New birds from yesterday
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
I almost forgot to let everyone know about my first of the year birds that I saw yesterday!! I put my hummingbird feeder up in the morning and found 3 Ruby-throated Hummingbirds (CHECK) buzzing around the feeders by lunch time (actually the two males were fighting over the feeders territory). I then found an American Redstart (CHECK) singing up in the tree while waiting for some fellow employees (actually it got very close to us and wished I had my camera with me). Later in the day I found a Red-eyed Vireo (CHECK) singing in an area that we were working in . . . . well kinda . . . . I think I had them over the weekend but wasn’t 100% sure it was a Red-eyed Vireo until today’s find.
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Queens of their boxes
Eastern Bluebird Eggs
After realizing that I fetched up my Wordless Wednesday post . . . I decided to come up with something easy to post today. Then I noticed the two females sitting on their nest box in my back yard. . . .
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Birding at Moms House
White-crowned Sparrow
I did a little birding in Allegany State Park this morning and of course it was raining!!! Didn’t see anything unusual but I did capture a picture of a Gray Catbird. It took visiting my mothers bird feeders to add two first of the year birds to my checklist (did I mention it stopped raining by the time I arrived at my parents house?)!! The first bird I saw was a White-crowned Sparrow (CHECK) and the second bird was a Baltimore Oriole (CHECK)!! But didn’t get an opportunity to photograph the Oriole but heard it many times! Below are some of the other birds hanging around her feeder:
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Osprey Dinner
Osprey with trees in the background!
This morning the black flies were unbearable and I didn’t do the birding like I would have wanted to do. Between swatting those black flies and driving around in my vehicle . . . . I saw my first Common Yellowthroat (CHECK) and Gray Catbird (CHECK) for 2008! I know many other great birds are in the area but I just couldn’t take it anymore and had to return to my vehicle.
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May brings us birds
Eastern Kingbird
Today was a great day for new birdies and I ended up with 5 first for 2008’s (without trying). My first bird was a Hooded Warbler (CHECK) who was up bright and early this morning. Then I found a Magnolia Warbler (CHECK) who was hopping around the hemlocks. Over on Quaker Lake, I don’t think I could have gotten any closer to this Eastern Kingbird (CHECK). . . . I had to back up some for the camera to focus!! I thoroughly enjoyed watching the Kingbird hunting for insects in the grass and just ignoring the photographer!
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Jamestown Audubon Photo Club
The Beaver Pond on France Brook
Today a few members from the Jamestown Audubon Photo Club took a field trip to Allegany State Park for some photographic opportunities!! I took the group to one of my favorite Beaver pond along the France Brook Area and as you can tell the group had a wonderful time with many great pictures.
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New-tropical Migrants [Poem]
Chestnut-sided Warbler
New-tropical Migrants
We have always seen warblers
as brilliancies of the North Woods:
lemon yellow of Black-throated Green
flame wings and tail of American Redstart
But the Redstart is Cuba’s “Little Candelita,”
the Black-throated Green flies his colors from Ecuador
Our boreal yellows, reds, blues are tropical,
burnt orange of Blackburnian,
orange-red of Bay-breasted
What do we send back?
Blackburnian with only the yellow,
Bay-breasted, Blackpoll, Pine we can not tell apart – –
“Confusing Fall Warblers.”
Color them up, we say.
Paint back the cheeks and flanks of Chestnut-sided,
brighten back the pigments of Black-throated Blue
Send these warblers back.
On the Big Day in May
in Sugar Maple and Tamarack
we will check off glories of the rain forest
Palm Warbler
”Western” Palm Warbler
Yesterday evening I noticed a warbler up in the tree bobbing its tail during my evening walk. This warbler was in horrible lighting for a decent photo but I was happy to (CHECK) my first of the year Palm Warbler!
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Morning Surprise at my Feeder
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
I looked out my window this morning and found this Rose-breasted Grosbeak (CHECK) trying to get seeds from my thistle feeder! “Hey Mr Grosbeak . . . your bill is too large for those little thistle holes!! Just look at how the Goldfinch is able to get the seeds!! They have much smaller bills than you do”! We had a frost last night and birds very busy around the feeders! I couldn’t get the sunflowers into the feeders quick enough!!!
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Saturdays moving birds!
Spring is becoming much more apparent the past few days with the leaves bringing us some green colors on our dull brown hillsides. A thunderstorm pushed through Allegany State Park area in the afternoon and this rain was very much needed after a few weeks with only a few sprinkles. Things are soo dry that my County has posted an open fire ban after many small fires have started across Cattaraugus County. Campers are bummed for not being allowed to burn their firewood but I have been enjoying this weather with many great birds pushing through the area!!
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Morning Kingfisher
Belted Kingfisher
I have not posted anything in the past few days! Had another dinner Thursday night and Friday night I was busy with some personal things!! I am up and going birding . . . . hope to have something more interesting to post about tonight! Just an update on the past few days . . . Yellow-throated Warbler (CHECK) was first heard yesterday and Thursday brought us three White-winged Scoters (CHECK) on Red House Lake with a raft of Buffleheads, Ruddy Ducks, Scaup Species, and a female merganser species (maybe Red-breasted Merganser). Can’t wait to see what I come across today!
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Birds and Lecture!
Osprey on the Power Lines!
I am exhausted after a long day but it was also a great day today! In the morning I was outside eating my oatmeal and heard not one but two Northern Parua’s singing (CHECK). During the day had my first Broad-winged Hawk (CHECK) flying overhead! On Quaker Lake I saw my first Barn Swallow (CHECK) and Cliff Swallow (CHECK) flying under the overspill bridge!! Then after dinner I headed up to the Buffalo Museum of Science with some friends to hear Dr. Geoff Hill’s lecture on Bird Coloration!! Did I mentioned that I am exhausted?? I have a dinner to attend tomorrow evening, so I am off to bed to get some sleep!
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Earth Day Findings
Spring Azure from April 2007
I came across a few new species during Earth Day today! The first find was a Double-crested Cormorant (CHECK) swimming in Red House Lake. It’s funny since I almost always first find them over at Quaker Lake . . . . but not this year! We have been working in the same area the past few days and it was nice finding my first Spring Azure (CHECK) fluttering around once the sun got high enough in the sky (yeah to seeing those azure blues)! Then at lunch I saw my first West Virginia White (CHECK) moving down the trail (with only a quick look)! By the end of the day there were multiple Whites flying around and all my co-workers thought I was nuts looking at those white-moth looking butterflies! Hey . . . how often do you get to look at a species of concern up close?
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Happy Earth Day
Common Merganser pair
Happy Earth Day everyone and not only should we look at taking care of our earth on this one day but lets make sure we do this every day! Every little thing you do can help and this is a day to become aware of those little and big things that we can do to help global warming! (more…)
Birding around the Lean-to
Dark-eyed Junco
We could only found 17 species of birds around the lean-to during our three days of backpacking on the North County Trail. But, do note that they were great birds to watch as our entertainment while at camp. Dark-eyed Juncos and American Robins were the most visual of all the birds we saw. The Juncos appeared to have nest building near the water spring and was protecting a territory!
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Returned from Backpacking
This weekend Young Naturalist J, his father and I did some backpacking along the North Country Trail here in Allegany State Park. We stayed two nights at this lean-to on the western side of the park and you can tell from the pictures that we had an amazing time.
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Common Flicker
What is this looking out of my box?
While out backpacking . . . . I wanted to continue my post with this woodpecker who I found inspecting my Screech Owl box on Friday!! Of course every year the only thing that uses the box is European Starling (which I always need to evict)!! Maybe this will be the year for the Flicker??
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Backpacking this Weekend
At the Lean-To During our August 2007 Trip
The three amigos are backpacking again along the North Country Trail this weekend. We have not decided if we are doing one night or two nights (will decide Saturday morning)!! I will update everyone with multiple photos once we return (don’t think I will have cellphone service here, so no blog posting while out on the trail this time)
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Eastern Comma
Ok, I guess I can’t officially call this my first of the year due to seeing one back in February. But, temperatures reached the high of 75°F today (warmest for 2008) and was fun seeing them flying around (also had Mourning Cloaks flying around)! I anticipate the next butterfly species that I will find will be the West Virginia White or maybe a Spring Azure?? Can you believe that they are talking that the temperatures will be reaching 80°F by Saturday??
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Blue-headed Vireo’s arrived!
Blue-headed Vireo (photo from Oct 2004)
I was working in the same area today and just after noon heard the call! CHECK . . . first for the year Blue-headed Vireo! I went looking for the Louisiana Waterthrush after work today . . . didn’t see them and maybe they will return tomorrow??
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My Nature Update
Common Loon
There are many great birds moving through the Western New York area right now. Loons seem to be arriving on a daily basis and we had a very large flock of Buffleheads on Red House Lake today. Other new birds into the area today included 10 or so Bonapart’s Gulls and one Field Sparrow (CHECK).
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Mon@rch's Nature Blog 
