Woodland Hills Preserve ~ September 20-22, 2021

I spent the last three mornings at the Woodland Hills Preserve, formerly the site of the Woodland Hills golf course. It is geographically located just south-southwest of the Route 33 exit of I-78 in southern Northampton County. The parking lot is along Country Side Lane. All three morning walks produced over 30 species.

September 20th
Highlights from the 20th included Belted Kingfisher, a Merlin being scolded by Blue Jays, Red-eyed Vireo, an early-arriving White-throated Sparrow, a Lincoln's Sparrow, and warblers that included Palm, Nashville, Magnolia, and Common Yellowthroat.

Belted Kingfisher

White-throated Sparrow

Nashville Warbler

Magnolia Warbler

September 21st
Highlights from the 21st included a Philadelphia Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, both Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned Kinglet, a female Scarlet Tanager, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, and warblers that included Magnolia, Black-and white, Blackburnian, Black-throated Green, Northern Parula, American Redstart, and Common Yellowthroat.

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Scarlet Tanager

Magnolia Warbler

Black-throated Green Warbler

Common Yellowthroat

September 22nd
Highlights from the 22nd included a Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Red-eyed Vireo, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Brown Thrasher, and warblers that included Chestnut-sided, Black-and-white, Northern Parula, American Redstart, and Common Yellowthroat.

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

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White-faced Ibis in Pennsylvania! ~ September 18, 2021

Early on Friday evening, I found out that a White-faced Ibis had been found by Zach Baer in Chester County. There was no way I'd be able to make the nearly two-hour drive before dark, so I got up very early on Saturday and headed down there, getting there around sunrise. Eric Witmer was already there and directed me onto the bird in the grassy sections near the middle of the pond. Eventually, it got light enough to see more details on it. I was occasionally able to see the reddish eye and very rarely see a hint of reddish coloration in the knee area. There was a light border from the eye to the top of the base of the bill. When I later looked at the Sibley guide, the face pattern appeared to most closely resemble that of a "drab adult". The bill was grayish and evenly colored throughout. The head was a lighter shade than the neck and body. I could only manage to get some poor, distant photos in the harsh light.

To my knowledge, if accepted, this bird represents the fourth record for Pennsylvania! More photos of the bird can be found in my Pennsylvania Notables Album.

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Say's Phoebe in Northampton County! ~ September 14, 2021

While birding at Housenick Park in Bethlehem Township on Tuesday morning, Linda Freedman discovered a Say's Phoebe along the paved path through the field northeast of the parking lot! She took some nice photos of it and alerted other birders. It just so happened that my car was in for inspection and my wife needed her car at noon, so I commandeered her car and promised that I'd be back before then. When I got there, I found several birders happily watching the bird flycatching from a hay baler parked out in the middle of the field. It was very active and was having no trouble snatching grasshoppers and other insects. I managed to grab a few distant photos of it before heading back home before noon.

Later in the afternoon, I picked up my car at the garage and headed back over to the park, getting there around 5:45. This time, the bird was flycatching from the rake attachment that was much closer to the parking lot. It remained there until dark, allowing me to get a few better photos of it in the process.

This bird represents the first record for Northampton County and only the second record for the Lehigh Valley area.

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Common Nighthawks moving through ~ August 26-29, 2021

The last two evenings I birded from the backyard and got to see numbers of Common Nighthawks as they flew south. Thursday evening, I spotted eleven of them, including one group of seven. Friday evening, six birds were seen that included a line of five. Then on Sunday night, another 21 birds were spotted from the yard. I got several mediocre photos of some of them in the fading light.

Photos from August 26th

Photos from August 27th

Photos from August 29th

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Semipalmated Sandpiper at Green Pond ~ August 17-18, 2021

The retention pond along Green Pond Road continued to provide good shorebird habitat. Yesterday, I found a Semipalmated Sandpiper feeding among 36 Least Sandpipers, 23 Lesser Yellowlegs, a Solitary Sandpiper, and a Great Blue Heron. Today, I refound the bird, which was much closer and allowed me to get some better photos.

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TWO Wilson's Phalaropes at Green Pond ~ August 13, 2021

After the find of a Wilson's Phalarope on the 8th, I got a text from Adam Miller that he had found TWO of them at the same retention pond along Green Pond Road. I drove over there and got a few photos of both Wilson’s Phalaropes.

I also lucky enough to get some flight shots of one of them as it flew from one side of the pond to the other.

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Wilson's Phalarope at Green Pond ~ August 8, 2021

During a quick stop at the retention pond along Green Pond Road, I found a juvenile Wilson’s Phalarope feeding among 22 Lesser Yellowlegs. Unfortunately, I only had my old binoculars in the car and wasn’t 100% sure of the ID using them, so I went home and got my gear and headed back out there. Luckily, the bird was still there and, after scoping it and getting some photos, I got the word out to some of the "locals". In the early evening, Adam Miller and Mike and Corrine Schall also saw the bird, which by that time had unfortunately flown to one of the other retention ponds that is not accessible by road. I managed to get some fairly good documentation photos of it despite the harsh sunlight.

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