Field Trip Schedule and Trip Reports

Please contact a board member if you would like to lead a field trip or if you have a suggestion for
a field trip that would be of interest to the membership

 

			FIELD TRIP SCHEDULE WINTER 2008 - 2009
Saturday, January 17     2 PM - dusk			Winter Birds of the Ft. Edward IBA led by Laurie LaFond and Jason Goldsmith Birding by car through the Ft. Edward IBA for Northern Harriers, Rough-legged Hawks, Short-eared Owls, and other birds.  Call Laurie at 955-8301 or Jason at 480-4243 to register and for further information.
Saturday, January 31 9AM & 1PM			Winter Tracking Workshop & Field Trek at the Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park with Vince Walsh.  Two sessions – 9am & 1pm.  RESERVATIONS REQUIRED.  SEE POSTER for more information.
Saturday, February  28 2PM – dusk			Wintering Birds of the Grasslands    Don Polunci, Leader  Mona Bearor, co-leader Join us as we travel by car through the grasslands of Washington county looking for Short-eared Owls and other wintering raptors.  Eastern Bluebird, Snow Bunting, Horned Lark, and Northern Shrike are other possible species. Bring binoculars and scopes if you have them.  Please call Don at 793-1531 or Mona at 745-8637 to register for this trip and obtain meeting location and carpooling information.
Tuesday, March 17 10AM - NOON			Snowshoeing at the Saratoga National Historic Park Ranger Linda White will lead a snowshoe trek.  Please call Linda at 518-792-4446 for more information and to register.

2008 Field Trip Reports

Saturday, October 4           Birding at the Helen Buckner Memorial Preserve in Westhaven, Vermont

A field trip to the Helen Buckner Memorial Preserve on October 4th produced life birds for most, and a good time for all!  Chickadees, nuthatches, and woodpeckers called and flitted through the trees as we hiked a woodland trail amidst peak fall foliage of glowing scarlet, crimson and gold.  Emerging at one point into a broad meadow, we were rewarded with stunning views of Bald Mountain and sightings of a variety of birds, including dozens of Cedar Waxwings, a Nashville Warbler, and a Ruby-crowned Kinglet.   The trail re-entered the woods and gradually climbed 200’ to a broad, grassy area with good views of the Poultney River and surrounding lands.  Our trip to the preserve ended with an exciting view of an endangered Peregrine Falcon circling overhead!  After the hike we drove to the nearby pier on South Bay, where we hoped to see migrating waterfowl.  We were surprised and delighted by the arrival of an immature Bald Eagle!  All binoculars were glued to the raptor as it demonstrated its masterful fishing technique.  Suddenly, an adult Bald Eagle appeared on the scene!  The adult, with its classic white head and tail shining in the late afternoon sunlight, chased the youngster until it dropped the fish.  The adult dove, raking the waves with its talons in an unsuccessful attempt to snag the fish.  Both birds made a few passes over the spot where the fish had disappeared before flying off up the lake.  Seeing the Bald Eagles, and being able to observe their natural interaction, was the perfect ending to a great day of birding!

Juvenile Bald Eagle with fish by Gordie Ellmers Photo taken at South Bay on Jan 19, 2008

Saturday,  August 16                  Invasive Species on the Betar Byway

On Saturday, August 16, five enthusiastic “students” joined leader, Drew Monthie, for a walk along the Betar Byway in South Glens Falls.  Sixteen species of invasive plants were identified as Drew led discussion about how invasive plant species threaten natural habitats.  The group learned that the introduction and spread of invasives was largely caused by man’s intervention in the environment; methods of control to counteract those errors were covered as well.  As always, Drew made it an interesting and informative morning for those who attended.  A list of invasive plant species follows:
Japanese Spirea – Spirea Japonica
Norway Maple - Acer platanoides
Japanese Barberry – Berberis thunbergii
Double-file Viburnum – Viburnum plicatum
Oriental Bittersweet - Celastrus orbiculatus
Porcelainberry - Ampelopsis brevipedunculata
Multiflora Rose - Rosa multiflora
Asiatic Nightshade - Solanum dulcamara
Japanese Knotweed - Polygonum cuspidatum
Purple Loosestrife - Lythrum salicaria
Tartarian Honeysuckle – Lonicera tatarica
Yellow Flag (Louisianna) Iris - Iris pseudacorus
Garlic Mustard - Alliaria petiolata
Black Locust - Robinia pseudoacacia
Spikenard - Aurelia Racemosa
Glossy (Tall-hedge) Buckthorn - Rhamnus frangula

Saturday, May 31                      Washington County Grasslands with Laurie LaFond and Jason Goldsmith

Jason & Laurie’s birding field trip to the Washington County Grasslands was a winner!  Sightings included favorites such as Bobolinks and Killdeer, as well as Savannah Sparrows, Swallows, Kingbirds and a single Meadowlark.  Baltimore Orioles, Yellow Warblers and a very vocal Common Yellowthroat (another Warbler species) brightened our day.
 

A pair of Bluebirds - perhaps taking a break from nesting duties – preened together from their perch on a dead tree near the road.  A little later, we watched with rapt attention as half a dozen Mockingbirds displayed their aerobatic skills, chasing each other across the fields and at times passing right over our heads.  A red fox kit took advantage of the distraction they provided to sneak through the grass and cross the road in front of us!  An Eastern Phoebe and a Great Crested Flycatcher flitted in and out of brush along the road in their hunt for flying insects.
 

At our last stop - a field where several threatened Upland Sandpipers had recently been spotted - a bird turned the tables on us.  It seems quite humorous that while our group was intently searching the field with binoculars for even a glimpse of this rare bird, we eventually turned around to discover an Upland Sandpiper watching us from a lawn across the road!  The bird didn’t seem too skittish, and everyone got a good look at it through both their binoculars and our club spotting scope.  This sighting was a life bird for many and we were all excited to see it!  All participants agreed it was a great trip, and we look forward to the next one.

Bobolink © 2008 Gordie Ellmers

Killdeer © 2008 Gordie Ellmers

Upland Sandpiper by  Mona Bearor

Saturday, May 17                                                      Gull Bay Heron Rookery with Laurie LaFond and Jason Goldsmith

A clear spring day and a cast of hundreds set the stage to make our May 17th field trip to the Gull Bay Nature Preserve a rousing success!

A Barred Owl held the audience spellbound with a stellar preening performance from a tree along the trail.  He followed that performance with an encore of blinking owlishly and mugging for the cameras from a grassy verge less than ten feet from the trail! Mary Ann Dorvee provided a great photo below!  Great Blue Herons on 30 active nests gave a solid performance at the rookery.  Most still appeared to be incubating their eggs, but some perched on adjoining tree limbs or made occasional landings, takeoffs, and fly-bys.   However, it was the surprise appearance of two tiny white downy heads in one nest that stole the scene! A Scarlet Tanager gave the stars a run for their money with a distinctive solo. 

Supporting cast was wonderful, with colorful favorites like the Cardinal, Baltimore Orioles, Black-throated Green Warblers, Yellow Warblers, and Great Crested Flycatchers putting on a fine act.  Special guests included a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Blue-headed Vireos and cameo appearances by a Red-shouldered Hawk and Cooper’s Hawk.  Meadowlarks gave a sneak preview of the grasslands show from fields bordering the preserve, where Bobolinks bobbed in to say hello.  The gliding flight of a male Northern Harrier gave trip participants an added thrill.  A quick side trip to Trillium Trail yielded special appearances by a Rose-breasted Grosbeak and an American Redstart. 

The total number of species positively identified was 40, along with a probable Black & White Warbler and a Warbling Vireo.

Trip leaders Laurie LaFond and Jason Goldsmith would like to thank those who turned out for this spectacular show – we probably wouldn’t have been there to see it without you!

	Species list for the trip:
	Great Blue Heron Canada Goose Mallard Turkey Vulture Northern Harrier Cooper's Hawk Red-shouldered Hawk Wild Turkey Mourning Dove Barred Owl Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Downy Woodpecker Great Crested Flycatcher Tree Swallow Barn Swallow Gray Catbird Veery Wood Thrush American Robin Black-capped Chickadee	Tufted Titmouse White-breasted Nuthatch Blue Jay American Crow Blue-headed Vireo Yellow Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler American Redstart Ovenbird Scarlet Tanager Chipping Sparrow Song Sparrow Northern Cardinal Rose-breasted Grosbeak Bobolink Red-winged Blackbird Eastern Meadowlark Common Grackle Brown-headed Cowbird Baltimore Oriole

Easter Sunday, March 23 - 8:00AM                     Waterfowl of the Hudson River with Joyce Miller and Mona Bearor

A crisp and sunny spring morning of waterfowl birding was enjoyed by 17 participants, equally representing Southern Adirondack Audubon and the Hudson Mohawk Bird Club.  By noon we had tallied 43 species including Bufflehead, Green-winged Teal, and Northern Pintail, in addition to the expected goldeneyes, mergansers, and other more common duck species. A highlight for all, and a life bird for many, was the pair of Canvasbacks which cooperated in the early morning light to give excellent looks.  Also of interest were the four Tundra Swans seen near the Riverview Cemetery in Fort Miller; these elegant birds dwarfed the nearby Canada Geese and all participants were able to get great views of this species which is not often seen in our area.  A Red-bellied Woodpecker showed its brilliant red head in the morning light and a Great Blue Heron perched in the top of a tall tree at riverside was interesting to those who have never seen this species aloft.  We noted that Dark-eyed Juncos and Snow Buntings are still in the area, while Song Sparrows have returned and are joyfully singing their mating songs.  Brown-headed Cowbirds were overheard making plans to find nest space for this year’s eggs while a single Killdeer made its presence known.  In the grasslands Red-tailed Hawks were plentiful; several Rough-legged Hawks gave good views and a single Northern Harrier interacted with the hawks.  Turkey Vultures soared in several spots.  The return trip offered an American Kestrel in Schuylerville and a Cooper’s Hawk in Queensbury bringing the trip total to 45 species.  A great morning enjoyed by a great group of birders! Species List                     Great Blue Heron Tundra Swan Snow Goose Canada Goose Wood Duck Green-winged Teal Mallard American Black Duck Northern Pintail Canvasback Ring-necked Duck Common Goldeneye Bufflehead Hooded Merganser Common Merganser Turkey Vulture Northern Harrier Red-tailed Hawk Rough-legged Hawk American Kestrel Killdeer Ring-billed Gull Rock Dove Mourning Dove Red-bellied Woodpecker Downy Woodpecker Northern Flicker Northern Mockingbird American Robin Black-capped Chickadee Tufted Titmouse White-breasted Nuthatch Blue Jay American Crow European Starling Song Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco Snow Bunting Northern Cardinal Red-winged Blackbird Common Grackle Brown-headed Cowbird American Goldfinch House Sparrow		Field trip participants enjoy watching a pair of Canvasbacks on the Hudson Tundra Swans were the surprise of the day... and a life bird for many!

  Saturday, February 23 - 9:00AM                       Snowshoe Walk at the Denton Preserve with Don and Nancy Polunci

Although we didn’t see many bird species, our snowshoe field trip in the Denton Wildlife Sanctuary on Saturday, February 23 was enjoyable. Three people accompanied us on the 1.3-mile loop trail the day after a fresh snowfall. It was a great day to be outside! Our best bird siting was a Ruffed Grouse. We saw lots of tracks, including deer, rabbit, squirrel, and mouse.  Unfortunately, we did not see bobcat tracks, despite a previous spotting there last fall.   Nan and Don Polunci

Saturday, January 26 – 8:30AM                         Wintering Birds of the IBA with Jason Goldsmith and Laurie LaFond

The SAAS Winter Raptor Field Trip was a great success, drawing seven enthusiastic beginning and veteran bird-watchers, in addition to the two co-leaders.  Excited participants are probably still talking about the highlight of the trip - a close encounter with a Red-tailed Hawk!  Moderate temperatures, lots of sunshine and little wind made for a pleasant morning outing as we traveled a shortened version of the official IBA survey route.  We saw about a dozen Rough-legged Hawks, half a dozen Red-tailed Hawks, a flock of about 20 Snow Buntings and one American Kestrel.  We were very fortunate to spot a Merlin (a medium-sized falcon).  It remained perched atop a telephone pole long enough for everyone to get a good look through binoculars and the spotting scope; it even stayed through all the photos. The Red-tailed Hawk encounter occurred about half an hour into the trip (good timing, Jason!).  We happened upon a couple of bird banders working for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).  They had just trapped the 4-5 year old male Red-tailed seen in the photo.  They not only allowed us to observe and take photos while they recorded data such as the hawk’s sex and weight (roughly 2.2 pounds), but also explained things like how they determined its age.  This hawk had been banded previously, as had his mate, who weighed over three pounds (female raptors are about one third larger than males).    Everyone seemed to have a good time, and we are all looking forward to the next birding field trip.    by Laurie LaFond