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Field Trips

 2008 Field Trip Schedule and Trip Reports

 

Saturday, May 10 - 7:30am                               Guided morning Bird Walk for Warblers and other returning migrants
Join Skidmore ornithologist David Steinberger for this free walk at the Saratoga National Historical Park located on Route 32 in Stillwater.  Meet at the flagpole in the visitor center parking lot.  For more information call the Visitor Center at 518-664-9821 ext. 224.  This walk takes place on varied terrain, so appropriate shoes are recommended. Please bring your own binoculars, and bringing bottled water is recommended.  If the weather is particularly warm, insect repellant is also recommended.  NOTE: Not an SAAS sponsored trip; it is posted here for member information only.
 



Saturday, May 17 – 08:00am                            Birding Gull Bay Preserve with Laurie LaFond
Birding as we walk the trail into the heron rookery.  Last year in addition to the Great Blue Herons, we saw a good variety of bird species, including several species of Warblers, thrushes, vireos, nuthatches, etc.  This trip is limited to ten participants because of the sensitive nature of the rookery.  When you register with the trip leader you will be given trip details.  Register by calling 518-955-8301 or email Laurie at allofnature@roadrunner.com 
 


 
Saturday, May 31 –  8:00am                          Spring Grasslands Birding with Jason Goldsmith and Laurie LaFond
Join us as we bird through the Important Bird Area of Ft. Edward and Argyle for breeding grassland birds.  Possible species include Bobolink, Eastern Meadowlark, Savannah Sparrow, Upland Sandpiper, Northern Harrier, and more.  The number of participants is limited. Call Jason at 480-4243 to register.




Saturday, June 7 – 7:00am                          Spring Bird walk with Bonnie and Robin at Harmony Wildflower Farm
Join Bonnie and Robin as they discover what birds are using their wildflower meadows, woods and wetlands for a summer home. Please call 642-2122 at the farm, or 642-9544 evenings, for more information.  Directions to Harmony: From Fort Ann head north on Rt. 4, proceed three miles to traffic light and turn right (east) onto Rt. 22.  Continue 2.8 miles to Harmony on the left.



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.



2008 Field Trip Reports

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
Field trip participants enjoy watching a pair of Canvasbacks on the Hudson

Tundra Swans on the Hudson in Fort Miller
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

Snowshoers at Dentopn Preserve





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

Red-tailed Hawk held by bander

Field trip participants with Red-tailed Hawk