Daily Archives: January 12, 2011

Cross-Country Ski Birding

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With around 7 inches of snow at DeKorte today, tried something a tad different — birding while cross-country skiing.

The snow was definitely deep enough, and since DeKorte is flat as a pancake in most places, it was a breeze.

The Transco Trail (below) is about as straight and flat as you can get, and you get to see ducks on one end and raptors on the other.

We carried binoculars and a pocket camera, and kept mental note of the raptors and ducks we saw — 3 species of hawk and 10 species of duck.

We think we got better looks at the Lesser Scaup and Green-winged Teal because we were on skis…

We did not pay much attention to the other stuff — but did get a chuckle from a Great Black-backed Gull atop the Osprey Platform in the Lyndhurst Nature Reserve.

Full list follows.  P1030575-1

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Raptor Report from 011111

Dk-0111-nh2Mike Girone reports:

I birded Disposal Rd. with a few regulars near the AmVets Carillon this afternoon from around 2 – 4:30 p.m. No Rough-legs, but plenty of activity from the feathered regulars:

   At least 3 Red-tailed Hawks

   4-5 Northern Harriers (including a Gray Ghost that caught a sparrow on the edge of the landfill by the retention pond)
   Adult male American Kestrel that briefly perched in a tree next to the retention pond

   At least 1 adult Red-shouldered Hawk perching in various trees on both landfills along the road throughout the afternoon (could easily have been 2 different birds though)

   Adult male Sharp-shinned Hawk late in the day that hung around the vicinity, and almost caught a sparrow next to the retention pond as I was walking back to my car.

   There was also a Ring-necked Pheasant that we briefly saw coming in for a landing on top of the landfill behind the retention pond. Finally got to see one of these!
 
Thanks, Mike!