Mokka mit Schlag » Birding

Black Swallowtail, Papilio polyxenes
Ridgewood Reservoir, 2007-07-14

You’d think a Yellow-headed Blackbird, which is at least a native American species, if not a common New York species, would be easier to find around here than a Western Reef Heron; but if you were me you’d be wrong. I struck out again this morning at Jones Beach looking for the Yellow-headed Blackbird. If it’s still around next weekend, maybe I’ll try in the afternoon when it’s been a tad more regular.

On the positive side, I did get a chance to take my new scope out for a spin. It’s a Kowa TSN-601 with a 20-60 zoom eyepiece. It gave absolutely gorgeous views of Least Sandpipers, American Oystercatchers, Least Terns, Willets, and various gulls. I just wish I could have tried it out on a Yellow-headed Blackbird too. One note: after carrying it around for only about an hour, I’m really glad I sprang for the carbon-fiber legs and paid attention to the total weight when choosing the scope. The 80mm Swarovski’s are gorgeous, but they weigh almost twice as much. By the end of the day, every ounce counts.
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American Lady, Vanessa virginiensis
Ridgewood Reservoir, 2007-07-14
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Eastern Cicada Killer, Sphecius speciosus
Ridgewood Reservoir, 2007-07-14
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Ox Beetle, Strategus antaeus
Gabreski Airport, Suffolk County, 2007-07-08
Thanks to Steven Barney for the ID

As usual, I woke up about 5:00 A.M. on Monday morning. I debated heading out to Drier-Offerman/Calvert Vaux Park to see if the previous day’s Western Reef-Heron had returned. It had not been relocated on Sunday by anyone besides the original observer (though he had posted good photos so there was no doubt what it was) and I needed to go to work, so I hemmed and hawed about whether to make the trip. I thought maybe I’d try after work, though the tides would be wrong.

Then shortly after 7:00, news went out over the local rare-bird alert that Doug Gochfeld had seen the Western Reef Heron fly in about 6:50 and it was now being well seen by multiple observers. That was too much to take, so I threw my binoculars and camera into my backpack and called a cab.

The cab dropped me off at the Eastern entrance to the park about 7:45. I hopped over the concrete barrier and walked very briskly down to the inlet. (Fortunately I know this spot well.) I scrambled down the hill to the water through a lot of very tall mugwort, thoroughly staining my beige pants. (I knew I should have worn the black jeans today. Oh well. Dress code at work is pretty casual.)

Various herons and egrets were feeding in the inlet near the tideline eighty meters or so to the south of me, mostly Snowys. I scanned the group with my binoculars and there it was: a blue heron with a white face, black legs with yellow feet, long thin black bill, about the size of the nearby Snowy Egrets. Even from a distance it was unmistakable. (I’d researched it online the night before, and knew what to look for. Otherwise I’m not sure what I would have thought: Snowy Egret-Little Blue Heron hybrid maybe? It’s not in any of the North American field guides.)

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