On a Redwing and a Prayer

For a long time I have been jonesing for a Redwing. Some of you might think I am referring to a Red-winged Blackbird, often referred to in a more simple form as ‘Red-winged’ or ‘Redwing’ but you would be mistaken. A Redwing is a Thrush, while a Red-winged is a Blackbird. Just to confuse you even more, in Europe the bird they call 'Blackbird' is a Thrush. Sheesh... er, no Thrush.

The Redwing: Turdus iliacus or the “Hippy Thrush” is a European bird, in the same family as our Robins. It is a very rare visitor to our continent, as evinced by its ABA code 4 level. Some describe it as the miscegenistic product of a Robin and a Waterthrush, but they have been roundly criticized for this. Others refer to this and other vagrants in the thrush family as “Euro Turds”, when looking for them in the far more likely location of Newfoundland. As enticing as the reports may be, it’s a wee too far away for a day trip.   

With recent reports albeit not very local, I was nevertheless getting more hopeful. I have been scanning the seemingly ever larger flocks of Robins for the past few years, hopeful that I would find one of these birds. In a way, they are overdue. This prolonged checking either irritates or amuses my co-conspirators, but if one wants to find a bird like this, scanning the flocks of Robins is the best way to do so. From a previous exchange on the intertubes: “(Q) How many Scaup must one look through to find a Tufted Duck? (A) All of them”

When a Redwing was found recently in New Hampshire I was both piqued and a bit frustrated. To quote another post on the intertubes: “Why do the good birds have to be found on Sundays?”

It was found by birder Chris McPherson on March 13. For better or worse I first found out via Farcebook, as using the listserves is no longer preferred method of disseminating sighting info. To be fair, I am not in the habit of checking the New Hampshgire list; though a bird of this magnitude usually is cross posted. Ah, too many lists... eburd... farcebook. Too many sources of information can be just as bad as not enough...

It should come as no surprise that I checked for updates on that following Monday. I was not however holding my breath, because this bird is a notorious one-day-wonder. I unsuccessfully went for one in Reading PA and for another in Rhode Island. Verily, a nemesis bird for me and many other birders.

But this bird reappeared! Its always a great sign when a bird exhibits site fidelity. With that in mind I made inquiries for co-conspirators. A plan was hatched and despite the weather forecast which deterred one potential participant, Earic Miller, Capt’n Bob and I made our way up to the  quintessentially New England town of Hollis NH in search of this good bird.

The day began dark dreary and damp. But the traffic gods were with us and we made our way effortlessly to the prescribed parking location. The fields that the enormous flocks of Robins were frequenting were adjacent to a school, so good judgement was needed in order not to alarm the school officials and ruin it for other birders. We went to and parked on Jeff Smith Way as instructed in the NH list posts. Other cars were present, so that was a good sign, but no birders were in evidence.

We checked the field in front of us, but as far as we could tell they were all Robins. We then walked over to Love Lane where there was more fields, but no parking.  Off in the distance we spotted a couple who appeared to be intently looking at something, and they being Carla and Sam, birders from Acton MA, were on the bird! I ran back to the car as did Earic, because we hadn’t wanted to bring our scopes out in the misty rain. 

Redwing

With the bird foraging near the fence, and roughly halfway between where we were and where Carla and Sam were stationed we got on it rather quickly much to our delight. I got my scope on it, shared the view with other birders present, and there was much rejoicing. MUCH rejoicing. And then Bob said: “Great, lets get something to eat.” 

Redwing. Zoomed in on crappy photo :(

The bird was a distance away. I was content with scope views, and did not venture closer lest the bird be spooked. As a result and partially due to the lighting conditions, my attempts at photographing the bird were much less than good. Add to that camera settings that had been altered perhaps by leaving the camera on and it being jostled in the car. I managed just a few shots before the bird disappeared. While chimping, I discovered that they were over exposed. Groan.

Not wanting to stay standing out in the misty rain, Bob sought shelter in his car while Earic and I tried to relocate the bird after it had flown off. I was hoping for an opportunity for better photos and we did our best, but there was a lot of area to check, lots of Robins, and the mist seemed to have the uncanny ability to fall sideways and ~into~ our optics making the view blurry. Repeated drying of the lenses helped only temporarily.

Eventually with the writing on the wall and stomachs growling, we gave up searching and called it quits. We had an uneventful trip back with minimal traffic; this time thankfully Earic’s presence ( yes I blame him ) did not result in damage to the vehicle.

The birds M.O. can be found here as well as a map of the location

A Powerbirder's Vindication

With word of a Bullocks Oriole upstate, not surprisingly, many inquiries were fielded on the presumption I would be going. Such a reputation... A posse formed, consisting of myself, Earic, Lisa Shrimpke and Cap’t Bob. Seeing as we would be in the area, we were to try for the Golden Eagles at Storm King, as well as Saw-whet Owls reported in nearby Black Rock Forest.

Bob graciously volunteered to drive, while we left logistics up to Lisa. My only requirement was that we had to be back in Queens by 4pm so that I could attend to appointments later that evening.

A bird coming to a feeder. I thought it would be a dam slunk. It turned out to be a damp slog. We arrived at the home of David Baxter, a most gracious fellow who welcomed birders to view the bird from his driveway or back yard. It was cold and windy and raining, despite the forecast for clear skies and only slight chance for a sprinkle.

Once there, we met a nice couple who had driven down from the Adirondacks that morning, as well as a group of 3 women who were also standing vigil. All we got was wet. Nevertheless, as is my custom when visiting someone’s home for a bird, I brought a bag of seed. I feel giving money is icky and uncomfortably mercenary. It also might in the worst case scenario foster a climate where people charge to see their backyard birds. I have heard that this happened in a few cases, and it is disappointing. IMHO the only thing better than seeing a good bird is getting others on it as well. David came out of his home to retrieve the seed as we were leaving and said: “ This was unnecessary.” I replied: “ I believe the birds would disagree, and thank you for the hospitality.”

Our next stop was Storm King where the frigid breeze { tamale?} was not conducive to standing outside scanning with a scope. Of course one can only access the pull-out safely from one direction on 9W, so time was wasted finding a place to turn around. We scanned the favored roosting areas on the side of the mountain, but it was not there nor could we find it soaring nearby. Dip 2.

Finally we went to the Black Rock Forest. We drove up to the visitor’s center, where they graciously permitted us to park in their upper lot, even though we were really supposed to park in the lower lot. They also gave us their best guess as to where the owls might have been, and that was a significant walk up the road, and then some exploring. Oh well, we passed: no time. Dip 3

We made our way back home, with Lisa wanting to stop yet again. We did not, Bob reminding her that we had a predetermined time for return that we had to keep to. The moral of the story is the better you plan, the better your chances for success; at least eliminating back tracking or stopping at places where a lot of time was needed to be allotted.

Flash forward a few days and I learned that Bob Prothonotary had planned an attempt with some of his co-conspirators. This was a good thing as an attempt to iron out a plan with Lisa proved overly cumbersome due to her need to do more responsible things, (sheesh!) and was ultimately dropped.

After conferring with who was and was not going, space was available for me to join Ed Thrasher, Bob Prothonotary, and Doug Fulvetta. 

I was a bit surprised that Ed was driving, as he had told me he was not enamored of long trips, and besides they make his back and legs uncomfortable. I was also surprised that maneuvering off of the island was nowhere near as familiar to any of the three them as it is to me; frequent trips and experience there from having its benefit. So I became the defacto navigator.

On the way, Ed and I listened while Doug and Bob recounted tales of wonderful birds seen in places Ed and I had never been. Ed steadfastly drove, while I alerted him to impending turns. Both of us sighed repeatedly at all the bird names we did not recognize. Ed and I both though Bob and Doug were making the names up!

Nearing our destination, we made our way past what I referred to as ‘bucolic’ scenery, Doug commented on my choice of words. But windy country roads with open fields and sparsely placed homes is a pleasant diversion from the congested urban and suburban sprawl I am far too accustomed to.

Finally we arrived, and as we pulled up behind the one other car present I pondered two things: gee, shouldn’t more folks be here? and: They are looking at something!  We were adjacent to a pond next to the home where the Bullock’s had been, and then we saw it!!! The best part was that we didn’t even have to get out of the car!

Who was it that had clued us into the bird’s location?  Friends Andy, Jennifer, Bill and their friend (whose name always escapes me) from New Jersey.  They travel in a pack and I frequently find at the site of good birds. I gave Jennifer the requisite hug of ‘hello’ and ‘we just got another good bird’. 

For Bob, Doug and myself, this was but a year bird. A ~good~ year bird, but a year bird nonetheless. We three had seen the previous one in 2007 that was also in Ulster county. Ed however, scored a lifer! Ed I have learned, is a man of few words, but his smile spoke volumes. I managed a few crappy shots, but pleasing binocular looks nonetheless. 

And then hoards of birders arrived. We stayed a while longer hoping to get better looks but the bird was reclusive.
 
 

Bullock's Oriole

We then plotted our next location. Doug suggested Shawangunk NWR for Rough-legged Hawk and Short Eared Owl. A bit of route discussion ensued, so I offered that I had it saved in one of my many maps. We let my “Loretta” do the talking though Doug had his own GPS and a DeLorme Atlas, perhaps not as comfortable with the new technology as he would like.

When we got to Shawangunk, we met up with the ‘Jersey Crew’ again who were just leaving, having seen both Rough-legged and Short Eared. They also informed us of a Cackling and Greater White-fronted Goose on nearby Bates Lane. We had very distant views of a Short Eared and several Harriers as well as a vocal Bluebird and a male Kestrel, but no Rough-legged.

On Bates lane we quickly located the flock of Canada’s in question, and Bob found both target geese straight away. He then produced lunch for us all in the form of raps with veggies and horse  radish hummus. This was great: a good division of labor. I navigated, Ed drove, Bob brought the comestibles, and Doug... Doug... er Doug postulated that this had evolved into an excellent day of birding, though the point could be made that there was intelligent design in play too.
 
 

"The Rules"

We were not ready to give up yet, so I suggested the Black Dirt Region where I had 4 Rough-legged Hawks on a trip I led there recently. It didn’t hurt that there had been a recent report of a Gyrfalcon there as well.  Loretta guided us there flawlessly, and we had at least two on Indiana Road. With talk of White-crowned Sparrows at Walkill on my previous trip as well, interest was expressed. No sooner had we gotten out of the car than I asked Bob if he still wanted to see a White-crowned Sparrow. Two were right where I said they would be; in the ditch by the entry to the lot. A year bird for him.

We walked the Liberty trail towards Merritt Island, but could not find a Gyr, though we did find a Bald Eagle. Later that Eagle was probably what put up a massive amount of waterfowl in the Jersey section of the loop trail, but the sun was in our eyes so we could not ID the spooked birds very well.

All in all an excellent day of birding and compared to my last attempt at the Bullocks et al, this was a pleasant vindication of my bird finding prowess.

Lord I Was Born a Brambling Man

Lord I was born a Brambling man

Trying to make a living while birding as much as I can

And when its time for a road-trip, I hope you’ll understand

That I was born a Brambling man.

I am quickly moving up the ladder to more and more difficulty getting lifers here in the US. Some travel is almost always involved, but clearly some forms of travel are “normal” while others are less so.

Take road trips for example. I am blessed to enjoy the journey part of travel. Sometimes a trip to nowhere on a scenic road is all I need to vicariously amuse myself; be it by bicycle, motorcycle, or car. Others though, cannot fathom the idea, and with time constraints flying is certainly more expedient. Or is it?

I look back fondly to the days of yore when I could simply show up at the airport, wait for the shuttle, and pay on the plane en route. No more. Now it’s a lot of wasted time trying to find a flight that doesn’t break the bank, and can bring you there and back without wasting a lot of time on the travel part. Add in the getting there before the flight part and waiting for luggage and then getting the car yada yada and a road-trip is not nearly as bad as some describe.

My choices were spend a lot on flights and car rental, or look at a map, figure out travel times and logistics, and get a willing co-conspirator. Earic Miller took another more expeditious approach. He simply coerced me into going by playing upon my weakness.

Among the ABA code 3 birds I have lusted after, the Brambling is right up there. The problem has always been that they had tended to show up west of here and usually way west. Earic claimed that someone had boasted about how he had ventured from Maryland to Ohio and back in one day.  Sounded impossible to me, but nevertheless it was in fact closer than from here.

But the damage had been done. I started to look at maps and plan and ruminate. Could it be done...? And then to make things worse he threw in that there was a Kelp Gull there as well. I have already seen a Kelp Gull, but another opportunity at a rare bird when in the vicinity would be a waste. A look at the maps some more and they were separated by a mere 30 miles... Hmmmm. 

The window of opportunity was coming up fast and a decision had to be made. The best plan of attack would be to leave after work on Wednesday, and return Thursday. Eminently doable, but what about the weather?

There is so much information available to us nowadays, yet some things remain not as refined as we would like sometimes. For example, wouldn’t it be great if we could get the weather forecast along a route? Well as reported they were predicting more than 50% likelihood of precipitation yet only 0.2" accumulation. Seemed to be not insurmountable...

Despite some understandable trepidation and questioning as to whether I had completely lost my mind, { some say yes, and long ago...} I made the decision to go ahead with our plans. After all, I have met several other birders over the years who have done far longer {worse?} as well as read the accounts of the others who also did this sort of trip. So why not?

Why 'yes' some of you may ask as well. Opportunity for seeing a great bird, of course. But not to be ignored, an important factor is gasoline prices are at remarkably low levels that just ~beg~ you to road-trip. For those who would decry carbon emissions; sorry, a flight would still burn far more fuel. What was the lowest price we saw? $1.25!!! That just SCREAMS road-trip. Screams I tells ya.

I picked Earic up and we departed by 8pm. We stopped for fuel and food after a couple of hours. So good so far.

By 3am we stopped for more gas, and a snack, and to stretch the legs some more. But now thar be snow. 

The 'check-in' thing caused some minor confusion and / or guessing on FB. This was mildly amusing.

It has been a long time since I traveled this far west on I-80. I forgot that there are no street lamps, and worse yet - no roadside reflectors. I still have pretty good night vision, but at times the snow became quite dense and hard to see through. Following trucks and heeding their speed ‘suggestions’ seemed prudent, and helpful in telling where the road was located much further away than could be seen otherwise. 

By 5 we got to Ravenna Ohio where a rest-stop provided welcome warmth and a bathroom break before catching some z’s in the car. We were essentially mostly there, and this was a good place to rest. My bones are a lot older than from the time when I might have chosen to snooze in the car, but I am pleased to say that as far as discomfort levels go, it truly was not that bad. A down vest on me and a thick parka as a blanket and I was toasty warm despite the temperatures in the teens.

A good power nap of an hour and a half or so, and we awoke to continue to our first target: Kelp Gull. By this time there was a good 3" of snow on the ground; a significant underestimation by the meteorological community. What a great profession! Be wrong most of the time and never get fired! Though concerning to me, the snow was dry and not a significant hindrance to travel. Removal by plows was now beginning.
 
Arriving at the Springfield rink, the daylight was just making its presence known. We looked out onto the lake and could not see any gulls, but noises made us look up to see hundreds circling above. Oh no! Were they departing for the day already?

They had been spooked by ? but eventually most settled down onto the lake and we found a good vantage and began scanning with scopes. Among the many Herring and Ring-billed Gulls we finally found a black backed gull, but it was just a Great Black-backed, not a Kelp. We kept looking, and a few at a time other birders joined us. A few more candidates appeared, but clearly none was a Kelp Gull.

A short time later, someone announced that they had begun to plow the lot where we had parked, and we made tracks to go move our vehicles. I got a look at an adult bald eagle that was flying by and that had just flushed the resting gulls again. Then I arrived at my car to see the tail light, bumper and hatch smashed. The plow driver got out of his truck and apologized, saying of all things that he had not seen my car! Sure a gold station wagon completely devoid of snow in a pure white lot, and he somehow overlooked it. 

My car,er was a parked while looking for a Kelp Gull
When it wound up being wronged by a pick-up truck
He plowed the snow and into me and hey, what the f...
dings dents and dipping on the bird sure sucks

He did give me his insurance info and even suggested calling the police for a report so one can say he was careless, but at least he did not act like a jerk. Keeping fingers crossed re the ins co. though...

My visit to Ohio had a real impact

I was in a sleep deprived haze so if I should have had a more angry response I could not muster one. Wow, two strikes. One figurative: we never did see the Kelp Gull. The second unpleasantly literal. And here I thought with the snow and all the time spent on the highway an incident would be more risky, but while the car was parked in the center of a lot? At least the damage did not hinder our safe return.

With police report filed and a final fruitless last look for the gull, we set off for our second quarry.  It was a wee bit solemn: Earic having dipped on a lifer, I having been dinged and dented. But far worse things could have happened. 

By this time much of the roads had been cleared and driving was less stressful for the 30 miles or so to the next location. We arrived and found a sign that said Allerdale Park and entered, only to find it was the wrong parking lot. The bathroom gods were smiling upon us though, as this was the lot with a restroom, so the wrong turn was fortuitous and as I told Earic, ‘intentional’. Yeah, that’s the ticket.

We drove a short way further and stopped in front of the house hosting the feeders. With the teen temperatures and the snow that had started to fall again, I was hoping we might have found a place to squeeze into and be lazy from the road. No luck. The road was way too narrow, too busy, and there was no place to pull off. For a country road it had more than its share of traffic, so as planned we bundled up and walked back from the lot. 

We set up scopes and hoped for the best. I told Earic, who was complaining of the cold, that some folks said the bird was seen within a few minutes while some reported having to wait a few hours for it to show up. He was confident that with the current conditions the bird would be by shortly, and hopeful. He was wearing rubber boots for the snow, but not so good for the frigid temperature. His feet were freezing.

While we waited we enjoyed a nice variety of 20 or so visitors to the feeders. Finally, and off to the side easily obscured from view by the tree in the front yard, I spotted the bird! It was a Brambling in fine display! ABA #707 for me even if I suffered a fender bender to get the lifer.

Brambling

A very nice bird, and I was glad I was encouraged to go see it. With a distance as large as this, the intel from the Ohio lists was helpful because this species { same bird? } was in the relatively same vicinity in the recent past, was site faithful, and lingered to about April. So yeah it was a ways to go but I felt confident that we would be able to score this beauty and score we did. 

Earic not wasting time returning to the car for warmth

Having enjoyed the bird and cognizant of the return trip that awaited us, we set off home. Thankfully the roads had been cleared and the snow had abated making for travel at a more relaxed and accelerated pace. Earic drove while I snoozed. We were back by 7pm. Another successful epic journey. 

Boy, You Really Are Gullible.

Having achieved my goal of doing a big NYS year last year and coming in with what I consider a respectable outcome, I have put birding on the back burner for now so that I can resume so many other pursuits that had fallen by the wayside.

Or so I thought. Yesterday I got a call from Earic Miller, who is hellbent on thwarting my plan to be more responsible. “Have you seen the Massachusetts reports?” No I replied.  “There is a Yellow-legged Gull up in Turners Falls, wouldn’t that be a lifer for you?” Hold on and I’ll check Avisys... Why yes, it ~would~ be a lifer... but its kinda late in the morning already. “Well the bird shows at the end of the day when it comes in to roost.”

Fiendish fellow that he is, here is the report Earic mentioned.

Date: Thu, 4 Feb 2016 01:24:12 +0000 (UTC)
From: "James P. Smith"
To: MASSBIRD , massbird world

Subject: [MASSBIRD] Gill/Turner's Falls - Yellow-legged Gull

Greetings birders,

First let me preface this by saying that the identification of this bird is still a W.I.P and will obviously require final ratification from MARC.

However, a large gull in full breeding plumage has been seen at Unity Park, Turner's Falls for the last three evenings (Feb 1st-3rd). It has very close resemblance to a Yellow-legged Gull (Larus michahellis). Feedback from the North American Gulls Facebook page and the European Gulls Facebook page along with renowned gull experts including Bruce Mactavish have pointed overwhelmingly to this bird being a genuine Yellow-legged Gull. Moreover, an expert from Europe has even indicated that it may from the michahellis group from the Atlantic coast of Iberia. However, this is still early days and key for us has been trying to eliminate a much more expected Lesser
Black-backed x Herring Gull hybrid. I've already seen two of these in past winters at Turner's Falls and was treating this as a potential hybrid when first discovered on Monday evening.

Images of this striking looking bird can be seen here; http://pioneerbirding.blogspot...

The bird has strongly favored Unity Park, Turner's Falls for the last three evenings. This evening, in horrible conditions, it was already present at Unity Park with a handful of RBGulls when I arrived at 3:25pm, though frequent flushes from Bald Eagles spoiled the viewing after that time though I last saw it at 4:45pm. However, in better conditions it has been arriving after 4pm and last night came in quite late, though still well before sunset.

In addition, I also saw the bird in rural Gill this morning at about 08:25am. Remarkably, it was a lone large gull flying south with a flock of about 150 Canada Geese (!!!) low over Munns Ferry Road. I only pulled over to check it because I never, ever see large gulls of any kind in the fields around Gill - I could hardly believe that that lone bird was the Yellow-legged Gull! After dropping my son at school I returned to that site but failed to find any geese or the gull. However, this might just suggest that the Yellow-legged Gull has different feeding habits to the other large gulls roosting at Turner's Falls - just a thought.

For anyone interested in looking for this bird, by far the best option is Unity Park in Turner's Falls after 4pm. There are three public parking spots there - one at the Fishladder, one at the recreation area/skateboarding park and one at the Canalside bike trailhead. All of these spots will offer access to the gull flocks coming into the cove to roost. The gulls can also be viewed from Riverview Drive in Gill and as the ice recedes, this will most likely be the favored roosting spot for large gulls. However, the area is residential and parking may be limited. In addition, there has been some tension between home owners and birders in past years especially when a decent rarity shows up such as the Slaty-backed Gull back in 2009. I've already informed some residents to expect more birder traffic in the forthcoming days.
I cannot rule out a day time visit from this bird, either at Barton Cove or the Turner's Falls power canal. However, based on recent patterns this seems pretty unlikely. I didn't see any large gulls at 9am this morning for example.

I wouldn't regard the identification of this bird as being totally sealed but it's getting very close to that stage and it now seems very unlikely that it will be dismissed as a hybrid.


Good birding,

James
James P. Smith Gill, MA

So a quick check of mapping logistics and other concerns we met up an hour or so later for the trip. It was a balmy 50 degrees, nice spring weather. The roads were as they should always be, not congested and with traffic moving freely. Yay!

It took no where near as long as estimated, which is always a good thing, and a pleasant surprise. Upon arrival in Turners Falls, we stopped in to refuel, and get our bearings. The GPS was confused and could not orient itself, but we made our way down to the water’s edge and began scanning.

There were plenty of birds on the river, but near the dam was an ice flow that the larger gulls were loafing upon. We set up vigil here, and picked through the birds. Unfortunately the bird was not present.

As time passed, more people showed up; both here and on the other side of the river. More were on the other side though, as that is where the light was better. Rows of telescopes and cameras lined the shore there, while a much smaller group was where we were, perhaps because of much more limited parking.

4pm came and went. The bird had been coming in top roost at that time over the past three days, but so far nada. We were anxious, and so were the Canada Geese who began squawking. Eventually small groups of them took off from the ice for parts unknown.

While they were getting antsy as it was after 4:30, we noticed high up above that gulls were coming in and making their way slowly down onto the ice raft. Many eyes were trained on the birds, but it was Earic with his antiquated and dark field of view Spacemaster scope that was the first person to locate the bird! The rest of us got on it quickly, and one person present called fellow birders on the other side to make sure they knew the bird had arrived as well.

The other side of the river had far more birders, but as far as I was concerned, we had much better views and a much better vantage point. Looking at the bird we were able to see and especially compare the field marks against the Herring Gulls. Darker grey mantle, not a trick of the light, not as dark as Lesser Black-backed: check. Smaller spots on the primaries: check. Small white mirror on p10 and tiny white mirror on p9: check. Large red spot on the bill: check. Clean white head devoid of grey streaking: check. Distinctly yellow legs: check. Red orbital ring: check.  The only field mark missing was one mentioned in neither European guide, but mentioned in National Geographic. The latter stated that the head should be more square-headed, but we did not see that feature presenting itself. 

Yellow-legged Gull ...?

Yellow-legged Gull ...?

And that was crucial because despite my being satisfied the ugly specter of hybrid is always lurking waiting for the opportunity to take the wind out of one’s sails. OTOH it would appear to me ( as well as others more experienced with this bird ) that there were several consistent features that suggest YLGU and hopefully dismissed LBBG/HEGU hybrid. We’ll have to wait and see.

I was also able to get some shots, but the angle of the ambient light was not optimal. Actually it was horrible: being nearly from right in front of us with the sky overcast, and the sun was setting. Sheesh. But what the conditions ruined for great shots of this bird, it made up for in spades with a spectacular sunset. 
 
A probable lifer putting me at 706 ABA birds.  Hooda Thunkit. Thanks Earic.

But wait, there's more!

Upon hearing of our success, Arlene Rails wanted to give it a try as well on the weekend.  She cleverly enticed me to go back up there by locating a highly rated brew-pub / restaurant called The People’s Pint,  conveniently a stones throw away from the target’s location. How easily I am coerced by the promise of good beer, my achilles heel. Such is my burden to bear.

Based upon the bird’s M.O. of only being sighted reliably when it comes to roost at sunset, we were in no rush to depart. This gave Arlene and I time to put in a walk around Belmont Lake before departure. Beautiful day and conditions for a walk, and the park was pleasantly underpopulated. Of course the snow meant they had not unlocked the upper gate, and we, ahem, chose to hop over it. Unfortunately in the process she lost one of her bracelets. The next day she asked to revisit the gate and see if it was where she thought it had dropped, and it was! Phew.

With news that we were definitely going others who could not make it on the first attempt signed on but at the last minute one had to pull out to attend to a storm repair, so it was Arlene, Pelican, and I that went.

The weather and traffic gods were on our side, and we made excellent time there. Of more pleasing news, a conveniently situated Dunkin Donuts for caffeination and commensurate micturition followed by the ever so pleasing refueling of the car at $1.75/gal! How can one avoid road-trips with this gas price situation? I’m taking advantage of it while I can because we all know its going to go back up, and sooner than we want it to. 

Continuing the short distance to the birding site, initially we stopped on the south side of the river. We conversed with the assembled crowd and confirmed several things. It had not been seen yet, and the view was significantly more distant so it was decided to continue on to the north side.

Gill, MA

We encountered several cars in the limited pull-outs. We squeezed in and set up scopes. The goils set up next to two fellows looking at the resting gulls and struck up a conversation. One possessed of a British accent put us on a Lesser Black-backed Gull in with the other gulls.

After a bit more conversation electrical impulses started flowing between my brain cells and I postulated about the identity of this fellow, who it turns out was the original discoverer of the bird. I inquired: “Mr. Smith?” he replied in the affirmative.

This led to more in depth discussion of the gull’s possible genetic provenance. It seems that the head shape discrepancy Earic and I discussed as well as wing length and leg length was an issue and of concern to records committee members, as well as those who had been burned by a previous ‘good looking’ candidate that finally revealed itself to be of mixed parentage.

In the birding world miscegenation is frowned upon. Personally I don’t necessarily think less of this bird. Okay so I can’t count it on ‘official’ lists, but truly that is ONLY so that we can compare apples to apples with regards to list size. If you are not a rabid lister, this doesn’t really matter. So I will count it on my life list with an attribute of ‘pending acceptance by the records committee’ until accepted or if determined otherwise, as ‘hybrid’. But the bird won’t go POOF in a puff of smoke and disappear if it is determined to be a hybrid, only it’s countability, and that is not by far the only criteria by which I enjoy birds. Along with life birds and year birds I rather enjoy sightings of birds performing all sorts of behaviors that can be far more interesting than just ticking them onto a list.

So I may not have a lifer after all, but then who amongst us hasn’t lost one here and there due to lumps, or gained an ‘armchair’ tick by splits. Its just how it goes. One mustn’t cry over spilled milk. I mean who cares about milk anyway? Now spilled beer on the other hand - horrors! ...Ahem.

Well it was looking like the bird wasn’t going to show. It was getting later and later and darker and darker. Slowly, more and more folks packed it in and left. I offered that the other day I noticed that the gulls first appeared high above, and then made their way down to the river. And shortly after saying so, they did. Of course in the fading light trying to pick out one rarity from amongst all the others while they were in flight was attempted, though without success.

While many gulls came in, as they had the other day, they all took flight. Something spooks them but what we don’t know. After they settled in again and in very faded light, the three of us as well as James Smith and another local birder were the only ones left.

I had moved off to the left to better view some birds obscured by the trees in front of us, and then I spotted a bird with a clean head and darker back. I called to the others and they all took a look through my scope. YES! I had spotted the bird at the 11th hour and gotten it for Arlene and Pelican. The view was not the best given the lighting and the yellow legs being obscured, but after Pelican’s "protestation" James confirmed that it was in fact the bird we were hoping to see. I offered that it was a BVD bird {meaning ‘better view desired’ } while he offered that it was a LSS bird {meaning ‘ leader says so’ <g>} This got Arlene and Pelican to more readily accept the sighting and thus my reputation was preserved. Thanks James. Of note too, Earic, had been the first to spot it on our last visit. What can I say? Us New Yorkers are none too shabby birders.

Congratulations and farewells concluded, we headed off to see if ‘The People’s Pint’ lived up to its reputation. Even James recommended it. Well we were not disappointed! The beverages were excellent and very creative!! Arlene ordered a “Slippery Slope” A combination of Pine Hill Orchards cider (Colrain, MA), honey, malted barley and fresh ginger, this is one beer that goes down easy but packs a punch. Flavor profile is light bodied with a subtle ginger character and a smooth finish. Expect notes of hard cider, ginger, honey and some citrus. (ABV: 9.5%•OG: 1.071•IBUs: 7)

I ordered an Oatmeal Stout, followed by a ‘beer flight’ which was a sampler of several other beers. It is a painful pleasure when it is hard to choose what you want next, but I had to have the “Ghost Farmer Imperial Brown Ale” A collaboration between The People’s Pint and Stoneman Brewing from Colrain, MA (www.growbeer.com). We combine recipes for an Imperial version of our Farmer Brown with Stoneman Brewing’s “Ghost Hog” Imperial Brown Ale and the result became “Ghost Farmer.” We aged this big beer in Berkshire Mountain Distilling whiskey barrels for 2 months. Rich notes of caramel, toffee, cocoa, vanilla, and whiskey with a smooth and warming finish. (ABV: 10%•OG: 1.086•IBUs: 75)

Pelican ordered wine. Groan. Oh well, you can lead a Pelican to a brew-pub, but you apparently can’t make her drink beer.  Nevertheless, we all enjoyed the place very much. The atmosphere, the food, the drink. What a great way to conclude a wonderful and successful road-trip. 

Yes It's A Black-browed Albatross, And It Was Magnificent!

Tuesday December 15, 2015 was a beautiful windy sunny day. Very windy. Pelican and I had planned to spend the day birding, and hopefully catch up with some birds we had missed on a previous outing.

We began our day at the pond in Eastport, hoping that the irregular Ross’s Goose would have returned. A nice smattering of quackitude, but not our target specie yet again. Oh well. We explored the  surrounding areas hoping to find a where the congregation of geese go off to, but none were forthcoming.

A fill of the gas tank and coffee cup, and we ventured further a field. Dune road was bereft of birds due to the wind and Shinnecock inlet had waves breaking over the jetties. Gulls were huddled in the back of the lot, but nothing special was found there nor while scanning the ocean.

Our next stop was Mecox, and again, high winds were not our friend. It was beginning to seem like all the birds were elsewhere. After exhausting this spot we moved on to Sagg Beach. We had a flock of Snow Geese in the corn stubble just before the lot, which was nice for a change of pace, but at the beach it was just like Mecox.

From here we headed all the way out to Montauk Point. I had at one time asked if she wanted to bail and try for the Ross’s again on the way back, but the point was where we went. Ah road-trippers; mmmmm.

Montauk at sunrise 12-5-15

The Western Kingbird that Arlene Rails found on our last visit was still there, and still in pretty much the same spot. It was brilliant yellow in the late winter sun. We then walked over and set up scopes at the restaurant overlook and hoped for the best.

The numbers of sea ducks was low. The only numerous birds were the Gannets, as in the other places we had been. At some point I spotted a very long winged bird and got Pelican on it too. We followed it and I noted the field marks, but neither of us could believe our eyes or ‘amazing birding luck’ as it were, because of what the bird was. Pelican was the first to utter ‘is that an Albatross?’ Of course that occurred to me, but I dared not speak it’s name out of superstition, even though I know that being superstitious is bad luck. I especially wanted to rule out anything else and noted as many field marks as we could while the bird was in view.  What we had the extreme good fortune to see was a Black-browed Albatross! Holy crapenzoli!! We watched the bird which never flapped in the 15 minutes of observation as the sun was sinking lower and lower in the sky.

At home I read books, contacted others and searched the internet. As Arthur Conan Doyle said: “Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.” It was impossible that this bird was anything else. Based upon field marks, we had eliminated the only other likely contender because this bird's  juvenile plumage eliminated Yellow-nosed Albatross. Trouble is the juvenile plumage is considered indistinguishable from Grey-headed Albatross. Great. There is ALWAYS a catch. There has however, never been a report of Grey-headed Albatross in northern hemisphere waters that I am aware of while there are several reports of Black-browed Albatross in the northeast, including one on May 1996 off Long Island. 

This article states, almost all sightings including that 1996 one, have not been accepted for the northeast. A birder from France in discussion about our sighting informed me that there are several records in the north Atlantic off of Brittany and Spain. So from a likelihood perspective Black-browed was significantly more probable. But beyond that it was impossible to have photographed this bird well due to distance, and even had I managed to do so, the inability to positively differentiate this plumage from GHAL without extraordinary examination means unlikely acceptance by the  records committee. 

Photographs, even for far more common birds are more and more becoming the acid test and de facto required: no photo, don’t bother. That and needing to have a records committee member there at the same time to see the bird because of ...

From a simpler more practical point of view, Black-browed is unquestionably the best fit and we have no doubts about the ID, having done our due diligence in researching the ID before reporting it publicly anywhere. Oh, and that’s YB 329, NYS bird 412, and a lifer for me!!


A surprising event associated with this sighting was the whining {really fellow birders?} that we didn’t post our sighting to the NY list; posting it to ebird instead. That no one would have been able to chase this bird due to a multitude of factors didn’t seem to matter.

One birder who generously could be referred to as “over reacting” { in addition to several more expletives } because of a history of over-the-top disproportionate nastiness, had to chime in with his trademark absurdities. On non-moderated forums he would be referred to as an “internet troll”; the moderator had to warn him to tone it down.

When I find a good bird I post from the field as soon as possible because “the only thing better than seeing a good bird is getting others on it, and good sightings beget more good sightings”. It can at times be frustrating that many birders either don't have the technology ie smartphones, or don't know how to use it. On the other hand, if a bird is not chase-able there is no need to post it right away if at all. Those who just can’t wait to hear about it should consider Prozac.

The irony is that this internet troll and I have had extended conversations lamenting the relative paucity of folks who post sightings versus the total number of birders. I informed him of all the birders who have told me in no uncertain terms that they will no longer post due to offensive messages they have received for various "misdeeds" including misspelled words, typos, and other cardinal er... egregious sins. 

As  matter of fact he told me that he tries to encourage more people to post, and he is bewildered that so many birders near to him do not post any bird sightings at all. It would come as no surprise to me if he was the cause of the problem he wants to solve, and behaving as he did will more likely make others ~less~ likely to share sightings, not more. Irony poisoning.

So while he may have made himself feel better by criticizing me, I can assure you that comes ~nowhere~ near as good a feeling as we had having seen a Black-browed Albatross in New York. 

God save thee, ancient birder
From the fiends, that plague thee thus
Why look'st thou so ? - With my cross-words
I shot the ALBATROSS viewer.

Ah. well a-day. what evil looks
Had I from old and young
Instead of the cross, the Albatross comments
About my neck was hung.

 
Back to birding. There is still time in the year but the year is winding down, so I ventured twice to Staten Island to see the Swainson’s Hawk. The first time was with Steve Tanager and Earic Miller and all we got was wet. The second time it was cold and windy, so Arlene and I sat in the car and eventually got a meh look at the bird. YB 329!

Another bird that had eluded me was the Ross’s Goose as described at the beginning of this essay. Much, much earlier in the year I also chased the one upstate found by the Hound of the Basherkill. Nice bird, but it was revealed to be a hybrid. The Hound later emailed me with regret for my having chased up that way for naught. Not at all; it was still a nice bird even if not countable. And more importantly, that’s birding.


And then one showed up more recently in the Riverhead area and I couldn’t find it, and for good reason. While we were looking at a Barnacle Goose in Cutchogue, Doug Rotuma received a call and it sounded like he said: “Pat Linnet shot the bird.” Boy, some people are ~really~ competitive with this listing stuff.     

Flash forward to the 22nd, and Phil Jabiru and I tried for the ‘unreliable’ one at Eastport; the one Pelican and I missed on the 15th. We parked, hopped out of the car and got the bird right away. Finally! The other half of the bird! We proceeded to head out to Montauk, as rain was threatening that day.

We arrived at the Fort Hill Cemetery and walked around. And around. We spend over an hour. No bird, or should I say no birds at all. It was pathetically devoid of passerines except two Robins and a single Song Sparrow. 

Another birder showed up, joined the search, and then we decided to go to Montauk Point and have a look around and come back later. The Scoters had moved back in good numbers, but despite my desire I could not find a Dovekie nor a Kittiwake, birds that I had heretofore missed. We saw the expected species and after we had enough we headed back.

On arrival we saw the same fellow, and he immediately beckoned us on. I ran towards him and he pointed out the bird sitting deep in the thicket preening. Yes! Phil and I both got on it. Lifer for Phil and YB 330 for me!

I made several more attempts at this and that as the year wound down, but nothing new was able to be added. But what a blast though! I did far better than anticipated; as I had set a simple initial goal of breaking 300 species for the year in New York state. With that goal having been achieved, I breathed a sigh of relief, as my two previous attempts came up just shy. Arlene repeatedly inquired what my new goal would be, so I set it at 315, but with that clearly in reach I set it at 325. Ending with 330? SWEET!

In 2015 I added 4 ABA area lifers 3 of which were in Arizona on a Trip with Earic Miller when I surpassed the 700 bird  milestone; Buff-collared Nightjar, Flame-colored Tanager, Tufted Flycatcher. Also 6 NY State lifers: *Crested Caracara, *Little Egret, Black-necked Stilt, White Ibis, *Pacific-slope Flycatcher, and *Black-browed Albatross. Better yet, Black-browed is my second species of Albtross in New York. ...As of this time the records committee has not decided upon the "*" birds.

Now its time to get back to doing so many other things that I enjoy and which had fallen way by the wayside as I obsessed over my passion for birding.

How to Turn Blah, Blah, Blah Into Oooo! Lala!!

For many birders, this time of year is rather blah. Not a lot of birds around, and those that are around are 'seagulls' and ‘LBJ’s ( little brown jobs). Where are the colorful Warblers?  In South America where many of us wish we could be as well.

For those afflicted, er... addicted, er...  passionate about birding, this is a great time of year. Sure the birds aren’t as colorful or plentiful, but the former is dispelled by the obliging Painted Bunting in Prospect Park, while the later, well what’s wrong with working a bit harder some times? 

Mostly, its the vagrants. At this time of the year the unexpected is expected, so what is lacking in quantity is made up in quality. AKA 'something good.'

As the year is drawing to a close, I as well as others trying for a big year (as many species as we can see within this year), are hoping that something good shows up, and that we will be able to get to it within our time and responsibility constraints.

The good news was that as if by magic a slew of 'good' birds got reported. A Pacific Loon, upstate, then a Ross' Goose out on the island, yet another Kittiwake report from out on the island, and then a very special surprise.

I am still waiting on details about the Pacific Loon. It is so far away that I want it to establish some site fidelity before going after it. Closer to home, a learned that a Rufous Hummingbird was coming to the feeders at a private residence, and better still, I had been invited. Trouble is, the home owner did not want the bird publicized. More accurately, he could not have the bird publicized. Seems he has an overpopulation of asshole neighbors.

Well, I rounded up a posse and we met to go and see “Lala” as the hummer was being called. Why? Because it is supposed that the hummer hailed from California, AKA lala land. We took up station waiting for the bird to appear while exchanging greetings. And then I spotted the bird perched on a twig. 

Rufous Hummingbird

At first the hummer was shy, but soon it grew tolerant of our presence and feed on the Salvia and the feeder. Yes! YB 325 for me and John Gaggle-o-geese, and lifer for Arlene Rails, Phil Jabiru, and Pelican. A great start to a unseasonably mild day. All of us remarked how great it was to get such great looks at this bird that was far off our radar.

And then it got better! An email came through that Dovekies had been found at Mattituck. And that was nearby! We raced over there and set up scopes.  We did our due diligence searching; I spotted some likely candidates on the far side of the far jetty. The birds in question gave fleeting views between waves and diving frequently, but eventually they rested on the surface affording good looks.

Of course we all wanted the birds to be Dovekies as reported. Certainly, it would have been a year bird for me and a lifer for some, but the birds we were watching were clearly Razorbills. Two Dovekies were reported, but we spotted two Razorbills. You may draw your own conclusions.

Certainly Razorbills are nothing to sneeze at, and we enjoyed our looks but there were other birds we wanted to chase. Our next stop was admittedly a longshot, but what they hey.  Kittiwake at Agawan pond was a bust as soon as we arrived - there was a distinct paucity of gulls of any sort.

When we exhausted this location, we headed back to Eastport to try for the Ross’ Goose. After the report from the morning that the bird was present, another shortly thereafter said it had flown out. Now that it was about 2pm, we were hoping it had returned. Nope.

Okay, so after a brilliant start, the day was in gradual and then serious decline.  But just when we thought all was lost, came the email alerting us to none other than a Tufted Duck at Capri Lake, practically in my back yard. I alerted Phil who had bailed earlier, and he met us there.

Though spending some time looking before we arrived, Phil was flummoxed by the duck’s plumage. It was not in the sharp black and white, but the less common rich brown. Some searching and the bird was spotted at the back edge. Yes! YB 326 for me and another lifer for Arlene.  Ahhh. Another great day out birding.

Tree Shmee, There’s a Painted Bunting in Brooklyn!

Two weeks ago there were hundreds of Franklin's Gulls, seemingly everywhere, I was in the office, and the next day it was like it never happened.  A report of a bunch of Kittiwakes followed last week few. Was this to be a repeat occurrence but with a different gull species? Well at least there were subsequent reports from Montauk.

Sunday, the plan was to get an early start and head out to Montauk to be there by sunrise. Would have worked a whole lot better if Arlene Rails had set her alarm properly, but she called me shortly after she was supposed to have arrived, and an hour and a half later we finally set off. Groan, I was all woken up with nowhere to go.

Upon departure, it was cool, but not cold. When we got to Montauk point it was downright raw. The wind was blowing and the air damp, and we may have been a bit under dressed. Fortunately the restaurant at the end of the univer... er... end of the road always provides shelter from the wind.

Compared to last year the waterfowl were sparse. All three Scoters were present, as well as some Oldsquaw and Common Eider. The most prevalent birds were the Red-throated Loons which seemed to be everywhere, and out numbered the Common Loons.

Gulls were sparse too. Where did all the birds go?  We exhausted this location and moved on to Camp Hero, and it was the same if somewhat out of the wind. No small birds either except for a pair of White-hatches. Our next stop was the jetties at Lake Montauk. Nothing to write home about, except for an Iceland Gull.

Time was limited, as Arlene needed to be back early. As nice as it was out there we had to head back. On the way though, we got an email informing us of a Painted Bunting in Brooklyn. Sure, taunt me with a great bird by placing it at the other end of the island! What is more, this was a ~male~ Painted Bunting, one of the most exquisite sparrowesque birds.

I have seen this bird numerous times in Florida and Texas. I have also seen a female back in 2011. But last year a male was coming to a private feeder and it was tauntingly close yet so far away, as the home owners wanted no visitors.

Of course, this year it would also be a year bird for my NY state big year. The RBA message indicated that it flew off and was being searched for without success so far. Ah, all the way in Brooklyn... By the time I got home, I was tired and hungry and no subsequent emails had come through.

And then they did.  Groan. Was it too late to venture west? A text message from Arlene implored me to go for it. There was much hemming and hawing, as I knew the threat of traffic was great. I threw caution to the wind though, figuring I should not wast any more time thinking about it.

I navigated the roadways pretty well, and the slow drivers were at least kind enough to not bunch up so tightly as to prevent my zigging and zagging to get past. And then I got to the edge of Brooklyn.

At the end of the Jackie Robinson parkway, the first of many traffic lights tormented me. The thought of having wasted my time swirled repeatedly within my brain. Progress, though slow, continued. Could I beat the sunset deadline of 4:30?  It was going to be close. On too many occasions bad intersections or turning cars prevented normal flow but finally I got to the park. It was 4:10.  I drove down Ocean Avenue, hoping for spot. I passed Lincoln street, and then as if by magic, found a spot right in front of the entrance to the park adjacent to the Lefrak ice rink.

It seemed too good to be true. Was this actually a legal spot? This is after all, New York City, where one can easily be lured into a bad decision. Yes! It was good!! I ran off with binoculars in hand; it was too late in the day for photos anyway.

Jeez, shouldn’t there be a hoard of birders here looking at the bird? I panicked slightly, then called John Gaggle-o-geese, who had texted me earlier that the bird was there. He directed me to the proper location, and soon enough I spotted two fellow birders; the last two left on location.

One said: "Oh, we were watching it for the past half hour, it was sitting right there until it flew."  Panic ensued again. This same birder then said she had had enough, and was headed home. It was now just me and the other birder named Nina. She showed me where the bird had flown off to and we looked around.

She stayed in one location, while I anxiously searched more afield. After I made my way back around the path, I noticed her with glasses up, and she beckoned me closer. I ran. Nina pointed into the plantings and there was the little gem! It was quite obscured but a few pedestrians passed by and this prompted the Punting to fly away and it landed in a much better viewing location. Ahhhhh. Such a beauty. YB 326. Thanks Nina!
 

Painted Bunting by Nancy Trogan

Painted Bunting by Nancy Trogan

Flash forward to Thursday.

I’m birding with Phil Jabiru at Robert Moses STPK. Lots of wind, and lots of Gannets. Scoters, Loons, the usual stuff. Again, no passerines. Quiet. A few texts from Nancy Trogan, and since neither of them had seen the Painted Bunting, we decide to swing by Nancy’s on the way to Brooklyn for us all to get a look.

When we finally arrived, ( driving through Brooklyn is quite daunting for those not used to congested city driving ) the parking gods once again smiled upon us, getting a spot right near the entrance to the park yet again.  A short walk to the “green-roof” of the rink, and we met up with the mob. 
 

Da Mob

The bird was there, steadfastly munching on seeds provided by the wonderful plantings done by the planners of the ‘green-roof’. Lifer for Phil and Nancy. Of course, as small birds are want to do, it was skulking. But it cannot be blamed as there was a seething mass of ogling birders and photographers transfixed by its every move.

Also present were members of the news media. Marla Diamond of CBS 880AM radio fame was speaking with Rob Bateleur, president of the Brooklyn Bird Club, and Joe Mauceri Of WPIX11 TV in NYC was filming and interviewing the birders. Coco Changeable Hawk-Eagle, fellow member of the Queens County Bird Club, took it upon herself to be our impromptu and defacto ‘press agent’, and got Nancy and I interviewed by both reporters. 

L > R: Nancy Trogan, Marla Diamond CBS880 AM, Me, Rob Bateleur

L > R:   Me, Marla Diamond CBS880AM, Nancy Trogan.  Photo by Coco.

This is the piece by Marla Diamond with me.

L > R:  Me,  Nancy Trogan, Joe Mauceri WPIX11 TV.      Photo by Coco

This is the video by Joe Mauceri Of WPIX11 TV: