March 19, 2013

This past weekend I went birding with a friend in the Champlain Valley. Mid-March is a good time of year to find both wintering species and early spring arrivals. Our day started well when I spotted a northern shrike hunting near Adirondack Loj Road outside of Lake Placid as we were driving down to the Valley. We began our day in the Valley at the Westport boat launch where there was a collection of ducks such as common goldeneye, bufflehead, and hooded merganser.

Then we worked our way south through the field-lined roads, finding a lone Bohemian waxwing and several red-tailed hawks. We also spotted a number of bald eagles as we drove, and at one overlook of the lake along Barber Road, we counted 16 eagles on the ice!

northern shrike Larry
We found two northern shrikes during our day of birding. Photo courtesy of www.masterimages.org.

Not much further south, the lake was completely frozen over, so we went to the Champlain Bridge where there were reports that there were breaks in the ice. On our way there we birded the fields of Crown Point, finding a few more red-tailed hawks, and a dark phase rough-legged hawk. We also found many common grackles and red-winged blackbirds throughout our day – both signs of the beginning of spring – and on Crown Point, we discovered a few eastern bluebirds and a brown-headed cowbird. As we were driving, we also spotted two turkey vultures flying overhead – recently arrived from the south. Even with the wintry weather we are experiencing this week, they are all signs that spring is on the way.

The Crown Point Bridge did not disappoint us. There we found 13 species of ducks including canvasback, redhead, northern pintail, American wigeon, and gadwall. There are a few places from which to view the birds, but we used Chimney Point State Historic Site on the Vermont side of the bridge. Then we worked a few places just north of bridge on the Vermont side of Lake Champlain, finding a few more mixed flocks of ducks. Highlights included a pair of recently arrived wood ducks, an immature glaucous gull, a light morph rough-legged hawk, a small flock of bohemian waxwings, and two male northern harriers hunting in the farm fields.

porcupine Westport area
We completed our day by finding this porcupine not far from Westport.

We then turned towards home, birding as we went, finding several more red-tailed hawks along the fields of Crown Point. We capped off our day along Napper Road south of Westport where we spooked a horned lark along the side of the road. Then along Stevenson Road we discovered a northern shrike hunting in a brushy field, bookending our day with northern shrikes.

Perhaps a hundred meters down the road from the shrike, we spotted a porcupine along the road. I got out of the car for some photos, and the porcupine kept its tail facing me – it is their defense after all – as I tried to circle it to get a look and a photo of its cute face. I finally succeeded, and we shooed it from the road – they do not fare well with cars – and we watched as it waddled across a field and into the trees on the far side. Our chaperoning complete, we began our drive home. We found 54 species in the valley – a very good tally for a winter day.

northern shrike Larry
We found two northern shrikes during our day of birding. Photo courtesy of www.masterimages.org.
porcupine Westport area
We completed our day by finding this porcupine not far from Westport.

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