Birding WNY | Chirps and Cheeps

Adirondack Birding Published: July 04, 2015 Tags: General Observations, American Woodcock, Ruffed Grouse, Scarlet Tanager, Least Flycatcher, Cedar Waxwing, Gray Jay, Blue-headed Vireo, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Golden-winged Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Palm Warbler, Canada Warbler, Nashville Warbler, Northern Parula, Lincoln's Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow Happy 4th of July! I just got back from a very fun and therapeutic trip to the Adirondack Mountains with Willie D'Anna and Betsy Potter. What a great time with wonderful friends and some great birds seen! The first part of my adventure was awesome. I met Greg Lawrence up near Fort Drum and we birded the area and beyond, getting sights and sounds of wonderful birds like the Golden-winged Warbler and Henslow's Sparrow. The Golden-winged Warblers were in family groups and were tending to the business of child care. These were my very best looks of a Golden-winged - better than I could have hoped for. Thank you, thank you, Greg! After that, I headed to the Saranac Lake area in the mountains to meet up with Willie and Betsy. During the next few days, we did a lot of birding and we were able to see a couple of the Boreal species: Black-backed Woodpecker and Gray Jay - both were seen on some long hikes at Paul Smith's. (Thank you for the foot massage afterwards, Betsy!) The Boreal Chickadee and the Spruce Grouse, however, both eluded us. Next time! We did get plenty of sightings of the seldom seen Ruffed Grouse, though. A couple had chicks along with them, which is always a fun sighting. On one such sighting, we could hear the female softly clucking to her chicks in the underbrush just after she crossed over the road and took cover. A newly fledged Lincoln's Sparrow gave me some great views while Betsy and Willie were off kayaking one day - and we all got some very nice views of a pair of nesting Canada Warblers and nesting Blue-headed Vireos. Willie spotted an American Woodcock alongside the road from the car window as he was driving. We had GREAT views of that bird - my best ever! And we're all pretty sure we saw two different Northern Goshawks on the trip - but not quite confident enough to add them to eBird. I really enjoyed a couple of other families with young: Least Flycatchers and Golden-crowned Kinglets. The parents of both groups were very busy catching insects for their fledglings and I managed a few photos of the fun encounters. I love the different habitats in the Adirondacks; I love the clean air, the crystal clear lakes, and I love the sound of the White-throated Sparrow singing its haunting song in the background of it all. I need to go back. Soon. Golden-winged Warbler Golden-winged Warbler Golden-winged Warbler Golden-winged Warbler Chestnut-sided Warbler Chestnut-sided Warbler Male Scarlet Tanager carrying food for his young American Woodcock spotted by Willie out the car window! Palm Warbler Canada Warbler Canada Warbler Canada Warbler Northern Parula Chestnut-sided Warbler Blue-headed Vireo Blue-headed Vireo Gray Jay Young Gray Jay Young Lincoln's Sparrow Lincoln's Sparrow Ruffed Grouse Ruffed Grouse Ruffed Grouse Ruffed Grouse Least Flycatcher fledgling waiting to be fed White-throated Sparrow - the song of the Adirondacks to me Newly fledged Golden-crowned Kinglet begging for food Golden-crowned Kinglet fledgling getting fed Cedar Waxwing I think this is the Northern Pearlyeye Eastern Tiger Swallowtail White Admiral Not sure any more! Checkerspot? Toad Hummingbird Clearwing Moth Hummingbird Clearwing Moth Hummingbird Clearwing Moth Add a Comment »

Adirondack Birding

Published: July 04, 2015
Tags: General Observations, American Woodcock, Ruffed Grouse, Scarlet Tanager, Least Flycatcher, Cedar Waxwing, Gray Jay, Blue-headed Vireo, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Golden-winged Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Palm Warbler, Canada Warbler, Nashville Warbler, Northern Parula, Lincoln's Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow

Happy 4th of July! I just got back from a very fun and therapeutic trip to the Adirondack Mountains with Willie D'Anna and Betsy Potter. What a great time with wonderful friends and some great birds seen!

The first part of my adventure was awesome. I met Greg Lawrence up near Fort Drum and we birded the area and beyond, getting sights and sounds of wonderful birds like the Golden-winged Warbler and Henslow's Sparrow. The Golden-winged Warblers were in family groups and were tending to the business of child care. These were my very best looks of a Golden-winged - better than I could have hoped for. Thank you, thank you, Greg!

After that, I headed to the Saranac Lake area in the mountains to meet up with Willie and Betsy. During the next few days, we did a lot of birding and we were able to see a couple of the Boreal species: Black-backed Woodpecker and Gray Jay - both were seen on some long hikes at Paul Smith's. (Thank you for the foot massage afterwards, Betsy!) The Boreal Chickadee and the Spruce Grouse, however, both eluded us. Next time!

We did get plenty of sightings of the seldom seen Ruffed Grouse, though. A couple had chicks along with them, which is always a fun sighting. On one such sighting, we could hear the female softly clucking to her chicks in the underbrush just after she crossed over the road and took cover. A newly fledged Lincoln's Sparrow gave me some great views while Betsy and Willie were off kayaking one day - and we all got some very nice views of a pair of nesting Canada Warblers and nesting Blue-headed Vireos. Willie spotted an American Woodcock alongside the road from the car window as he was driving. We had GREAT views of that bird - my best ever! And we're all pretty sure we saw two different Northern Goshawks on the trip - but not quite confident enough to add them to eBird.

I really enjoyed a couple of other families with young: Least Flycatchers and Golden-crowned Kinglets. The parents of both groups were very busy catching insects for their fledglings and I managed a few photos of the fun encounters.

I love the different habitats in the Adirondacks; I love the clean air, the crystal clear lakes, and I love the sound of the White-throated Sparrow singing its haunting song in the background of it all. I need to go back. Soon.