Making up for Lost Time

Angry bird
Really ticked off immature male Common
Yellowthroat

What with everyone... three separate jobs for folks to get to, plus us and our peregrinations...using one car, not much birding was done this week.

Thus this morning with Jade's truck back on line and Liz home for the morning the boss and I went out and made up lost time.

No new birds, but a lot of fun.

Hit the Schoharie Crossing boat launch first at about 7 AM. That is the only time of day that it is quiet this time of year, being a very popular park and all. 26 species there today, nothing exciting, but always fun. Lots and lots of babies around...Northern Cardinals, Red-winged Blackbirds, Yellow Warblers, and Grey Catbirds all being chased around by hungry kids.

Within less than an hour the boat trailers and picnickers were pouring into the parking lot  though, so we headed off to Yankee Hill Lock.

Not much doing there...21 common summer species. Watched a diving duck across the river from the little dock there for a long time and tried really hard for a usable photo. No luck. It was under water more than on top and way too far away. Alan has been insisting that his scope is now my scope. Guess I will have to find a tripod for it and start using it.

High point was a Merlin that dove right past us and landed in a tree over the parking lot. I was just aiming the camera when a car pulled in right under it and it was gone.

Next up was Lost Valley State Forest. I had never been there until this year when I saw reports from other eBirders and we gave it a go. What a great place!

There is a long, crushed stone one-lane road between mixed forest and a few nice openings to get to a good place to park and walk. It is remote! No constant watching for traffic and being ready to dive out of the road ahead of death. No people at all actually.

Saw 26 species with no real thrillers, but it was so much fun to look for them in utter peace except for hungry insects, that it was the best part of the day. The bird club found over 40 species there in June, but they are better by far than I at seeing and IDing.

There seems to still be a lot of nesting going on among the House Wrens and Common Yellowthroats and they sure let me know what they thought about my intrusion into their space.

I hope we can go back there when warbler migration really gets going and I can find an inexpensive tripod for that scope. I think we will really have fun.

Or should I say I will really have fun while the boss takes a nap and listens to talk radio?

You be the judge.