Snowy Egret Dances on East Pond, Jamaica Bay

It has been a while since I posted or got out birding for that matter...too many excuses but after kayaking I headed over to the East Pond at Jamaica Bay. Very nice conditions this year as I easily walked around the cove starting from the north end.  I had the pond to myself even the birds weren't many. However I had great fun watching a snowy egret dance around. Notice this snowy's usual yellow loral area, before the eye, is a deep orange. It is orange during the breeding season, which I had never seen or just hadn't noticed before. Of course it's wearing it's "golden dancing shoes."

Let me take my golden dance shoes on the wing....

Since there was no further action of East Pond, I headed for John's Pond and that is where all the bird action was with several juvenile night herons etc.. but next time.

Enjoy.

A Day of Birding, Finally... Part 1

Wow it was so good to be out and about on Saturday. Preparing to job hunt for a teaching position as opposed to a job (I'm in one of those closing schools) and writing and delivering the school history has kept me away from the blog. I have missed it.

West Pond - Jamaica Bay

I started the day at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge about 6:45 AM. The fog was still settled over the refuge. I started with a walk through the woods. I didn’t see as many warblers as I would have liked but got good views of the male and female American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla), White-eyed Vireo (Vireo griseus) a life bird for me and several Yellow Warblers. I continued on to the back side of the West Pond. I had beautiful views of Yellow Warblers (Dendroica petechia), Common Yellowthroats (Geothlypis trichas) and a Least Flycatcher (Empidonax minimus) I think. Some fellow birders mentioned that there was a Red-necked Phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus) still on the other side of the pond. I had forgotten how small they are but we finally located it. It sat for quite a while and didn’t move, once it started to move it was easier to see this beautiful bird. The bird did some limited spinning but was mostly walking around the edge on the pond. Also saw a White-rumped sandpiper.


Gray Catbird - Dumetella carolinensis




Common Yellowthroat - Geothlypis



White-eyed Vireo - Vireo griseus (lifebird)




White-eyed Vireo





Yellow Warbler - Dendroica petechia



Least Flycatcher - Empidonax minimus (I think) Let me know if you don't agree and what it is. I looked at all the flycatchers and this seemed the best fit because of the all white breast and belly



Glossy Ibis - Plegadis falcinellus

  
 

Female American Redstart - Setophaga ruticilla



Red-necked Phalarope and White-rumped Sandpiper

After a couple of hours I headed for Breezy Point with my friend Andrea for a little lunch and some more great birding. A couple of nice surprises awaited us there but I’ll save that for tomorrow.

Two Awesome Osprey Nests

I first saw these magnificent birds while living in Panama. It was around Thanksgiving I saw one  sitting on a dead branch that stuck out the top of a tree across from our house. It took me a month before I finally found a bird book that helped me identify it. I've been watching a couple of pairs and nests at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. Two weeks ago the chicks were still small but now they are exercising their wings and are a good size. Hope you enjoy!   The first nest in the marsh.

The second nest along Cross Bay Boulevard

New Arrivals at Jamaica Bay

Last Saturday I took a walk around the West Pond of Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge with a friend. I had not been for a couple of weeks, so I wanted to see what new migrants had come back.
Nesting Canadian Goose


There was so much to see. I love shore birds and Glossy Ibis, Foster's Terns, Boneparte's Gulls, and Oystercatchers were present. There were Northern Shovelers and Green-Winged Teal and plenty of Ruddy ducks. On the back side we saw a male Yellow Warbler, White-Throated Sparrows and I think a Hermit Thrush (picture below-but not too clear).



Oystercatchers (love those orange eyes and bill)

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I think this is a Hermit Thrush

Foster's Tern

A bunch of Foster's Terns hanging out with a couple of Boneparte's Gulls.

Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge and a Gorgeous Spring Saturday

What an absolutely gorgeous day. The first birds of the day were woodpeckers cavorting, but it was hard to tell weather they were downy or hairy woodpeckers. Although I didn't get a good enough picture to share I could see spots on the white tail feathers, thus they were Downy Woodpeckers. There were three of them chasing each other among the trees; fun to watch.
Here's one of the snow geese above

A couple of Ospreys are back and there were lots of Brant. The Red-Winged Blackbirds are back as well as Tree Swallows. There were lots of Lesser Scaup and Ruddy Ducks also.

Mute Swan

Moon and Gull

Before I walked around West Pond at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, I was sitting in the parking lot having a snack. I looked up and saw the gull on the pole and then I noticed the moon next to it.

Birding Floyd Bennett Airfield and Jamaica Bay

What a gorgeous day it was yesterday! Yes, maybe a little chilly but blue skies and sunshine. So I headed over to the first (now defunct) airfield in NYC - Floyd Bennett Airfield (FBA). I had been reading one of my favorite blogs http://birdingdude.blogspot.com/ last week and Andrew talked about the horned lark that hang out on the cricket field in the winter. I got there about 9:45 and was joined by two other birders who got there just ahead of me. As we talked and I listened to them talk I soon realized that this might be birding dude himself. Sure enough it was and his friend Pat who he often birds with and is herself very knowledgeable about birds. He remembered me from an email I sent him a few months ago and we laughed and introduced ourselves formally. They went off in search of the King Eider I saw at the other end of the airfield and I hung out with the larks for a few more minutes.

The larks were small and too far away to get an adequate picture but this is them after they were flushed by a dog and his friends.
Some bare trees against the blue sky on FBA
An American Wigeon (I believe) at FBA
Next I headed for Jamaica Bay. A couple of Brant as they fly above.

I also saw snow geese. They sure are beautiful when they fly.

Then there was this little guy. I believe he was a sparrow but I just can't ID it. If anyone has a better sense then I do please leave a comment. I searched my bird books but just wasn't sure. It may be an immature and that is why it is so hard to identify.

Lastly there was this little guy. He was moving among the brush so it was hard to try to get a picture. This was a lucky shot. This is a white-throated sparrow. He kept kicking and scratching through the leaves and if you look closely it looks as if he did find something to eat.

If you're ever in NYC both Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge (Queens) and FBA (Brooklyn) offer excellent places to bird or just take a walk on a gorgeous day.

Two Immatures

I was walking the dog in Brooklyn on Thursday night. Just as I was about to leave the dead end street I looked toward the Gowanus Canal. There was a heron sitting there. I ran home to get the camera praying it would still be there. Here it is. Upon checking the bird book it was an immature Black-Crowned Night Heron and a beautiful bird. "Hey Mr. Night Heron don't you know that you are sitting on the most polluted body of water on earth! Please don't drink or fish in the canal!!

Saturday I joined some blogging birders (Bev from Behind the Bins organized this event and Corey of 10,000 birds led us around) at Jamaica Bay Wildlife refuge in Queens, NY. There were lots of shore birds. In the afternoon we walked up to a birdblind on Big John's Pond (on East Pond side of the road) and just on the other side was sitting an immature Yellow-Crowned Night Heron.

Glossy Ibis at Jamaica Bay

Wow, what a great day! I went to breakfast with a friend. He asked me what my day was like and since I had no plans he said let's go for a walk. He gave me directions and when we made a turn off the beltway I recognized the name of the boulevard. I asked, "Are we going to the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge?" Come to find out he goes there 4 or 5 times a year to escape the city and enjoy the birds.
Funny thing was I just yesterday corresponded with Birding Dude asking him about the refuge and the safety of a woman walking the trails alone.

So, here I was walking the trail of West Pond. I saw glossy ibis (pictured), oystercatchers (LB), yellow-crowned night heron, egrets, marsh wrens, gray catbird, northern mockingbird and many others I couldn't get close enough to identify.