Dovekie Madness

Great River Dovekie
On Tuesday a Dovekie was reported in the West Marina at Timber Point County Park, in Great River (along the Eastern boundary of Hecksher State Park).  This is an unusual find for several reasons.  While Dovekies are seen off the coast of NE states frequently in the winter (in the Gulf Stream where the water is a toasty 45* F) they are almost never seen from the shore.  What's more is that if a Dovekie is spotted anywhere other than the Ocean it is either dead or about to die and something is seriously wrong.  So, to find one of these birds (alive and well) in a tiny marina at the North end of a bay is extraordinary.  For the past 4 days the bird has been seen motoring around as if it's a windup toy moving up and down the marina, diving frequently for fish and preening its feathers to keep them waterproof.  Meanwhile, dozens of Dovekie's have shown up along the shores of Long Island and surrounding areas distressed or deceased in the past month, with the major influx after severe storms that packed winds upwards of 60 mph.  Events like this are called "wrecks" where large numbers of offshore species end up way off course and it seems that this is the first such instance of a Dovekie wreck in NY in at least 60 years.  Though the number of birds this year are quite low (relative to the thousands of Dovekies about 40 miles offshore) it's still a significant event.  According to Birds of North America Online (ran by Cornell) in the winter of 1923-1933 there were so many Dovekies involved in the wrecks that they literally rained down on the streets of Manhattan (that must have been some sight!)

I have been under the weather this week and was not at work Tuesday and Wednesday.  Well I figured that getting some fresh air and sunshine would help me feel better (which it did) so I made the trip to Great River.  When I arrived I was shocked to see how small this bird was (about 8" in length and less than 1/4 pound) and found it an amusing sight as it moved quickly all around the water in no discernible pattern.  After getting a bunch of backlit unsatisfactory photos I went back to my car and thought about how I could improve my photos as this may be a once-in-a-lifetime chance (literally).  After warming up a bit I talked down to an concrete boatramp and saw a small path along the northern end of the marina which at the very least would allow me to get side lighting on the bird.  Well, to my surprise the Dovekie came essentially right toward me, feeding and swimming and preening (at one point just 3 feet away) and was fully lit up by the sun allowing me to get all of these wonderful photos.  There were several other photographers there who had more expensive (professional) equipment and who obviously were experienced and yet they kept shooting backlit photo after backlit photo.  I guess the idea of using the sunlight to their advantage didn't occur to them - or it was too difficult to move their big huge tripod and super heavy lens and walk off the beaten path.  Either way I'm happy I didn't have any company along the shoreline.

Rescue + Rehab
After the most recent "wreck" 7 birds were brought to the Wildlife Rescue Center in Hampton Bays, located at the Munns Pond Preserve along Montauk Hwy.  Two of these birds died overnight and the remaining 5 were being rehabed.  Unfortunately only 2 made it (which were released on Wednesday).  An article was published in Newsday about these birds and their rehab, as well as an article in the Southampton Press (including an amusing video of these birds) which can be seen here: Dovekie Rescues

Additionally, a Dovekie was spotted WALKING along Montauk Hwy (hitchhiking maybe?) in Montauk and was picked up for rehab and was subsequently released in Montauk in early December.  An article written by Mike Bottini can be seen here: Montauk Dovekie

While it is unfortunate that some of these birds did not make it, they are being sent to the NYS DEC for analysis to determine what was the cause of death (which certainly has a scientific benefit) and some of these birds may end up in the archives of the Museum of Natural History in New York City.

Winter of the Auks
In addition to the influx of Dovekies, there also have been an unusually high number of Razorbills seen (which unfortunately I have not had the pleasure of photographing).  Last weekend in a few early morning hours approximately 4,000 of these birds were seen flying toward Block Island (with some setting down in the water).  This is an unprecedented number of Razorbills to be seen in one place in such a short time frame.  Additionally, there is the case of the Arctic Race Black Guillemot which was featured in my first blog post.  This bird, aside from purportedly being a NYS record (for the Arctic Race) was found in the unusual location of an inlet into the Peconic Bay.  I e-mailed one of my photos to Bill Maynard, the editor of ABA (American Birding Associations) 'Winging It' publication (which has previously published this Gyrfalcon photo) as I thought it would be of general interest to him and I also included some background information.  He decided to take it a step further, collect some more info and use the photo in ABA's blog "PEEPS".  The blogpost (mostly information which I have already included in this posting) can be seen here: ABA Blog

I will be headed to Great River tomorrow morning to freeze and photograph this bird again (assuming it remains) and will subsequently make another posting (which I'm hoping will have a video clip).  There is some concern that it will not be in the same location (or be seen again) as the temperatures were below freezing today and will continue tomorrow and possibly for several more days which will almost certainly result in the icing up of the marina.  However, the one potential saving grace is that the Suffolk County Marine Bureau has several boats at the southern end of this particular marina and as such the water will remain open.  So, hopefully the bird will just get pushed further to the south and will remain for a bit longer.

Need help Identifying that odd looking bird in the field?  When I'm out taking pictures my photo bag always has a copy of National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of Eastern North America

A Great Start to 2010

A Good First Sign
Happy New Year to you all.  I started my day at EPCAL in Calverton, with the hopes of seeing a Short Eared Owl which was spotted earlier in the week.  The weather was supposed to be partly cloudy by mid-morning, but it was dreary and cold when I drove around the former air base, not seeing anything.  Trying to make the most out of my morning, I figured I'd check up on the Guillemot as it's been a while since I'd last seen it and I was interested in getting some unique photos of it.  Driving along Sebonac Inlet Rd., I kept my eyes peeled for Bluebirds (which were spotted today again, but unfortunately not by me) and anything else of note, when I heard the unmistakable rattle of a Belted Kingfisher.  It was perched on an Eastern Cedar tree, and as I pulled over to try to photograph it, the female bird (the orange on the breast distinguishes it from the more plainly plumaged male) flew to a sign post, and then to leafless Tree-Of-Heaven, as seen below.  This photo has been a long time coming, as the Belted Kingfisher is one of my (and many photographers) nemisis, so I particularly appreciate the open beak.

Black Guillemot Continues
Bullshead Bay Inlet was placid, flat calm.  Not a hint of wind, but the skies were sadly still dim and overcast.  A few "birders" were down there searching Peconic Bay for the bird, but I knew better.  I parked where I had seen it recently, by the dilapidated bulkhead and set out on trying to put myself in a good position for photography.  I was able to nestle in against the bulkhead, between 2 breached areas which allowed for me to get nice and low and rest my arms and the camera lens on the bulkhead, stabilizing my shots.  The air was so quiet and still I could hear the Black Guillemot slip into the water each time it dived.  Since the light was terrible, I wouldn't be able to improve on the shots I already have gotten of this species, and with it constantly diving, I figured I should try and get some interesting Dive shots, which I was quite successful in doing.  I'm certainly not getting tired of watching this bird, and I hope you aren't either.

Shinnecock Inlet
A trip down to Shinnecock Inlet was sure to produce some Bonaparte's Gulls which I have never seen/photographed before.  This is one of the more attractive Gull species, with its pinkish legs/feet, black sideburns, and diminutive size.  The gulls were feeding in the middle of the inlet (a tease) so I focused on a herring gull that found a sea star to eat which made me quite happy.  Just the other day I had seen a shot (with much better lighting) of a gull with a sea star and thought "how come I never get to see something like that?", well, now I have.  A Bonaparte's Gull gave me a good fly-by (seen below) and there was plenty of activity.  The Bay was flush with hundreds of common Eider and 3 Eiders gave me a nice fly by.  Just when I was about to leave, I checked the NY Bird Listserv and saw a fantastic posting - a Snowy Owl had been spotted on the other side of the Inlet!  I scanned the other side (known as Shinnecock County Park East) and came up with nothing. . . until I noticed what appeared to be a seal hauled out on the rocks just on the north side of the park.  While I wasn't crazy about driving all the way back to Southampton (A 40 minute round-trip drive to get somewhere that was literally 1,000 ft. across the inlet, I had to take the chance and would possibly be rewarded with a Snowy Owl photo.

Seal, Yes.  Owl? Not so Much.
A Common Loon greeted me upon arrival, sitting quite close to the shoreline, while some Red-Breasted Mergansers were a bit more wary.  As I walked further West, what appears to be a Harbor Seal (though it could be a Harp Seal) was hanging out on the rocks, hauled out waiting for some sunshine to warm it up.  While it was a little nervous upon first seeing me, it quickly settled down as I sat still a ways away until it got used to me.  Just when I was about to make a move a few feet toward the water to get some more photographs (I had only taken 3) a truck came rumbling by, keen on seeing the same thing I was looking at, which promptly scared the seal into the water. . . Quite a few seals however were coming up for air in the inlet on the Eastern Side, keeping there eyes and interest on me, but nothing too great, and the lighting was pretty bad so I just watched the Bonaparte's divebomb the water as if they were terns.  As I left, I debated walking South to the ocean and scanning the dunes and snags in hopes of seeing the snowy, but I figured I would have seen it by now, so I headed back to the bay side and watched the seal who had been scared off swam about 3 feet from the shoreline debating if it should haul out again or not (it didn't).  As I write this, I see a report that the Snowy Owl was still present at 3:15, about an hour and change after I left.  I need to stop being so lazy when it comes to this. . . Hopefully the bird will be there tomorrow.  Here's a shot from December 1, 2008 of a Snowy Owl (my first and only encounter) at Rd. I on the West Side of the Shinnecock Inlet.  Can't wait to see what tomorrow (and the rest of the year) brings!

And a few more images from today:

 A Herring Gull with its hard-won meal

Three Common Eider Drakes.  The first 2 are in "Eclipse" plumage while the last one is in Breeding Plumage 

Black Guillemot with picture perfect diving form

And now showing off the red legs - Notice how far back they are set on the bird.

A Better day for Birds

With the promise of sun and 50 degree weather I set out late this morning to photograph the Black Guillemot in good light - as well as to check up on Shinnecock Inlet again. A precursor to my day's success was the 2 Carolina Wrens that showed up on my back deck singing as I got ready - unfortunately I accidentally formatted my CF card, so I don't have a photo. . . Dune Rd. yielded nothing and when I checked the surf at Tiana Beach I was surprised to see a very rough Ocean. Nothing was doing at the Inlet either, with just a handful of gulls and nothing else of note.

Black Guillemot Attempt 1
On my way down Sebonac Inlet Rd., I remembered hearing a report of 4 Eastern Bluebirds that were seen during the CBC and just then I spotted 2 of them on an Eastern Red Cedar on the east side of the road bordering the Golf Course. Unfortunately, he/she wasn't willing to turn toward me so I was unable to get a decent shot of anything other than the birds back. At the end of the road there were quite a few people with spotting scopes looking at the Guiellemot. I decided to come back later hoping there wouldn't be as many people - since I wanted to hop the fence and get in close - because I didn't want to "ruffle any feathers" (sorry for the pun).

Mecox Bay/Atlantic Ocean
Next up was Flying Point Rd./Mecox Inlet in Water Mill which had recently been dredged, which often corresponds with unique gulls. Well, there were plenty of gulls, but nothing of interest that I could pick out, so I focused my attention on 4 Dunlin that were in a feeding frenzy. One of the Dunlin is seen here:



A quick stop at Cobb Isle Rd. yielded plenty of mallards, but the only thing of interest was a lonely male Green-Winged Teal which seemed to know I was focusing my attention on him as he took off as soon as I began to photograph him while the rest of the ducks stood still on the thin ice.

American Kestrel Surprise
On my way back West, disappointment was starting to set in as I felt this wonderful opportunity of sunshine, warm temperatures and a day off from work had slipped away. I guess this got my mind distracted, because I completely passed the road where I had to turn in order to go see the Guillemot again. Once I realized this I headed down Tuckahoe Rd. cutting through the famed Shinnecock Hills Golf Course. As soon as my car got to the crest of the big hill next to the historic clubhouse, I saw a male American Kestrel (A female would not have the blue/grey on its back) in its classic "hover" hunting pose. The autofocus wasn't cooperating and I quickly got frustrated as I put the flashers on and waited to see what the bird would do next - only to see it fly straight toward me and bank just north of my car allowing me to get several decent flight shots of a infrequently seen (and less frequently photographed) falcon. As luck would have it the Kestrel perched on a tree just off the road and afforded me a few more shots which I did a rather poor job of getting.



Black Guillemot Attempt 2
After this surprise encounter, the Black Guillemot seemingly wanted to keep the good times rolling and was waiting for me as I pulled up to the location I had seen it at yesterday (in an opening between two dilapidated bulkheads). I got out of the car, snapped a few shots, hopped the fence and took a few more before it started to slowly move further into open water. What's interesting, is if this was virtually any other species of waterfowl (except for perhaps a Mute Swan, or Mallard Duck) it would have immediately dove under water, or swam in the opposite direction. But instead it just kind of looked at me and continued doing its own thing. Certainly, it kept an eye on my presence, but showed no true fear. If this really is a juvenile Arctic race Black Guillemot (and all indications are that it is), it is perhaps the first time this bird has ever seen humans and therefore has no preconceived ideas or fears of us, thus ignoring the possible "threat".

Yesterday, I watched an hour long special on the Nat Geo channel on the American Beaver. At one point, the camera was observing an Elk with her newborn feeding and drinking along the waters edge, when the newborn got a little to close to a massive American Bison which promptly and swiftly tossed the baby Elk with its horns and head into the water. The baby Elk had no idea this big thing was a threat, because it had never seen it before, which I'm guessing is what is going on with the Black Guillemot.

Home
When I finally got back home, there were 2 Great Blue Herons as well as some Hooded Mergansers in the creek behind my house, and later a Belted Kingfisher perched on my dock to round the day out. Todays experiences are the main reason why I love wildlife photography so much. You never know what you are going to get, and when you are going to get it. Had I not missed my turn, I wouldn't have seen the American Kestrel. The Black Guillemot easily could have moved on by now (it's been around for almost 3 weeks) and I would have been left empty handed. It's what motivates me to get up early in the morning, to drive and drive and drive and to keep shooting. Now all I can hope for is some sunshine come Thursday to end the year on a good photographic note.

Black Guillemot Again

I visited the end of Sebonac Inlet Rd. in Tuckahoe this morning and found the bird was still present. It spent the majority of its time under the water feeding and as such I only snapped a few photographs. I suspect once the slush, which persists in the inlet and along the western side in particular, dissipates (which hopefully will occur with the thaw/rain beginning tomorrow), that the black guillemot will come considerably closer to shore and perhaps further "inland".

Upon arrival I also saw 5 Common Goldeneye (4 drakes, 1 hen) flyover and there were several rafts of both Long-Tailed Duck and Buffel Head Ducks further offshore. Here are a few photos from my morning excursion, but unfortunately they are derived from .jpegs and as such the quality suffers a bit.



Long-Tailed Ducks

Black Guillemot

This Black Guillemot (Cepphus grylle) was first spotted by Jay Kuhlman and Rich Sautkulis during the Christmas Bird Count for Quogue - Water Mill on Saturday December 20, 2009 at the end of Sebonac Inlet Rd. It was subsequently reported again on Tuesday, December 22, 2009 at the same location and I was able to get out at around 3:30 to photograph it. Also present in the area were about two dozen Long-Tailed Ducks and 5 surf scoters.

The image is approximately 30% of the original, and was taken with a Nikon d300s DSLR with a 300mm f/4 lens and a 1.7X Nikon Teleconverter.

Full settings were as follow:
Aperture: f/6.7
Exposure: 1/800s
ISO: 1000
Focal Length: 500mm
Exposure Bias: -.67

There has been some discussion (this issue was first raised by Shai Mitra) that this particular bird is of an Arctic Breeding race (ultimus, arcticus, or mandtii) which apparently has never been recorded in New York State. You can follow the discussion here: NY State Bird Listserv

I am going to check the inlet out again tomorrow morning in hopes of getting some better images.