Brief trip to the Finger Lakes

 

Chestnut sided Warbler feeding juvenile, Shindagin Hollow State Forest, Brooktondale, NY, Jul 12, 2025

Just back from a quick trip out to the Finger Lakes in New York. Sherri had a conference to go to and I was along to help out and bird when she was in the conference. We have made several trips out to the area over the years so have gotten a lot of the possible species out that way. Nonetheless I still had a number of new species possible for my New York list with high on the list being a few warblers (more on the warblers at the following link.)                      

                             

Alder Flycatcher, Allen Wetland Preserve, Alpine, NY, Jul 12, 2025

Blackburnian Warbler, Shindagin Hollow State Forest, Brooktondale, NY, Jul 12, 2025

Chestnut sided Warbler feeding juvenile, Shindagin Hollow State Forest, Brooktondale, NY, Jul 12, 2025

Magnolia Warbler, Shindagin Hollow State Forest, Brooktondale, NY, Jul 12, 2025

Hooded Warbler, Shindagin Hollow State Forest, Brooktondale, NY, Jul 12, 2025

Black throated Green Warbler, Shindagin Hollow State Forest, Brooktondale, NY, Jul 12, 2025

American Redstart, Shindagin Hollow State Forest, Brooktondale, NY, Jul 12, 2025    

Downy Woodpecker, Shindagin Hollow State Forest, Brooktondale, NY, Jul 12, 2025 

Dark eyed Junco, Shindagin Hollow State Forest, Brooktondale, NY, Jul 12, 2025 

Yellow billed Cuckoo, Shindagin Hollow State Forest, Brooktondale, NY, Jul 12, 2025 

Tiger Swallowtails, Shindagin Hollow State Forest, Brooktondale, NY, Jul 12, 2025 

Canada Warbler, Shindagin Hollow State Forest, Brooktondale, NY, Jul 12, 2025 

Black throated Blue Warbler, Shindagin Hollow State Forest, Brooktondale, NY, Jul 12, 2025

Ovenbird, Shindagin Hollow State Forest, Brooktondale, NY, Jul 12, 2025

Ovenbird, Lindsay-Parsons Biodiversity Preserve, Spenser, NY, Jul 12, 2025

 

Dragonfly species, Lindsay-Parsons Biodiversity Preserve, Spenser, NY, Jul 12, 2025

I headed out on Saturday morning to hit a nearby spot before I had to go back to our Airbnb to pick up Sherri to get her to the conference in Ithaca. I decided Cayuta Lake to try for a few state targets and I found two new species with Canada Warbler and Hooded Warbler. I then added another species at the nearby Allen Wetland Preserve with a couple Alder Flycatchers. My next stop was to Shindagin Hallow State Forest where I spent about two and a half hours exploring the area. It was great birding with a decent showing of warblers as well as other species and I added three new New York species with Ruffed Grouse, Yellow billed Cuckoo and Mourning Warbler. I then headed a bit west to Lindsey Parsons Biodiversity Preserve, arriving around 11:30 and then spent about an hour there. There was some bird banding taking place as part of the MAPS program that looks at breeding species in a particular area. Despite the heat of the day with temps pushing 90 I did add a Prairie Warbler to my New York list. I then headed back to the house before picking up Sherri in the mid afternoon. The rest of the afternoon was spent at various wineries. It was a good day of birding with half a dozen new species for me in New York state. 

Yellow Warbler, Lindsay-Parsons Biodiversity Preserve, Spenser, NY, Jul 13, 2025

Blue winged Warbler, Lindsay-Parsons Biodiversity Preserve, Spenser, NY, Jul 13, 2025

Common Yellowthroat, Lindsay-Parsons Biodiversity Preserve, Spenser, NY, Jul 13, 2025

Prairie Warbler with leg band, Lindsay-Parsons Biodiversity Preserve, Spenser, NY, Jul 13, 2025

Rose breasted Grosbeak, Lindsay-Parsons Biodiversity Preserve, Spenser, NY, Jul 13, 2025

Song Sparrow, Lindsay-Parsons Biodiversity Preserve, Spenser, NY, Jul 13, 2025

 

Eagle Cliff Falls,  Montour Falls, NY, Jul 13, 2025

Sunday was another hot and humid day with daybreak temps already in the upper 70’s. I was up slightly earlier than the previous day and headed south to Connecticut Hill WMA just before sunrise. It was a little breezy but the bugs (especially deer flies) were bad. Nonetheless I still found birds including a state first Barred Owl for me. With a few hours free in the morning I had to decide where to go and settled on a return trip to Lindsey Parsons where I arrived around 6:30 and stayed for about an hour and a half. It was really getting warm by the end of my time there, especially when out in the sun in the open fields. Nothing too unusual but some good looks at a variety of species. I then headed back to the house to pick up Sherri and we headed down south of Watkins Glen to check out a few waterfalls. The highlight for birds was an unusual for the area Black Vulture…no good camera with me at that point so no photos.

Gray Catbird, Taughannock Falls SP, Ulysses, NY, Jul 14, 2025

Ring billed Gulls, Taughannock Falls SP, Ulysses, NY, Jul 14, 2025

 

Taughannock Falls, Taughannock Falls SP, Ulysses, NY, Jul 14, 2025

After some strong thunderstorms overnight the morning dawn mainly clear and warm. I had a couple of hours free in the morning before we would start the long drive back home. I decided to head north to Taughannock Falls SP with the main goal being to find a Peregrine Falcon there. I heard at least one not long after arriving but could never get looks at it. The fog cut down on visibility initially so not surprised I could got get eyes on the falcon. Nonetheless I added yet another New York species to my list. After a little less than an hour and a half of walking I headed back to the Airbnb to pack up and then make the long drive home. 

I ended the short getaway with 98 species with nine new for me in the state. With the additional my New York state total now stands at 165.

Hooded Warbler today

Louisiana Waterthrush, Hadley, MA, Apr 23, 2024

Black and White Warbler, UMASS, Amherst, MA, Apr 23, 2024

Ruby crowned Kinglet, UMASS, Amherst, MA, Apr 23, 2024

After several nights of nearly nonexistent migration conditions, last night finally brought in some better conditions (not quite perfect but certainly better).  I set out before dawn with the hopes of finding some new arrivals.  I started my morning in Hadley where I spent a bit over an hour walking along the river and finding some stuff with nothing out of the ordinary.  The morning temps started off below freezing which almost certainly explains the lack of activity early on.  Once I finished up in Hadley I headed up to UMASS where I had five species of warbler including my first Yellow Warbler of the season and a photogenic Black and White Warbler.  There were also loads of Ruby crowned Kinglets constantly fliting through the trees.  

Great Blue Heron on nest, Lake Wallace, Belchertown, MA, Apr 23, 2024

By this point it was around 8:30 and I had to decide where to go next before heading home and I was originally going to go to Silvio Conte NWR I decided instead to head to Lake Wallace.  Not long after I arrived there I got a message from Greg letting me know that a group of young birders had found a Hooded Warbler at Silvio Conte.  Although I would not typically go back to a general area I just left, for an unusual warbler I almost always will. 

Hooded Warbler, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Apr 23, 2024

Hooded Warbler, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Apr 23, 2024

Black capped Chickadee with nesting material, Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River, Hadley, MA, Apr 23, 2024

I made my way back to Hadley to Silvio Conte NWR-Fort River where I arrived around 9:30 and headed to the area where the warbler was reported.  Although I had a few Palm Warbler and Yellow rumped Warbler I had no luck seeing or hearing the Hooded Warbler.  I decided to try a few nearby areas that had great habitat for the warbler.  Along the way I had great looks at a chickadee as it collected nest material.  After looking for a bit I heard an odd song that I was almost certain was the Hooded Warbler and after looking for a bit I had looks at the Hooded Warbler (an unusual sighting at any point and even more unusual given the date...my previous earliest of the species in the county was April 30th in 2021).  I got some recordings and photos and was able to get a few other nearby birders on the bird.  I got word out to others and most got to see it.   A more detailed write up on the warbler can be found at the following link: Hooded Warbler.  

I then headed home to pick up Wilson to go for a walk where we added a Northern Waterthrush for the year and then once home I added a House Wren.  Overall for the day I added five new species for the year in the county...just a taste of what is to come as migration ramps up.  As a note there was a male Painted Bunting seen at a feeder today so certainly possible some other southern overshoot species are out there just waiting to be found.

 

Brief trip to corner of West Virginia, Virginia and Maryland (with a side trip to Pennsylvania) July 14-July 18

Burnside's Bridge, Antietam National Battlefield, Sharpsburg, MD, Jul 14, 2023

Bloody Lane, Antietam National Battlefield, Sharpsburg, MD, Jul 14, 2023

Dunker Church (with famous photo in the foreground), Antietam National Battlefield, Sharpsburg, MD, Jul 14, 2023

We just returned from a brief trip down to the area of where West Virginia, Virginia and Maryland come together.  This trip was a replacement for our original plan for July which was to be a trip to western Colorado for a week and a half but Wilson's surgery and recovery changed those plans.  We toyed with a number of ideas for a trip closer to home and finally settled on the above mentioned area with the focus being on some historical stops as well as a visit to the Shenandoah National Park.  We flew down to Dulles on Friday the 14th and stayed in Shepardstown, West Virginia right along the Potomac River. After a two hour delay in Hartford due to thunderstorms we finally made the short flight down to Dulles and then drove out to the northwest to our lodging in Shepardstown in West Virginia, just across the Potomac River from Maryland. We made it there around 3:30 and dropped off our stuff and then decided to head across the river to the historic town of Sharpsburg, Maryland where the battle of Antietam was fought in September of 1862, which was the single bloodiest day in American history.  A thunderstorm was moving through as we arrived and we dodged it on and off for the next hour plus as we visited multiple sites at the battlefield. Typical open country birds sang and called from the various fields and other species were present along hedgerows and along Antietam Creek. It was neat to finally see a battlefield I had read about so many times in the past.  Although certainly not a bird centered trip I had a number of species and warblers were among them and a more detailed look at them can be found at the following link.

Yellow throated Warbler, Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, Sharpsburg, MD,  Jul 15, 2023

Wood Duck, Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, Sharpsburg, MD,  Jul 15, 2023

Little Round Top from Devil's Den, Gettysburg National Battlefield, Gettysburg, PA, Jul 15, 2023

High water mark (pinnacle of Pickett's Charge), Gettysburg National Battlefield, Gettysburg, PA, Jul 15, 2023

On the first full day on the short trip I was out before dawn to take a walk along the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Trail in Maryland. The trail is over 180 miles long and follows the path of the old canal and is a wide open dirt road with easy walking (with the bonus of some good birds). I’m certain the place is really hopping during migration as it was still quite active even during the low activity time of July. I spent about an hour and a half walking the trail and found 42 species including some still singing like Acadian Flycatchers (many), various sparrows and a few species of warblers including Yellow throated Warblers. I then returned back to our house rental and then we headed northeast to Gettysburg where we spent most of a very hot day exploring the battlefield as well as a few museums. I last visited the area when I was a kid so it was nice to go back many years later to see it again.

White eyed Vireo, Yankauer Nature Preserve, Sherpardstown, WV, Jul 16, 2023

Potomac River, Harper's Ferry NHP, Harper's Ferry, WV, Jul 16, 2023

John Brown's Fort, Harper's Ferry NHP, Harper's Ferry, WV, Jul 16, 2023

Common Mergansers, Harper's Ferry NHP, Harper's Ferry, WV, Jul 16, 2023

Kentucky Warbler, Sweet Run SP, Hillsboro, VA, Jul 16, 2023

Louisiana Waterthrush, Sweet Run SP, Hillsboro, VA, Jul 16, 2023

Carolina Chickadee, Sweet Run SP, Hillsboro, VA, Jul 16, 2023

On Sunday the forecast called for some possible showers but thankfully they never really materialized. It was a bit threatening looking early on with a few sprinkles of rain as I headed out again at first light. I decided to try a new spot which was just five minutes away, the Yankauer Nature Preserve.  I walked a bit over a mile and half and spent about an hour and a half exploring the various trails and had the place totally to myself the entire time. I added a number of species both for the trip and for my West Virginia list. I also made a very brief stop along the Potomac River at a spot called Dam #4 before stopping at our house and then heading down to the Harper’s Ferry area (about a half hour away). We walked along the river down to the historic old town area (made famous by the John Brown’s raid there in 1859). After taking in some more history we headed across the Shenandoah River and into Virginia with our destination being Sweet Run State Park.  I hoped to catch up with some new species there and had some decent luck as we walked a few miles through the forest. By this time the sun was starting to pop out and being in the shade of the forest made it more tolerable. 

American Redstart, Fox Hollow Trail, Shenandoah NP, VA, Jul 17, 2023

Hooded Warbler, Fox Hollow Trail, Shenandoah NP, VA, Jul 17, 2023

Purple Martins, Fox Hollow Trail, Shenandoah NP, VA, Jul 17, 2023

Indigo Bunting, Fox Hollow Trail, Shenandoah NP, VA, Jul 17, 2023

Ovenbird, Land Run Falls Trail, Shenandoah NP, VA, Jul 17, 2023

Hooded Warbler, Land Run Falls Trail, Shenandoah NP, VA, Jul 17, 2023

 Land Run Falls, Shenandoah NP, VA, Jul 17, 2023

Smoky view of mountains, Shenandoah NP, VA, Jul 17, 2023

White spotted Skipper, Shenandoah NP, VA, Jul 17, 2023

Ovenbird, Rocky Branch Trail, Shenandoah NP, VA, Jul 17, 2023

Monday we decided to head down south to the Shenandoah National Park, where we would spend several hours. Before making the drive down I headed out early again and went back over to the nearby Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. It was another productive stop with the most unusual sighting being a Black crowned Night Heron calling as it flew upriver. I tried to relocate along the river without any luck. Once we got our stuff together for the day we drove down to the north entrance of the park in Front Royal, arriving a bit before nine. Our first walk was along the Fox Hollow Trail where I added a number of new species for the trip. We then headed further south going past multiple overlooks that typically would offer fantastic views of the mountains but more smoke from the ongoing Canada wildfires dropped visibility considerable. After a few more stops we made it out of the park at Thornton Gap a little before two and started the long drive back toward Shepardstown. Overall a productive day with 67 species total. We finally made it back to our lodging around dinner time after lots of time outside and on the road getting down and back from the park.

Prothonotary Warbler, Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, Sharpsburg, MD,  Jul 18, 2023

Potomac River in the fog, Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, Sharpsburg, MD,  Jul 18, 2023

Yellow throated Warbler, Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, Sharpsburg, MD,  Jul 18, 2023

View from Henry Hill, Manassas National Battlefield, Manassas, VA, Jul 18, 2023

On the last day of our getaway I started my morning along the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal once again and yet again the location produced some good birds including some good looks at Prothonotary Warblers.  We then went for a walk at the Yankauer Nature Preserve before starting our drive down toward the airport for an early evening flight.  We ran into a bit of an issue when one of the tires on the car was slowly leaking air and after four stops we finally found an air compressor that worked and we filled the tire back up.  Our final destination before heading to the airport was the Manassas National Battlefield, where we spent a hot early afternoon exploring various parts of the battlefield.  We made it to the airport in mid afternoon and then got delayed a bit on the flight home.  

Overall for the trip I found a total of 94 species with the breakdown by state listed below:

Virginia:71

West Virginia: 75

Maryland: 67

Pennsylvania: 44