New Birds for a New Birder

     So Covid made for some interesting times, to the point where I had coworkers that I hired, worked with, and only interacted with over Zoom. I also learned that in working so closely, but from remote circumstances that my colleague was interested in looking at birds in having had met me through or remote work situation. We had recently reconnected and she told me she became a birder, especially after having herself some new binoculars and has been actively birding.

    Of course in learning this, I had to invite her to go birding and also just actually hang out in real life. We met at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, her first time, and even collected herself some lifers, including spotting a very early snowy egret that she saw and called from quite afar! It was a great trek out together, and surely won't be our last!

    Also, it's always fun to bird with someone who is really getting into it, experiencing them getting lifers is invigorating! So exciting! On this outing, she got four! I learned that she could use some warblers in her life, she has a very exciting spring ahead!

We saw a lor of these, yellow-rumped warblers! Looking forward to more arriving soon!

One of her lifers were the snow geese, still lingering around in smaller numbers than they have been. Also, the snowy egret mentioned previously was a lifer for my friend!

I also think these may be some of my most favorite snow geese photos I have captured.

Also welcome back, to this goth overlord.

I love boat tailed grackles, their sheen, their size, and their repertoire of insane vocal abilities. A few males were gathering and stretching their syrinx, hoping that when the females arrive they can impress.

Winter in to Spring

    I'm glad I'm out getting to see birds while making sure there is plenty of time for my family and some quality time with my daughter. The fact that it isn't rainy and gray 24/7 also helps. So here it comes, a photo dump:

After a cruddy, rainy morning, I knew later the sun would come out and knew I could get out and perhaps have a landscape to myself. And I was correct. I hate seeing snowy owls among crowds of people surrounding it, so i got my year snowy owl and won't try looking for another until next year.

And what luck, I got two for the price of one, all within 150 feet of one another.

All owl photos are taken using a 200-500mm lens at 500mm, images are cropped. Bird were observed from a distance, not for longer than 10 minutes, and left undisturbed.

This month, birds have been cued in to the spring feels, lots of song fills the air... like that of this song sparrow, at Marine Park Salt Marsh.

Fresh new arrivals from their migration north, Killdeer!

I was dazzled by the eyes of this hooded merganser, normally the females have brown eyes, this looks to be an immature male!

When it coems to Marine Park, my birding is usually done at the nature center and trails on the south side of Avenue U. But when I noticed a pair of snow geese grazing on the ballfields, I took a seat in the outfield and enjoyed them among the Marine Park, Brooklyn backdrop.

A week ago I met up with a friend at Green-Wood Cemetery to look for birds. Upon walking in, there are always plenty.
The parrots were everywhere but their nest, because...

...Someone was on it.

This juvenile red-tail was just soaking up the sun with zero cares about whose nest it was on.

A fun surprise find at the cemetery, a merlin looking like it just had a meal recently with its bloodied talons.

Two weeks ago (I think), I went out to Nassau County hoping to see Harlequin Ducks, and I saw them!

And this harbor seal saw me. The seals always stare at you, had about two or three poop up, and just look. Funny little ocean-faring, pups.

The harlequin ducks were very snoozy, mostly posting up on the rocks to rest, but these long tailed ducks were quite fun.

They were calling and diving and popping up again, very enjoyable to watch.

Things only got better as I sat on the rocks at Point Lookout where I hoped to (and saw) Harlequin Ducks....
Some little peeps flew in. A mixed flock of, from left to right, sanderling, dunlin, sanderling, and purple sandpipers!

Was happy to have a nice amount of the purple sandpipers in the group, I really love them.

The Harlequins were far less cooperative than every other bird around.

Like I said.

In heading to Nassau, I also hoped to see a Lapland Longspur I noticed that was reported. Well, saw that too.
Life bird.

It was surrounded by very cute snow buntings.

It was on the move, and quick, so I'm amazed I even got any identifiable photos.

Yesterday, I went to Green-Wood Cemetery, hoping to see some Woodcocks.
The weekend prior, people were reporting them in the double digits, serious FOMO, so I was hoping I'd have some luck.
Plenty of American Robins around.

Checked in some of my go-to woodcock spots, and coming up empty. I got a tip from a birder I ran into while there. And they told me where they had seen one earlier.
On my way there, I saw a plucky little Golden-crowned kinglet.

And Bingo.
To get an unobstructed view of this bird I moved slowly, kept my distance and then laid on the ground and rolled, took some photos from laying on my belly....
And then rolled back to leave them be.

I love their big eyes, and when you can catch the landscape in them.

I walked over to another spot where I've found these before and I found one more.

If you weren't looking, you'd walk right past these potato size birds with their cryptic patterns.

They also can see you from behind. If you live and feed on the ground, not such a terrible adaptation to have.

A very perfect potato.

Was wondering why the feeders at the Dell Water were empty.... looked up and saw why.

A house finch give a great big yawn.

This time an American Kestrel sat over the main gate, the parrots see him as no trouble, they are just about the same size.

Some decent birding the last few weeks, looking forward to more spring arrivals coming soon!