Birding with the Pros

Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers

 I had the best fun this morning anybody could ask for. I joined a Hudson Mohawk Bird Club field trip to the Caroga Lake CE breeding bird atlas block in Bleecker and got to spend several hours birding with two highly skilled experts. What a way to learn!

 I drove myself up to the turn around on Pinnacle Road (go me!!) much earlier than I needed to, just to catch the earliest birds that I could. On the way, driving through another priority NY Breeding Bird Atlas block, I spotted a hen turkey on the edge of the road with a mess of really new poults milling around her feet. I stopped and listed them and continued north.

Once at my destination I birded by myself for a while. In 37 minutes I counted 20 species, most of them fun mountain birds, making a change from my usual farm country denizens.

Then as I sat in the car waiting, (and hiding from the deer flies) a Sharp-shinned Hawk nailed something right next to the car, carried it to a nearby branch, adjusted it in its talons, and carried it away. About as easy a confirmed species as you could ask for.

After David and Mark arrived, we walked the road, finding birds ranging in size from Ruby-throated Hummingbirds to a family of noisy Common Ravens. My personal total at the end of the trip was 45 species, but I know they got at least a couple more than that.

I am always hesitant about joining group birding expeditions for fear I will slow more athletic birders down too much, but I was certainly glad I went on this one. As a lovely side benefit I got over 14,000 steps so I don't have to walk this afternoon. If you are local and want to have some birdie fun, I highly recommend joining the Mohawk Hudson Club and undertaking a field trip or two.