| December
2007 Records
Weather: The first week was cold enough to freeze over
many ponds. The 9-12 inch snowfall on the 13th followed by sleet
on the 16th remained on the ground until the Christmas Bird Count. The
rain on the 23rd and the following warm days melted most of the snow and
brought ponds and streams to bank-full. The temps were generally
warmer than usual and several half-hardies were found: Gray Catbird,
Eastern Towhee, Killdeer, and most unusual – Eastern Phoebe.
Unfortunately
several of the highlight birds of the month didn't stick around for any
but the first observer to see. (Note
that the shrike first observed at Vassar Farm Jan 1st has been observed by
several folks until at least the 14th.) The winter finch invasion so
far has only brought Pine Siskins, Redpolls, and one fleeting group of Pine
Grosbeaks here. The redpolls are widespread and have been enjoyed by
many of us.
Snow Goose: 23/14 flying low over Rockefeller Ln
AG; 3 other reports of 1 each
Canada Goose: 1000+/5 The Fly CV; 500/12 Verbank/Bos
Haven Farm FT; 500+/29 Reagan Rd CV; 14 other reports including migrating
flocks mid-month.
Mute Swan: 15/3, 2/28 Wapp Lk. BJM; 11/1 NE Duck
Search FT; 4 reports of 1-6 .
Wood Duck: 4/10 Hunter Brook HRA.
Gadwall: 3/1 NE Duck Search FT.
American Black Duck: 10/1 Stissing & Carvel Lakes,
10/9, 8/31 Buttercup Farm Sanctuary WLS; 25-30/5,12/28 The Fly, also at Norrie
Pt and Mashomack CV; 6 other reports.
Northern Pintail: 2/21 Maloney Rd at Organ Hill Rd,
1/27 Sylvan Lk CV.
Green-winged Teal: 2/28 The Fly CV; 4/28 Wapp. Lk.
BJM .
Canvasback: 30-35/28 river at Beacon HRA.
Ring-necked Duck: 225/1 NE Duck Search FT; 25/8 Sylvan
Lk APe; also at Hunns Lake and pond in Verbank.
Lesser Scaup: 4/8 Sylvan Lk APe; 1/27 Sylvan Lk CV.
Common Goldeneye: 3/8 first, a few rest of month Rhinecliff RJ;
scores/27 river south of New Hamburg HRA.
Hooded Merganser: 35/1 NE Duck Search FT; 15/3 & 28
Wapp Lk. BJM; also 4-6 Sylvan Lk.
Common Merganser: 22/1 NE Duck Search FT; up to 40
several river locations; 5-35 Wapp Lk, Sylvan Lk, Hunns Lk, Salt Pt, Velie
Rd pond.
Ruddy Duck: 33/1 Carvel Lake WLS; 15/1 NE Duck Search
FT; 30/27 Sylvan Lk CV.
Ring-necked Pheasant: pr/10 yd, Wappingers BJM; 1/24
yard, Verbank BB.
Ruffed Grouse: 3/31 Buttercup East AJ.
Wild Turkey: 23/2 White Oaks, East Park SGy; 62/27 Pilgrims
Progress Rd RJ; 8 other reports.
Double-crested Cormorant: 2/8-26 Rhinecliff RJ.
Great Cormorant: 2/1-26 Rhinecliff RJ.
Great Blue Heron: 1-3/1-12 Vandenburgh Cove RJ;
12 other reports of 1 each, last on 26th.
Black Vulture: 5/5 flying over Pine Plains CV;
6/6 Fraliegh Hill APe; 1-2 from Bog Hollow, Beekman, Salt Point.
Turkey Vulture: 2/5 over Pine Plains CV; 1/28 RJ;
more Black than Turkey Vulture reports!
Bald Eagle: 2-6
seen at several river locations, also 1-2 seen at 4 "inland" places.
Northern Harrier: 2/22 Clove(CBC) CP/HT; 2/28 Mashomack
CV; 12 other single birds sighted, more than most Decembers.
Sharp-shinned Hawk: 1/all yd Poughquag CP/HT; 8
others, most near feeders.
Cooper's Hawk: 1-2/Frequent RJ; 4 others
near feeders.
Northern Goshawk: 1/3 Stony Kill HRA.
Red-shouldered Hawk: 1/7 Rt. 376 along Wapp. Creek
AJM; 1/13,1/25 Rhinebeck MP; 1/15 Field Rd. Milan DG; 1/24
Salt Pt RB.
Rough-legged Hawk: 1/26 rivershore at Poughkeepsie
HRA; 1/31 West Clove Mtn Rd (light morph) CV.
Golden Eagle: 1/28 Stissing Mtn, adult soaring
with ad Bald Eagle CV.
Peregrine Falcon: 1/18 Mid-Hudson Bridge, on abutment
with kill CV; 1/22 Beacon-Newburgh bridge Dominic Sherony.
American Coot: 30/8 Sylvan Lk APe; 50-55/27 Sylvan
Lk CV.
Killdeer: 1/8 Fishkill Cemetery FH, not often here
in December.
American Woodcock: 1/7 Stanfordville APe, a good
find for December.
BONAPARTE'S GULL: 2/8 Sylvan Lk APe; uncommon especially
away from the Hudson.
Great Black-backed Gull: 6/5 River Cove Beacon
train station BJM; 3/26 Norrie Pt FT.
Eastern Screech-Owl: 1/12 heard only RJ.
Great Horned Owl: 1/18,20,21 Rombout Rd CV; 2/26
Beekman AP/GZ; 1-2/9-30; heard occasionally Rhinebeck MP; 2 /4, 2/28 Woodland
Dr., Salt Pt. RB; 1-4/ Frequent calls 1st half of month-then occasionally RJ.
Barred Owl: 1/12 heard at Pond Gut 3:30pm CV; 1/2,
11 & 28 h early am yd. AJM; 1/22 yd. Rosa Corbeels.
Northern Saw-whet Owl: 1/28 Hurley Rd, Pleasant
Valley RB; also seen same day by Barb Mansell, Ed Spaeth.
Belted Kingfisher: 1/occasionally Rhinecliff RJ;
5 others.
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker: 3/19 Baird Park FT; 2/5
Madam Brett FT; plus 9 single birds.
Northern Flicker: 4/11 Vassar Farm, 3/7,20 Rombout
Rd CV; 2/6, 1/11 Salt Pt RB; plus 10 others.
Pileated Woodpecker: 3/28 Stissing Mtn, 2/11Vassar
Farm CV; 2/all month Field Rd. Milan DG; 2/19 Baird Pk FT;
plus 10 others trips and yards.
Eastern Phoebe: 1/15 Smithfield Les Line. A
good find in the winter.
WESTERN KINGBIRD: 1/5 Uphill Farm, Stanfordville
Seen by 2, 20 minutes at 15 yards, slow bob of tail down, white outer tail
edgings. Not seen subsequent days. APe. Our 9th county record.
NORTHERN SHRIKE: 1/1 our yard, Clinton Corners
APe ( A non-birding friend also asked about the 'mockingbird" she
saw kill a titmouse under her feeder in Standford on the 8th); 1/13 Field
Rd. Milan DG; 1/28 Salt Pt Tpk @ Willowbrook, sitting on treetop
CV.
American Crow: 300/12 Verbank/Bos Haven Farm FT;
40-50 at Round Pond area, Baird Park, Madam Brett; plus others.
Fish Crow: 1/6 Stop&Shop Pok, 1/18 Waryas Pk,
1/24 Adams Pok CV; 2/19 Pok Plaza Rt. 9 BJM; 2/26 Norrie Pt FT.
Common Raven: 2/7 Rombout Rd, also 1 at Stissing
Mtn, Hurley Rd, and West Clove Mtn Rd CV; reports from Salt Pt, Verbank,
Poughquag, Rhinebeck.
Horned Lark: 150/12 Bos Haven Farm FT; 100+/15
Bangall-Amenia Rd Debi Kral; 200/15 Sheffield Hill Rd Roger Cohn;
also found at Southlands, Round Pd, Stringham Park, and Stony Kill. Nice
to see reports from so many places.
Red-breasted Nuthatch: 2/1&15 our yard WLS;
often at feeders, also 1/5 Vassar Coll, 1/29 Hurley Rd CV; 1/8&25
Beekman AP/GZ; 1/2,21-23 Stormville EBR.
Brown Creeper: 1 daily until 12/20 Rhinebeck MP;
often at suet in tree, 2 on 9th and 16th CV; 2/30 Vassar Coll BB;
1/most days T Sudnik; 1-2/mo RJ; Baird Pk, Norrie, & Buttercup.
Carolina Wren: 14 reports of 1-4.
Winter Wren: 1/2 yd Poughquag CP/HT ;
1/7 Stanfordville( My Kitchen) AJ; 1/occasional RJ.
Golden-crowned Kinglet: 3/1 yd Poughquag CP/HT;
5/5 Madam Brett FT; plus Baird Pk, Buttercup, Rhinebeck, Clove Valley.
Ruby-crowned Kinglet: 1/22 ClappHillRd (CBC) CP/HT.
Eastern Bluebird: 15/11 Vassar Farm, 4-8 Rombout
Rd CV; 8/1-2, 10/8, 12/29 Southlands MP; 6 other reports of 1-7.
Hermit Thrush: 2/5 Madam Brett FT; 1/11 Vassar
Farm, 1/20 Rombout Rd CV; 1/26 Norrie Pt FT; 1/29 Mills Mansion area RJ.
American Robin: 200/11 Vassar Farm, 150/5 Vassar
College CV; 100s/31 Buttercup East AJ; good-sized flocks many places.
Gray Catbird: 2/5 Madam Brett FT; 1/20,29 Rombout
Rd, 1/29 Sharon Station Rd CV; 1/22 Beekman (CBC) CP/HT.
Northern Mockingbird: 3/8 Southlands MP; 3/19 Baird Park
FT; 4/7, 3/18 Rombout Rd CV; 2/mo Crestwood Rd AG; plus 11 reports of 1-2.
American Pipit: 30/6 Stanfordville APe.
Cedar Waxwing: 15/5 Vassar College, 15-20/11 Vassar
Farm, 13/18 Rombout Rd CV; 38/22 Beekman (CBC) CP/HT; only 2 other
reports.
Yellow-rumped Warbler: 5/20 2-4 on other days Rombout
Rd CV.
Eastern Towhee: 1/18 Rombout Rd (also seen here
on CBC) CV.
American Tree Sparrow: 8/9&31 Buttercup Farm
Sanctuary WLS; 8/12 Verbank/Bos Haven Farm FT; 8/15 Round Pd area WLS;
3/7, 10/18 Rombout Rd, 5/11 Vassar Farm CV; plus 7 reports of up
to 6.
Fox sparrow: 1/12 yard Fishkill FH .
Song Sparrow: 4/17 10/18 Rombout Rd, 5/11 Vassar
Farm CV; 4/15 Round Pd area WLS; 5 other reports.
Swamp Sparrow: 4/9 Buttercup Farm Sanctuary WLS;
1/18 Rombout Rd CV.
White-throated Sparrow: 16/7, 35/18 Rombout Rd,
18/11 Vassar Farm CV; 30/5 Madam Brett FT; 20/all yd Poughquag CP/HT; 16
reports of up to 10.
White-crowned Sparrow: 1/6 Stanfordville APe; 1/7
Rombout Rd, 1/11 Vassar Farm CV.
Dark-eyed Junco: 100/15 Round Pond area WLS; 30/all
yd Poughquag CP/HT; 36/19 Baird Pk FT; up to 20 from most walks and feeders.
Snow Bunting: small flock/15 Bangall-Amenia Rd Debi
Kral; 12/15 Sheffield Hill Rd Roger Cohn; 12/17 Coleman Station Rd MHB;
sev/most days Stony Kill Dick Lahey.
Red-winged Blackbird: 20/12 Verbank/Bos Haven Farm
FT; 200+/28 Mashomack, 23/18 Rombout Rd CV; 4 other reports.
Rusty Blackbird: 3/18 Rombout Rd, with red-wings
and grackles CV.
Common Grackle: 2/7 8/18 Rombout Rd, 1/7 yard CV;
1/15 Round Pond area WLS; 2/16 feeder BB .
Brown-headed Cowbird: 13/18 Rombout Rd CV; 200/31
BB; a few at 6 feeders.
PINE GROSBEAK: 5/30 Quaker Hill near Akin Hall
Nick Thold.
Purple Finch: 9/7, 6/18, 9/20 Rombout Rd, 4/29
Sharon Station Rd CV; 1-8/frequent RJ; 3/all Field Rd. Milan DG; at 4 other
yards.
COMMON REDPOLL: 2-35/10-31 Allen Road BMa; 30/19-31
Stanfordville (my feeder) AJ; 28/22 Union Vale (CBC), 1/15,16, 4/31
yd Poughquag CP/HT; 1-6/7-31, peak 9/15 feeder BB; 1-11/1-29 RJ;
5/28 Lake Rd CV; 1-4 at 8 other feeders.
PINE SISKIN: 2/4 yard CV; 1/4,10,20 & 23 & 2/30
w/goldfinch feeders BAM ; 2-4/occasional RJ.
Other Observations:
Coyote: 1/21 yd. Evelyn Stevenson & 1/22 seen during
CBC CP/HT.
Fisher: Tracks on the 18th…..Plus seen by
neighbor RJ.
Long-Tailed Weasel: “slide” tracks after
snow on 13th RJ.
Observers:
JA - Judy Atwood, RB - Robert Bowler, BB - Barbara Butler,
DG - Dick Gershon, AG - Ann Gilbert, NG - Natalie Gilbert, SGy - Sue Gyscek,
FH - Frances Henry, KJ - Karen Jaquith, RJ - Rodney Johnson, AJM - Allan Michelin,
BAM - Barb & Allan Michelin,
BJM - Barbara Michelin, AP - Adrienne Papazian, MP - Mona Payton, APe
- Alan Peterson, CP –
Carena Pooth, EBR - Edith & Barry Rosen, WLS - William & Lisa
Schlesinger, HT - Herb Thompson, DT - Doreen Tignanelli, CV - Chet Vincent,
OW - Otis Waterman, GZ - Gary Zylkuski, HRA - Hudson River Almanac
MHB - Mid-Hudson Birds, FT - Field trip
Field Trips: 1st Trip
to NE part of county to look for ducks; 5th Madam
Brett; 12th Verbank/Bos Haven Farm; 19th Baird
Park; 26th Norrie Point
Abbreviations: See
our Key
to Notation.
Compiled by Barbara
Butler |
