its young along Highway 385 near Wind Cave National Park on July 23, 2010.

A small pond farther along the road held Northern Shovelers, a Blue-winged Teal, a Solitary Sandpiper, and several Wilson's Phalaropes.
We followed '385' into Nebraska, another new state for me, and turned east onto Highway 20.
Near the town of Harrison, Jason spotted several Mountain Bluebirds at a small corral beside the highway.
Mountain Bluebird near Harrison, Nebraska.

While there, a pair of Red Crossbills briefly landed on the side of the highway and then took off to the north. Other Nebraska birds included Eastern and Western Kingbirds, Horned Lark, Lark Bunting, and Chestnut-collared Longspur.
The Wyoming section of Highway 20 produced Northern Harrier, American Kestrel, Upland Sandpiper, Horned Lark, and Lark Sparrow.
Practically every fair-sized town that we passed through in South Dakota, Nebraska, and Wyoming held noticeable numbers of Eurasian Collared-Doves.
Finally back in Denver, we spent a short night at a Motel 6 near the Denver Airport.

Saturday, July 24th

We headed to the airport, turned in the rental car with an extra 930 miles on it, and flew back to Harrisburg by way of Atlanta. Among the 59 species were my 'life' Nightingale-Thrush and my 'life' "White-winged" Juncos.

Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush Trip ~ July 22-24, 2010

1) American White Pelican----(WY)
2) Great Blue Heron----(WY)
3) Great Egret----(WY)
4) Trumpeter Swan----(WY)
5) Canada Goose----(WY)
6) Mallard----(SD)(NB)
7) Blue-winged Teal----(SD)
8) Northern Shoveler----(SD)
9) Turkey Vulture----(WY)(SD)(NB)
10) Northern Harrier----(WY)
11) Swainson's Hawk----(CO)(WY)
12) Red-tailed Hawk----(CO)(WY)(SD)(NB)
13) American Kestrel----(WY)
14) Killdeer----(CO)(WY)(SD)
15) Solitary Sandpiper----(SD)
16) Upland Sandpiper----(WY)(NB)
17) Wilson's Phalarope----(SD)
18) Ring-billed Gull----(WY)
19) Rock Dove----(CO)(WY)(SD)(NB)
20) Mourning Dove----(WY)(SD)(NB)
21) Eurasian Collared-Dove----(WY)(SD)(NB)
22) Burrowing Owl----(SD)
23) Common Nighthawk----(WY)(SD)(NB)
24) Cordilleran Flycatcher----(SD)
25) Western Kingbird----(CO)(WY)(SD)(NB)
26) Eastern Kingbird----(SD)(NB)
27) Horned Lark----(WY)(SD)(NB)
28) Violet-green Swallow----(SD)
29) Cliff Swallow----(CO)(WY)(SD)(NB)
30) Barn Swallow----(NB)
31) Blue Jay----(SD)
32) Common Raven----(SD)
33) Black-capped Chickadee----(SD)
34) Canyon Wren----(SD)
35) Mountain Bluebird----(SD)(NB)
36) Townsend's Solitaire----(SD)
37) Swainson's Thrush----(SD)
38) American Robin----(WY)(SD)(NB)
39) Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush*----(SD)
40) Cedar Waxwing----(SD)
41) European Starling----(CO)(WY)(SD)(NB)
42) Red-eyed Vireo----(SD)
43) American Redstart----(SD)
44) MacGillivray's Warbler----(SD)
45) Spotted Towhee----(SD)
46) Chipping Sparrow----(SD)
47) Lark Sparrow----(NB)
48) Lark Bunting----(WY)(SD)(NB)
49) Song Sparrow----(SD)
50) Dark-eyed "White-winged" Junco----(SD) 'Life' Subspecies
51) Chestnut-collared Longspur----(NB)
52) Red-winged Blackbird----(CO)(WY)(SD)(NB)
53) Western Meadowlark----(CO)(WY)(SD)(NB)
54) Brewer's Blackbird----(CO)(WY)(SD)(NB)
55) Common Grackle----(CO)(WY)(SD)(NB)
56) Cassin's Finch----(SD)
57) Red Crossbill----(NB)
58) Pine Siskin----(SD)
59) House Sparrow----(CO)(WY)(SD)(NB)

* Denotes "Life Bird".

Young Spotted Sandpipers at Green Pond ~ July 4, 2010

2010-07-04T20:12:00.001-07:00

On my way home from my daughters', I made a stop at Green Pond's flooded fields. The area is quickly drying up. Only the area to the east of "the island" still has water. As it neared sunset, I spotted five little 'fluffballs' that turned out to be young Spotted Sandpipers. I watched them as one of the parents closely followed them around. At one point, the adult called and all five young sought protection underneath the parent bird. As it turns out, it's the male (not the female) who does the incubating and parenting as in the phalaropes. I was unaware of this until Augie Mirabella wrote and informed me about it. I was amazed that all five could just about disappear underneath 'his' partly-spread wings.
Adult Spotted Sandpiper with young at the flooded fields by Green Pond, Northampton County. The last two birds are scrambling for cover underneath the parent bird.

Also seen there were the male Blue-winged Teal, 35 Killdeer, 15 Spotted Sandpipers, a Solitary Sandpiper, and 2 Least Sandpipers.

Many Killdeer and Waxwings at Green Pond ~ June 28, 2010

2010-06-28T14:56:00.000-07:00

As some of you know, my other hobby besides birding is ice hockey. Well, last night, I got another 'lifer' when our team won the Geezer Hockey League championship! Photos of that can be found at my PicasaWeb site.
I continued last night's celebration by taking the day off. I made a mid-day stop at Green Pond. The main flooded field's water level is dropping. The half to the west of the island is now mostly a mudflat, but the eastern half still has a good amount of water in it. As I scanned across the area, I made as accurate a count as I could and came up with 73 Killdeer! It's the highest number I've ever seen there, but I would imagine it's not unprecedented. As has been the case for about a week now, about 20 Cedar Waxwings were taking off from the eastern shoreline, 'flycatching', and returning to the muddy shore.
Cedar Waxwings at the flooded fields by Green Pond, Northampton County. Eight of the waxwings are visible in this photo.

Cedar Waxwing at the flooded fields by Green Pond, Northampton County.

Cedar Waxwing 'flycatching' at the flooded fields by Green Pond, Northampton County. Note the red, 'waxy' tips at the trailing edge of the secondaries.

The injured male Blue-winged Teal continues to hang in there.

Black-bellied Plovers at Green Pond ~ May 22, 2010

2010-05-22T16:54:00.000-07:00

This afternoon's stop at the flooded fields by Green Pond at around 1:45 produced four Black-bellied Plovers. Two were in breeding plumage, one was near breeding plumage, and the other was still in the drab non-breeding garb. At around 2:30, they flew off to the south. I was able to get some long-distance 'documentation photos' of them.
Black-bellied Plovers at the flooded fields by Green Pond, Northampton County. This long-distance photo shows the four that were present.

Black-bellied Plovers at the flooded fields by Green Pond, Northampton County. This long-distance photo shows three of the four that were present.

Black-bellied Plovers at the flooded fields by Green Pond, Northampton County. This long-distance photo also shows the male Blue-winged Teal with an apparently-injured left wing.

Other birds seen there included 4 Semipalmated Plovers, 6 Spotted Sandpipers, a Solitary Sandpiper, 13 Least Sandpipers, and one Blackpoll Warbler that was singing near the pond.

Bar-tailed Godwit at Brigantine N.W.R.! ~ May 17, 2010

2010-05-17T23:08:00.000-07:00

Since I already had the day off, I made a late morning decision to head to Brigantine (Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge) in search of the Bar-tailed Godwit that had been there since Thursday. As luck would have it, I drove to the area of the dike where it had most often been seen and found another birder already on the bird. It was a long way out in the Danzenbaker Pool. After about 30 minutes, it started taking short flights, moving closer to us each time.
Bar-tailed Godwit at Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, New Jersey.

Bar-tailed Godwit at Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, New Jersey. This photo shows the conspicuous white rump, dark wrists, and lack of any wing stripe.

At 3:00, it flew across the south dike and out into the bay, landing in the direction of the Atlantic City casinos. It was a new 'Lower 48' bird for me, bringing back great memories of the ones I saw near Nome during my 2007 trip to Alaska.

Black Tern at Green Pond ~ May 14, 2010

2010-05-15T00:36:00.000-07:00

I made one of my afternoon stops at the flooded fields by Green Pond at around 1:00 and was surprised to find a Black Tern flying back and forth behind 'the island'. I called a few friends, watched it for about a half-hour, and then had to head home. A little after 3:00, I was able to return with my camera. The bird was still there, occasionally diving to feed. I managed to get some long-distance 'documentation photos' of it.

Black Tern at the flooded fields by Green Pond, Northampton County.

It was only my second sighting of Black Tern for the county. Also present there were 7 Dunlin.

Willets in PA! ~ April 27, 2010

2010-04-28T01:00:00.000-07:00

I finally got to put my binoculars on Willet in the state today! A group of 15 that were reported earlier in the day were still present when I arrived at Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area at about 4:30. And, they were still there when I left at 6:00. The birds were a couple hundred yards away but were in good light, meaning it wasn't raining. It was one of those state birds that had eluded me for years, until today.
Willets at the Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area, Lancaster County. Note the bold, white wing stripe on the extended wing.

Willets at the Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area, Lancaster County.

Thanks to Jim Binder for finding this group and Randy Miller, Dave Wilton, and Jason Horn for letting me know about them.

TX - FL Trip ~ February 1, 2010

2010-02-09T13:00:00.000-08:00

I had been reading reports about the Amazon Kingfisher and Roadside Hawk in Texas and the Masked Duck, La Sagra's Flycatcher, and Red-footed Booby in Florida. That made it tough trying to decide which state to visit for my once-a-year out-of-state trip. Thanks to a great tip from a birding friend, I found out that I could go to both states for less than it would cost me for the gas to drive there. So, after happily recording a 'shutout' at my 10:30 hockey game late Sunday night, I drove home, showered, threw my bags in the car, and headed for Philadelphia International. I arrived in plenty of time for my 5:35 AM flight to Laredo, Texas, with a plane switch in Houston.

I landed in Laredo, got my Hertz rental car, which turned out to be a Toyota Prius, and headed for the spot where the Amazon Kingfisher was being seen, arriving a little after 11:00 AM. The bird was visiting the area where the Zacate Creek spills into the Rio Grande River. It had been most reliably seen in the early morning and late afternoon, apparently spending much of the day out of sight somewhere along the Rio Grande. Along with up to twenty other birders that included Wes Biggs, I watched for hours, waiting for the bird to show itself. Afternoon sightings from there included Gadwall, Pied-billed Grebe, White-faced Ibis, Double-crested and Neotropic Cormorants, Snowy and Cattle Egrets, Green Heron, American Coots, Black-necked Stilts, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Spotted and Least Sandpipers, Osprey, Sharp-shinned and Cooper's Hawk, White-winged Dove, Ringed Kingfisher, Golden-fronted Woodpecker, Black Phoebe, Great Kiskadees, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, and Orange-crowned and Yellow-rumped Warblers. It was now after 5:00 with still no sign of the bird. As the sun got lower and lower, a number of birders 'packed it in' for the day. At 5:45, a bird flapped its way in towards the creek and I realized it was 'the' bird. It eventually worked its way up the creek where I managed to get very satisfying views of my 'life' Amazon Kingfisher, a 1st record for the U.S.!

This Ringed Kingfisher also hunted along the creek.

TX - FL Trip ~ February 2, 2010

2010-02-09T12:00:00.000-08:00

I went back to the kingfisher spot early the next morning and got some more looks at the bird hunting along the creek. I also managed to get some better photos of it---not the best, but not bad either considering the heavily overcast conditions.

From there, I headed for the lower Rio Grande Valley where a Roadside Hawk had been sporadically seen at Frontera Audubon Sanctuary in Weslaco. Along Routes 359 and 285, I spotted many Crested Caracaras.

American Kestrels, Eastern Meadowlarks, a few Loggerhead Shrikes, and a group of Lark Buntings were also seen there along with one of my favorite raptors, a White-tailed Hawk.

Unfortunately, the gray skies and light rain made getting any decent photos a real challenge.

I drove into Frontera Audubon's parking lot and discovered that I had missed the Roadside Hawk by less than five minutes! It was upsetting to hear, "It just flew." I spent the rest of the day there hoping for it to return, but ended up driving back to Laredo empty-handed in the 'lifer' department.

TX - FL Trip ~ February 3, 2010

2010-02-09T11:00:00.000-08:00

Today was bascially a travel day from Texas to Florida. The overnight rain continued as I headed to the Laredo Airport for my flight to Fort Lauderdale, FL via Houston. I arrived in Fort Lauderdale around sunset, got my Chevy Cobalt rental from Enterprise, and drove the 2-1/2 hours up I-95 to my motel in Palm Bay.

TX - FL Trip ~ February 4, 2010

2010-02-09T10:00:00.000-08:00

I left the motel and drove the short distance up I-95 to the Viera Wetlands, getting there around sunrise. Because of the heavy rains that had occurred a few days before I arrived, the dike roads around the impoundments were closed to vehicles. So, I started walking the half-mile or so down the dike to Cell #4 to search for the male Masked Duck that had been there for over a month. Partway down, a Loggerhead Shrike perched in a tree along the dike.

Then, I very slowly walked right past a Limpkin standing on the dike road.

Eventually, the bird flew into its more natural habitat.

White Ibis also provided great looks at close range.

Cell #4 held Blue-winged Teal.

One of many Common Moorhens worked the edges of the vegetation.

One of three American Bitterns posed for a photo.

A pair of Sandhill Cranes were sporadically calling while building their nest.

Evenutally, more birders started filing into the area and, after about two hours, someone spotted the prize duck diving among a few American Coots. The Masked Duck was another 'lifer'. Its black head, eye ring, pale blue bill, and chestnut-colored body were unmistakable.

While we were watching the duck, an adult Bald Eagle circled overhead.

The impoundments also held Hooded Merganser, Glossy Ibis, Great Egret, Tricolored Heron, and Belted Kingfisher, which was the fourth species of kingfisher for the trip.

Around lunchtime, I left Viera and motored all the way back down I-95 to Pelican Harbor in Miami. There, I was very lucky to get to see and photograph the sub-adult Red-footed Booby that was sporadically visiting the harbor.

I continued down US-1 and took the Rickenbacker Causeway down to Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park on Key Biscayne. There was only a little over an hour of light left when I got to the area where the La Sagra's Flycatcher had been spending most of its time. I saw very few birds there before sunset came, so I headed back up to my motel in Coral Springs.

TX - FL Trip ~ February 5, 2010

2010-02-09T03:00:00.000-08:00

I woke up early enough to get back to Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park just before it opened. I arrived at the flycatcher spot a little after 8:00 AM under pretty windy conditions. A few minutes later, Greg Cranna from Massachusetts joined me. The next hour of watching and waiting produced Eastern Phoebe, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Common Yellowthroat, and a female Painted Bunting. We both agreed that the winds were not a good sign and that checking the leeward side of the area might be worth a try. We exchanged cell phone numbers and slowly ventured off to the surrounding areas. About 9:05, Greg called to let me know that he had the bird. I headed for his location and he pointed out the bird to me. It was about 10 feet up in a tree right next to a paved bike trail. I got excellent looks at my 'life' La Sagra's Flycatcher that was, at one time, no more than eight feet away! But by the time I decided to grab my camera, the bird moved back into the thicker vegetation and disappeared. We planned to hang around a while longer to see if it would reappear, but a heavy rain shower moved in and squashed that idea. Instead, we decided to drive over to the Kendall Baptist Hospital to look for parrots and parakeets. We did see a small group of Monk Parakeets and a small group of adult and young White Ibis.

A Boat-tailed Grackle walked aroung the grounds.

From there, I drove to Miramar to hopefully get a look at a Purple Swamphen. Several of them cooperated with close views.

Note the length of the toes on this bird.

My description of them is a pale-headed Purple Gallinule on steroids. Here's a comparison photo of the two species. Note the differences in size, leg color, bill color, and frontal shield color.

I managed to get a few photos of the Purple Gallinules there, including this young bird.

Here's one of the adults.

Other birds seen there included Opsrey, Tricolored Heron, Common Moorhen, a 'fly-by' Cooper's Hawk, and more Monk Parakeets.

I still had a good amount of daylight left, so I headed for Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge. There, I was thrilled to find this single Roseate Spoonbill.

Four Wood Storks also were present. One young bird (right) was with the adults.

Other birds included Anhingas, Tricolored and Little Blue Herons, and Limpkin. I left after sunset and headed back to my room in Coral Springs.

TX - FL Trip ~ February 6, 2010

2010-02-09T02:00:00.000-08:00

I was supposed to getting on an 8:00 AM flight from Fort Lauderdale to Philadelphia, but the Mid-Atlantic was getting nailed by a major snowstorm and my flight departure time was rescheduled for 3:30 PM. Since Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge was about a half-hour away, I decided to spend the morning there. What I didn't realize was that there was an "Everglades Day" festival going on there. Tents full of displays and demonstrations were set up for the visitors. It just so happened that one of the people that was scheduled to speak at the time I was there was Kenn Kaufman, so I was pleasantly surprised when I got to meet him beforehand.

Nearby, a Red-shouldered Hawk of the pale 'Florida' race was unconcerned by the visitors watching it as it caught a lizard.

An Anhinga perched on a snag, waiting for its wings to dry.

A Little Blue Heron stalked something in one of the impoundments.

A pair of Mottled Ducks swam nearby.

A Tricolored Heron was also there.

A Pileated Woodpecker hung on a telephone pole along the main road.

I left there, headed for the airport, and dropped off my rental car. Little did I know that my delayed flight back to Pennsylvania was cancelled because the Philadelphia Airport was completely shut down. One U.S. Airways representative managed to get me on a flight to their hub in Charlotte, North Carolina. Unfortunately, that connecting flight to Philadelphia was also cancelled, so I ended up spending the night in Charlotte.

TX - FL Trip ~ February 7, 2010

2010-02-09T01:00:00.000-08:00

With the exception of one guy who was apparently having a bad day, I found all of the U.S. Airways employees to be extremely helpful considering the many stranded travelers who weren't very happy. I was among at least 40 other people on 'standby' lists. Philadelphia International finally reopened and, at 2:00 PM, I got on a plane to Philadelphia, arriving about a day-and-a-half later than planned. I was very happy to find that the two feet of snow had been blown off my car by the strong winds, so I got in and drove back home, getting there about the time the Super Bowl started.
It was a very successful trip as I managed to see four 'lifers', five if you include the 'uncountable' Purple Swamphen, among the 96 species. Here's the species list.

Texas and Florida Trip - February 1-6, 2010
1) Pied-billed Grebe----(Texas)(Florida)
2) Red-footed Booby*----(Florida)
3) Brown Pelican----(Florida)
4) Double-crested Cormorant----(Texas)(Florida)
5) Neotropic Cormorant----(Texas)
6) Anhinga----(Florida)
7) American Bittern----(Florida)
8) Great Blue Heron----(Texas)(Florida)
9) Great Egret----(Texas)(Florida)
10) Snowy Egret----(Texas)(Florida)
11) Little Blue Heron----(Florida)
12) Tricolored Heron----(Florida)
13) Cattle Egret----(Texas)(Florida)
14) Green Heron----(Texas)(Florida)
15) White Ibis----(Florida)
16) Glossy Ibis----(Florida)
17) White-faced Ibis----(Texas)
18) Roseate Spoonbill----(Florida)
19) Wood Stork----(Florida)
20) Mottled Duck----(Florida)
21) Blue-winged Teal----(Florida)
22) Gadwall----(Texas)
23) Ring-necked Duck----(Florida)
24) Hooded Merganser----(Florida)
25) Masked Duck*----(Florida)
26) Black Vulture----(Florida)
27) Turkey Vulture----(Texas)(Florida)
28) Osprey----(Texas)(Florida)
29) Bald Eagle----(Florida)
30) Northern Harrier----(Texas)(Florida)
31) Sharp-shinned Hawk----(Texas)
32) Cooper's Hawk----(Texas)(Florida)
33) Red-shouldered Hawk----(Texas)(Florida)
34) White-tailed Hawk----(Texas)
35) Red-tailed Hawk----(Texas)
36) Crested Caracara----(Texas)
37) American Kestrel----(Texas)(Florida)
38) Plain Chachalaca----(Texas)
39) Purple Gallinule----(Florida)
40) Common Moorhen----(Florida)
41) American Coot----(Texas)(Florida)
42) Purple Swamphen*----(Florida)
43) Sandhill Crane----(Florida)
44) Limpkin----(Florida)
45) Killdeer----(Florida)
46) Black-necked Stilt----(Texas)
47) Greater Yellowlegs----(Texas)
48) Lesser Yellowlegs----(Texas)
49) Spotted Sandpiper----(Texas)
50) Least Sandpiper----(Texas)(Florida)
51) Laughing Gull----(Florida)
52) Ring-billed Gull----(Texas)(Florida)
53) Great Black-backed Gull----(Florida)
54) Caspian Tern----(Florida)
55) Rock Dove----(Texas)(Florida)
56) Eurasian Collared-Dove----(Florida)
57) White-winged Dove----(Texas)(Florida)
58) Mourning Dove----(Texas)(Florida)
59) Inca Dove----(Texas)
60) Monk Parakeet----(Florida)
61) Buff-bellied Hummingbird----(Texas)
62) Amazon Kingfisher*----(Texas)
63) Ringed Kingfisher----(Texas)
64) Belted Kingfisher----(Florida)
65) Green Kingfisher----(Texas)
66) Golden-fronted Woodpecker----(Texas)
67) Pileated Woodpecker----(Florida)
68) La Sagra's Flycatcher*----(Florida)
69) Black Phoebe----(Texas)
70) Eastern Phoebe----(Texas)(Florida)
71) Great Kiskadee----(Texas)
72) Couch's Kingbird----(Texas)
73) Northern Rough-winged Swallow----(Texas)
74) Blue Jay----(Florida)
75) Fish Crow----(Florida)
76) Ruby-crowned Kinglet----(Texas)
77) Blue-gray Gnatcatcher----(Texas)(Florida)
78) American Robin----(Texas)(Florida)
79) Northern Mockingbird----(Texas)(Florida)
80) Loggerhead Shrike----(Texas)(Florida)
81) European Starling----(Texas)(Florida)
82) Blue-headed Vireo----(Texas)
83) Orange-crowned Warbler----(Texas)
84) Yellow-rumped Warbler----(Texas)
85) Palm Warbler----(Florida)
86) Common Yellowthroat----(Florida)
87) Northern Cardinal----(Texas)(Florida)
88) Painted Bunting----(Florida)
89) Lark Sparrow----(Texas)
90) Lark Bunting----(Texas)
91) Savannah Sparrow----(Florida)
92) Red-winged Blackbird----(Texas)(Florida)
93) Eastern Meadowlark----(Texas)
94) Great-tailed Grackle----(Texas)
95) Boat-tailed Grackle----(Florida)
96) House Sparrow----(Texas)

* Denotes "Life Bird".

Allen's Hummingbird in PA! ~ December 13, 2009

2009-12-14T01:00:00.000-08:00

Scott Weidensaul got word about a hummingbird visiting a feeder near Leola in Lancaster County. In the process of catching and banding it, he documented the 1st record of Allen's Hummingbird for Pennsylvania! Arlene Koch and I drove down at first light and got to see this bird in dark and rainy conditions. Here are some very poor photos of it.
Allen's Hummingbird near Leola, Lancaster County. This adult female, caught and banded by Scott Weidensaul, represents the 1st record for Pennsylvania!

Allen's Hummingbird near Leola, Lancaster County on December 13, 2009. This adult female, caught and banded by Scott Weidensaul, represents the 1st record for Pennsylvania!

The drive back home was very interesting. It took about three hours because of the freezing rain and detours around the many accidents, but getting to see a new state bird more than compensated for it.

Black-headed Gull in Easton! ~ November 18-21, 2009

2009-11-19T01:00:00.000-08:00

November 18th
After hearing reports and seeing photos of an adult Black-headed Gull at Merrill Creek Reservoir in nearby New Jersey, I decided to spend some late mornings and afternoons down at the 'Forks of the Delaware' in Easton. Gulls from Merrill Creek and other areas visit the local landfills in Easton and Bethlehem and then, afterwards, depending on the water level of the river, they tend to rest along the shoreline or on the rocks on a island below the dam. My hope was that the Black-headed Gull would drop in while I was there. Although it hadn't shown, I did find an Iceland Gull there on the 17th, which was the earliest that I had ever seen one in the area.
Then, at around 2:00, I noticed a small gull among the many Ring-billeds. Although I was hoping for it to happen, I was really surprised that I was looking at a first-winter Black-headed Gull! I managed to take some documentation photos of it, called Arlene Koch and asked her to post it on PABIRDS, and called a few other local birders about it. Rick Wiltraut was able to make it down there and also see the bird. Because of the excitement, what didn't click in my head until Rick mentioned it was that this was a different Black-headed since the Merrill Creek bird was an adult! Also there that afternoon were two Iceland Gulls.
Black-headed Gull at the 'Forks of the Delaware' in Easton. The orange bill with a black tip, the spot behind the eye, and the orange legs help make this a first-winter bird. I was so surprised when I found this bird that I overexposed the photo. This bird represents the 1st record for the Lehigh Valley area.

Black-headed Gull at the 'Forks of the Delaware' in Easton. Note the faint brown ulnar bar and the thin, black terminal band on the tail of this first-winter bird. This bird represents the 1st record for the Lehigh Valley area.

November 21st
I spent most of Saturday down at the 'Forks of the Delaware' in Easton, hoping to refind the Black-headed Gull. Thankfully, it showed up between 2:00 and 2:30 and allowed me to get much better photos than what I got on the 18th.
Black-headed Gull at the 'Forks of the Delaware' in Easton. The orange bill with a black tip, the spot behind the eye, and the orange legs make this a first-winter bird. This bird represents the 1st record for the Lehigh Valley area.

Black-headed Gull at the 'Forks of the Delaware' in Easton. The orange bill with a black tip, the spot behind the eye, the brown ulnar bar, the extensive amount of white in the outer primaries, the orange legs, and the black terminal band on the tail make this a first-winter bird. This bird represents the 1st record for the Lehigh Valley area.

Stilt Sandpiper at Green Pond ~ September 6, 2009

2009-09-07T01:00:00.000-07:00

I stopped at the flooded fields by Green Pond and found a Stilt Sandpiper, which nicely cooperated for a few photos.
Stilt Sandpiper at the flooded field by Green Pond, Northampton County. Note the gray feathers of the winter plumage starting to come in on the back.

Stilt Sandpiper at the flooded field by Green Pond, Northampton County.

Brown Pelican in PA! ~ August 3, 2009

2009-08-04T01:00:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Bob Schutzky's great find, I was able to get to see and photograph a Brown Pelican in Pennsylvania! The bird was in the Susquehanna River near the Peach Bottom power plant. Peter Robinson and Jason Horn put me on the bird when I finally got down there but it was a long way off. So with nothing to lose, I started hiking upriver where I luckily met up with a cabin owner named Charlie who allowed me to use his boat dock as a vantage point. I got some nice looks at the bird as it floated downstream past me. Charlie said he's been there since 1951 and couldn't believe that he was seeing a pelican from his dock. He was almost as excited about it as I was. Soon after, Jason Horn joined us and Charlie asked if we wanted to take a ride out in his boat since he was planning to give it a run anyway. So, off we went. He very slowly idled up to the side of the bird where we were able to get some photos of it. Jason got better ones than I did since the boat vibrated a little and his lens has a stabilization feature on it. Here's one of mine.
Brown Pelican near Peach Bottom, Lancaster County. This bird represents the 5th record for Pennsylvania.

A special thanks goes to Bob for finding the bird and getting the word out to all and to Frank & Barb Haas, Tom Garner, and Peter Robinson for their assistance in getting me to the spot.

CO-NM-AZ Trip ~ May 1, 2009

2009-05-24T10:48:00.000-07:00

My ‘birding mom’, Babe Webster, and I flew from Philadelphia to Albuquerque, New Mexico, rented a Ford Focus from Alamo, and took a 7-day, 2300-mile whirlwind trip to visit Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona. Albuquerque was picked as the airport because of its location midway between Colorado and Arizona. Target birds included Gunnison Sage-Grouse, Sinaloa Wren, Northern Pygmy-Owl, and two birds that I had seen but Babe hadn’t----Blue Mockingbird and Ruddy-Ground-Dove. We were also hoping to get to see the Flame-colored Tanager that had visited Madera Canyon for six previous years, but we had not heard any word of its return by the day we left. As it turned out, we had a pretty successful trip, given the circumstances.

After picking up Babe at around 3:15 AM, we headed to the Philadelphia airport and got on a United Airlines flight to Denver. We switched planes there and flew to Albuquerque. After getting our rental car around 1:30 PM, we hopped on I-25 and started the 340-mile trek to Gunnison, Colorado. Birds seen along the way in New Mexico included American Kestrel, Western Kingbird, the seemingly ever-present Common Raven, Horned Lark, Western Meadowlark, Brewer’s Blackbird, and Common and Great-tailed Grackle.

A stop along Highway 285 just south of the New Mexico – Colorado birder produced Sage Thrasher and some great looks at an immature Ferruginous Hawk.

Highway birds seen in Colorado included many of the same birds seen in New Mexico plus Swainson’s Hawk, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Black-billed Magpie, and Red-winged and Yellow-headed Blackbird. A quick examination of the Waunita Hot Springs lek at dusk revealed several winnowing Wilson’s Snipe. We rolled into Gunnison at around 9:30 PM, stopped at a Safeway to get most of our week’s supplies and then indulged ourselves with personal pan pizzas at Pizza Hut. We spent a very short night at the Gunnison Inn, setting alarm clocks for 3:30 AM.

CO-NM-AZ Trip ~ May 2, 2009

2009-05-24T10:00:00.000-07:00

We arrived back at the Waunita Hot Springs lek by 5:00 AM. As it began to get light, we heard and then saw our ‘life’ Gunnison Sage-Grouse as over 30 males displayed among a few females. This poor photo shows them strutting their stuff. You can barely see the air sacs and the long filoplumes on the third bird from the right. The birds were about 150 yards away, thus the poor photo in the dim, early-morning light. Luckily, the showers predicted for that morning never materialized.

By 7:30 AM, almost all of the Gunnison Sage-Grouse left the lek and flew across the road in front of our car. Other birds seen or heard at the lek included Wild Turkey, Killdeer, Wilson’s Snipe, Black-billed Magpie, Cliff and Barn Swallow, and Mountain Bluebird. After the last bird left, we started the long drive back down through Colorado and New Mexico.

This overall view of the lek shows the informational signs along the road. The birds were displaying in the lightest-colored strip of meadow above the rightmost sign.

Between Gunnison and Poncha Springs, Colorado, Highway 50 crosses the Continental Divide at Monarch Pass. The pass is 11,312 feet in elevation. A stop at a small pond south of Poncha Pass produced Northern Shoveler, Common Merganser, Willet, and Tree Swallow.

Looking north along Highway 285, near Villa Grove, Colorado. The Rocky Mountains are in the background. A Loggerhead Shrike was seen along this section of road.

Here are three of the Pronghorn that were seen along Highway 285 near Villa Grove, Colorado.

This male Yellow-headed Blackbird was seen along Route 17 north of Alamosa, Colorado, at a cattail marsh traversed by a railroad trestle. Cinnamon Teal and Violet-green Swallow were also seen in this area.

This Swainson's Hawk was seen along Route 17 north of Alamosa, Colorado.

This Western Meadowlark was seen at the same place as the Swainson's Hawk.

One last look back across the Colorado border.

Babe Webster and our Ford Focus rental car at the New Mexico border with San Antonio Mountain in the background. White-winged Dove was the only new trip bird seen along the New Mexico leg of the 488-mile drive to Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, where we spent the night at the Hot Springs Inn.

CO-NM-AZ Trip ~ May 3, 2009

2009-05-24T09:00:00.000-07:00

We left the motel early enough to make the one-hour drive across Route 152 and get up to Emory Pass by sunrise. A Great Horned Owl flew from the road, probably with one of the many Jackrabbits or Kangaroo Rats that we spotted in the 'high-beams' along the roadside. Just below the east side of Emory Pass at around Mile Marker 30, we swung around one of the many hairpin curves and found a Flammulated Owl standing on the shoulder of the road, about 15 feet in front of the car! It stayed there in the headlights for about 15-20 seconds, the best look that either of us had ever had of this secretive owl. Unfortunately, it flew off before I could get my camera out of the back seat. Our main objective was to hopefully hear Northern Pygmy-Owl here, but that didn’t happen.

Part-way down on the west side of the pass, we stopped at the Iron Creek Picnic Area and found this Red-faced Warbler.

Although this photo's not the greatest, I included it because it shows the Red-faced Warbler in flight.

Other birds that we found on the western side of the pass included a ‘fly-by’ Zone-tailed Hawk, Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Hairy Woodpecker, Northern (Red-shafted) Flicker, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Western Wood-Pewee, Cordilleran Flycatcher, Warbling Vireo, Steller's Jay, Mountain Chickadee, Red-breasted and White-breasted Nuthatch, Winter Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Hermit Thrush, American Robin, Orange-crowned Warbler, Yellow-rumped (Audubon’s) Warbler, Wilson’s Warbler, Western Tanager, Dark-eyed (Red-backed) Junco, and Black-headed Grosbeak.

Chihuahuan Raven and Phainopepla were the two new trip birds seen along the way through Silver City, New Mexico, to the Arizona border on I-10.

We stopped at Willcox, Arizona where we found this very cooperative Harris’s Hawk.

The Harris's Hawk circled over the highway in Willcox, Arizona.

This same Harris's Hawk put on a nice show.

It is definitely one of our more striking raptors.

This Swainson's Hawk was seen circling over the Willcox Playa. Other birds seen at the Willcox Playa included American Wigeon, Blue-winged Teal, many Ruddy Ducks, Eared Grebe, Double-crested Cormorant, American Coot, Black-bellied Plover, Black-necked Stilt, American Avocet, Willet, Spotted, Western, and Least Sandpiper, Long-billed Dowitcher, many Wilson’s Phalaropes, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Horned Lark, Cliff Swallow, Yellow-rumped (Audubon’s) Warbler, Lark and Savannah Sparrow, and Great-tailed Grackle.

After driving on to Tucson and getting our room at a Motel 6 for the next two nights, we headed down to Madera Canyon to try for Northern Pygmy-Owl at the Wrightson Picnic Area at dusk. Unfortunately, the picnic area held several very loud families, which made listening for owls difficult. Our luck quickly turned around when a couple looking for an Elegant Trogon that had been previously reported just beyond the picnic area told us that the Flame-colored Tanager had returned to Madera Kubo a few days before! A bird we thought we had no chance of seeing was now put back at the top of our ‘want’ list. Babe suggested that we park ourselves there early the next morning and I quickly agreed. While at the picnic area, we saw Mexican Jay, Hermit Thrush, Painted Redstart, Hepatic Tanager, and Black-headed Grosbeak. We left the picnic area and stopped at the ampitheater parking lot just after dusk. There, we heard Western and Whiskered Screech-Owl, Whip-poor-will, Common Poorwill, and a distant Northern Pygmy-Owl that stopped calling before we ever had a chance of finding it.

CO-NM-AZ Trip ~ May 4, 2009

2009-05-24T08:00:00.000-07:00

By first light, we were back at the ampitheater parking lot where we again heard Whiskered Screech-Owl, Common Poorwill, and Whip-poor-will.

As planned, we stationed ourselves at Madera Kubo where we soon heard and saw the Flame-colored Tanager, which was a ‘lifer’ for both of and was also Babe’s 700th ABA bird! We had hoped to see this bird in 2005, but wildfires in and around Madera Canyon had closed the area and the birds apparently left when the fires got too close to Madera Kubo. So, the fact that we got to see it this time was a total reversal of our luck.

This appropriately-named Flame-colored Tanager would occasionally make a quick drop down from the treetops to feed on the jelly put out by the Madera Kubo owners. This was one of the few photos I was able to get of it down at the jelly.

Just when I was figuring that seeing the tanager was our luckiest break of the trip, I heard an owl tooting a little farther up the road. I grabbed Babe and we began trying to track down the periodic calls. We continued to zero in on them but still couldn’t find the bird. Just as I realized that the calls were coming from above and between us, we noticed an owl fly out of a hole and Babe followed it up into an oak. After years of trying, we were finally looking at our ‘life’ Northern Pygmy-Owl!

We backed off from the hole and the bird stayed in the tree, occasionally calling as we continued to soak in the views of our 'life' Northern Pygmy-Owl.

This Townsend's Warbler was seen at Madera Kubo.

This Arizona Woodpecker visited a suet feeder at Madera Kubo.

This male Western Tanager fed on orange halves at Madera Kubo. We were also thrilled to see the White-eared Hummingbird that was coming to the feeders at the gift shop. Other birds found there included Sharp-shinned Hawk, Broad-billed, Magnificent, Black-chinned, and Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Acorn Woodpecker, Plumbeous Vireo, Bridled Titmouse, Wilson’s Warbler, Painted Redstart, Hepatic Tanager, Black-headed Grosbeak, Lazuli Bunting, Hooded Oriole, Pine Siskin, and Lesser Goldfinch.

This Acorn Woodpecker posed by the feeders at the Santa Rita Lodge.

On the way back down the road from Madera, we saw a dark snake with an orange tail (most likely a Sonoran Coachwhip) cross the road and this Desert Spiny Lizard.

We headed back to Tucson and celebrated our fantastic morning by stopping at a Golden Corral and getting the closest thing to a full-course meal that we’d had all week.

After enjoying a rare mid-afternoon break at the motel, we traveled over to the Sabino Canyon Recreational Area where this Gambel's Quail perched on a short snag. There, we also found Gila Woodpecker, Verdin, Cactus Wren, Curve-billed Thrasher, Phainopepla, and Northern Cardinal. On the way to Mount Lemmon, we saw our first Greater Roadrunner of the trip dart across (what else?) the road.

Our drive up the Mount Lemmon Highway was more of a sightseeing venture than for birding, although we did see a Yellow-eyed Junco on a bank along the road. This was the view looking north from Mount Lemmon near Summerhaven.

This photos shows the rock formations above Bear Canyon along the Mount Lemmon Highway near Tucson, AZ. We stopped on the way back to the motel and celebrated some more with a Dairy Queen sundae.

CO-NM-AZ Trip ~ May 5, 2009

2009-05-24T07:00:00.000-07:00

This Cactus Wren was found singing outside our motel room in Tuscon, Arizona.

We began the day by visiting the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum located outside Tucson. Despite several trips to southeast Arizona, we never took the time to go there, but this time we did and the exhibits were well worth it. There, I was able to photograph this Anna's Hummingbird.

One look at this male Broad-billed Hummingbird and you can understand why it is one of my favorite hummingbirds.

The colors on a male Broad-billed Hummingbird are eye-opening.

After leaving the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, I made several quick stops to photograph the Saguaro Cactus along Kinney Road.

Tucson Mountain Park holds a high density of Saguaro Cacti.

This Saguaro Cactus has several long arms, making it a very old plant. It normally takes 50-70 years for a Saguaro to grow arms. The one pictured here is likely to be well over 100 years old! An adult saguaro may weigh 6 tons or more and be as tall as 50 feet. The average life span of a saguaro is probably 150 - 175 years of age! Note the flowers blossoming atop each of its arms.

Here, Prickly Pear cactus stands in the forefront with saguaros growing behind on the hillside.

We drove from Tucson to Patagonia by way of Sonoita and stopped at the Patons' residence.

The Patons' is one of the best places in the country to see the Violet-crowned Hummingbird.

Although not the best photo, I managed to capture this Violet-crowned Hummingbird in flight.

This Gila Woodpecker was just one of the many birds seen feeding there.

Numbers of Lazuli Buntings dropped in to feed at the Patons'.

This Lark Sparrow also stopped to feed there.

Other birds spotted from there included Gambel’s Quail, Black Vulture, Cooper’s Hawk, Gray Hawk, Inca Dove, Broad-billed, Black-chinned, and Anna’s Hummingbird, Dusky-capped Flycatcher, Bewick’s Wren, Yellow-breasted Chat, Summer Tanager, Abert’s Towhee, White-crowned Sparrow, Black-headed Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, Pine Siskin, and Lesser Goldfinch.

We continued over to the Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Sanctuary where we saw this Vermilion Flycatcher.

I was able to get a nice photo of this Gray Hawk perched in one of the large cottonwoods found in the sanctuary.

Thanks to a tip from some other birders, we were able to see this Zone-tailed Hawk on its nest.

Additional birds seen at the Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Sanctuary were Great Blue Herons on a nest, Black Phoebe, and Cassin’s Kingbird.

We spent the next two nights at the Motel 6 in Sierra Vista.

CO-NM-AZ Trip ~ May 6, 2009

2009-05-24T06:00:00.000-07:00

We awoke early enough to get ourselves to the Sinaloa Wren site near Patagonia by dawn. Thanks to Melody Kehl, we were able to hear the bird a few hundred yards east of the ‘cut bank’, but we were never able to get a look at it. Birds that we did see there included Gambel’s Quail, Broad-billed and Black-chinned Hummingbird, Bell’s Vireo, Bewick’s Wren, Wilson’s and Yellow-rumped (Audubon’s) Warbler, Yellow-breasted Chat, Western Tanager, Lincoln’s Sparrow, Bullock’s Oriole, and Lesser Goldfinch. A drive down along the rest of the Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Sanctuary produced Gray and Zone-tailed Hawk, Vermilion Flycatcher, and Abert’s Towhee.

We headed for the Slaughter Ranch outside of Douglas to hopefully find Blue Mockingbird or Ruddy-Ground Dove for Babe. Despite spending the late morning and afternoon there, we weren’t able to find either one. We would later hear that the mockingbird was last seen on the 4th.

This Yellow-breasted Chat was hiding among the leaves.

This Say's Phoebe was also found at the Slaughter Ranch.

Other birds found there included Lesser Scaup, Gambel’s Quail, Pied-billed Grebe, American Coot, Black Phoebe, Vermilion Flycatcher, Cassin’s and Western Kingbird, Bell’s and Warbling Vireo, Northern Mockingbird, Phainopepla, Western Tanager, Canyon Towhee, Lark Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Black-headed Grosbeak, Red-winged Blackbird, Great-tailed Grackle, Hooded Oriole, Pine Siskin, and warblers that included Wilson’s, Yellow, Yellow-rumped (Audubon’s), Orange-crowned, and MacGillivray’s.

We drove back to Sierra Vista and set our alarm clocks for another visit to Patagonia.

CO-NM-AZ Trip ~ May 7, 2009

2009-05-24T05:00:00.000-07:00

Back at Patagonia, despite hearing the Sinaloa Wren sing and call most of the early morning hours, we eventually left without an identifiable look at this 1st U.S. record. It was extremely frustrating to hear the bird so close at times and still not being able to see it through the thick vegetation.

Common Yellowthroat, Canyon Towhee, and Javelinas with young were new sightings for the area. We visited the Patagonia roadside rest stop and spotted White-throated Swift and heard Canyon Wren.

Regrettably leaving Patagonia, we headed back into New Mexico by way of I-10. A group of Lark Buntings were found along Highway 26, halfway between Deming and Hatch.

North of Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, I-25 goes through Monticello Canyon.

Our next stop was Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. This Greater Roadrunner perched along one of the impoundment roads.

White-faced Ibis were seen in a few of the impoundments.

Besides the obvious white line around the eye, the overall coloration of this White-faced Ibis is a lot different than the Glossy Ibis that we see in the East.

This male and female Cinnamon Teal swam along the edge of one of the impoundments. In just a couple hours, this great spot also produced Gadwall, American Wigeon, Blue-winged and Green-winged Teal, Northern Pintail, Northern Shoveler, Ruddy Duck, Ring-necked Pheasant, Gambel’s Quail, Great and Snowy Egret, Common Moorhen, American Coot, American Avocet, Western Sandpiper, Long-billed Dowitcher, Wilson’s Phalarope, Black and Say’s Phoebe, Bank, Cliff, and Barn Swallow, and White-crowned Sparrow.

At sunset, hundreds of Lesser Nighthawks darted around over the impoundments.

Note the buffy spots near the trailing edge on this Lesser Nighthawk.

We spent the last night of the trip at the Motel 6 in Socorro.

CO-NM-AZ Trip ~ May 8, 2009

2009-05-24T04:00:00.000-07:00

We drove back from Socorro to Albuquerque, New Mexico, and flew back to Philadelphia through Denver, Colorado. We were both happy to get four ‘life birds’ among the 166 species seen during the trip. The list follows. Additional photos can be found on my PicasaWeb site.

CO-NM-AZ Trip (May 1-8, 2009)

1) Canada Goose
2) Gadwall
3) American Wigeon
4) Mallard
5) Blue-winged Teal
6) Cinnamon Teal
7) Northern Shoveler
8) Northern Pintail
9) Green-winged Teal
10) Lesser Scaup
11) Common Merganser
12) Ruddy Duck
13) Ring-necked Pheasant
14) Gunnison Sage Grouse *
15) Wild Turkey
16) Gambel's Quail
17) Pied-billed Grebe
18) Eared Grebe
19) Double-crested Cormorant
20) Great Blue Heron
21) Great Egret
22) Snowy Egret
23) White-faced Ibis
24) Black Vulture
25) Turkey Vulture
26) Northern Harrier
27) Sharp-shinned Hawk
28) Cooper's Hawk
29) Gray Hawk
30) Harris's Hawk
31) Swainson's Hawk
32) Zone-tailed Hawk
33) Red-tailed Hawk
34) Ferruginous Hawk
35) American Kestrel
36) Common Moorhen
37) American Coot
38) Black-bellied Plover
39) Killdeer
40) Black-necked Stilt
41) American Avocet
42) Willet
43) Spotted Sandpiper
44) Western Sandpiper
45) Least Sandpiper
46) Long-billed Dowitcher
47) Wilson's Snipe
48) Wilson's Phalarope
49) Rock Pigeon
50) Eurasian Collared-Dove
51) White-winged Dove
52) Mourning Dove
53) Inca Dove
54) Greater Roadrunner
55) Flammulated Owl
56) Western Screech-Owl
57) Whiskered Screech-Owl
58) Great Horned Owl
59) Northern Pygmy-Owl *
60) Lesser Nighthawk
61) Common Poorwill
62) Whip-poor-will
63) White-throated Swift
64) Broad-billed Hummingbird
65) White-eared Hummingbird
66) Violet-crowned Hummingbird
67) Magnificent Hummingbird
68) Black-chinned Hummingbird
69) Anna's Hummingbird
70) Broad-tailed Hummingbird
71) Acorn Woodpecker
72) Gila Woodpecker
73) Hairy Woodpecker
74) Arizona Woodpecker
75) Northern (Red-shafted) Flicker
76) Olive-sided Flycatcher
77) Western Wood-Pewee
78) Cordilleran Flycatcher
79) Black Phoebe
80) Say's Phoebe
81) Vermilion Flycatcher
82) Dusky-capped Flycatcher
83) Cassin's Kingbird
84) Western Kingbird
85) Loggerhead Shrike
86) Bell's Vireo
87) Plumbeous Vireo
88) Warbling Vireo
89) Steller's Jay
90) Mexican Jay
91) Black-billed Magpie
92) American Crow
93) Chihuahuan Raven
94) Common Raven
95) Horned Lark
96) Tree Swallow
97) Violet-green Swallow
98) Bank Swallow
99) Cliff Swallow
100) Barn Swallow
101) Mountain Chickadee
102) Bridled Titmouse
103) Verdin
104) Red-breasted Nuthatch
105) White-breasted Nuthatch
106) Cactus Wren
107) Canyon Wren
108) Bewick's Wren
109) House Wren
110) Winter Wren
111) Sinaloa Wren * (Heard Only!)
112) Ruby-crowned Kinglet
113) Black-tailed Gnatcatcher
114) Mountain Bluebird
115) Swainson's Thrush
116) Hermit Thrush
117) American Robin
118) Northern Mockingbird
119) Sage Thrasher
120) Curve-billed Thrasher
121) European Starling
122) Phainopepla
123) Orange-crowned Warbler
124) Yellow Warbler
125) Yellow-rumped (Audubon's) Warbler
126) Townsend's Warbler
127) MacGillivray's Warbler
128) Common Yellowthroat
129) Wilson's Warbler
130) Red-faced Warbler
131) Painted Redstart
132) Yellow-breasted Chat
133) Flame-colored Tanager *
134) Hepatic Tanager
135) Summer Tanager
136) Western Tanager
137) Green-tailed Towhee
138) Canyon Towhee
139) Abert's Towhee
140) Lark Sparrow
141) Lark Bunting
142) Savannah Sparrow
143) Song Sparrow
144) Lincoln's Sparrow
145) White-crowned Sparrow
146) Dark-eyed (Red-backed) Junco
147) Yellow-eyed Junco
148) Northern Cardinal
149) Black-headed Grosbeak
150) Lazuli Bunting
151) Indigo Bunting
152) Red-winged Blackbird
153) Eastern Meadowlark
154) Western Meadowlark
155) Yellow-headed Blackbird
156) Brewer's Blackbird
157) Common Grackle
158) Great-tailed Grackle
159) Brown-headed Cowbird
160) Hooded Oriole
161) Bullock's Oriole
162) Scott's Oriole
163) House Finch
164) Pine Siskin
165) Lesser Goldfinch
166) House Sparrow

Varied Thrush in Lehigh County! ~ February 28, 2009

2009-02-28T23:00:00.000-08:00

I made another trip over to Salisbury Township to attempt to get more looks, and maybe some photos, of a Varied Thrush that had been favoring the backyard of Denise Reinhart since January 30th. I was lucky to be able to get these poor, long-distance photos through some brush.
Varied Thrush in Salisbury Township, Lehigh County. This first-year male represents the 1st record for Lehigh County.

Varied Thrush in Salisbury Township, Lehigh County. This first-year male represents the 1st record for Lehigh County.

Western Grebe in PA! ~ February 14, 2009

2009-02-15T01:00:00.001-08:00

The word got out about a Western Grebe that was found near Huston's Mill in Cumberland County. This new state bird was being enjoyed by many when I got there. It was in the company of a Red-necked Grebe, which afforded a great comparison between the two species.
Western Grebe near Hustons Mill, Cumberland County. A Red-necked Grebe is preening itself while swimming alongside. This long-distance photo was taken through a backyard while standing on East Willow Terrace. Because of the great distance, the bird's head pattern appears to match that of a Clark's Grebe, but the photo is deceiving. Closer views confirmed the identification. This bird represents the 1st record for Pennsylvania!

Released Rough-legged Hawk, "Audubon's" Warbler, Long-tailed Duck, field birds, and White-winged Crossbills! ~ February 1, 2009

2009-02-02T01:00:00.001-08:00

I started the morning off with a visit to Arlene Koch's property. She had informed me that a rehabilitated Rough-legged Hawk was going to be released on her farm. It was neat seeing the bird up close for a few moments before it was successfully let go.
Kathy Uhler of Pocono Wildlife Rehabilitation, holding a light morph, immature male Rough-legged Hawk just prior to its release on the Koch property in Northampton County. The bird was in 'rehab' for about five weeks after being found in a field near Center Valley below Allentown. Its exact problem was never confirmed.

Around noon, I headed for the Dorney Pond in Allentown where I saw the "Audubon's" Warbler that Cameron Rutt and Tom Johnson found back on January 16th. The warbler's call note gave it away. I found it in the lone, large willow along the pond's edge near the green shed before it flew up into the trees on the hillside behind the house numbered "3801".
The continuing Long-tailed Duck swam around the east end of the pond, allowing me to get some nice photos of it. Several Lesser Black-backed Gulls, some Common Mergansers, Ring-necked Ducks, and a Coot were also there.
Long-tailed Duck at Dorney Pond in Lehigh County.

Long-tailed Duck at Dorney Pond in Lehigh County.

I then went to Arrowhead Road near Bath and saw at least 5 Lapland Longspurs among the fairly large numbers of Snow Buntings and Horned Larks.
Lapland Longspur near Bath in Northampton County. Note the long 'spur' (hind toe) for which the bird is named.

Snow Bunting near Bath in Northampton County.

Next, I decided to drive up to Graver Arboretum in Moore Township where, back on January 13th, Dustin Welch found a group of White-winged Crossbills. On the 14th, I refound the group in the same general area, which were my first ones for the county, but they flew off within a minute. This time, when I got there, I found Jim Wilson already watching about 8 White-winged Crossbills at the top of one of the tall Norway Spruces by the pond next to the entrance kiosk. They worked the same tree for almost an hour, never coming down any lower, hence the long-range, 'so-so' photos. But they were a fine sight through bins with the sun shining on them. Needless to say, it was a very productive day.
White-winged Crossbill at Graver Arboretum in Northampton County.

White-winged Crossbill at Graver Arboretum in Northampton County.

Long-billed Dowitcher in Hanover Township ~ July 24-August 4, 2008

2008-08-05T01:00:00.000-07:00

Brett Schick reported a Long-billed Dowitcher at the Hanoverville Road retention ponds on July 24th. Since the identification of dowitchers is tricky and Short-billed is the 'expected' species in the area, there was concern that the bird could have been misidentified. After seeing the July 25th photos that were taken of the bird by Dustin Welch, I was surprised at the length of the bill, which seemed pretty long to be a Short-billed. On the 26th, Billy Weber called me to tell me that the bird was still there and that he thought I should really check it out. I met him there and we both agreed that this bird almost had to be a Long-billed Dowitcher! After many photos, opinions from many observers, and three hours of waiting, the bird finally called with several of us present, confirming the identification.
Long-billed Dowitcher at the Hanoverville Road retention ponds, Northampton County on July 26th. Here, the tail with its dark bands wider than the light ones is visible under the primaries. Directly underneath are the undertail coverts with their thinner, dark barring that can easily be confused as the tail itself. Also note the dark appearance to the back created by the very thin white feather edges. This bird represents the 2nd record for Northampton County.

Long-billed Dowitcher at the Hanoverville Road retention ponds, Northampton County on July 27th. The bird is in worn breeding plumage. Note the chevron markings on the sides and the barring on the flanks with no markings in between. Short-billeds tend to have spotted markings that continue all the way down the side of the body. Also note the dark appearance to the back created by the very thin white feather edges. This bird represents the 2nd record for Northampton County.

Long-billed Dowitcher at the Hanoverville Road retention ponds, Northampton County on July 28th. Note the light area of the forewing contrasting with the rest of the underwing. Also note the dark tail containing narrow white bands. This bird represents the 2nd record for Northampton County.

It was a new county bird for me and one of a very few that I've seen in the state.

More White-rumped Sandpipers at Green Pond ~ June 19, 2008

2008-06-20T01:00:00.000-07:00

During a morning stop at the flooded fields by Green Pond, I refound the five White-rumped Sandpipers that I saw yesterday. Having to get to work, I quickly snapped this one photo of the five together for documentation purposes.
Five White-rumped Sandpipers at the flooded fields next to Green Pond in Northampton County. This is an extremely late date. I can only assume that these are very late stragglers since they should be on their arctic breeding grounds at this time and it would appear to be way too early for these to be southbound migrants.

White-rumped Sandpipers at Green Pond ~ June 5, 2008

2008-06-06T01:00:00.000-07:00

Scanning the flooded fields by Green Pond yielded two White-rumped Sandpipers. They cooperated for these photos.
White-rumped Sandpiper at the flooded fields next to Green Pond in Northampton County. Note the streaking reaching all the way down to the flanks, the wingtips extending just beyond the tail, and the dull reddish base of the lower mandible. This is one of the two that were present.

White-rumped Sandpiper at the flooded fields next to Green Pond in Northampton County. This fuzzy flight photo shows the all-white rump patch.

Black-crowned Night-Heron and Short-billed Dowitchers at Green Pond ~ June 4, 2008

2008-06-05T01:00:00.000-07:00

I made a very early morning stop at Green Pond and found an adult Black-crowned Night-Heron, the first adult that I've ever seen here.
Black-crowned Night-Heron at Green Pond in Northampton County. This photo was taken at dawn, hence very little light.

After the Black-crowned slipped back into the woods, I checked out the flooded fields. There, I found two Short-billed Dowitchers. These two photos were all I could get before having to head off to work.
Short-billed Dowitcher at the flooded field next to Green Pond in Northampton County. Thanks to someone walking behind the flooded area looking for arrowheads, the birds came much closer to me, allowing me to get this photo.

Short-billed Dowitcher at the flooded field next to Green Pond in Northampton County. Thanks to someone walking behind the flooded area looking for arrowheads, the birds came much closer to me, allowing me to get this photo.

Black Tern in Northampton County ~ June 1, 2008

2008-06-02T01:00:00.000-07:00

While birding at the Gremar Road retention ponds, Ken and Gladys Price spotted a Black Tern flying around the larger, northmost pond. I got there later in the day and found and photographed it.
Black Tern at the Gremar Road retention pond in Lower Nazareth Township, Northampton County.

Black Tern at the Gremar Road retention pond in Lower Nazareth Township, Northampton County.

This adult bird in breeding plumage was my first for the county.

Black-bellied Plover at Green Pond ~ May 30, 2008

2008-05-31T01:00:00.000-07:00

For the second time in just over a week, I found a Black-bellied Plover at the flooded fields by Green Pond. I got this heavily-cropped photo of the bird, which still hasn't acquired its breeding plumage.
Black-bellied Plover at the flooded field next to Green Pond in Northampton County. This bird is in transition plumage as it still hasn't acquired its solid black face and belly.

Black-bellied Plovers at Green Pond ~ May 22, 2008

2008-05-23T01:00:00.000-07:00

My afternoon stop at the flooded fields by Green Pond produced nine Black-bellied Plovers. I got a photo of five of them in the short time before a group of gulls dropped in and apparently scared them off to the northwest.
Black-bellied Plovers at the flooded field by Green Pond in Northampton County. This photo shows five of the nine birds that were there.

Wilson's Phalarope at Green Pond ~ May 19, 2008

2008-05-20T01:00:00.000-07:00

I was not only glad to find a Wilson's Phalarope this afternoon at the flooded fields by Green Pond but was thrilled to get a nice photo of it.
Female Wilson's Phalarope at the flooded field by Green Pond, Northampton County.

American Golden-Plover in Northampton County ~ April 21, 2008

2008-04-22T01:00:00.000-07:00

Joe Zajacek saw me at Green Pond and let me know that he had just seen an American Golden-Plover at the Hanoverville Road retention ponds. I went over there and got these mediocre, long-distance photos of the bird.
American Golden-Plover at the Hanoverville Road retention pond in Northampton County. This bird represents an unusual Spring record at a pretty late date in the season.

American Golden-Plover at the Hanoverville Road retention pond in Northampton County. This bird represents an unusual Spring record at a pretty late date in the season.

Townsend's Solitaire near Palmerton! ~ April 15, 2008

2008-04-16T01:00:00.000-07:00

On the 13th, a Townsend's Solitaire was found by Barbara Rehrig outside Palmerton. Today, it was seen and photographed by Dustin Welch and myself. Rick Wiltraut, Arlene Koch, and Kathy Sieminski were also watching the bird with us.
Townsend's Solitaire near Palmerton in Carbon County. Note the white eye ring and buffy wing markings on this grayish bird.

Townsend's Solitaire near Palmerton in Carbon County. Note the white eye ring and white outer tail feathers on this grayish bird.

Arizona Trip ~ February 3, 2008

2008-02-10T21:00:00.000-08:00

After drooling over the posts about the Crescent-chested Warbler, Aztec Thrush, and Northern Jacana, Babe Webster and I finally decided to go and see if we could get a look at them. In addition, Babe was closely approaching '700' on her A.B.A. List and still needed Black-capped Gnatcatcher and Ruddy Ground-Dove, which were also very possible there. For those of you who don't know it, Babe taught me most of the things I know about raptor identification when I started going up to Hawk Mountain Sanctuary in the mid-70's and has been a long-time friend that I call my "birding mom" ever since. She kiddingly tells others that I'm her "adopted son". She is now in her mid-70's and still very agile for someone her age.

In my case, it makes it a little tougher for me to get away in the winter since it's during ice hockey season and I'm the goalie for my team. Not just anyone wants to play that position; I can't understand why. Our games are usually on Sunday nights, but because the Super Bowl was that week, we played our game on Saturday night instead. This left me the chance to get away from Sunday to Saturday. As most of you know, getting a flight within two weeks of when you want to go somewhere is usually pretty pricey, but I'm guessing since the Super Bowl was that Sunday (there are advantages to missing the game) I was able to find an American Airlines flight from Philadelphia to Tuscon with only one stop in Dallas for $220.00 round-trip! You can't even drive there for that these days. Although we did miss a few of our 'targets', we had a pretty gratifying trip. Added to that was the bonus of getting to see something that doesn't happen very often, Madera Canyon draped in snow!

Sunday, February 3rd

Babe and I took off from Philadelphia Airport at around 6:30 PM, changed planes in Dallas, and got into Tucson near midnight Arizona time. There were a few happy New York Giants fans returning their rental cars and heading home by that time. We got our Alamo rental car (a Chevy Malibu) and drove to the nearby Motel 6 for a short night's stay.

Arizona Trip ~ February 4, 2008

2008-02-10T20:00:00.000-08:00

Since rain showers were predicted for Monday, we decided to drive up to Casa Grande and look for the Northern Jacana that had parked itself at some ponds on the Dave White Municipal Golf Course. This way we'd be close to the car if the weather got really ugly. We drove to the spot and, within minutes, Babe spotted the bird working the edge of the back pond. During the hour or so we were there, it came fairly close to us, allowing me to get several mediocre photos of it in the rainy, overcast weather. It was a 'lifer' for Babe and an 'ABA bird' for me.
Northern Jacana at the Dave White Municipal Golf Course. Note the distinctive yellow and chestnut wing pattern, dark body, and yellow bill.

Northern Jacana at the Dave White Municipal Golf Course. Note the distinctive yellow bill and frontal shield and the extremely long toes.

While there, we saw Pied-billed Grebe, one immature Snow Goose, American Wigeon, Northern Shoveler, Ruddy Duck, Killdeer, American Coot, Belted Kingfisher, Northern (Red-shafted) Flicker, Say's Phoebe, Verdin, Orange-crowned Warbler, and Abert's Towhee. Along the road, we spotted Northern Harrier, American Kestrel, Loggerhead Shrike, Chihuahan Raven, and Great-tailed Grackle.

We left there and made a stop at the Red Rock feedlot on the way back towards Tucson, looking for a Ruddy Ground-Dove for Babe. There had been very few reports of it from this area this year and we were not able to find one while we were there. While looking, we found a few Eurasian Collared-Doves, White-winged Doves, several Inca Doves piled together to stay warm, a Black Phoebe, Horned Larks, dozens of Brewer's, Lark, and White-crowned Sparrows, several hundred Lark Buntings, Red-winged and Rusty Blackbirds, and several meadowlarks that were most likely Easterns.
Inca Doves at the Red Rock feedlot. These seven doves were all huddled together, apparently to keep warm on this cold and dreary day.

Over 300 Lark Buntings perched on the wires along the road by the Red Rock feedlot. The white wing patches can be easily seen on the bird taking off from the lower wire, just left of center.

White-crowned Sparrow along the road by the Red Rock feedlot. This adult is of the 'gambelii' race. It doesn't have the black line between the eye and the bill like our 'leucophrys' race does that we see here in the East during winter.

We then headed for Madera Canyon where we were surprised to find the upper areas of the canyon had received an inch or two of snow! Thoughts of an insect-eating warbler in the snow made us wonder if the bird had been pushed out or, worse yet, had died from a lack of food. We happily spent the next four nights at the Santa Rita Lodge.

Arizona Trip ~ February 5, 2008

2008-02-10T19:00:00.000-08:00

We awoke early for the mile-and-a-half climb up the Old Baldy Trail to where the warbler and the thrush had been seen. It was only 27 degrees and our footprints were the only ones in the snow on the trail until another hiker passed us on the way up. The view of the snow-covered peaks atop the canyon made the temperatures a lot more bearable.Snow-covered peaks along Old Baldy Trail in Madera Canyon.

We reached the area and found a flock of Bridled Titmice, White-breasted Nuthatches, Brown Creepers, and Ruby-crowned Kinglets, but couldn't find the warbler among them. We spent several hours there and eventually headed back down the trail in the early afternoon. Other birds seen or heard while up there included Acorn and Arizona Woodpeckers, Northern Flicker, Mexican Jay, Common Raven, Hermit Thrush, numbers of American Robins, Yellow-rumped (Audubon's) Warbler, and Hepatic Tanager.
After stopping at our room at the lodge and getting something to eat, we headed down to Proctor Road to look for the pair of Black-capped Gnatcatchers that had been reported from there. We saw Gila Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Cordilleran Flycatcher, Mexican Jays, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Green-tailed, Spotted, and Canyon Towhees, White-crowned Sparrows, and Northern Cardinals, but no gnatcatchers.Mexican Jay along Proctor Road.

Canyon Towhee near the Proctor Road parking lot.

Arizona Trip ~ February 6, 2008

2008-02-10T18:00:00.000-08:00

Babe had decided the night before that she wasn't going to try going back up the fairly steep trail this morning, so she spent the morning watching the feeders around the lodge while I headed back Old Baldy Trail by myself. It was only 25 degrees and was tricky walking because the snow on the trail had been packed down by birders and hikers, melted some during the afternoon, and refroze into a slippery sheet overnight. I spent the entire morning looking for the warbler. I wasn't even able to find one of the small flocks of birds that were occasionally seen working up and down the canyon slopes. The Aztec Thrush hadn't been reported for a couple weeks and looked like it had moved on, so it was a 'long shot' at best. I carefully headed back down the trail empty-handed. Going down was much worse than up because you never knew if your heel was going to stay put or slide out on the packed-down sections of the trail.
Back at the lodge, the feeders produced Wild Turkeys (that weren't very wild), Mexican Jays, Bridled Titmice, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Yellow-eyed Junco, and Dark-eyed Juncos that included the 'Gray-headed', 'Pink-sided', and 'Oregon' forms.
Bridled Titmouse at the feeder near our room at the Santa Rita Lodge.

Yellow-eyed Junco at the feeder behind our room at the Santa Rita Lodge.

We then headed back down to Proctor Road. New birds seen there included Curve-billed Thrasher and Townsend's Warbler, but the gnatcatchers still eluded us. Along the way down into Green Valley to get some groceries and hit a restaurant, we stopped at a pecan grove and spotted several Gambel's Quail crossing some railroad tracks. We drove across the tracks on a dirt road to get a better look at them and proceeded to get blocked in by a freight train that stopped and parked across our exit! Luckily, after waiting for about fifteen minutes to see if it would move again, I continued down the dirt road and found another way out of the area and back across the tracks. From now on, I will remember to park the car and walk in across railroad tracks unless I know there's another way out.

Arizona Trip ~ February 7, 2008

2008-02-10T17:00:00.000-08:00

Once again, I headed up Old Baldy Trail at first light. The trail was still slippery in many spots, but the snow had melted off in much of the lower section. On the way up, I met a New Jersey birder and we parked ourselves by the stump marked with a rock cairn, which is where the bird had most recently been seen. Six other birders eventually showed up and joined us in the search. At around 11:00, a local birding guide, Melody Kehl, announced to us that she had the bird. All eight of us got great looks at the Crescent-chested Warbler as it worked the oaks above the trail for about ten minutes before eventually moving back out of sight. Thanks, Melody! I managed to get several identifiable shots of this very active bird while it was in view. It's funny how it seemed that my leg muscles ached a lot less on the way down after seeing the bird.Crescent-chested Warbler along Old Baldy Trail in Madera Canyon. Note the bold, white eyebrow stripe, the small white crescent under the eye, the olive-green back, the yellow breast with barely visible crescent, and the light belly.

Crescent-chested Warbler along Old Baldy Trail in Madera Canyon. This photo shows the bold, white eyebrow stripe, the 'parula-like' olive-green back, and the light belly.

Crescent-chested Warbler along Old Baldy Trail in Madera Canyon. This photo shows the white eyebrow stripe and the chestnut crescent on the yellow breast.

After telling Babe that I had seen the bird, which was great news for me but sad news for her, we headed back down to Proctor Road. As we were walking up the trail from the parking lot, Babe caught the 'sneezing' sound of a gnatcatcher up ahead. After directing her to some movement in the brush near the stream, we realized that we were finally looking at her 'life' Black-capped Gnatcatcher. This actively-feeding male eventually closed to within six feet of me!Black-capped Gnatcatcher along Madera Creek at the Proctor Road area. This photo shows the graduated white tail feathers, a longer bill than that of Blue-gray and Black-tailed Gnatcatchers, and a dark line above the eye, which makes this bird a non-breeding male.

After getting all the looks she could possibly ask for, we circled around down to the stream to get the sun directly behind us. Eventually, we found the female, too, and watched her for a few minutes before she flew across to the other side of the stream. Other new trip birds seen there included a pair of Ladder-backed Woodpeckers, a Say's Phoebe, and a Bewick's Wren.

Arizona Trip ~ February 8, 2008

2008-02-10T16:00:00.000-08:00

Since we'd now found the gnatcatcher, I talked Babe into making the trek up Old Baldy Trail to see if we could refind the Crescent-chested Warbler for her. Slowly but surely, we made it up to the area where I'd seen the bird the day before. With more birders present than the previous three days, someone eventually spotted the bird down the trail from where we were. We carefully slid our way down to the rest of the birders and she was able to get a decent look at the bird, making the hike well worth it. Satisfied, we leisurely worked our way back down the trail, stopping at a few good vantage points, hoping to beat the nearly impossible odds and get a glimpse of the Aztec Thrush that one lucky bird happened to see the day before. Back down at the car, we determined that we had more than enough daylight left to drive to drive back up to Red Rock and take another shot at finding a Ruddy Ground-Dove. Unfortunately, we came up empty again. Our last new bird of the trip was a Crested Caracara that Babe spotted a few miles west of the feedlot.

Arizona Trip ~ February 9, 2008

2008-02-10T15:00:00.000-08:00

After packing up, we drove to the airport and boarded our flight back to Philadelphia via Dallas. I tallied one 'lifer' and one 'ABA bird' among the 71 trip species. Babe got three new birds: the Jacana, the gnatcatcher, and the warbler, and is now only two short of 700. Maybe next trip.
For those of you interested in seeing many more photos from this Arizona trip, you can go to my PicasaWeb Arizona Album.

Arizona Trip List ---- February 2nd to 9th, 2008

1) Pied-billed Grebe
2) Snow Goose
3) American Wigeon
4) Northern Shoveler
5) Ruddy Duck
6) Northern Harrier
7) Red-tailed Hawk
8) Crested Caracara
9) American Kestrel
10) Wild Turkey
11) Gambel's Quail
12) American Coot
13) Killdeer
14) Northern Jacana* ('ABA Area' bird)
15) Rock Pigeon
16) Eurasian Collared-Dove
17) White-winged Dove
18) Mourning Dove
19) Inca Dove
20) Belted Kingfisher
21) Acorn Woodpecker
22) Gila Woodpecker
23) Ladder-backed Woodpecker
24) Hairy Woodpecker
25) Arizona Woodpecker
26) Northern (Red-shafted) Flicker
27) Cordilleran Flycatcher
28) Black Phoebe
29) Say's Phoebe
30) Loggerhead Shrike
31) Mexican Jay
32) Chihuahuan Raven
33) Common Raven
34) Horned Lark
35) Bridled Titmouse
36) Verdin
37) Red-breasted Nuthatch
38) White-breasted Nuthatch
39) Brown Creeper
40) Bewick's Wren
41) Ruby-crowned Kinglet
42) Black-capped Gnatcatcher
43) Hermit Thrush
44) American Robin
45) Curve-billed Thrasher
46) European Starling
47) Orange-crowned Warbler
48) Crescent-chested Warbler* ('Life' bird)
49) Yellow-rumped (Audubon's) Warbler
50) Townsend's Warbler
51) Hepatic Tanager
52) Green-tailed Towhee
53) Spotted Towhee
54) Canyon Towhee
55) Abert's Towhee
56) Chipping Sparrow
57) Brewer's Sparrow
58) Lark Sparrow
59) Lark Bunting
60) White-crowned Sparrow
61) Dark-eyed Junco ('Gray-headed', 'Pink-sided', and 'Oregon')
62) Yellow-eyed Junco
63) Northern Cardinal
64) Red-winged Blackbird
65) Eastern Meadowlark
66) Brewer's Blackbird
67) Great-tailed Grackle
68) Brown-headed Cowbird
69) House Finch
70) Lesser Goldfinch
71) House Sparrow

Long-billed Murrelet in PA! ~ December 14, 2007

2007-12-15T01:00:00.000-08:00

Jason Horn drove out onto the fishing pier at Lake Nockamixon in Bucks County and spotted a small bird in the water. After initially doubting what he was seeing, he realized that it was a Long-billed Murrelet! Calls were made and the scramble began as birders from all around the state and beyond headed for the lake. Since I was out, I didn't find out about it until fairly late in the day. Luckily, I made it there just before dusk and got to look at it through one of the many scopes set up on it.
This bird represents the 1st record for Pennsylvania! It was a new state bird for me and everyone else who got there to see it.

White Ibis in Northampton County! ~ August 7, 2007

2007-08-08T01:00:00.000-07:00

I did not have my camcorder along in the car when I got the call from Arlene Koch that a former president of the Lehigh Valley Audubon Society was pretty sure that he had a young White Ibis feeding in his backyard pond. So, I asked her if she'd bring her new camera along in order to document it if the identification was correct.
When we got there, Barry and Doris Transue eagerly took us out on their deck and showed us the bird walking around the pond, which was often feeding in a side-to-side motion. Thanks to them and Arlene's digital camera, I was able to get a fair number of identifiable photos that should cast any doubt about the bird's identity. They came out fairly well despite the tropically-humid, overcast, early evening light.
White Ibis near Mount Bethel in Northampton County. Note the long, downcurved bill, which is changing from dull pink to orange (especially near its base), the light brown neck, and the dark brown upperparts. The white showing on the right side of the bird is just a misaligned feather.

White Ibis near Mount Bethel in Northampton County. Note the white belly and white rump in addition to the long, downcurved, dull orange bill, the light brown neck, and the dark brown upperparts.

White Ibis near Mount Bethel in Northampton County. Note the white belly and white on the shoulder of the wing. The light blue iris is barely visible in this photo.

This bird represents only the 2nd record for Northampton County and only the 3rd record for the Lehigh Valley area. It was a new county bird for me and only the second one I've ever seen in the state.

Alaska Trip ~ May 29-30, 2007

2007-06-13T13:00:00.000-07:00

After birding for more than 30 years, I finally got the chance to go to Alaska in 2007. I went along with four other Pennsylvania birders: Jason Horn, Devich Farbotnik, Dick Colyer, and Bob Scheibner. The plan was to spend about eight days on St. Lawrence Island and the last three in the areas around Nome in order to find the mainland breeders restricted to western Alaska. All things considered, everything went well, resulting in a very successful trip.

Tuesday and Wednesday, May 29th and 30th

Jason and I took off from Philadelphia Airport at around 5:30 in the late afternoon of May 29th, changed planes in Salt Lake City, Utah, and got into Anchorage, Alaska at around midnight. There, we met Dick Colyer and waited through the early morning hours for our 6:00 AM flight to Nome with a quick stopover in Kotzebue. We arrived at the Nome Airport at around 9:00 AM on the 30th.
Since we had several hours before our Hageland Airlines flight over to Gambell on St. Lawrence Island, we birded the area around the airport and the nearby town jetty. We were able to find Red-throated Loon, Harlequin and Long-tailed Ducks, Black Scoter, Pacific Golden-Plover, Red-necked Phalarope, Long-tailed Jaeger, Mew and Glaucous Gulls, Black-legged Kittiwake, Arctic Tern, Common Murre, a distant, yet identifiable, 'life' Kittlitz's Murrelet, Orange-crowned Warbler, Fox, Savannah, and White-crowned Sparrows, Common Redpoll, and frustrating glimpses of Yellow Wagtails in flight.
Back at the airport, we boarded the twin-engine plane and took the 45-minute flight over to Gambell. Luckily, the fog moved out right before we got there or we wouldn't have been able to land. About 26 hours after leaving Philadelphia, we were finally on the island. Devich met us at the "airport", as did several four-wheeled ATV's with attached carts to carry our baggage, and led us to the house that we'd be staying at the first three nights until some rooms became available in "the lodge". It was a house with four bedrooms owned by an Eskimo named Wade. It was very nice inside and we had full use of it. Since cell phones are useless on the island, family radios are the birders' only means of communication. The town has one main store and another smaller one that's open when the main one is closed. There are no restaurants or shops. Since the town is located on a bed of loose, rolling gravel, walking involves sinking in ball-bearing-like pebbles, shortening what would be a full stride down to half or three-quarters its length. Mostly because of this, ATV's are the main type of transportation. Here, they have a purposeful use instead of the 'recreational' (or "wreck-all-creation") use that we find around here. Cars and trucks are nonexistent.
After quickly settling in, we headed out to "The Point", or "The Seawatch" as it's also called. On the way there, we ran into a group of birders who were looking at a Red-throated Pipit. After getting great looks at it, we continued over to the seawatch. It was the end of May and there was still a fair amount of ice in the Bering Sea.
The mountains in Siberia, only 38 miles away, were easily visible on this clear day. The International Date Line runs between Gambell and these Siberian mountains, so you're actually seeing 'tomorrow' when looking at them. Note the line of alcids in the middle of the photo.

The weather was cold by our Mid-Atlantic standards for late May and early June, roughly ranging between 30 and 45 degrees most of the time we were on the island. From here, I got good looks at my 'life' Crested Auklets and Horned Puffins.Horned Puffin at "The Seawatch" northwest of town. Note the huge, two-toned puffin bill, the white face with the dark 'horn' extending up from the eye, and the white chest.

Other species observed here included Northern Fulmar, Pelagic Cormorant, Common Eider, Long-tailed and Harlequin Ducks, Pomarine and Parasitic Jaegers, Glaucous and 'Vega' Gulls, Black-legged Kittiwake, and Common and Thick-billed Murres. The number of birds passing here has to be seen to be believed. It was not unusual to see 500 to 1000 birds a MINUTE passing by the point.
Later that evening, a call on the radio alerted us that a Gray-tailed Tattler had been found at the south end of Troutman Lake, so we hiked down there and found it fairly easily, which made the last half of the five-mile round trip seem a little shorter than it was.Gray-tailed Tattler in the marsh at the south end of Troutman Lake. Note the lack of barring on the belly and undertail coverts, the less extensive barring elsewhere on the underparts, and the lighter gray overall color when compared with that of a Wandering Tattler.

Because most of us were 'burned out' by this time from very little sleep in over 30 hours, we decided to make something to eat and turn in for the short night. It was hard to stop birding since there was still plenty of daylight left. We were up near the Arctic Circle, so sunrise was about 5:30 AM and sunset was about 1:30 AM! It was weird to see the sun shining through the window after midnight.

Alaska Trip ~ May 31, 2007

2007-06-13T12:00:00.000-07:00

First thing in the morning, we headed back out to the seawatch and I cashed in with two 'lifers'----a few breeding-plumaged Arctic Loons and 5 Steller's Eiders----four males and a female in a tight group. White-winged Scoters of the 'Asian' form were also noted in the event of a future split. Other new 'trip birds' seen from there included Yellow-billed Loon, Greater White-fronted Goose, 'Black' Brant, Northern Shoveler, Greater Scaup, King Eider, Common Merganser, Black and Pigeon Guillemots, and Tufted Puffin. Another long trip to the south end of the lake produced the same Gray-tailed Tattler along with breeding Red-necked Phalaropes and 'fly-over' Sandhill Cranes. Back at "The Point", Jason spotted a Black-headed Gull, a pretty unusual find at Gambell. A young Ivory Gull was also there.
Black-headed Gull at "The Seawatch" west of town. This photo was taken by Jason Horn. Note the dark underwings (especially the inner primaries), the dark-hooded head, and the dark red bill.

On the southwest edge of town, the "Near Boneyard" harbored a Red-necked Stint and a Swainson's Thrush among the numerous Dunlin, Lapland Longspurs, and Snow Buntings.
The town of Gambell with the "Near Boneyard" in the foreground and the snowcapped seabird cliffs out beyond it.

Red-necked Stint in the "Near Boneyard" on the southwest edge of town.

Next, I made the long walk over to the seabird cliffs that were just east of town and got great looks at the tiny Least Auklets and the larger Parakeet Auklets.
Least Auklets at the seabird colony, just east of the town. Note the white chin, mottled breast, very dark red bill, and the white plume extending behind the eye. These auklets are tiny, even smaller than a Dovekie.

Parakeet Auklets at the seabird colony, just east of the town. Note the dark throat, white underparts, the orange-red bill, and the white plume extending behind the eye. This is the largest of the three auklets normally found at Gambell.

Crested Auklet at the seabird colony, just east of the town. Note the overall dark appearance, the bright orange bill, and the crest plumes extending up from the forehead, and the white plume extending behind the eye.

Alaska Trip ~ June 1, 2007

2007-06-13T11:00:00.000-07:00

The first of June started out with the early-morning ritual of doing a seawatch at "The Point" where we added Red-breasted Merganser, a young Glaucous-winged Gull, and a Black-bellied Plover to the trip list. Nearby in "Old Town", the oldest section of town nearest the point, a few Pacific Golden-Plovers were feeding in the short grass.
Wade, the owner of the house we were staying in, offered to shuttle us down to the bottom end of the lake with his ATV. Little did we know that this offer would be a big break. Halfway down the "road along the mountain", we noticed a group of birders looking part way up the mountain and discovered that they had refound the Hawfinch that hadn't been seen for a few days. Thanks to the birders there, we all managed to get good looks at it through their scopes. Numerous pairs of Snow Buntings were evident along the base of the mountain.
A pair of Snow Buntings (the male on the left and the duller female on the right) just off the road between Troutman Lake and the mountain.

At the marsh just south of the lake, we refound the Gray-tailed Tattler, a few pairs of Red-necked Phalaropes, and a very cooperative Long-billed Dowitcher.
Red-necked Phalarope in the marsh at the south end of Troutman Lake. Note this male's chestnut sides on the head and neck surrounding the white throat patch, the buffy stripes on the dark gray back, and the thin bill. Note that male phalaropes are duller than the females since they sit on the eggs and raise the young, a reversal compared to most birds.

Long-billed Dowitcher in the marsh at the south end of Troutman Lake. Note the heavy barring on the flanks, the white spotting on the back, and the dark neck markings.

A Yellow Wagtail was claiming territory nearby, finally allowing me much nicer looks than I'd had before. Along the first pond beyond the marsh, I got excellent looks at my first Rock Sandpiper.
Rock Sandpiper at the first pond beyond the marsh at the south end of Troutman Lake. Note the black breast patch, the chestnut-colored crown and back, the thin, dark streaks on the flanks, and the pale head and unmarked white throat.

After taking a number of photos, we continued on down past the two ponds towards Ooynik Point, also known as "South Beach", which has a much different view than what is found at the one in Miami, Florida. Red-necked and Horned Grebes were present just offshore. On the return hike, Jason and Devich spotted one of the best birds of the trip, a Great Knot! It was a 'lifer' for all of us. Radio calls quickly went out to the other birders and within a half-hour all the birders on the island were assembled, looking at this Asian stray.
Great Knot at the first pond beyond the marsh at the south end of Troutman Lake. This fantastic photo, taken by Jason Horn, shows the black mottling on the head, breast, and back, the band of rufous scapulars, and the black 'arrow' spots on the flanks.

Common Raven and Hermit Thrush were noted on the way back to town.

Alaska Trip ~ June 2, 2007

2007-06-13T10:00:00.000-07:00

The morning's seawatch revealed a few Slaty-backed Gulls among the previously-seen cast of characters. Unfortunately, fog dealt us the biggest 'miss' of the trip on this day. A White-tailed Eagle was seen and photographed by a few birders at the south end of the lake. A little later, it was refound by a lucky group of birders who happened to catch a look at it as it appeared through an opening in the fog. Despite a lot of searching, it was never seen again after that. Later in the day after the fog burned off, a pair of Rough-legged Hawks was seen near the top of Sevuokuk Mountain, a Peregrine Falcon was seen cruising over the area, and a Gray-cheeked Thrush was found along the base of the mountain.
The rest of the day I observed the seabird colony on the cliffs east of town. I spent a good amount of time sitting in the rocks at the base of the cliffs watching and photographing the large numbers of alcids there. I was starting to get hungry and looked at my watch to see what time it was. No wonder I was hungry; it was 12:30 AM! I hiked back to the house, ate, and turned in at around 2 AM. And yes, it was still light outside.
This view from Gambell towards Siberia was taken at 1:00 AM(!) during my trek back from the alcid cliffs. Note that the sun is still well above the horizon, behind the top, dark gray layer of clouds.

Alaska Trip ~ June 3, 2007

2007-06-13T09:00:00.000-07:00

After a rather uneventful seawatch (by Gambell's standards), we acted on a radio call and got to see a Common Ringed Plover that was found in "Old Town". Semipalmated Plovers were also in the vicinity, giving us a nice comparison between the two species.
Common Ringed Plover in "Old Town". This photo, taken by Jason Horn, shows the white eyebrow, the black line meeting the bill at the gape, the lack of an obvious eye ring, and the extra wide breastband that all help distinguish it from Semipalmated Plover.

Devich and Jason standing next to the immense whale jawbones that are on the beach near "Old Town".

After getting many fleeting glimpses during the previous few days, I finally good great looks at one of the White Wagtails along the road by the "Far Boneyard". This 'gray-backed' form gave the impression of a huge Hooded Warbler as it would be seen on a black-and-white television. Yes, I remember black-and-white TV's, and no, it's not funny. The boneyard itself held an American Tree Sparrow.
Later, with Jason's help, I was able to get a look at four breeding-plumaged Dovekies standing on the rocks two-thirds of the way up the alcid cliffs. I was thrilled to be able to spend ample time watching this 'lifer' while standing on solid ground (those who know me know how much I enjoy rocking boats on pelagic trips).
During the day, one of the tour groups had left for the mainland, so we were able to get rooms in the 'annex' of the Sivuqaq Inn, the only lodge in town. The 'annex' was a meat locker trailer (complete with freezer door handles) that was converted into rooms with two single beds in each room and a built-on, shared bathroom----not exactly AAA-rated, but it was warm and dry.
The last several days of our stay in Gambell was spent at the Sivuqaq Inn, the only 'lodge' in town. We got to stay in the luxurious(?) 'annex', which is the small white building to the right of the main (blue) lodge. The entrance door is just to the right of the rusty tank. Note the two ATV's parked in front, the only mode of transportation around town through the loose, rolling gravel seen in the foreground.

Alaska Trip ~ June 4, 2007

2007-06-13T08:00:00.000-07:00

This morning's seawatch produced some excitement. I noticed a small group of eiders heading our way that just didn't look right for Common Eiders and announced them to our group. The others got on them and hollered out "Spectacled Eiders (!)" as two males flew by close along the shoreline. Small numbers of Red Phalaropes were also seen along the shore. Along the road east of the lake, I checked many of the Snow Buntings for a McKay's, but a McKay's X Snow Bunting hybrid was the closest that I could find.

Alaska Trip ~ June 5, 2007

2007-06-13T07:00:00.000-07:00

More Steller's Eiders passed the seawatch this morning. A very cooperative immature Ivory Gull stood on an ice chunk along the shore while photographers snapped away.
Ivory Gull at "The Seawatch" northwest of town. Note the mostly-white plumage with black flecking on the wingtips, the black legs, and black around the base of the yellow-tipped bill.

Alaska Trip ~ June 6, 2007

2007-06-13T06:00:00.000-07:00

Since another one of the tour groups was departing, we were able to rent our own ATV's for the last two days of our island stay. It was nice to be able to ride where we wanted to go instead of trudging at a slow pace through the rolling gravel. Along the way down to "South Beach", we saw Green-winged Teal on one of the ponds, 'fly-by' Sandhill Cranes, and got more photo opportunities for Rock Sandpiper. While at the beach, Jason pointed out two very close Emperor Goose that flew by, another 'life bird' for me. Back outside of town, a Bank Swallow was found flying around over the "Near Boneyard". Also seen in the "Near Boneyard" were a female Bluethroat and a Red-throated Pipit. My two quick looks at the Bluethroat were only long enough to see the rufous in the tail and catch a glimpse of the necklace on the throat.

Alaska Trip ~ June 7, 2007

2007-06-13T05:00:00.000-07:00

Early morning at the seawatch produced some 'photo ops', but nothing out of the ordinary. A ride south past the lake produced Common Ringed Plover. Another Gray-tailed Tattler was found in the grassy marsh at the northeast corner of the lake and a White Wagtail was spotted nearby. But, the hotspot of this day was the "Far Boneyard". After much searching, we were able to refind the Arctic Warbler that had been seen there earlier in the day. It was a good thing that we saw this one well because it was the only one we found on the trip.
Arctic Warbler in the "Far Boneyard". This photo, taken by Jason Horn, shows the white eyeline and the narrow white wingbar on the olive-colored upperparts.

Then, on the walk back out of the boneyard, Devich spotted a small sandpiper in a large puddle very close to where I was walking. I froze as both he and Jason yelled out "Temminck's Stint!" A radio call went out and, within several minutes, the rest of the birders were assembled, studying the bird and taking photos.
Temminck's Stint at the "Far Boneyard". Although this photo is a little blurry, it was the best one I had that shows this peep's yellow legs, the scaly-looking back, and the longish wings and tail, giving it an elongated appearance. It gave me the general impression of a miniature Baird's Sandpiper.

Later, Jason found a Lapland Longspur nest that we took some quick photos of before letting the female get back to her eggs.
Lapland Longspur in the grassy marsh at the northeast corner of Troutman Lake. Males are easily seen practically everywhere around Gambell while defending their territories.

I spent the latter part of the day back at the seabird colony, watching the activity and taking photos.

Alaska Trip ~ June 8, 2007

2007-06-13T04:00:00.000-07:00

After packing up, we headed to the airstrip to catch our plane back to Nome.
Jason and Devich getting off the twin-engine plane that took us over to Gambell and back.

Back at Nome, we checked into the Nugget Inn. The wooden finish line banner for the Iditarod Sled Dog Race sat just across the street. After settling in, we headed right for Fat Freddy's Restaurant where I ordered a huge, juicy steak. It tasted so good after eating all those peanut butter sandwiches and beef stews on the island.
Dick picked up our rental vehicle. It was a crew cab pickup truck that had no driver's-side mirror. All of the inside door handles were busted off except the driver's, so if you wanted to get out, you either had to reach through the window and grab the outside door handle or you had to wait for the driver to let you out. It had power windows, but they were so full of dirt from the back roads that you had to help push them back up when you wanted to close them. The one window sounded like Chewbacca from the 'Star Wars' movie when you tried to close it. The good news was that it got us to where we were going and, when you're 75 miles away from the nearest town with no houses visible for miles, that WAS a good thing.
Nome's Nugget Inn, which sits on the shore of the Bering Sea, and the wooden Iditarod Sled Dog Race finish banner, which is on the far right. The banner reads: "End of Iditarod Sled Dog Race" across the top. Our black, rented crew cab pickup truck sits in front of the inn by the sign post with mileages to all parts of the world.

With full stomachs, we headed down Council Road towards Safety Lagoon where we had some nice looks at several Emperor Geese. Other waterfowl seen there included Tundra Swan, Brant, Cackling Goose, Green-winged Teal, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Northern Shoveler, American Wigeon, Canvasback, Greater Scaup, Common Eider, and Common Goldeneye. Other birds noted were Red-necked Phalarope, Northern Harrier, Sandhill Crane, Savannah Sparrow, and the always obvious Lapland Longspur. Just west of the Solomon bridge, we found the colony of Aleutian Terns, another new bird for me.
Aleutian Tern near the Solomon bridge at the east end of Safety Lagoon. Note the white forehead created by the black eyeline, the black bill and legs, and the dark wings and mantle.

The shoreline by the colony held both Black and Ruddy Turnstones. On the way back to Nome, we stopped at some mudflats where the Little Derby Creek emptied into the sea. There, we found two Bar-tailed Godwits, the only godwit I haven't seen in the 'Lower 48', among Semipalmated and Western Sandpipers, and two other 'goodies'----a Red-necked Stint and another Black-headed Gull.
Bar-tailed Godwit near the Little Derby Creek east of Nome. Note the unmarked rufous underparts and the upturned bill.

Bar-tailed Godwit at the Nome River bridge east of Nome. The barred tail is visible on this preening bird.

A few stops along the road produced Whimbrel, Dunlin, Wilson's Snipe, Tree Swallow, American Robin, Yellow Wagtail, American Tree Sparrow, and Common Redpoll. It was really strange to see Long-tailed Jaegers and Arctic Terns perched along the road on wires and guardrails.
Long-tailed Jaeger on a telephone pole outside of Nome.

A couple Reindeer were in a field near the intersection of Kougarok and Council Roads.

Alaska Trip ~ June 9, 2007

2007-06-13T03:00:00.000-07:00

We headed up the Kougarok Road in order to look for the rest of the Nome area specialties. Along the way, we got out of the truck to check out a Grizzly Bear that was sleeping in a distant meadow. A little farther along, we quickly stopped when we noticed a Willow Ptarmigan along the edge of the road. I've always thought that this ptarmigan's call was one of the funniest-sounding among North American birds, so getting to actually hear this 'lifer' call in real life was a special, comical treat. Before reaching the Grand Central River bridge, my other 'life' ptarmigan, a Rock Ptarmigan, was seen standing on a snow field.
Rock Ptarmigan on a snowfield below the Grand Central River bridge. Note the mostly winter plumage with the black line running from the bill through the eye.

A stop to look for Bluethroat produced an American Golden-Plover instead.
At mile marker 72, we met the WINGS tour and joined them for the walk up the hill opposite Coffee Dome. It was a real challenge to walk through the tussocks without tripping or falling. Near the top, we found our target bird, a Bristle-thighed Curlew, flying around and calling as it went over us. After some extensive searching, we finally got to see one on the ground well enough through scopes to see the buffy rump and tail and actually get glimpses of the 'bristles'.
Bristle-thighed Curlew on the hilltop opposite Coffee Dome. This poor 'digiscoped' photo still manages to show the buff-colored rump exposed between the wings, the stripes on the head, and the long, downcurved bill.

The view from atop the hill was amazing. The Kougarok Road is barely visible just to the right of center in the photo.

Another cooperative Willow Ptarmigan was seen on the walk back down to the truck.
Willow Ptarmigan on the hillside opposite Coffee Dome. Note the chestnut-colored head and neck and bright red eye combs.

Four miles farther out the road, we stopped at some old buildings and got great looks at a displaying male Bluethroat. This 'lifer' is appropriately named as it appears to have a hummingbird gorget that glows bright blue in the sun. It was definitely one of my favorite birds of the trip. A Say's Phoebe was also present there.
On the way back to Nome, we took a short side trip down the road to Pilgrim Hot Springs and found a pair of Northern Wheatears along with Long-tailed Jaeger and Whimbrel.
Whimbrel along the road to Pilgrim Hot Springs. Note the bold stripes on the head.

A stop near Salmon Lake produced another Bluethroat on territory. This bird was much more cooperative than the first one, so I was able to get a few half-decent photos of it.
Bluethroat along the Kougarok Road near Salmon Lake. Note this male's striking blue throat bordered by black and brown breast bands and the whitish eyebrow stripe. The rufous area at the base of the tail is barely visible in this photo.

Bluethroat along the Kougarok Road near Salmon Lake. Again, note the male's striking blue throat bordered by black and brown breast bands and the whitish eyebrow stripe.

Other birds seen along the Kougarok Road included Tundra Swan, Harlequin Duck, Gray-cheeked Thrush, Varied Thrush, Yellow Wagtail, Yellow, Wilson's, and Orange-crowned Warblers, Golden-crowned, White-crowned, and Fox Sparrows, and Common and Hoary Redpolls. After grabbing a meal in Nome, we headed back out Council Road to Safety Lagoon and managed to add Surf Scoter to the trip list.

Alaska Trip ~ June 10, 2007

2007-06-13T02:00:00.000-07:00

With all the Nome specialties 'in the bag', Jason, Devich, and I decided to go out early and look for some photo opportunities. We headed up the Teller Road, finding Willow Ptarmigan and Pacific Golden-Plover along the way. We then drove up to Banner Creek, a small settlement along the Kougarok Road. There, we found Mew Gull, Bank and Cliff Swallows, and Yellow, Wilson's, Blackpoll, and Orange-crowned Warblers. Later in the morning, showers invaded the area, so we headed back into town and got something to eat.
By afternoon, the weather greatly improved, allowing us to head back out the Council Road. At the Safety Sound bridge, we saw eight breeding-plumaged Sabine's Gulls.
Sabine's Gull along the shoreline of the Bering Sea near the Safety Sound bridge. Note the distinctive gray, white, and black upperwing pattern and the black hood on the head.

On a rocky outcropping beyond Solomon, we stopped to scope a Gyrfalcon nest. Watching the male circling above and getting dive-bombed by a Long-tailed Jaeger while the female sat on the massive stick nest was definitely one for the memory books.
Gyrfalcon nest outside of Solomon along the Council Road. This huge stick nest (just above center in this photo) is built on the side of a large cliff face.

Gyrfalcon nest outside of Solomon along the Council Road. In order to appreciate the size of this impressive nest, I've enlarged the nest area and pointed out the Gyrfalcon's head, which is the tiny, dark 'dot' located just to the left of the red line.

Nearby, we spotted Wandering Tattler and Rough-legged Hawk. As we started into the edge of boreal forest before reaching Council, we found an Alder Flycatcher and several Gray Jays.
On the return trip, we watched a pair of Northern Wheatears at Skookum Pass while a rainbow appeared in the distance.
Northern Wheatear at Skookum Pass on the Council Road. Note this female's dark lores, light eyestripe, gray back, and dark wings. The tail's white base and black terminal band are barely visible along its edge. She was carrying food to her young in a nest under one of the rocks.

A rainbow at Skookum Pass on the Council Road. This was taken from the spot where the Northern Wheatears were. The tan cut through the dark green is Council Road continuing on towards the town of Council, 72 miles from Nome.

Mammal highlights between Solomon and Council included about a dozen Snowshoe Hares, a Moose just outside of Council, and several Muskox and a Red Fox.
Snowshoe Hare on the Council Road. We saw at least a dozen of these standing on or along the road between Skookum Pass and the town of Council.

Muskox along the Council Road near Skookum Pass.

Later, a stop at Cape Nome produced the only Common Loon of the trip. With still plenty of daylight to spare, we took a short drive up the Teller Road. A stop at the creek-sized Penny River bridge produced a Spotted Sandpiper, Gray-cheeked Thrush, Northern Waterthrush, and an American Dipper.
American Dipper at the Penny River bridge.

Birds noted at various stops during the day were Red-breasted Merganser, Whimbrel, Yellow Wagtail, Common Redpoll, and sparrows that included Fox, Savannah, White-crowned, Golden-crowned, and American Tree Sparrow.

Alaska Trip ~ June 11-12, 2007

2007-06-13T01:00:00.001-07:00

After packing up, we got a ride over to the airport and boarded our '737' for the flight back to Anchorage via Kotzebue. During the flight, I got to see the top of Mount McKinley sticking up through the thick cloud cover. At Anchorage, we all had different flights back to Philadelphia. Mine involved an overnight flight from Anchorage to Atlanta and a next morning flight to Philadelphia. About 24 hours after leaving Nome, I was back home in Pennsylvania with 26 'lifers' among the 124 trip species.
For those of you interested in seeing many more photos from my Alaska trip, you can go to my PicasaWeb Alaska Album.

Alaska Trip List ---- May 29th to June 12th, 2007

1) Common Loon
2) Yellow-billed Loon
3) Pacific Loon
4) Arctic Loon*
5) Red-throated Loon
6) Red-necked Grebe
7) Horned Grebe
8) Northern Fulmar
9) Pelagic Cormorant
10) Sandhill Crane
11) Tundra Swan
12) Greater White-fronted Goose
13) Snow Goose
14) Emperor Goose*
15) Cackling Goose
16) Brant
17) Mallard
18) Green-winged Teal
19) American Wigeon
20) Northern Pintail
21) Northern Shoveler
22) Canvasback
23) Greater Scaup
24) Common Eider
25) King Eider
26) Spectacled Eider*
27) Steller's Eider*
28) Black Scoter
29) White-winged Scoter
30) Surf Scoter
31) Harlequin Duck
32) Long-tailed Duck
33) Common Goldeneye
34) Common Merganser
35) Red-breasted Merganser
36) Semipalmated Plover
37) Common Ringed Plover*
38) Black-bellied Plover
39) American Golden-Plover
40) Pacific Golden-Plover
41) Bar-tailed Godwit*
42) Bristle-thighed Curlew*
43) Whimbrel
44) Spotted Sandpiper
45) Wandering Tattler
46) Gray-tailed Tattler*
47) Red-necked Phalarope
48) Red Phalarope
49) Long-billed Dowitcher
50) Wilson's Snipe
51) Ruddy Turnstone
52) Black Turnstone
53) Rock Sandpiper*
54) Great Knot*
55) Dunlin
56) Semipalmated Sandpiper
57) Western Sandpiper
58) Temminck's Stint*
59) Red-necked Stint
60) Pomarine Jaeger
61) Parasitic Jaeger
62) Long-tailed Jaeger
63) Black-headed Gull
64) Mew Gull
65) Herring Gull
66) Glaucous Gull
67) Slaty-backed Gull
68) Glaucous-winged Gull
69) Black-legged Kittiwake
70) Sabine's Gull
71) Ivory Gull
72) Arctic Tern
73) Aleutian Tern*
74) Common Murre
75) Thick-billed Murre
76) Dovekie*
77) Black Guillemot
78) Pigeon Guillemot
79) Kittlitz's Murrelet*
80) Parakeet Auklet*
81) Crested Auklet*
82) Least Auklet*
83) Horned Puffin*
84) Tufted Puffin
85) Northern Harrier
86) Rough-legged Hawk
87) Peregrine Falcon
88) Gyrfalcon
89) Rock Ptarmigan*
90) Willow Ptarmigan*
91) Say's Phoebe
92) Alder Flycatcher
93) Tree Swallow
94) Bank Swallow
95) Cliff Swallow
96) Gray Jay
97) Common Raven
98) Arctic Warbler*
99) Swainson's Thrush
100) Gray-cheeked Thrush
101) Hermit Thrush
102) Varied Thrush
103) American Robin
104) Northern Wheatear
105) Bluethroat*
106) Red-throated Pipit*
107) White Wagtail*
108) Yellow Wagtail*
109) American Dipper
110) Orange-crowned Warbler
111) Blackpoll Warbler
112) Yellow Warbler
113) Wilson's Warbler
114) Northern Waterthrush
115) Savannah Sparrow
116) American Tree Sparrow
117) White-crowned Sparrow
118) Golden-crowned Sparrow
119) Fox Sparrow
120) Lapland Longspur
121) Snow Bunting
122) Common Redpoll
123) Hoary Redpoll
124) Hawfinch*

* Denotes a 'life bird'.

Glaucous Gull at Green Pond ~ April 19-29, 2007

2007-04-30T01:00:00.000-07:00

On the 19th, my afternoon stop at the flooded fields at Green Pond produced a first-winter Glaucous Gull. This bird represents the 1st record from Green Pond! It was last seen on the 29th, a record late date for the Lehigh Valley area.
Glaucous Gull at the flooded fields by Green Pond, Northampton County. Thanks to the use of Pat Holliday's digital camera and scope, I was able to get identifiable photos of this first-winter bird. Note the large, bicolored, dark-tipped bill, the small eye on the large head, and the overall pale, creamy coloration of the bird. This bird represents the first record for Green Pond and one of only about a dozen for Northampton County. This photo was taken on April 23rd.

Glaucous Gull at the flooded fields by Green Pond, Northampton County. Thanks to the use of Pat Holliday's digital camera and scope, I was able to get identifiable photos of this first-winter bird. Note the overall pale, creamy coloration of the bird and the pinkish legs. This bird represents the first record for Green Pond and one of only about a dozen for Northampton County. This photo was taken on April 23rd.

Glossy Ibis at Green Pond ~ April 19, 2007

2007-04-20T01:00:00.000-07:00

My afternoon stop at the flooded fields by Green Pond yielded a Glossy Ibis. Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera with me to document it. Luckily, some others birder got to see it later in the day.

Lazuli Bunting in PA! ~ April 8, 2007

2007-04-09T01:00:00.000-07:00

George Franchois found a Lazuli Bunting near the town of Red Hill in Montgomery County back on March 4th. I finally managed to get a fairly good photo of it on April 8th.

Lazuli Bunting near Red Hill, Montgomery County. Note the light wingbars, buffy breast, and turquoise blue head, wings, and tail. This bird represents the first record for Montgomery County and only the third record for Pennsylvania!

Scott's Oriole in PA! ~ February 21, 2007

2007-02-22T01:00:00.000-08:00

I headed for the Mechanicsburg area in Cumberland County where a Scott's Oriole, a new state bird, was being seen. I was happy to get to see it and get a photo of it at a backyard feeder.
Scott's Oriole near Mechanicsburg, Cumberland County on February 21, 2007. This adult male was originally seen visiting a feeder on Kent Drive on February 19th. Note the black hood and back, lemon yellow underparts, bold white wingbars, and yellowish edges on the black tail. This bird represents the 1st record for Pennsylvania and also the only one for the entire northeastern U.S.!

Baird's Sandpipers at Green Pond ~ August 23, 2006

2006-08-24T01:00:00.000-07:00

During my afternoon stop at the flooded fields by Green Pond, I was pleasantly surprised to find two Baird's Sandpipers feeding in the shallow water. To my knowledge, these two birds represent the 1st records for Northampton County!
Baird's Sandpipers at the flooded fields by Green Pond, Northampton County. This photo was taken on August 24th.

Baird's Sandpipers at the flooded fields by Green Pond, Northampton County. This photo was taken on August 24th.

Fork-tailed Flycatcher AND Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks in PA! ~ June 4, 2006

2006-06-05T01:00:00.000-07:00

With my Pennsylvania Life List in the 360's, seeing a new state bird gets really tough anymore. So, I was totally blown away when I came home with TWO state birds in ONE day!
In late morning, I heard about four Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks that had been found in Bucks County by Rudy Keller. Since I had previously missed seeing the ones found in Westmoreland and Lancaster Counties in 1993, I was ready to head down there to look for them. But soon after that, I got another call about a probable Fork-tailed Flycatcher that was found near Morrisville in Bucks County by Bill Keim!
Billy Weber just happened to be birding at Arlene Koch's house when I got the call, so he and Arlene hopped in the car and the three of us headed down there while the bird's identification was changing from Fork-tailed to Scissor-tailed and eventually back again. When we got there, we saw that the bird had a much shorter tail than what is shown in most of the guides and, at first glance, could have possibly been passed over as an Eastern Kingbird by an inexperienced observer. This was a great find, especially since the bird was found in unusual habitat, trees right along the Delaware River.
Fork-tailed Flycatcher in Morrisville, Bucks County. Note the bird's dark cap, gray mantle, all-white underparts, and fairly long tail, which is much shorter than what is portrayed in most of the field guides because it is not an adult bird. This bird represents the first record for Pennsylvania!

Fork-tailed Flycatcher in Morrisville, Bucks County. Note the bird's dark cap, gray mantle, and fairly long tail. Here, the shaft of the tail feather on the right side can be seen protruding longer than that on the left. This bird represents the first record for Pennsylvania!

After watching and photographing the flycatcher for about an hour or more, we left and headed for the pond where Rudy Keller had seen the Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks in the late morning. We arrived at the pond, just west of the town of Pleasantville, in the early evening and found Harold Lebo and Drew Webber there. The only ducks on the pond were a pair of Mallards, but Arlene said that Rudy told her that they had been hiding in the surrounding vegetation when they weren't in the pond. So, after about 20 minutes of checking every spot we could from the road, Harold went over to the farmhouse and asked the lady there if we could walk out the path to check the near side of the pond. She kindly gave us permission and also told him that she had noticed them there a few days before. We walked out the path and there, in the near right corner of the pond (when looking from the road), were the Whistling-Ducks in just high enough vegetation that they could not be seen at all from the road. We watched them, took photos, and left them right where they were with about an hour of daylight left.
Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks near Pleasantville, Berks County. Note the black belly, white wing patch, red bill, and light eye ring on the gray face. All four birds are in this picture, although the fourth bird is hidden by the dead gray stems just below and in front of the tallest bird. There are very few records of them for Pennsylvania.

To say the least, I was thrilled with getting two state birds (and
great-looking ones at that) in just several hours!

Cancun, Mexico Trip ~ May 19, 2006

2006-05-23T04:00:00.001-07:00

My wife and I spent May 19th to the 22nd in Cancun, Mexico to attend my stepdaughter's wedding, so this was obviously not a birding trip, but I was still able to get out and see some nice birds.
On Friday, May 19th, we flew non-stop from Philadelphia to Cancun. A shuttle took us to the Moon Palace Resort on the Riviera Maya, just south of Cancun. Without a rental car, my birding was restricted to the resort and its adjacent golf course. The damage to the vegetation done by Hurricane Wilma was still very evident. After settling in, I saw my first of five 'life' birds for the trip, a Melodious Blackbird.
Melodious Blackbird at the Moon Palace Resort near Cancun, Mexico.
This photo shows the overall glossy black coloration, the dark eyes, and the dark, pointed bill. This bird was photographed in grass next to a brushy swamp along the edge of the resort area. These birds were fairly common in the brush around the resort.

Another bird that was evident in the brushy swamps surrounding the resort was the Anhinga.
Anhinga at the Moon Palace Resort near Cancun, Mexico.
This photo shows the fairly long, sharply-pointed bill, the white on the wings and back, and the light area at the tip of the tail. This bird was photographed while drying its wings over a brushy swamp along the edge of the resort area.

Great-tailed Grackles were everywhere. Another bird that was commonly seen around the resort and its edges was the Tropical Mockingbird, which was another 'lifer' for me.
Tropical Mockingbird at the Moon Palace Resort near Cancun, Mexico.
This bird has darker wings and a much smaller area of white in the tail when compared to our Northern Mockingbird and lacks the Northern's large white wing patches in flight. This bird was photographed on a post outside our room.

Cancun, Mexico Trip ~ May 20, 2006

2006-05-23T03:00:00.000-07:00

On the morning of the 20th, I walked the golf course and found another 'lifer', a very cooperative Northern Jacana.
Northern Jacana at NORTHERN JACANA at the Moon Palace Golf Club near Cancun, Mexico.
This photo shows the black face with the contrasting yellow forehead patch and yellow bill, black neck and breast, chestnut back and body, grayish legs and very long toes, and pale yellow flight feathers with dusky edges. This bird was photographed near one of the water hazards.

Northern Jacana at the Moon Palace Resort near Cancun, Mexico.
This photo shows how strikingly different the immature looks from the adult. Note the white underparts and face, brown cap on the head, brown back, grayish-green legs, and duller yellow bill with a dusky tip. This is one of two immature birds that were seen in a brushy swamp along the edge of the resort area.

Magnificent Frigatebird at the Moon Palace Resort near Cancun, Mexico.
This photo shows the dark head, the long, dark, pointed wings, the white chest patch, and the long, forked tail. This adult female was photographed while circling over the beach.

The rest of the day was spent at my stepdaughter's wedding and the reception.

Cancun, Mexico Trip ~ May 21, 2006

2006-05-23T02:00:00.001-07:00

On Sunday, the 21st, I took a bus tour to the famous Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza. We didn't get there until midday and the grounds were loaded with people, so I saw very few birds, but the ruins and the associated stories that the guide told us about the site were well worth the trip.
"El Castillo", also known as "Kukulcan's Pyramid" at Chichen Itza.
About 75 feet tall, it was built around the 10th century A.D. for astronomical purposes. During the vernal and autumnal equinox, the sunlight on the one stairway forms what appears to be a serpent 37 yards long that creeps downward until it joins the huge serpent's head carved in stone at the bottom of the stairway.