The Naturalists' Club of Broome County, NY

Field Trip Report – May 2011

Field Trip Report for Hawthorne Orchard and Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology

Today we learned the meaning of “MUD”.

The Webster Dictionary should explain the word “MUD” as:
1: A slimy sticky mixture of solid material with water; esp: soft wet earth: Please see “Hawthorne Orchard”.
2: To make muddy or turbid. This means… by many birders seeking the fallout of Wood Warblers in Hawthorne Orchard coinciding with a very rainy, wet time of the year.

My e-mail warning people to expect muddy conditions was a gross mis understatement. It was more like mud up to your fanny!

We did have the good fortune to run into Chris Tessaglia-Hymes. Chris works on the Bioaccoustics Research Program as the Field Applications Specialist at Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology. He was coming out of the Orchard as we were going in. Chris and his father went back in with us and gave us a personal tour of the Orchard. It was very quiet and we would not have gotten the following without their help.

Red-wing Blackbirds, Yellow Warbler, Common Yellow Throat, Robins, Baltimore Orioles, Song Sparrow, Crow, Catbird, Tennessee Warblers, Wood Thrush, Red-eyed Vireo, King Fisher, Great Crested Flycatchers, Blue Jays, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Blackpolls, House Wren, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Barn Swallows and a King Bird.

Thank you Chris so much for the guided tour and the wealth of information you passed on to us! Also, thank you for putting a stop to the Cornell land developers from turning the orchard into more sports fields thus saving the land as part of the Cornell Plantations.

Off to Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology.

It was quiet here also but what birds we did see gave us some good long looks. We observed the following: Canada Geese with young, Red-winged Blackbirds, Tree Swallows, Great Blue Herons on nest with young, Mourning Doves, White-breasted Nuthatch, Robins, Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, Warbling Vireos, Red Start, Yellow Warblers, Cat Birds, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, King Fisher, Red Eyed Vireo, Wood Thrush, Veery, Downey Woodpeckers, Pee-Wee, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Great Crested Fly Catcher, and crows.

We left Sapsucker Woods just as the rain began to fall ending one of our most memorable field trips this spring.

Dan Dunn
Naturalists’ Club of Broome County, Field Trip Chairperson

Weed Walk Diary – May 2011

May 4th -Murphy’s
Stated of the best month of the year with a cancellation. Jones Park was canceled because of wet grounds and Murphy’s was put in place. While looking at a flock Cormorants a Caspian Tern flew by, then a Palm Warbler jumped up, as a Cooper’s Hawk flew into a flock of Dowitchers. as an after thought we scoped a pair of Horned Grebe’s

May 11th – Dr. and Mrs Reitz place.
First of all, a big thank you to the owner’s of this property and the fact they allow us on the grounds. We picked up 50 birds on the grounds. A Scarlet Tanager flew beside us as we walked the back of the land. Unusual at this spot was the dam was broke so we got a number of Shorebirds that we do not normally get. Least, Killdeer, Yellowlegs and Spotted Sandpipers.

May 19th – Road Trip
Started out today looking for that Cattle Egret, didn’t happen. Murphy’s gave us Semipalmated Plovers and a Bonaparte’s Gull. Boland gave us the Sora and Va. Rail, but not much else. A potty stop gave us a Red-tail, two Red-shouldered and two Bald Eagles. Gave us new meaning to B IRD EVERY BIRD.

May 25th – king St.
Made King St, the focal point today and that was a good decision. Scarlet Tanagers, Blackburnian, Black-throated Blue. On Parry Road picked up Blackpolls and a Hooded warbler not seen by everybody. Chased a Bluewing that gave us a poor look, but we got him.

Field Trip Report – April 2011

April 2, 2011, Saturday
AquaTerra Park
Sunny, cold, 28 degrees F

The weather reports were wrong this time. Predictions earlier in the week of up to eight inches of snow for Friday and rain/
snow showers for Saturday morning turned out to be clear and sunny. But, a brisk northwest wind made it feel colder than it was.
As winter continues to hold its death grip on an early spring, we had no sightings of any early migrants working their way through the
area. We did hear and see the following:
Heard – Northern Cardinal, Carolina Wren, Gold Finch, Blue Bird, and White Breasted Nuthatches.
Seen – Crows, Chickadees, Canada Geese, Robins, Red Wing Black Birds, Blue Jays, Song Sparrows, Mallard, Tree Sparrow, and a
Red-Tailed Hawk. Fifteen species total.

April 9, 2001
Jones Park

Today we met at Jones Park in the town of Vestal. For once it was not freezing, just a little chilly with gray skies and some sun peaking through at times. It was a typical early spring trip with not a lot of birds yet.
Our bird of the day was the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. We heard and saw many of them.

This is what we observed and noted:
Heard: Mourning Dove, Cowbird, Red-winged Blackbird, Carolina Wren, Winter Wren, Chickadees, and a Ruffed Grouse.
Seen: Northern Cardinal, Junco, Crows, two Ravens, many Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, Blue Jays, White Breasted Nut Hatch and Robins. Only fifteen species.

One unknown bird was making a Bzzzz-Trill similar to the Bee-Bzzzz of a Blue-winged Warbler but we could not ID it for sure. Melissa sent the Bird jam file to me of a Blue-wing and it was very close in comparison…even the trill at the end of some of the recordings. A bit early for them, but you never know.

What we did not hear were any Peepers or Wood Frogs. Even up at the two small ponds there was nothing.
Maybe because of the elevation, they are not quite ready.

April 30, 2011
Roy Hyde Park Preserve

What started out as a cooler day than predicted (what’s new, right?) turned out to be a productive day
for an area of only 137 acres. With partly cloudy then clearing skies we were able to find the following birds:

Towhees, Song Sparrows, Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, Red-winged Black Birds, Field Sparrows, Ruby Crowned Kinglets, Crows, Gold Finches, Northern Cardinals, Chickadees, Coopers Hawk, Juncos, Flickers, Blue Jays, Common Yellowthroats, a pair of Broad-winged Hawks, Ovenbirds, Hermit Thrush, Robins, Black-throated Green Warblers, Veerys, Canada Geese, Purple Finches and the surprise of the day was a King Fisher in the head waters of Six Mile Creek. Our hopes of hearing any Waterthrushes were drowned out by the roar of the water falls at the end of one trail. Another surprise was the crowing of a Peacock!

A quick side trip to the south end of Dryden Lake in hopes of seeing Ospreys was well worth it with the following:

Kestrel, Robins, Tree Swallows, Song Sparrows, Gold Fiches, Starlings, Phoebe, Catbirds, Swamp Sparrow, Yellow Warblers, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Common Yellowthroats, Downey Wood Pecker, Spotted Sand Pipers, Red-tailed Hawk, Broad-winged Hawk and a Female Cowbird.

Not a bad day with 36 species.

Weed Walk Diary – April 2011

4/6 – Water Habitats
Rivers were running high but River Rd. had Wood Ducks, Am. Wigeons, Mallards, Ring-Necked Ducks, Hooded & C.Mergansers and Tree Swallows. At Boland Pond there were Gr.Blue Herons, Pied-Billed Grebes & Am.Coot. We checked the Bald Eagle nest at CVSP and although it seems the eggs have hatched no adults were present and we later learned the nest has been abandoned. On Brooks Rd. feeders had Fox Sparrow, Juncoes, House/ Goldfinches, C.Redpolls & T.Titmice. Nearby open fields had N.Harriers & Am.Kestrels. A Mockingbird on Columbia Dr.closed our list at 38sp.

4/13 – Spring Returnees
Our last and best stop today was at Joyner Rd. marsh which was loaded with Black/Ring-Necked Ducks, Hooded & C.Mergansers, Buffleheads, Mallards, Gr.Blue Herons, B.Kingfishers, Tree Swallows & Red-Winged Blackbirds. Immature Bald Eagles were at River Rd. & Boland Pond, Pine Warblers, E.Phoebe, N.Flicker & Fish Crow at Roundtop Park and E.Meadowlarks on Pitkin Hill for a total of 41sp.

4/20 – Valley Trip
More spring birds appearing or passing through along the river included Spotted Sandpipers, Horned Grebes, DC Cormorants, N.Shovelers, Barn Swallow, Yellow-Rumped Warblers, Bonaparte’s Gulls & Chipping Sparrows. We saw.E.Meadowlarks, G.Yellowlegs, Savannah Sparrows & N.Mockingbird at the Tri-Cities Airport. Our trip ended with our 46sp bird being an immature Red-Tailed Hawk at the Mall catching a mouse for
lunch.

4/27 – Victory St, Murphy’s and Parsons
Spring has sprung!!! Got 72 birds today. At Victory we got a Green Heron. But it was Murphy’s that gave us Brown Thrasher, Bonaparte Gull, Bank Swallows, Bufflehead, Shoveler, Palm Warbler and Horned Grebes. Parson handed us Black & White along with a Parula Warbler. Nice to see the migration under way.

Dan Watkins
Marie Petuh
Jan Trzeciak

Weed Walk Diary – March 2011

3/16 – Central Broome
Light rain ending gave us a good early spring outing seeing many ducks on the rivers/wet spots including Wood Ducks, Am.Wigeons, Blacks, Mallards, N.Pintails, Green-Winged Teals, Ring-Necked, Hooded & Common Mergansers. In open fields were W.Turkeys, Cooper’s/Red-Tails, Red-Shouldered, Rough-Legged Hawks & Am.Kestrels. At a Matt Ryan Rd. feeder we counted dozens of C.Redpolls. A huge flock of Red-Winged Blackbirds
& C.Grackles plus Am.Robins everywhere and other to-be-expected species gave us a total of 39sp.

3/23 – Cancelled due to heavy snow storm

3/30 – Water Habitats
22Sp at River Rd. included Wood Ducks, Ring-Neckeds, Lesser Scaup, Hooded/C.Mergs, Pied-Billed Grebe, Killdeer & Tree Swallows. Our car tour then gave us Turkey Vultures, Am.Kestrels, pr. of Snow Geese on George St., E. Bluebirds, Fox Sparrow/Song Sparrows & still many C.Redpolls per above. Our BOD was the pair of Red-Breasted Mergansers giving us close looks from the Rt.79 Tioughnioga R. bridge at Itaska while a Bald Eagle flew over. At Boland Pond besides Gr.Blue Herons was a circling Osprey; DC Cormorants on the river behind K-Mart made a total of 43sp for a great morning.

Dan Watkins
Marie Petuh
Jan Trzeciak

Field Trip Report – February & March 2011

February 26, 2011
BU Nature Preserve
Season of Change
Partly sunny, cold, 12 degrees F

The Preserve was encased in ice from the previous day’s wet snow. A beautiful sight. Birds seen: Crow and Tree Sparrow. This was expected due to the extreme cold weather and time of year.

March 5, 2011
BU Nature Preserve
Season of Change
Partly sunny, warm, 40 degrees F

What a change from the previous Saturday! From just two birds to 14 species. This is what I expected and why it is called a Season of Change. Birds seen and/or heard: Turkey Vulture, Blue Jays, Red Wing Black Birds, Chickadee, Titmouse, Immature Red-tailed Hawk, Downey Wood Pecker, Hairy Wood Pecker, Northern Cardinal, Crows, Mallards, Canada Geese, Song Sparrow, and Mourning Dove.

March 19, 2011
Field Trip
Back Roads of Broome

I want to thank Marie for keeping our list for the day and Rich for volunteering to drive the second car. It was a frigid day as we drove the back roads of Broome and some of Tioga County looking for any early migrants. We were able to get quite a few birds despite the cold. The amazing thing was the number of species at River Road in Endwell. It was
the hot spot of the day.

Here is what we saw as recorded by Marie. Our first and most prolific stop beginning at 8:15am was River Rd. in Endwell where we tallied 21sp including Turkey Vulture, Wood Ducks, Am. Widgeon, Mallard, Ring-necked, Hooded & C. Mergansers, Bald Eagle-ad., Red-bellied/Downy/Hairy Woodpeckers, Song Sparrow and a flock of 2dz(est.) Tree Swallows picking off the surface of the water. Our trip into northern Broome gave us a beautiful male N. Harrier on Matt Ryan Rd., Cooper’s Hawk (George St), 3 Am. Kestrels (Pitkin, Nanticoke & Edwards Hill), E. Bluebird, Am. Tree Sparrow, 2 E. Meadowlarks (Cherry Valley Rd.), flocks of Am. Robins everywhere and 12plus Horned Larks on Howland Hill. Boland Pond was quiet with only a few Green-winged Teal, maybe due to the man in a boat rowing through. With 6 Red-tailed Hawks we totaled 37 species.

March 25, 2011, Saturday
BU Nature Preserve, “First weekend of Spring Walk”
Sunny, cold, 15 degrees F

It was pretty cold for the first weekend of spring, but 17 people dared the 15 degree temperature. At least it was not snowing or raining, so I consider it a good day to be out and about birding despite the cold. The walk started out with the boots of 17 people crunching the frozen snow cover making it impossible to hear. We soon learned the only way to hear any birds was to walk, then stop and listen. We did manage to see the following:

Robins, Chickadees, Northern Cardinals, Crows, Red Winged Black Birds, Blue Jays, Juncos, three separate Red Tailed Hawks, one of them an immature, two Great Blue Herons, Canada Geese, Hairy Woodpecker, Golden Crowned Kinglets and one unidentified hawk being mobbed by Crows.

Thank you to Victor for taking us to the Hemlock groves where we slipped and slid our way up the hill in search of porcupines. We found two of them and the partial remains of one dead one. I want to thank Dillon for piecing together bits of evidence and clues in the snow on what may have happened to the dead porcupine and the dead deer we found. On a trail above the porcupine, Dillon spotted more porcupine quills, blood, tracks and what was thought to be the hair of a Gray Fox. Over time, several predators probably shared in the disappearance of the porcupine remains. Around the deer he pointed out various tracks and evidence of coyotes feeding on the carcass by the way it was tangled and pulled and how coyotes can shear the hair. There was evidence of a hawk feeding there by seeing the spray of its droppings.

It is always good to be out and see what mysteries nature provides us to ponder over.

Weed Walk Diary – November 2010

11/3 – Cortland & Broome
A cold morning gave us many Canadas, Buffleheads, Hooded Mergs at Beaver Pond & Black Ducks, Mallards, Gr.Blue Heron and still some Red-Winged Blackbirds at Boland Pond. Hawks included Cooper’s, Am.Kestrel, Sharp-Shinned & many Red-Tailed. On Howland Hill Rd. we had a big flock of Am.Pipits & a Pileated Woodpecker flyover, a total of 32sp.

11/10 – Central Broome
Tons of Canada Geese all over & one Snow Goose at Dorchester Park; Ruddy Ducks at Greenwood; N.Shoveler, Ring-necked Ducks & C.Mergansers at other ponds gave us more migrating ducks, also Am.Coots at Boland for a total of 29sp.

These outings finished up our formal Weed Walk season – see you next year!

Weed Walk Diary is provided by members of the Naturalists’ Club of Broome County. This Weed Walk Diary was written by Dan Watkins & Marie Petuh. For information on the Naturalists Club, write P.O. Box 191, Vestal, N.Y. 13850.

Weed Walk Diary – July 2010

7/7: AQUA-TERRA PARK:
We walked Aqua-Terra before it got too hot and among others found Gr.Blue Heron, Sharp-Shinned Hawk, Alder Flycatchers, Barn Swallows, House Wrens, many singing Veeries, Wood Thrush, Robins, Catbirds, Cedar Waxwings, Yellow/Chestnut-Sided Warblers, Am.Redstarts and C.Yellow-throats, There were a Killdeer family, E.Bluebirds & Rose-Br.Grosbeak on Milks Rd. Golden-Winged Skimmer dragonflies were active at Jackson Pond as were butterflies at every location. Along Hance Rd. a coyote crossed the road; birds were N.Flicker, E.Kingbirds & Brown Thrashers. On Foley Rd. we added Gr.Crested Flycatcher, Red-Eyed Vireos, Ovenbirds & Scarlet Tanager to our list of 40sp.

7/14: CHENANGO BRIDGE PARK:
A 50sp day started with this very active location giving us RB Gulls, a surprise C.Nighthawk, Chimney Swifts, B.Kingfisher, E.Phoebe, Warbling/Red Vireos, Tree Swallows, WB Nuthatches, Cedar Waxwings, Yellow Warbler, C.Yellowthroat & others. Marsh Wrens sang at Boland Pond. On Mix Rd. we added Red-Tailed Hawk, E.Bluebirds, Hermit Thrush, Savannah Sparrows & Bobolinks, The Joyner Rd.swamp had Wood Ducks, Mallards and a family of C.Moorhens. Other highlights included Turkey Vultures, Am.Kestrel, Killdeer, N.Mockingbird, E.Towhee and E.Meadowlarks.

7/21: UPPER LISLE:
A stop at Dorchester Park produced Canada Geese, Killdeer and Spotted Sandpiper. Then at Upper Lisle we had 8 GB Herons, Pied-Billed Grebe, Yellow-Billed Cuckoo, YB Sapsucker, Willow Flycatcher, Warbling Vireo, Chestnut-Sided Warblers, a Rose-Br.Grosbeak family & Purple Finch. Many Tree & Barn Swallows were gathering, especially on Kales Hill Rd. and we found E.Meadowlarks in two places for a total of 35sp.

Weed Walk Diary is provided by members of the Naturalists’ Club of Broome County. This Weed Walk Diary was written by Marie Petuh. For information on the Naturalists Club, write P.O. Box 191, Vestal, N.Y. 13850.

Weed Walk Diary – June 2010

June 9 – Chenango Valley St Park
Didn’t see the Cerulean Warblers here but still got lots of nice birds and the Bald Eagles on their nest, C.Mergansers, B.Kingfisher, Red-Bellied/YB Sapsuckers, Yellow-Thr./RE Vireos, Veery/Hermit Thrushes, Ovenbirds and B.Orioles. Dorchester had DC Cormorants and Semi-Palmated Plovers while Boland had Chimney Swifts, Wood Ducks & Marsh Wrens. Fields of Boblinks on Knapp Rd. gave us a total of 47sp on a rainy day.

June 16 – Ely Park & roading
Started out at Ely with only an Ovenbird for our efforts, then the drizzle started so we ended the morning surfing the roads and seeing the usual locals, nothing unexpected.

June 23 – Chenango County
We found birding good on Page Brook, Hogsback & North Rds.with Least Flycatcher, E.Phoebe, Gr.Crested Flycatcher, E.Kingbird, Bobolinks, Red-Br.Nuthatch, Wht-Thr.Sparrow, Purple Finches etc. Back in Broome we added Wood Ducks, N.Bob White, Green Heron, C.Moorhen, Brown Thrasher plus others on Joyner & Bull Creek Rds.for a tally of 51sp.

June 30 – Parsons Road
Here were Wood Ducks, Willow Flycatcher, E.Phoebes, Rough-Winged Swallows, House Wren, Cedar Waxwings, Yellow/Chestnut-Sided Warblers, Am.Redstart, RB Grosbeak & B.Orioles – then on Mix Rd. a Cooper’s Hawk, E.Kingbirds, Savannah/Field/Grasshopper Sparrows & many Bobolinks while at the nearby Agway there were still several Cliff Swallows. Here we also spotted two Red-Shouldered Hawks overhead for a 54sp total.

Weed Walk Diary is provided by members of the Naturalists’ Club of Broome County. This Weed Walk Diary was written by Marie Petuh. For information on the Naturalists Club, write P.O. Box 191, Vestal, N.Y. 13850.

Weed Walk Diary – April 2010

April 7 – Tioga & central Broome
The Pine Warblers were back in full song at Round Top Park. At W.Corners Marsh we had a close look at 2 Rusty Blackbirds, also Wood Ducks & Swamp Sparrows. Lamb Rd. in Tioga County yielded Am.Kestrels. Other special birds included E.Bluebirds, Carolina Wrens, Wht-Throated Sparrow & Tree Swallows, tallying 33sp. Much Coltsfoot bloomed along the roads.

April 14 – On the road again
Mt.Hunger Rd. pond gave us Wood & Ring-Necked Ducks, Hooded Merganser & Gr.Blue Herons. Raptors included Red-Tailed Hawks, Turkey Vultures & Am.Kestrels. Caspian Terns thrilled us at Dorchester. Early arrivals were E.Phoebes, E.Towhee, Am.Flicker, Y-B Sapsuckers & E.Meadowlarks. Am.Black Ducks, Am.Coot and a pr. of Pied-Billed Grebe at Boland Pond added to our total of 34sp.

April 21 – South & central Broome
More early spring arrivals included Barn Swallows, Chipping Sparrows & Baltimore Oriole. An immature Bald Eagle, Wood Ducks, DC Cormorants, Killdeer & Blue-Winged Teals on the river plus N.Mockingbird, then a singing Purple Finch at Greenwood Park added to our 40sp total. On Smith Hill Rd. we encountered Turkey Vultures feasting on road-killed rabbit.

April 28 – The rivers and central roads
Blooming white Trillium and an immature Bald Eagle on Parsons Rd. plus a Merlin perched along the Susquehanna eating her lunch were our highlights of the day as we totaslled 33sp on a raw, drizzly day. Skunk Cabbage, Hobblebush, Cuckoo Flower and Marsh Marigold complemented our wildflower list.

Weed Walk Diary is provided by members of the Naturalists’ Club of Broome County. This Weed Walk Diary was written by Marie Petuh. For information on the Naturalists Club, write P.O. Box 191, Vestal, N.Y. 13850.