Yellow-breated Chat, Mill Pond, Bellmore

 There had been reports this past week of a Chat as well as an immature Red Shouldered Hawk continuing on the east side of Mill Pond in Bellmore.  It seemed rather cooperative for most birders so I tried my luck in the early morning to try to find it.  Other birders had reported it in the area of the east trail/ side of the lake near a house being renovated and had a blue tarp on it.  I found the house and did a thorough search of the area - no luck.  I think I was there for about 30 minutes when I decided to give up and leave.  Not to be totally defeated I walked slowly back and the Chat popped up but a while south of the area where everyone else was reporting it.  I got some good views of it as it was looking for food heading back north to where it had reported the day before.  I wanted to get totally unobstructed photos of it since I had seen other birders photos of it out in the open, but it was doing it's thing traveling through the shrubs so I didn't want to bother it too much and let it be.

I can't help but think other birders who tried and didn't find the chat like I did were relying too much on the observations of other birders.  I have seen several times where birders will just stick to one particular location where a bird was last seen - not making any other attempt to look around it and take some initiative.  I was sort of guilty of doing that with the chat but decided not to give up and it paid off eventually.

(I ran out of time for my morning outing so I did not attempt to find the Red Shouldered Hawk)

Happy New Year 2025

 For the last year or two, I've tried to go out birding on Jan 1st/ start of the new year - I know a lot of other birders do that so they can start their year list - I do it for good luck, hoping that I see a decent amount of life birds in the upcoming year.  The day started when I heard my "reisident" Song Sparrow singing a beautiful song in my backyard.  As I left the house, I saw gulls flying over - a nice start to the year/ day.  I started by going to Jones Field 10 and the Coast Guard Spit hoping to see a continuing Marbled Godwit, but the tide was high and didn't see either.  I did see some Cooper's Hawks, Raven, Kingfisher and lots of gulls.  When I got back closer to home, I checked out my "patch" at Massapequa Preserve and the Tackapausha spot by the firehouse.  Saw lots of Robins especially at the school yard grounds since it was warm out I guess they were looking for worms.  I also saw a Golden Crowned Kinglet and a female Ring Necked Duck which was a first for me at my "patch".  Later on, there was a report that the Marbled Godwit was seen at the Coast Guard Station so I drove over there, but wasn't there.  I checked Field 10 where it was sometimes reported by didn't see it either.  A family of birders noted that they also missed the Godwit.  They were looking at a continuing Black Headed Gull which I got to photograph - it was hanging out by a "tunnel" in the cove where also a Great Blue Heron was in.  When I got home, I saw that someone ebirded the Marbled Godwit at the Field 10 marsh area shortly before I arrived so I assume it was actually there, just hiding when I went looking for it.  I think Marbled Godwits are currrently my favorite birds - would have been nice to see one for the new year, but sometimes the best birding plans just don't always work out.  Better luck next time. (hopefully).....................

End of 2024: notes

 Some notes for the end of the year - I saw 10 life birds this past year - got photos of 9 of them - I wasn't able to get a focus or great look what I'm confident enough were Bahama Woodstars in Turks and Caicos.  Although I would have liked to seen more birds, I'm happy with the types of birds I saw - some were rare for New York such as the Flamingo (first in NYS?)  Some had been on my wish list such as the Smooth Billed Ani.  Some were hard to find such as the Bullock's Oriole but my patience and persistence did finally pay off.  I would have liked to go birding more and chased some more of the sightings that other birders reported but I did the best I could with the time I spent and some of the quick trips out of the house that I made.  I would have liked to have seen Manx Shearwaters  - I might have seen one but was too far distant off Robert Moses to call it - I would have also liked to have seen the Common Shelduck that was reported out by Montauk but I simply can't just drop everything I'm doing and go that far because of family obligations/ work.  I added some of the photos below that I didn't include in my posts.  It's hard for me to come up with the spare time to make a "complete" post sometimes.  Looking forward to whatever birds I might see in 2025 - hopefully a trip to another region/ country will happen.  I've been thinking recently that it would be cool to go to Europe/ England to see a European Gull and Robin?  - birds that are considered common there that would be life birds for me.  We'll see what happens in the coming year - I'm feeling positive about what new birds I might see - just never know what might pop up.  Happy New Year!

 

White Tailed Tropicbird

White Tailed Tropicbird

Thick Billed Vireo

Swainson's Warbler

Smooth Billed Ani

Sage Thrasher

Sage Thrasher

Sage Thrasher

Sage Thrasher

Red Headed Woodpecker

Lazuli Bunting

Bullock's Oriole

Nashville Warbler (random from Massapequa)

Bullock's Oriole

Antillean Nighthawk

FLAMINGO!

Harrisburg, PA

 My son had a Volleyball tournament in Harrisburg PA this past weekend - I didn't have much time for birding but always hopeful when visiting a new area.  There was a creek behind the hotel so I spent some time hoping to see Wilson's Snipe since the creel matched their habitat but only saw Song Sparrows, 2 Kingfishers, Robins and Cardinals.  I also saw some Chicakdees that I photographed hoping they were Carolina Chickadees but only upload BOC photos to Whats this Bird and seems they are Black Capped Chickadees at this point.  I might try uploading better photos when I have a chance.  Otherwise some some Red Tailed Hawks, crows, an unidentified hawk and presumably a juvenile Bald Eagle while driving around/ back home.  We saw some Turkey Vultures around - most were around a "mountain ridge" on the way back.

Sage Thrasher Part 2, Robert Moses, TOBAY Beach, Jones Beach West End

 I had some time before work this morning so headed out to Robert Moses to see if I can see the Sage Thrasher again - it was a little too easy compared to other people's reports - the bird was just sitting in the bushes with a birder right next to it in his car...pointing a camera at it showing me exactly where it was.  On a side note, the other birder had Jersey plates so I assumed he drove here just for the Sage Thrasher.  He seemed to be "camped out" there to get good looks/ photos.  I took a quick documentary shots knowing they wouldn't compare to quality of photos I took the first time. I didn't spend much time looking at the Sage Thrasher and walked to the wooden walkway that goes over the dune.  I did a brief seawatch and was pleasantly surprised by the number of birds over the ocean.  Lots of loons, some scoters (made out a White Winged Scoter in flight) and there was an impressive east to west movement of gulls.

I drove down Ocean Parkway heading towards Jones Beach since last week there were 3 Marbled Godwits at the Jones Coast Guard.  Along the way, I saw a couple of Great Egrets in the marsh.  I stopped at TOBAY Beach where I continued seawatching - there seemed to be less gulls, not sure if that was because they decreased in their flight or if it was related to the location.  I did see one peculiar gull that had a black back - it also had grey-ish legs.  It also had a softer type face.  I'm still not sure what it was so I have to assume if was a Lesser Black Backed Gull with something going on with the legs.

 I did a quick stop at Field 10 where the highlight was a Kingfisher and some Juncos.

As I got close to the Coast Guard area, I saw what I asusmed was a Cooper's Hawk perched.  There seemed to be some around  - one flew right in front of my car as I was driving, as well as some Northenr Harriers.  At the Jones Beach Coast Guard, the spit/ sandbar seemed very low/ not much showing until I got a better look and saw a bunch of sandpipers mixed in with Brants and Gulls.  I got out of the car and walked over to the edge of the upper deck.  I noticed some crows, which I assumed were Fish Crows - one was on the sandbar.  There were lots of Brant, Gulls and Dunlins! as well as several Oystercatchers, Black Bellied Plovers and some Red Breasted Mergansers close by.  I was hoping to see the Marbled Godwits since they're one of my favorite birds, but was still nice to see other sandpipers out in full force.

Sage Thrasher, Robert Moses State Park

 For a while now, there has been a Sage Thrasher on Long Island's south shore.  It was first seen at Smith Point some time ago, then disappeared and if it is the same one, reappeared at Robert Moses.  It seemed everyone else had seen it but me because I wasn't able to get over there some reason or another.  There were many reports that it would hide for hours and when it was visible, would either be out in the open on the ground or hiding in bushes (in the southwest corner of Field 5)  I had a little time Saturday - a quick chance to go see it so I took advantage and hopped in the car..  It had been reported earlier in the morning so I figured I had a good chance.  When I got there it was very windy and no other birder was on the scene.  I assumed I wouldn't be lucky but scanned the bushes with my bins only to find out the bird was right in front of me - eye level in the bushes.  I got a couple photos noting how much it resembles a Mockingbird.  After I got in the car to leave, it came out and was on the ground and didn't seem to care about the wind.  I got a few mote photos which I think came out very well because it was a little cloudy.  I saw another birder looking for it on the other side of the lot by dumpsters so I honked the horn a bunch of times to get his attention and pointed out the bird.  This was a lifebird for me - not the prettiest but still a rarity for Long Island.

Western Kingbird, Red Headed Woodpecker

 There were reports of a continuing Western Kingbird at the Jones West End turnaround so I went over and was aided by another birder, Mike V, who directed me to the bird - got decent looks at it.  Other birders were in the area looking for a Evening Grosbeak that was reported a day earlier but apparently was not refound.  Looking at the e-bird report from the day before it seemed to have flown out over the dunes.  I told a few of the birders looking for it about that.  There were also reports of a long continuing juvenile Red Headed Woodpecker at Sunken Meadow so I went over and found it quickly at it's spot by the bridge by the march/ parking lot.  I wasted some time checking for a likely Ash Throated Flycatcher that was reported the day before but didn't see it.  Although I saw some cool birds, it wasn't the big day I was hoping for.