April 30, 2009: Birding Amherst State Park (New York)

I made a quick stop at Amherst State Park / Williamsville Glen after work today. It was very quiet, and the light was not that good for photography either. I did get two photos - of a Nashville Warbler, and of a Palm Warbler:

April 26, 2009: Birding at Home and in Niagara County

Today we had a wonderful day birding. A lot of birds are arriving very early, because of the recent warm weather. I have photos first from our yard (just a few), and then from Niagara County. We spent some time at Willie D'Anna and Betsy Potter's house in Wilson, then went birding with them at Greenwood Cemetery and Wilson-Tuscarora State Park in Wilson. A great day!

Photos from the Backyard: (our House Wren returned the earliest ever!)

Pine Siskin
Above and Below: Nice male Purple Finch

Willie and Betsy's Yard:
Black-and-White Warbler

Golden-Crowned Kinglet

Black-Capped Chickadee

Black-Throated Green Warbler

Blue-Headed Vireo

Above and Below: some nice Ruby-Throated Kinglets

Greenwood Cemetery:

White-Throated Sparrow

Wilson-Tuscarora State Park:

Northern Flicker

Yellow Warbler

Nashville Warbler

Above and Below: Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher

Ruby Crowned Kinglet

Palm Warbler

Garter Snake

last year's Pine Cones

Above and Below: Blue-Headed Vireos

Black-and-White Warbler

Blue-Winged Warbler (very early!)

Red-Shouldered Hawk

Above and Below: Pine Warbler

Sharp-Shinned Hawk (above and Below)

Last year's berries

Morning Cloak

April 19, 2009: Alden Birding (for BOS April Bird Count)

Today I participated in the Buffalo Ornithological Society's annual April early Spring Bird Count. I did this for the Alden area where I live. I got a few decent photos.....

Winter Wren (Joe Panza Trail) (Above and Below)

Signs of spring: Skunk Cabbage at Joe Panza

Horned Grebe (Billo Rd)

Savannah Sparrow (Billo Rd)

Belted Kingfisher (Billo Rd)

Trumpeter Swans

Greater Yellowlegs

April 18, 2009: Birding Braddock Bay, Island Cottage Woods (Greece), and Montezuma NWR Area

We birded several locations today. First a morning visit to the Braddock Bay Raptor Research, and the Owl Woods. We saw a Cooper's and Red-Tail banded but did not get photos. We found one Long Eared Owl in the woods. Then a lunch visit to Schaller's in nearby Greece, and a quick stop at the Island Cottage Woods there, which were productive! Then we drove east an hour to Montezuma NWR, for some more nice birding.

Braddock Bay Owl Woods:

Long-Eared Owl
Lepoard Frog

Island Cottage Woods:

Brown Creeper

Above and Below: Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker

Above and Below: Fox Sparrow

Montezuma NWR Photos:

Green-Winged Teal

Blue-Winged Teal (above and below)

Great-Blue Heron

Greater Yellowlegs

Red-Winged Blackbird

Pied-Billed Grebe

Song Sparrow

raft of American Coots

Above and Below: Ring-Necked Ducks

Snow Goose