Northern Saw-whet Owl

I started the day with Snouty looking for a Greater White Fronted Goose that had been reported at Elda Lake in Babylon, then checked out belmont Park, and the cemetary/ golf course in Farmingdale.  Only found a Snow Goose in Farmingdale, then heard through the grape vine that a Saw-whet Owl was seen at Jones Beach West End.  Thinking about all the time Snouty and spent looking for one, we hurried down to Jones Beach and saw some cars pulled over passed the Coast Guard Stattion - we rushed over and got a really stunning lifer!

Saw-whet Owl

Saw-whet Owl

Saw-whet Owl

Saw-whet Owl

Bellport

There were reports of Iceland and Glaucous gulls at Atlantic Point Apartments in Bellport - I took a drive through the area and just found one Iceland Gull and an odd Ring Billed? Gull.

Iceland Gull

Ring Billed Gull

Southold, Aquebogue: Townsend's Solitaire

Went out east to see the reported Townsend's Solitaire with Snouty and Lisa Pisani.  Found the bird, got photos and decided to visit Margaret who had been hosting the 2 Rufous Hummingbirds.  After a little wait, the 2 birds appeared.  There were numerous songbirds there as well as a Cooper's and Sharp Shinned Hawk that flew in to try to snatch a meal.  Also saw a flyover Great Blue Heron - what a terrific yard.  We stopped at Alvah's Road and saw about 10 Pipits and some Turkeys in front of someone's house.

Townsend's Solitaire

Rufous Hummingbird

Nyack Beach State Park: Trumpeter Swan

I drove my wife to a work-related conference in Rye so I took the opportunity to go a little farther to see a reported Trumpeter Swan at Nyack Beach State Park.  Upon driving down into the parking lot I immediately saw the swan from a distance.  My kids and I got out and walked closer to where the swan was.  It wandered near us so I got good looks at it and even heard it vocalize.  It was suggested that this bird might be an escapee since it seemed tame.  I do not believe it is an escapee because it didn't have any tags on it (it showed it's legs clearly as it was feeding) and it seemed wary but not skittish of my kids as they were frolicking on the rocks on the beach.  First lifer for 2017 - hoping for a good new year.

Trumpeter Swan

Trumpeter Swan

Trumpeter Swan

Lake Ronkonkoma, Lily Pond, Belmont Lake

Took a drive with Mike Snouty to see the reported Tundra Swans at Lake Ronkonkoma and didn't realize how big the lake is.  It's been a long time since I was there.  We found the swans as well as Hooded Mergansers, Ring Billed Gulls, Mute Swans, Canada Geese and Common Mergansers.  We visited nearby Lily Pond which was interesting since it was a series of small ponds.  Sadly we found a Kingfisher that died because it got entangled in fishing line.  On the way back we stopped at Belmont Lake and St Charles Cemetary to look for a reported Greater White Fronted Goose but did not see it.  We did see some Night Herons, Great Blue Heron, pair of Common Merganser pair.  I was mostly impressed with close up views of Coots and a Black Duck.  There was a continuing Barnacle Goose at St Charles while we looked for it but we apparently didn't see it from our vantage point. 

Tundra Swans

Coot

Black Duck

Fort Tilden, Floyd Bennett Field, Valley Stream, Camaan's Pond

I went with Snouty to Queens to try to find Saw Whet Owls...after several hours and checking LOTS of pine trees, we came up empty.  On the way back we stopped at Arthur Hendrickson in Valley Stream to look for some continuing reported birds: the Pink Footed Goose, Cackling Goose and Red Headed Woodpecker.  Although I've seen this particular Pink Footed Goose a couple of times, these were the second birds I've seen of their species.  The Cackling Goose was hard to spot but Snouty got it.  It was interesting for me to see this Red Headed Woodpecker because the only time I saw one it was a mature one at Muttontown Preserve.  We also stopped at Camaan's Pond to look for the Black Headed Gull but we didn't see it.  I did see an interesting looking juvenile Ring Billed Gull and juvenile Yellow Crowned Night Heron.

Red Headed Woodpecker

Pink Footed Gull

Cackling Goose with Canadas

Cackling Goose

Happy New Year 2017!

Looking forward to a great new year.  I won't make any predictions about how many life birds I might see - I'll just hope for the best.

Starting this year, I'm not going to report on birds that can be described as the "usual suspects" so I won't update my blog unless I see a new life bird or find something unusual or uncommon.

Good luck 2017 birding,
"Rob in Massapequa"