BIRDS OF INTEREST:
Bald Eagle
Broad-winged Hawk
Wilson’s Snipe
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Eastern Phoebe
Barn Swallow
Tree Swallow
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Hermit Thrush
Palm Warbler
Pine Warbler
Louisiana Waterthrush
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Eastern Towhee
Field Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
Eastern Meadowlark

Greetings,
With the morning off from work, I decided to hit up the local birding spots in Columbia County, and I was not disappointed.

MILLER RD.- CHURCHTOWN:
My first stop was Miller Road in Churchtown, where the pond held a pair of BALD EAGLES perched in a tree right over the road. This pair has been reported on and off for some time now from other local birders, but it was actually my first time observing them. Also present were 6 GREAT BLUE HERON, 2 distant singing FIELD SPARROWS and a flyover TREE SWALLOW

The flooded field at the junction of Miller Rd and 27B held a single WILSON’S SNIPE, 3 BARN SWALLOWS, and several EASTERN MEADOWLARKS.

NEW FORGE RD. STATE FOREST- TAGHKANIC
My next stop was the state forest on New Forge Road off of Rte 82. Just as I was hoping, one of my best birds of the day came from this stop in the form of a singing LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH. I was hoping to get close to it, but it was too distant to get a view. Other notable birds from this stop included 1 GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET, 4 HERMIT THRUSHES, and many EASTERN PHOEBES.

LAKE TAGHKANIC STATE PARK- TAGHKANIC
Just up the road from New Forge State Forest at Lake Taghkanic State Park, I was able to up my tally of warbler species on the day to 3 with sightings of PINE (1) and PALM WARBLERS (3). All of the Palm Warblers were of the expected “Eastern” variety. There were also many CHIPPING SPARROWS singing a variety of tempos to confuse the rusty birder with singing Pine Warblers.

I was also able to locate a previously known COMMON RAVEN nest site, and from my observations 50 yards away, I could hear chicks in the nest begging. Of course the Common Ravens weren’t the only nesting birds on the day, I was also able to find the nesting sites of several other birds including a White-breasted Nuthatch and an excavating Downy Woodpecker. After leaving the site of the Common Raven, just before I got into my car I heard the call of a BROAD-WINGED HAWK and upon looking up saw 2 flying overhead. There was to be one more in the park before I left.

On the lake itself I was able to find a single Common Merganser and 3 Wood Ducks.

OLANA STATE HISTORICAL SITE- HUDSON
Lastly, I headed to Olana to do some birding around the Heart Pond. Near the pond I was able to find a very cooperative EASTERN TOWHEE, and a drilling YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER not far from there. The trail that leads from Olana to Columbia-Greene Community College yielded perhaps the biggest surprise for me today, a single male ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK who was first detected singing atop a large Shagbark Hickory.

Overall, it was a long day with a lot more hiking involved than I had done over much of the winter, but it yielded some great First of Season birds for me. I can’t wait to get out again soon.

Other notable non-bird sightings on the day:

Herps:
Spring Peeper
Wood Frog
Eastern Painted Turtle

Lepids:
Cabbage White
Mourning Cloak
Eastern Comma

Good Birding,
Chad Witko
Claverack, NY
cjtrapper@yahoo.com