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illustration by Julie Zickefoose |
High
Peaks
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TRIP REPORTS
Champlain Valley
Essex County
April 28, 2007
The
High Peaks Audubon Society field trip in the Champlain Valley on April 28,
2007 attracted 17 birders from as far afield as Buffalo and Anchorage. Highlights
among the 55 species sighted included several Wilson's snipe, a Golden eagle
and four drake Ruddy ducks (extremely rare).
| • Common loon | • Yellow-bellied sapsucker |
| • Double-crested cormorant | • Downy woodpecker |
| • Great blue heron | • Hairy woodpecker |
| • Canada goose | • Northern flicker |
| • Wood duck | • Pileated woodpecker |
| • Mallard | • Eastern phoebe |
| • Ring-necked duck | • Tree swallow |
| • Common goldeneye | • Northern rough-winged swallow |
| • Bufflehead | • Blue jay |
| • Common merganser | • American crow |
| • Ruddy duck | • Common raven |
| • Turkey vulture | • Black-capped chickadee |
| • Osprey | • Tufted titmouse |
| • Northern harrier | • White-breasted nuthatch |
| • Red-tailed hawk | • Brown creeper |
| • Golden eagle | • Ruby-crowned kinglet |
| • American kestrel | • Hermit thrush |
| • Spotted sandpiper | • American robin |
| • Common snipe | • European starling |
| • Ring-billed gull | • Yellow-rumped warbler |
| • Herring gull | • Chipping sparrow |
| • Great black-backed gull | • Savannah sparrow |
| • Rock pigeon | • Song sparrow |
| • Mourning dove | • Swamp sparrow |
| • Belted kingfisher | • White-throated sparrow |
| • ed-winged blackbird | • Brown-headed cowbird |
| • Rusty blackbird | • American goldfinch |
| • Common grackle |
Lake Jimmy - Newcomb,
NY
Essex County
Saturday July 1, 2006
On Saturday, July 1, 2006 High Peaks Audubon sponsored a field trip to Lake Jimmy, Lake Sally and the Opalescent River located in the Town of Newcomb. The group of nine met at 8:00 a.m. in the Upper Works Parking Lot and were led by Pat and John Thaxton. Immediately upon setting foot on the trail, there was a piddling rainfall which ended briefly and the rest of the 7.4 mile round trip had wonderful slightly breezy, warm and sunny weather which was perfect for a bird watching field trip. The group first crossed the head of the Hudson River on a wobbly antique suspension bridge that was a lot of fun and obviously enjoyed by the birders. Lake Jimmy, was next to cross on a very long and narrow wooden pier bridge. A lovely doe intently watched the party's careful crossing of the bridge. Above the lake an osprey soared. A kestrel on the way back. The birders immediately encountered none other than Canada, Magnolia, and Mourning Warbler, setting the tone of the trip. It seemed White-Throated sparrows were nesting everywhere teasing the viewers. Black- and- White warbler was present and notably showed himself. Upon arriving to the remote and tranquil, Lake Sally, a pair of swimming and diving loons entertained the group. While circling round Lake Sally a loud, harsh croak was startling as a Great Blue Heron took flight overhead. Lunch was enjoyed sitting on a large rock jutting out into the Opalescent River. The walking was relatively easy on wide trails that provide good angles for bird observation. A couple of muddy areas were confronted. This beautifully led trip into a remote, peaceful location presented extraordinary bird observations, many of which were first time sightings for some of the participants or treasured sightings for the more experienced. It was simply remarkable. The following 39 species were revealed during the trip:
| • Common Merganser with 6 young | Winter Wren |
| • Common Loon pair | • Swainson's Thrush |
| • Great Blue Heron | • Hermit Thrush |
| • Osprey | • Cedar Waxwing |
| • American Kestrel | • Nashville Warbler |
| • Spotted Sandpiper | • Chestnut-Sided Warbler |
| • Ruby-Throated Hummingbird | • Magnolia Warbler |
| • Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker | • Black-Throated Blue Warbler |
| • Northern Flicker | • Yellow-Rumped Warbler |
| • Least Flycatcher | • Black-Throated Green Warbler |
| • Olive-Sided Flycatcher | • Blackburnian Warbler |
| • Blue-Headed Vireo | • Black-and-White Warbler |
| • Red-Eyed Vireo | • American Redstart |
| • Blue-Jay | • Mourning Warbler |
| • Common Raven | • Common Yellowthroat |
| • Tree Swallow | • Canada Warbler |
| • Black-Capped Chickadee | • Song Sparrow |
| • Red-Breasted Nuthatch | • Chipping Sparrow |
| • White-Breasted Nuthatch | • White-Throated Sparrow |
| • Dark-Eyed Junco |
submitted by Yvette Tillema
Low's Ridge-Upper
Dam Trail
Piercefield-Colton,
St. Lawrence County
Saturday, June 30 2006
The Low's Ridge-Upper Dam Trail field trip was held last Friday on a humid, overcast day with just occasional drops of rain. (Fortunately, the heavy rain started just after we got into our cars at the end of the trip!) It was a great day for mosquitoes! Our group of 10 hiked to Hitchins Pond for a picnic and four of us added the climb up Low's Ridge before hiking back out (5 miles round trip to Hitchins Pond, or 7 miles round trip if adding the climb up Low's Ridge on the new trail - more on the new trail below). We found 44 species. Here are a few of the species found:
Common Loon - 2; one on Horseshoe Lake and the other on Hitchins Pond (observed by the group of 4 from Low's Ridge!) Amer. Kestrel - Mike Moccio found this bird perched far out in the bog, and focused his scope for everyone to observe it. Chimney Swift - several; I have observed this species congregate in great numbers in the evening near a man-made structure just below the Lower Dam on the Bog River. Ruby-throated Hummingbird Belted Kingfisher Yellow-bellied Flycatcher Blue-headed Vireo Philadelphia Vireo - heard a few times by Mike Moccio Brown Creeper Winter Wren Golden-crowned Kinglet Swainson's Thrush - along Horseshoe Lake Hermit Thrush Cedar Waxwing - many on Low's Ridge Nashville Warbler Northern Parula Chestnut-sided Warbler Magnolia Warbler Black-throated Blue Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler Blackburnian Warbler - many Palm Warbler - several; nice views of a tail-pumping individual Black-and-white Warbler Amer. Redstart Ovenbird Common Yellowthroat Scarlet Tanager - several Lincoln's Sparrow - beautiful views of an individual on the way in and way out; many were singing on Friday Swamp Sparrow White-throated Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco - on Low's Ridge Purple Finch Red Crossbill - 3 flying overhead
The new trail up Low's Ridge is very nice, but still not marked by a sign! The trail is located behind rock ruins just above the Upper Dam. We (myself, Dick Beamish, Rachel Rice, and Kathy Ballard) helped a canoeing couple find the trail, and they hiked up with us. The plaque to Mr. Low is to the left of where the trail comes out on the ridge - walk behind the cliffs in the woods since the ridge at that point is dangerous - there is a bit of a herd path in the bushes behind the ridge. The plaque is located on one of the highest rocks. Although it was hazy and humid, we were able to see many High Peaks, including Marcy, Algonquin, Whiteface (and many more), and Blue Mt. It is a spectacular view! (It is really wonderful to be on this ridge on a clear day in the fall.) Indian Pipe was in bloom (if you can call it a "bloom"!) along the trail up Low's Ridge.
Noblewood Park - Wilsboro,
NY
Essex County
Sunday, May 28 2006
Last Sunday (28 May 2006), my father Dave and I were joined by four members of the Hudson-Mohawk Bird Club (HMBC) and four members of the High Peaks Audubon Sociey (HPAS) for a joint HMBC-HPAS field trip to Noblewood Park, in the Town of Willsboro. Although migration activity was minimal, and there were some flooding issues in the lower part of the park, we had a very enjoyable morning of birding.
I had a feeling it was going to be a good morning when I was greeted in the parking lot by the "chuwee" of my Noblewood-first YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER. Unfortunately, the bird soon went quiet, and it was not heard by any of the other members of the field trip. Once the group had fully assembled, though, the first bird we saw (through my scope, no less) was a stunning male SCARLET TANAGER singing from the edge of the woods behind the maintenance garage just past the entrance gate. While we were watching the tanager, a VEERY came in close, giving its "veer" call, and I actually managed to get it in my scope as well! Walking along the road to the new day building, we heard the songs of an AMERICAN REDSTART (a bird that I've infrequently encountered at Noblewood), as well as several BLACKBURNIAN WARBLERS, BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLERS, YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS, PINE WARBLERS, and OVENBIRDS (all of which breed at Noblewood). After some effort, we were able to get nice looks at both Blackburnian Warbler and Black-throated Green Warbler, and a few of us caught brief glimpses of an Ovenbird walking on the forest floor.
At the bluffs, some scanning of the lake yielded three species of waterfowl--a female COMMON MERGANSER with six very small chicks (with 2-3 on her back at a time), a male BUFFLEHEAD, and a young male COMMON GOLDENEYE. As we were leaving the bluffs area, we noticed a pair of BROWN CREEPERS foraging on large pines, and then watched as one of them flew to a nest located under an area where two pines had grown together. Also in that area was a singing HERMIT THRUSH and a pair of very vocal GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHERS, a species that we were eventually able to see in the parking area in the interior of the park.
As we walked down the road to the lower section of the park, I heard the song of a migrant MAGNOLIA WARBLER coming from high in the hemlocks. Despite spirited pishing, the bird remained distant and I was the only one who was able to get a view of it. The pishing was not totally in vain, though, as a male Scarlet Tanager came in to investigate, and gave us more great looks of this beautiful species. At the bottom of the hill, we discovered that the road leading to the river mouth was flooded, meaning that we would be unable to check the spit for migrant shorebirds. The road leading to the town beach was also flooded, but we managed to sidestep the water and make it to the lake edge. There we saw a single breeding-plumaged COMMON LOON, and, rather surprisingly, a pair (one male, one female) of RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS. At this point, I decided to go out to the river mouth despite the flooding, just to make sure that there wasn't anything "really good" out there. The most noteworthy birds were six CASPIAN TERNS, which proved to be life birds for one of the members of our group.
We ended our visit to Noblewood by watching a sharp-looking male EASTERN BLUEBIRD near its nestbox along Rt. 22. Just as we were about to leave, I heard the "zipper call" of a PINE SISKIN, although I'm afraid that I was the only one to hear it. From Noblewood, we headed up to Highland Road near the Willsboro/Chesterfield town line, in search of Mourning Warbler. We didn't have any luck with this species, but we did have an incredible, five-minute long look at a male PINE WARBLER, perched on, and foraging from, a dead branch halfway up a massive white pine. Other birds noted during our walk along Highland included CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER, BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER, and WHITE-THROATED SPARROW. All in all, it was a very nice morning of birding, and I'd like to thank all of the trip participants for making the trip to Noblewood.
Good birding, Matt Medler
Glenville and Willsboro, NY
Massawepie Mire
Piercefield-Colton, St. Lawrence County
Saturday, May 20 2006
Conditions were a bit better than I expected for the Massawepie Mire bird
walk - at least it didn't pour rain the whole time! Temps were chilly (40s)
and most people wore gloves - not just for the cold, but to protect against
the mosquitoes. It drizzled and rained at times, but no heavy rain. We could
see into the fen just fine, but the surrounding views were obscured by low
clouds. Nine people showed up for the hike, and we found 43 species.
Last year, the bird walk was held on 5/28 in nice weather when we found 59
species. The tally on yesterday's 5/20 trip was probably lower mostly due
to the weather conditions, plus the fact that some species are not back yet
with a walk date 8 days earlier. For instance, Peter O'Shea visited Massawepie
last week and saw Tree Swallows (there are usually many), but not one showed
itself yesterday! We hiked the area around the Grass River first, and then
walked to the railroad bed - total round-trip hiking distance was 5 miles.
Given the rainy conditions, we did not go on to hike the Mountaineer Trail.
Here are some of the 43 species we found on the hike (including 16 warbler,
5 sparrow, and 2 finch species):
| • Common Loon | • Nashville Warbler |
| • Great Blue Heron | • Northern Parula |
| • Belted Kingfisher | • Chestnut-sided Warbler |
| • Northern Flicker | • Yellow Warbler |
| • Least Flycatcher | • Magnolia Warbler |
| • Yellow-bellied Flycatcher | • Black-throated Blue Warbler |
| • Blue-headed Vireo | • Yellow-rumped Warbler |
| • Common Raven | • Black-throated Green Warbler |
| • Brown Creeper | • Blackburnian Warbler |
| • Winter Wren | • Pine Warbler |
| • Golden-crowned Kinglet | • Palm Warbler |
| • Hermit Thrush | • Black-and-white Warbler |
| • Gray Catbird | • American Redstart |
| • Ovenbird | • Common Yellowthroat |
| • Northern Waterthrush | • Scarlet Tanager |
| • Savannah Sparrow | • Rose-breasted Grosbeak |
| • Song Sparrow | • Purple Finch |
| • Lincoln's Sparrow | • Red Crossbills |
| • Swamp Sparrow | |
| • White-throated Sparrow |
This location is the dirt pull-off parking area near the gate before the Grass River - just a short distance past the "V" intersection with the railroad bed. Regardless of the weather, and the fact that we did not observe a Black-backed Woodpecker, Gray Jay or Boreal Chickadee yesterday, Massawepie is always a beautiful place to visit! I really enjoy the wonderful smell of a fen and the damp spruce/fir forest (one of the participants said all he could smell was his bug spray!!!).
Hulls Falls Road
Keene Valley, NY
Saturday, May 20 2006
The Hurricane Chapter of the Adirondack Mountain Club and the High Peaks Audubon Society jointly sponsored a Field Trip on and around the Hulls Falls Road in the Town of Keene on Saturday, May 20. The group of 15 individuals gathered at 7:30 a.m. and was led by Ruth Kuhfahl, and Pat and John Thaxton. The weather was cloudy and breezy with a cool temperature in the high 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Also observed were many wildflowers and plants including some invasive species.
| • Common Merganser | • Eastern Phoebe |
| • Turkey Vulture | • Warbling Vireo |
| • Red-shouldered Hawk | • Blue-headed Vireo |
| • Broad-winged Hawk | • Blue Jay |
| • Peregrine Falcon | • Common Raven |
| • Solitary Sandpiper | • American Crow |
| • Spotted Sandpiper | • Tree Swallow |
| • Mourning Dove | • Black-capped Chickadee |
| • Ruby-throated Hummingbird | • Red-breasted Nuthatch |
| • Yellow-bellied Sapsucker | • White-breasted Nuthatch |
| • Downy Woodpecker | • Eastern Bluebird |
| • Hairy Woodpecker | • Chestnut Sided Warbler |
| • Pileated Woodpecker | • Yellow-rumped warbler |
| • Northern Flicker | • Black-throated Green Warbler |
| • Red Winged Blackbird | • Black-throated Blue Warbler |
| • Common Grackle | • Black and White Warbler |
| • White Throated Sparrow | • Blackburnian Warbler |
| • Song Sparrow | • Nashville Warbler |
| • Chipping Sparrow | • Pine Warbler (on nest) |
| • Gray Catbird | • Magnolia Warbler |
| • American Robin | • Yellow Warbler |
| • Brown Headed Cowbird | • Common Yellowthroat |
| • Baltimore Oriole | • Pine Siskin |
| • Ovenbird | • Purple Finch (feeding young) |
| • Indigo Bunting | • American Goldfinch |
Champlain Valley
Westport, NY
Saturday, April 22 2006
Eight people birded the
Champlain Valley from the Westport Boat Launch north to Noblewood Park. It
was a cool, cloudy day with strong breezes but the first raindrops held off
until 1 p.m. when the group was breaking up near an Osprey nest under construction.
We saw a total of 44 species. Highlights included a Common loon swimming around
for half an hour with a fish in its mouth, a Carolina wren singing at the
top of a leafless hardwood, a pair of Evening grosbeaks, a Yellow-rumped warbler
and 3 Purple finches.
| •Common loon | •Tree swallow |
| •Double-crested cormorant | •Barn swallow |
| •Great blue heron | •Blue jay |
| •Canada goose | •American crow |
| •Mallard | •Common raven |
| •Common goldeneye | •Black-capped chickadee |
| •Bufflehead | •Tufted titmouse |
| •Common merganser | •White-breasted nuthatch |
| •Turkey vulture | •Carolina wren |
| •Osprey | •Eastern bluebird |
| •Northern harrier | •American robin |
| •Cooper's hawk | •Cedar waxwing |
| •Red-tailed hawk | •European starling |
| •American kestrel | •Yellow-rumped warbler |
| •Wild turkey | •Northern cardinal |
| •Ring-billed gull | •Song sparrow |
| •Herring gull | •Red-winged blackbird |
| •Great black-backed gull | •Common grackle |
| •Rock dove | •Brown-headed cowbird |
| •Mourning dove | •Purple finch |
| •Downy woodpecker | •American goldfinch |
| •Eastern Phoebe | •Evening grosbeak |
| •House sparrow |
Champlain Valley
Westport, NY
Satuday, March 25 2006
Under mostly
sunny skies, with Lake Champlain as smooth and full of reflections as a mirror,
eight participants birded the valley from the Westport Boat Launch to Camp
Dudley to the fields along Stevenson Road. After returning to the boat launch
for a brief lunch break, six of the participants then birded the Magic Triangle,
then drove home in a light drizzle. Spectacular day, with the highlight being
two beautiful male Northern harriers, one of them quartering low over a field
and the other skimming the treetops. Species seen by all: 34
| •Pied-billed grebe | •Swallow species |
| •Canada goose | •Blue jay |
| •Mallard | •American crow |
| •Ring-necked duck | •Common raven |
| •Common goldeneye | •Black-capped chickadee |
| •Bufflehead | •Tufted titmouse |
| •Hooded merganser | •White-breasted nuthatch |
| •Common merganser | •Eastern bluebird |
| •Turkey vulture | •European starling |
| •Northern harrier | •Northern cardinal |
| •Red-tailed hawk | •Song sparrow |
| •Ring-billed gull | •Dark-eyed junco |
| •Herring gull | •Red-winged blackbird |
| •Great black-backed gull | •Common grackle |
| •Rock pigeon | •House finch |
| •Mourning dove | •House sparrow |
| •Pileated woodpecker | •American robin |
A Carolina
wren sang at the boat launch during lunch. Species seen later by some of the
group:
| •Snow goose | •Downy woodpecker |
| •Ruffed-legged hawk | •Hairy woodpecker |
| •Wild turkey | •Northern shrike |
Total: 41 species
Snowshoe at Newcomb VIC
Saturday, February 25, 2006
Twenty-five
people participated in the snowshoe walk at the Newcomb VIC on Saturday. The
temperature was 7 degrees at 9:30 a.m. and only 9 degrees by 1 p.m. There
was a snow storm at the time - progressively heavier as we hiked, with some
wind - only a problem in open areas. We snowshoed the Sucker Brook Trail and
the Rich Lake Trail. There was quite a bit of open water along the outlet
of Rich Lake.
The Newcomb VIC maintenance person cleared 33 downed trees from their trails
over 3 days after the wind storm of 2/17/06! The Newcomb VIC staff greeted
people with the announcement that their scope was focused on a Barred Owl
near the feeders! (Almost a daily visitor) The owl was perched close to the
trunk of a tree - blending in completely. Its head was covered in snow! I
took several photos, but my camera kept focusing on the falling snow. I managed
to get 3 photos of the owl taken through the window - but they look like children's
puzzles - "can you find the hidden owl in the picture?!"
Our species total was only 8 - fairly typical for this time of year. We also
observed many mammal tracks, including River Otter and fox.
Species observed:
•Barred Owl
•Hairy Woodpecker
- drumming
•Blue Jay
•Black-capped
Chickadee
•Red-breasted
Nuthatch
•White-breasted
Nuthatch
•Golden-crowned
Kinglet - several views
•Evening Grosbeak
- at the feeders
Although the woods were fairly quiet, everyone still enjoyed hiking in a snow
storm on the scenic VIC trails!
Nun-da-ga-o Ridge
September 17, 2005 -
•Ruby-crowned kinglet
•Black-throated blue warbler
•Black-throated green warbler
•Yellow-rumped warbler
•Winter wren
•Blue-headed vireo
•Black-capped chickadee