Consolation prize for the missing King Eider - a nice fly over flock of Snow Geese including one blue phase Snow Goose.
First day in Stony Brook, New York we visited Avalon Preserve which is an amazing area with mature hardwoods, fields with now fallow wildflowers and a nice Mill Pond next door so the birding has a nice variety. But my real target was for my lifer Ring-necked Pheasant. The birding was kind of slow and there were people everywhere which was not helping. Once in the field area I was lamenting all the dog walkers when I noticed a dog bolt into a section of field and a Pheasant take off. The dog owner called the dog back and I headed over to the area where I saw the bird take off. Luckily the male bird was still there.
Ring-necked Pheasant - not the best photo do to a quick manual focusing but good enough. Pheasants we released in NY back in the 50s-60s and then peaked I think in the 70s. However, they have declined rapidly due to suitable habitat which is essentially early successional habitat.
There are a few places to see them in NC but I have not been lucky enough the few times I have looked for them.
Melissa and Dad in Avalon enjoying some nice fall weather. On the way back to the car next to the Mill Pond Melissa spotted what turned out to be a Virginia Rail. No pics unfortunately.
Later in the evening I took a stroll with my father on Long Beach which is one of my favorite places when I was younger to go fishing for Striped Bass.
Long-tailed Ducks (Old Squaw) - there was about 10 of them and they were really active chasing each other around.
These ducks were hob-knobbing with the rich and famous.
They were flying around like some oceanic parrot flock.
Next NY target is Lapland Longspurs, I hope to try for these on Tuesday. Tomorrow will be a work day.
Great times.
Hope you get to see a male King Eider. They are quite beautiful ducks. Think those and the male Harlequin's were my favorites.
ReplyDeleteHi Jamie, Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you can get the CRESTED CARACARA that was photographed in Virginia Beach, VA area. This bird is less than five miles from the North Carolina border and it would be a state record for NC, so everyone is watching this bird and wondering where it will go. You can see details on the VA birding listserv. Example: There's a photo of today's Crested Caracara in Chesapeake, thanks to ODU student Natasha Hagemeyer, on the General Blog of Coastal VA Wildlife Observatory's website at www.cvwo.org - See more at: http://birding.aba.org/message.php?mesid=816656&MLID=VA01&MLNM=Virginia#sthash.JLqkjq4i.dpuf and
ReplyDeleteMore information available at the Virginia listserv here:
http://birding.aba.org/maillist/VA01
In the book/movie "The BIg Year", the two heroes convinced the captain to take the ship out on Thanksgiving morning to help them beat the antagonist birder... they did not REALIZE it was Thanksgiving until the captain pointed this out, standing at her door! They went out anyway.... I don't think your family will allow that, but you gotta see if that Caracara creeps into NC. That could be your last bird for the NC Big Year and I'd be happy for you. What a wonderful way to wrap this Big Year up! - Erla Beegle