Birding Across The Pond - Part Two

Date: 1st September 2017 - 14th September 2017

Location: New York > Niagara Falls > Las Vegas > San Francisco > New York

Weather: Everything but Snow!

Observation: In the air again this time flying to Las Vegas looking forward to the hot, dry desert like conditions....... well that should have been the conditions if Hurricane Irma wasn’t in the USA and the normally dry Vegas was wet! Thunderstorms too, but the next morning we headed off on a organised trip to Red Rock, a great place with desert and um well red rocks but also a few brilliant birds! First off while they were looking around the museum, a colourful House Finch landed, lens in hand spotted a few more with their red chests looking great with now blue skies overhead. 

But my main target was outside the ‘Restrooms’ an amazing Anna’s Hummingbird, stunning tiny things and my first ever! 

Carried on with the tour and saw Red-Tailed Hawk who landed in close by tree, Geckos and even Black Swallowtail and Monarch Butterflies. 

Next morning, another trip to.. You gotta go there Grand Canyon plus Hoover Dam. Hoover was ok it did have lots of Turkey Vultures but the Grand Canyon was great not many birds another Anna’s Hummingbird, a Brown Headed Cowbird being the best, but a few new Butterflies for me. 

The next day, a tour around Vegas, a must taking in Fermount Street, a must managed a Great-Tailed Grackle from the bus, but that was all. 

Next day San Francisco. 

Got to the hotel in San Fran and caught the Cable Cars and down to Pier 39, famous for its California Sea Lions and Brown Pelicans, great looking birds. 

Also Heermanns Gull, Western Gulls and Brandts Cormorants. 

Western Gull

Heermanns Gull

Another boat trip planned to Alcatraz, if you go in September, fly spray a must, 1000s of them very annoying! 

Apparently attracted to dead a decaying Cormorants on the island, once I rushed around the the tour, I got outside to a Black Phoebe, Northern Mockingbird and more shy Hummingbirds. There was a massive colony of Brandts Cormorant also Snowy Egrets. 

Off the boat and along to Golden Gate Bridge, blue skies and stunning, White Crowned Sparrow and a Shiny-Shinned Hawk also a California Scrub Jay in car park. 

Next morning, we spent a few hours in Golden Gate Park, great place to visit. 

Picking up Pygmy Nuthatch, Black-Throated Grey Warbler, a few Hawks, Pied Billed Grebe, Western Tanager, Chestnut-Sided Chickadee, Stellers Jay, plus more. Also a Anna’s Hummingbird humming 5ft from our faces!! 

Back to the hotel and sleep. A spare 2 hours in the morning before our flight back to New York. We took the Cable Cars to Lombard Street, amazing to ride the expensive Cable Cars, hanging on from the outside of the cars felt like I was in the old TV show “The Streets of San Francisco”. Was looking for the Red Masked Parakeets, that have lived here since the 1960’s but also got a Western Kingbird a bonus! 

We caught the last internal flight back to New York, which was a long 6 hours. The girls went shopping and I went for some peace around Central Park, it’s massive, 3.5 miles long and easy to get lost in. The Hurricane was keeping a few birds away, the local birders were saying, but any birds were good for me and I managed to get a American Kestrel. 

We spent 2 weeks in the USA, a great place to visit but very busy, lots of traffic and people but some great spots. Ended my trip on 68 new birds and 9 new butterflies and around 2000 photos overall. Walking around with lens and camera felt safe and the birders and people I spoke to seemed nice and friendly. 

If anyone is thinking of going or needs any advice we, as usual, are happy to help. 

Hope you enjoyed the blog as much as I enjoyed doing the trip!

Part One: https://goo.gl/Q1DXhK 

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New York, Washington DC + Buffalo - Part One

Date: 2nd - 7th September 2016

Location: New York City, Washington DC + Buffalo (Niagara Falls)

Weather: Blue Sky, Sunny + 30+ Degrees

Other Species: Ring-Billed Gull, Laughing Gull, American Redstart, Common Yellowthroat, Grey Catbird, Double Crested Cormorant, Blue Jay, White-Breasted Nuthatch, American Robin, Mourning Dove, Downy Woodpecker, Red Cardinal, Pied Billed Grebe, Red-Tailed Hawk, Black Capped Chickadee, Rock Pigeon, House Sparrow, Mallard, Gadwall, Shoveler, Northern Mockingbird - Of Note

Observation: With Dad off in Majorca (see previous posts) me and my sister headed off to America. The trip which we had been planning and saving for over 18 months had finally arrived, the trip involved 7 flights and 5 states over the course of 2 weeks. I set an aim of 1 new bird for each state we visited (as I wasn't going actually going birding and didn't have my 400mm or binoculars with me). All images and wildlife seen were photographed with my Canon 7D and Canon 18-135mm lens ONLY so excuse some of the images.

First stop off was New York City, places visited included Liberty Island, DUMBO Park and of course a day in Central Park (would have been rude not to!)

I caught the boat across from Battery Point to Liberty Island, and there was an abundance of Laughing Gulls, Ring-Billed Gulls and Greater Black Backed Gulls. A few smaller birds including Common Grackle and Blue Jay's also around the Island.

The same day I visited DUMBO Park across the Brooklyn Bridge to do some night pictures (I'll include these at the end of the blog). Whilst I was waiting for Sunset, a quick search of some new ticks was in order. Within minutes I spotted this adult Grey Catbird feeding this single Juvenile. When the adult had left I moved around but couldn't find a better angle (They were well hidden in the bushes and the other side of a large fence).

Here's the Juvenile in between feeds.

I settled down on some rocks as Sunset approached and this little one hopped down in front of me, my first new tick! A Common Yellowthroat (Female).

With my aim achieved for this state and on the first day I was very happy!

We visited Washington DC for a day trip via the Amtrak service. Just past the Capitol Building I heard a small woodpecker type call to look up and distantly see this....
White-Breasted Nuthatch. My second new tick again within hours of arriving!

(I promise the Nuthatch is in the picture!)

With my aim achieved once again, I decided to improve some of my previous ticks.

This moulting Blue Jay was more than happy to pose for a few shots!

American Robin's seem to always been in groups when feeding, unlike ours?

Now back in New York for a final day, this was the one day I was allowed to go birding in Central Park (was on holiday with a non-birder!).

At the Boating Lake, this moulting Red Cardinal is always a highlight to see, so camouflaged for such a bright bird!

I sat for a short break in a sheltered area, where someone had put some oat flakes down on the rocks. Within minutes of settling, 4 Mourning Doves landed to take advantage of the oat flakes.

This one seemed to be confused by the sound of the shutter!

The blue ring around the eye indicates they are Adults.

I walked around the Reservoir which is located on the northern part of Central Park in the hope of some new water birds.

A few Double-Crested Cormorants were present.

A bit of a surprise find, Pied Billed Grebe! It was fishing further out but seemed to come right into the shoreline to pose for the pictures!

The Terrapins were taking advantage of the sunny weather.

I was a little disappointed that I hadn't seen any Red-Tailed Hawks this time until I heard the familiar call which sounds like our Buzzard and looked up to find this....

It seemed to be very happy with the catch of a Grey Squirrel!

Next up on our travels was Buffalo (Niagara Falls). We stayed on the American side and enjoyed the Falls!

In Niagara Statepark, I was amazed to find some Black Squirrel's, I asked and they advised these are common and also have the Grey Squirrels and also Yellow Squirrels within the park!

I come across a group of Black-Capped Chickadee high in the trees, they were very much like our Coal Tits but alot larger! Another new tick for me!

So far the trip was going extremely well, with 3 new ticks (1 in each place).

In the next blog, I visit Los Angeles, San Francisco and a final few days in New York.

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