Sullivan County Bird Records
Bird Notes
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September - October 2009

Over 4700 raptors made for a spectacular season at the Summitville hawkwatch! We also had a very good Wood Duck count and saw a variety of fall warblers, but few shorebirds. This was not a season for rarities.

BRANT - 1 Bashakill Haven Rd 10/31 (JH)
WOOD DUCK - 1584 Bashakill 1st evening count at Haven Rd 9/24 (RD RS AB VF); 2106 total for the 2nd evening count 10/1 (our third highest count in 14 years) (RD RS AB)
GADWALL - 1 Swan L male 10/17 (JH)
AM WIGEON  - 3 Kiamesha L 10/3 (JH)
N PINTAIL - 1 Wurtsboro Arlene's ponds 9/17 still there on 10/11 (AB B & AM)
GR-WINGED TEAL - 1 Bashakill Haven Rd 10/1 (RD RS AB); 2 Wurtsboro Arlene's ponds 10/13 (AB); 29 Swan L 10/17 & 60 on 10/18, 8 on 10/31 (JH)
BLACK SCOTER - 16 Neversink Res 10/16 all males w/1 female, also 10/17 (LV JH)
C GOLDENEYE - 4 Yankee L 10/31 (JH)
RUDDY DUCK - 8 Swan L 10/17 & 10 on 10/31; 6 Kiamesha L 10/29 & 9 on 10/31 (JH)
C LOON - 1 Summitville hawkwatch flyover 10/4, 1 Kauneonga L 10/24, & 7 at Neversink Res 10/24 (JH)
P-B GREBE - 1 Kiamesha L 10/3 to 10/10 (JH); 1 Westbrookville boat launch 10/8 (AB B & AM); 1 Swan L 10/17 & 3 on 10/18 & 10/31,1 Neversink Res 10/17,1 Haven Rd 10/18 (JH)
HORNED GREBE - 1 Kiamesha L 10/16 (LV)
D-C CORMORANT - 1 Bashakill Haven Rd 9/11 & 2 on 9/12, 1 on 10/5 (SB JH); 4 Summitville hawkwatch overhead 9/13 & 8 on 10/2 (RD JH)
GREAT EGRET - 1 Morningside 9/1 & on 9/4 (JH);1 Briscoe 9/2 (Jim Boxberger to RD); 1 Morningside the latest report 9/17 (RD MG RG)
BLACK VULTURE - 4 Summitville hawkwatch 9/18, 3 on 10/10 & 2 on 10/13 (JH); 1 Liberty 10/17 (RD); 3 Monticello race track 10/17 (JH)
OSPREY - Summitville hawkwatch season total: 119, our best; the best one-day count: 17 on 9/14  (JH LV et al)
B EAGLE - Hawkwatch season total: 64, our best (JH RD et al)
N HARRIER - 1 Liberty 9/2 (RD);1 Bashakill 9/3 & 9/13, off & on through 10/11 (SB JH BS); 1 Westbrookville fields opposite the deli 10/15 (SB & OCA)
SHARP-SHIN H - Summitville hawkwatch best 1 day count: 69 on 10/11 & 65 on 10/10 (JH et al); 1 Westbrookville fields opposite the deli, after starlings 10/15 (SB & OCA)
COOPER'S H. - Hawkwatch season total: 49, low (JH et al)
N GOSHAWK - Hawkwatch season total: 3, low (JH et al)
RED-SH HAWK - Summitville hawkwatch season total: 22, our best (JH et al)
*BROADWING - Summitville hawkwatch season total: 3416, our best ever; the best one-day count: 920 on 9/15 & 2nd best one-day count: 748 on 9/18 (JH RD et al)
GOLDEN EAGLE - Hawkwatch: 1 on 10/10,  3 on 10/11 (JH)
AM KESTREL - Summitville hawkwatch season total: 64, our best (JH et al);1 Bashakill over Melrose Farm 9/1 (P & SB);1 Beechwoods Rd 9/13 (RS RM); 1 Youngsville Menderis Rd 9/14 (RD); 1 Callicoon Center Klinger Rd 9/19 & 9/24 (RD); Summitville hawkwatch, best one-day count: 12 on 9/24 (JH); 1 Thompsonville 10/16 (VS);1 Bashakill Nature trail 10/18, 1 Wurtsboro airport 10/18 & 1 Monticello landfill 10/31 (JH)
MERLIN - 1 Morningside 9/2 (JH); Summitville hawkwatch season total:16, our best (JH et al)
VIRGINIA RAIL - 1 Bashakill Main trail 9/12 (SB et al); 1 Bashakill Nature trail & Haven Rd 9/13 (SB & OCA)
C MOORHEN - 2 Bashakill 9/6, ad & juv at Haven Rd, 3 on 9/16 (SB et al)
AM COOT -  2  Haven Rd 10/15 to10/17 (SB JH AB B & AM)
SEMIPALM PLOVER - 1 Morningside 9/1 & 3 on 9/11, 2 on 9/12, 1 SCCC  9/12 (JH)
LESSER YELLOWLEGS - 1 Morningside  9/4 (JH)
SOLITARY SANDP - 1 Monticello Apollo Plaza 9/4 & 2 on 9/7 (JH LV)
SPOTTED SANDP - 1 Morningside 9/1 & 2 on 9/7 (JH)
SEMI-PALM SANDP -  2 Morningside 9/1 & 1 on 9/4 (JH)
LEAST SANDP - 21 Morningside 9/1 & 6 on 9/4, 8 on 9/7 (JH)
PECTORAL SANDP - 10 Bashakill Haven Rd 9/30 (JH)
DUNLIN - 1 Monticello Apollo Plaza 10/18 & 10/19 (JH LV) (see photo this issue)
ICELAND GULL - 1 seen at Summitville hawkwatch, then later at Apollo Plaza 10/29 (JH)
GR B-BACK GULL - 1 landfill 10/2 & 5 on 10/17 (JH)
BARRED OWL - 2 Beaverkill Rd 9/2 (LV);1 Rt 17 flying low between exits 115 & 114, 3:15pm 9/7 (PB); 2 Youngsville Stump Pond Rd 9/12, called sev nights to 10/6 (RD)
N SAW-WHET OWL - 5 Youngsville Stump Pond Rd first ones banded 10/8 (RD); 3 Summitville hawkwatch (called in) 10/19 (JH AB LV)
C NIGHTHAWK - 9 Summitville hawkwatch 9/2 (RD RS)
R-T HUMMINGBIRD - 1 Grahamsville the last report there 9/30 (Peggy Geyer to RD); 1 Wurtsboro the last report there 9/30 (AB);1 f at Roscoe the very last report 10/2 (MG)
E WOOD PEWEE - 5 Bashakill Nature trail 9/12 (LV)
LEAST FLYC - 2 Bashakill Nature trail 9/12 (probable ID, conspicuous eye ring) (LV)
YELLOW-THR VIREO - Bashakill Main trail 9/3 (SB); 1 Bashakill Nature trail 9/7 (LV)
WARBLING VIREO -  Bashakill Main trail 9/6 (SB et al); 1 Bashakill Nature trail 9/7 (LV)
PHILADELPHIAVIREO - 1 McDonald Rd 9/7, 3 Bashakill nature trail 9/12 & 9/13 (SB JH)
TREE SW - 15 Summitville hawkwatch 10/8 (P & SB JH EN); 2 Bashakill "Big Sit" 10/11 (RD AB SB RS VF)
WINTER WREN - 1 Bashakill Nature trail 10/2 (JH); 1 Cooley Rd bog 10/11 (LV); 1 Wurtsboro 10/29 (AB)
GOLD-CR KINGLET -  6 hawkwatch 10/8 & 10/10 (JH); 2 Bashakill Main pkg "Big Sit" 10/11 (RD AB SB RM VF)
RUBY-CR KINGLET - fos: 1 Bashakill Nature trail, many thereafter 9/16 (LV); 20 Bashakill Nature trail 10/5 (P & SB); 2 Liv Manor DeBruce Rd 10/18 (KH)
GR-CHEEK THRUSH - 1 Bash Nature trail 9/14 (SB et al)
SWAINSON'S THR - 3 Bashakill Nature trail 9/12 & 1 on 10/12,1 Bashakill Main trail 10/5 (JH)
WOOD THRUSH - 1 Bashakill Nature trail 9/6 (LV);1 Liv Manor one calling at his house 9/7 & 9/8 (LV)
BR THRASHER - 3 Bashakill Nature trail 9/6 & 1 on 10/2 (LV JH);1 Swan L Rd 9/13 (RS RM); 1 Westbrookville field across from deli 10/12 (JH)
AM PIPIT - 2 Beaverkill Elm Hollow Rd 10/11 (LV); 28 Bashakill Haven Rd in sev small flocks 10/17 (LV JH)
*TENNESSEE W - 1 Hunter Rd 9/13, 1 Elm Hollow Rd 9/20, 1 Morningside Pk 10/10 (LV); with 2 Bashakill reports in May we had the most seen in Sull Co. in any year for the past 20!
NASHVILLE W - 1 Hunter Rd  9/13 (LV); 1 Bashakill Nature trail 9/14 & 1 on 10/2 (SB JH et al); 1 Woodbourne 10/4 (RD MG); 1 Bashakill Main parking "Big Sit" 10/11 (RD et al)
N PARULA - 3 Bashakill Nature trail 9/7 & 1 on 9/12 (LV);1 Bashakill nature trail 9/13 (SB & OCA); 1 Hunter Rd  9/13 (LV); 1 Bashakill Haven Rd 10/15 (SB & OCA)
YELLOW W - 1 Bashakill Main trail pkg area 9/12 (SB LV)
PRAIRIE W - 1 Bashl Main trail 9/5, 1 Hawkwatch 9/19 (JH)
PALM W - 3 Hawkwatch 9/13 & 10 on 9/19 (RD JH); 15 Westbrookville fields across from deli 10/2 & 1 on 10/12 (JH); 6 Monticello landfill 10/2 (JH); 2 Bashakill Haven Rd 10/2 (JH); 1 Bashakill Haven Rd 10/17 (LV); 1 McDonald Rd 10/18 (JH)
BAY-BREASTED W - 1 Bashakill Main trail parking area in a mixed warbler flock 9/12 (SB & Stu Carlitz)
BLACKPOLL - 1 Elm Hollow Rd 9/12, 1 Hunter Rd  9/13(LV)
CANADA W - 3 Bashakill Main trail 9/3 (SB); 1 Bashakill Nature trail 9/12 (LV); 1 Bash Main trail pkg area 9/12 (SB et al)
S TANAGER - 8 Bashakill Nature trail 9/6 (LV)
E TOWHEE - 6 at Summitville hawkwatch 9/5, 10 on 9/12 & 20 at puddle on 9/19 (JH); 2 Parksville Cooley Mt Rd 9/25, pr also on 10/2 (SR); 6 Bash Nature trail 10/2 & 1 on 10/5 (P&SB); 1 Wurtsboro 10/14 & 10/15 (AB); 1 Hilldale Rd 10/20 (RS)
FIELD SP - 2 Westbrookville across from deli 9/6 (SB et al); 1 Liv Manor DeBruce Rd feeders 10/16 (KH)
VESPER SP - 1 Bashakill Haven Rd 10/17 (LV JH)
SAVANNAH SP - 6 Monticello landfill 10/3 (JH); 1 Bashakill Haven Rd 10/8 (AB B & AM); 1 Swan L 10/17 (JH)
FOX SP - 3 Bashakill Nature trail & 1 Hunter Rd 10/25 (LV)
LINCOLN'S SP - 1 Bashakill Nature trail 10/12 & 10/15 (JH SB OCA) (the only reports)
WH-THR SP - 1 Bashakill Nature trail 9/14 (SB et al); 30 Bashakill Nature trail 10/2 & 20 on 10/5 (P & SB JH); 20 Liv Manor DeBruce Rd feeders 10/16 (KH)
WHITE-CR SP - 1 McDonald Rd 10/2 & 2 on 10/11, 10 on 10/18 (JH);1 Bashakill South Rd, fos at feeders 10/14 (SB); 1 Bashakill Nature trail & 2 at South Rd feeders 10/15 (SB & OCA); 3 Bashakill Haven Rd & deli fields 10/17 (LV JH); 6 Swan L 10/17 & 6 SCCC 10/18 (JH)
SNOW BUNTING - 2 Bashakill Haven Rd 10/29 (EN)
N CARDINAL - 7 Wurtsboro 10/15, the most ever here (AB)
PURPLE FINCH - 11 Parksville Cooley Mt Rd 10/5 (SR)
 
                                                                                                         —Valerie Freer


ANIMAL REPORTS: Red fox at Bash South Rd 9/1 (P & SB); 2 otters at Briscoe 9/2 (Jim Boxberger to RD); 1 red fox, 1 baby bear & a 7-pt buck in early Sept &  6 Chipmunks 9/22 at Cooley Mt Rd (SR); 8 point buck at Bashakill 10/15 (SB); 5 chipmunks, 2 red & 4 gray squirrels plus 1 black one 10/20 DeBruce Rd (KH); 200 lb black bear at hawkwatch 9/5 (JH); 1 bear at Main trail Bashakill 10/8 (AB, B & AM)


CONTRIBUTORS: P & SB - Paula & Scott Baldinger; AB - Arlene Borko; RB - Rick Bunting,; RD - Renee Davis; EF - Ed Frampton; VF - Valerie Freer; MG - Marge Gorton; JH - John Haas; KH - Kate Hyden; ML - Mary Lewis; B & AM - Barbara & Al Merritt; RM - Ruth McKeon; EN - Ed Nelson; SR - Sue Rayano; BS - Barbara Schmitt; RS - Ruth Shursky; SS - Steve Shursky; VS - Vincent Shursky;  LV - Lance Verderame, JW - Joe Weise, OCA - Orange Co Audubon, fos -first of season.

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