Winged Runners

Finding the right Anser is not an easy task. Then again, that all depends on which one you are looking for. In New York State, the "right Anser ," as I see it, is the Pink-footed Goose ( Anser brachyrhynchus ). I last laid eyes on a Pink-foot almost a year ago, after I reported one on 2/21/12 in Holtsville, NY. I detailed many goose herds leading up to that day, I couldn't pass up on any herd, and it finally paid off. It was great to study this rare visitor from eastern Greenland. One of my earliest blog posts was written about this goose. Story and photos can be seen here: http://dereksnest.blogspot.com/2012/02/pink-footed-goose.html Record photo of the Pink-footed Goose that I found in Holtsville on 2/21/12. The bird was among many Canada Geese, as they usually are when spotted  outside of their normal range. Note the pink legs/feet, rich brown head and neck blending into grey toned upper parts. Broad white band at tail tip. A real beauty. The genus Anse...

Red-breasted Nuthatch                      Derek Rogers During last Fall and Winter, you'd have been hard pressed to find a Red-breasted Nuthatch around Long Island. Some of their historic breeding sites, like the pitch pine forests at Brookhaven National Lab,  did hold this species throughout the year. But, for the most part, there was little movement. This year has been a different story. Solid numbers of Red-breasted Nuthatches started getting reported in the late Summer months islandwide. This relatively early arrival time has been, in the past, known to signify a finch irruption. For Long Island, this generally means that the winter finches (Pine Siskin, Purple Finch, Crossbills, and Redpolls) might move south and visit our beaches, forests, and bird feeders. The photo on the right shows a classic view of a Red-breasted Nuthatch. I particularly like the perspective of this shot, the bird's classic, clinging and curio...

 Juvenile Baird's Sandpiper         Derek Rogers  I entered the iPhone world relatively late. It was in November 2011 when I upgraded from my ancient “flip” phone to the iPhone 4. Shortly after I purchased my iPhone, I was at Smith Point County Park viewing a Vesper Sparrow through my scope when I decided to try and digiscope the bird using my iPhone camera. I was shocked at how well the camera matched up with my scope and knew I’d be using this technique often. I later found out that this technique had a name, “iScoping.”  Juvenile Baird's Sandpiper                   Derek Rogers  I’ve been having a blast using the iScoping technique and have produced some outstanding quality images and videos. I use the Vortex Razor HD Spotting Scope with the Razor HD 30X Wide Angle Eyepiece. I’ve noticed that the 30X wide angle eyepiece really make...

 Adult Buff-breasted Sandpiper                      Derek Rogers  While we're still within the window of shorebird season, I wanted to write about one of my favorite birds of the world, the Buff-breasted Sandpiper. There's something about the grasspipers that really attract me. I'm sure it has a lot to do with my fascination for the far north and the high Arctic habitat in which several of our migrant shorebirds breed. Buffys nest way up in the islands of the Arctic, as far as northern areas of Baffin Bay. They are common migrants throughout central North America (Great Plains) but uncommon along the Atlantic Coast. Nearly all of the Buff-breasted Sandpipers that reach Long Island during Fall migration are juveniles.  Brown/Rufous Fringed Scapulars                 ...

Today at 1415 a Brown Booby flew eastbound, across the sand flats at Cupsogue Beach County Park. The bird completely struck me by surprise but I did not hesitate to quickly shout, “Brown Booby!” I was scanning around the flats, located in the approximate pin-pointed area on the map below when I noticed a “different” looking bird coming straight at me from the west. My brain scanned, I waited, then waited and the Brown Booby flew right past me, offering great looks. Accompanied by Arie Gilbert, I turned to him once the bird made some distance toward the east. We responsibly debated the other options, but quickly firmed my initial thought and sighting as a Brown Booby. Arie was fast with the shutter and managed to snap these photos. While not award winning, we were excited to see that they helped firm that the bird was indeed a Brown Booby. Yellow pin indicates our stationary position when the Brown Booby crossed our path headed east. In the solid 30 seconds of viewing, as the...

 Yellow-bellied Flycatcher A Weekend Excursion to the North Country I always enjoy spending time in boreal forests. The powerful aroma of black spruce and tamarack can barely be recreated. Lichens dangle from old snags, sphagnum moss carpets the forest floor and the cool, moist woodland sets the stage for an unforgettable experience in nature. This has always been the case since I've visited the many boreal forest areas in New York's Adirondack Park. Even when the black and deer flies are in heavy pursuit, I arrive prepared and accept their place in the forest. It's no wonder that Yellow-bellied Flycatchers thrive in this habitat. You can hear their bills "snapping" as they hawk aerial prey. One last deer fly to breach my defense. The photo on the right was a digiscope shot taken at Bloomingdale Bog, south end near the first powerline cut. I'd encounter several more Yellow-bellied, just not as photogenic, in the ge...

 Morning at Pine Butte Ranch                                                   Derek Rogers On May 26, 2012, I landed in Great Falls, Montana. It was 33 degrees Fahrenheit and the snow was falling. While I didn't pack for winter weather I was prepared with the right gear to feel comfortable. "Spring in Montana" is what John Carlson and the other local folks would say with a slight chuckle. Despite the unexpected snow, and dry Montana cold, I was ready for a week of intense birding. I traveled with friend Mike Scheibel who shares the same dedicated passion in finding and observing birds. We were picked up in Great Falls by Nature Conservancy staff and volunteers and headed to Pine Butte Ranch. ...