Impromptu Birding Adventure

We have been trying to get together for a few hours of birding.  We found out that there were quite a few sightings of birds at Sunken Meadow park.  All we had to do now was find the time.  We vacillated endlessly about do we go or do we re-schedule.   



Red-Winged Darter Dragonfly

 We finally agreed to go on this past Sunday, but we choose a closer birding spot.  The weather couldn't have been more picture perfect.  The air was crisp, the breeze was warm and we were making time to go bird watching.  

Armed with a list of potential birds to spot, off we go back to Caleb Smith's Park.  The leaves were beginning to turn, the park was a buzz with activity.  We studied our trail map, and decided to go where Cedar Waxwings are normally spotted at the park.  

Sadly, no Waxwings to add to our list, but we did find an Eastern Phoebe.

Perhaps the most familiar flycatcher in eastern North America, the Eastern Phoebe nests near people on buildings and bridges. It can be recognized by its emphatic "phee-bee" call and its habit of constantly wagging it tail.  Even though we can't add them to our list, it was a great sighting. 


 







We continue on, and we see the typical water fowls such as Canada Geese and Mallard Ducks. Mallard Ducks are dabblers.  

Dabblers, filter-feed at the surface of water, tips-up in shallow water, and makes occasional dives in deeper water.  We were able to catch two of them doing just that!

 

As we slowly move on the Yellow trail we come to this field with birds flying in and out of the bushes.  This is where we see White-Throated Sparrow's which winter on Long Island. 

We also saw Junco's which also winter on Long Island.  Although they look nothing alike and aren’t particularly closely related, the White-Throated Sparrow and the Dark-eyed Junco occasionally mate and produce hybrids. The resulting offspring look like grayish, dully marked White-Throated Sparrows with white outer tail feathers.
 
As we get deeper into the woods, we spot a bird that fellow birders tried to tell us wasn't what we thought it was.  Needless to say we were right.  

We spotted a Yellow-Rumped Warbler, they too winter on Long Island.  Yellow-rumped Warblers have two main calls. The more common one, a sharp chek, differs between the myrtle and Audubon's races. Both forms are quite recognizable and are a key call to learn for a bird watcher hoping to start sorting out migrating warblers in fall. Both sexes make this call frequently, both while foraging and while flying. Yellow-rumped Warblers also make a soft psit and a high tsee in flight.  Based on the song we heard these Warblers were from the Myrtle race.  
 
Before we knew it, it was 4pm and the park was closing.  We have made tentative plans to return.  We had a wonderful few hours, and it was close to home. 


We are very glad that funding was found to keep Caleb's Smith park open to the public.  It is definitely worth the trip.