Niagara Falls - Nov 2005

7 members of the Delaware Valley Ornithological Club and I headed to the spectacular Niagara Falls for 3 days at the end of the month. Regarded as peak time for the gull concentration we worked our way up and down the river where we were rewarded with thousands and thousands of Bonaparte's and to a lesser extent Herring, Ring-billed and Great Black-backs. The temperatures were very mild and our middle day was accompanied by an all day rain. In spite of this we get wonderful views of Little Gull and Thayer's as well as Iceland's of varying ages. Add in numerous Lesser Black-backs and a brief encounter with a Franklin's and we ended up with 9 larid species. Large rafts of waterfowl were also found on the Niagara along with an unbelievable showing of Long-tailed Ducks and Buffleheads. Other highlights included Rough-legged Hawk, Red-necked Grebe and Hooded Mergansers.

See Trip Report

Birding the Horseshoe Falls
© J & A Binns

The Galapagos Islands – October 2005

The magic of the Galapagos Islands were evident as soon as we entered the archipelago as we gingerly walked amongst Sea Lions, Sally Lightfoot Crabs and Marine Iguanas that welcomed us into their world. From Espanola’s sea bird colonies with dancing Waved Albatrosses, mating Nazca Boobies and majestic Red-billed Tropicbirds gliding past us, to the stunning views from Bartolome of Pinnacle Rock and the evidence of volcanic activity on Santiago. From beaches of black, green, orange, golden and red to the ghost forests, named for the leafless Palo Santo trees at this time of the year, that crawl up the mountain sides.

Waved Albatrosses displaying
© J & A Binns

The snorkeling was excellent with a wide assortment of tropical fish, rays and White-tipped Sharks and Blue-footed Boobies were fearless diving only feet from our pangas. And then there are the endemic species – Darwin’s Finches and Mockingbirds having adapted to their ‘own’ islands; the Hawk owning the skies; the Galapagos Cormorant and Penguin, at the mercy of the changing climate and hanging on precariously; while the Shearwater could be seen in large flocks and the Flycatcher always seemed to be flitting about within view – typifying why these islands are known as Darwin’s Enchanted Islands.

See Trip Report

Veracruz “River of Raptors” – September / October 2005

Two hurricanes really stole the thunder from this trip, but between Rita, which forced us to reschedule our flight from Houston, and Stan which left us stranded and counting our lucky stars, we got some excellent birding in.

Broadwings over Veracruz © J & A Binns

The raptor show was a sight to see with a 300,000 or so Broadwings moving through in a 2-3 hour period on several occasions. Hook-billed and Mississippi Kites, Zone-tailed and Swainson’s Hawks and Northern Harriers in small numbers along with numerous falcons and accipiters added to the excitement. We had exceptional looks at Striped Sparrows; Cinnamon-bellied Flowerpiercer’s; Gray Silky’s; White-naped Brush Finches; bathing Chestnut-capped Brush Finches and a Blue Mockingbird, and found a family of Mottled Owls.

Warblers including Red, Crescent-chested, Golden-browed, Golden-crowned and Rufous-capped showed well, while hummingbirds such as Cavinet’s Emerald, Mexican Sheartail, Garnet-throated, Lucifer and Beryline’s kept us on our toes, but the highlight was undoubtedly watching an adult and a juvenile Aplomado Falcon hunting bats with astonishing success right in front of our eyes while having a picnic dinner.

Kenya – August / September 2005 We have all seen the wildlife shows on television and this destination is all of that and more. Everywhere one looks there is something going on. The Mara is extensive grassland dotted with acacia trees that stretches southwards into Tanzania, and here there is an abundance of prey (gazelles, wildebeests and zebras) for predators such as cheetahs, leopards and lions. One is left in awe watching…. a pride of lions bring down a Grant’s Gazelle or stalk the sizeable Cape Buffalo; Wildebeest crossing a river just ahead of waiting Nile Crocodiles; or seeing majestic birds such as Kori Bustards, Ostrich’s, Secretary Birds, Southern Ground Hornbills, Gray Crowned Cranes and Bateleurs; and then there are the vultures that will always lead you to a kill; and one can never overlook the brightly colored sunbirds, barbets, bee-eaters, rollers and starlings or the Elephants coming down to the river to bathe and drink.

Male Lion © J & A Binns

The soda lakes of the Rift Valley hold enormous numbers of Lesser Flamingos that ring these lakes with a band of pink. We were entertained watching a Marabou patiently wait for the right moment to steal a flamingo from a hungry Jackal, while a Fish Eagle and Lesser Spotted Eagle could only watch. Around Lake Baringo Fish Eagles, Malachite Kingfishers and Goliath Heron were actively feeding while Red Bishop’s displayed in the reeds.

Owls were seen well including Cape Eagle, Spotted Eagle, MacKinder’s Eagle, White-faced Scops and numerous Verreaux’s. In the foothills of Mt. Kenya, upper elevation species included Orange Finch, Hartruab’s Turaco, Silvery-cheeked Hornbill, Mountain Oriole and Crowned Eagle while in the rain forest at Kakamenga, Ugandan Woodland Warblers, Petit’s Cuckoo Shrike, Common Wattle-eyes, Northern Puffbacks, Red-headed Bluebills, Great Blue Turaco and an assortment of greenbuls kept us busy. With over 400 species of birds and 60 mammals seen this is truly the ultimate Wildlife Safari and we look forward to returning in August 2006.

See Trip Report

Snowcock & Utah ~ August 2005

There is only one accessible place to see Himalayan Snowcock and it requires a long uphill climb into a cirque in the Ruby Mountains of Nevada in order to be rewarded with a sighting. The scenery is simply superb and following a 2-hour hike we were rewarded with 6 birds at some distance, on occasion being flushed by a Golden Eagle. Mountain Goats and a gorgeous male Black Rosy Finch were also added - one could not ask for more. In Utah the Great Salt Lake hosted extraordinary numbers of Franklin’s Gulls, Wilson’s Phalaropes, Eared Grebes and American Avocets, all far too numerous to count.

It was after all the height of waterfowl and shorebird migration and the sight of these species along with other gulls and Long-billed Curlews chasing or as in the case of the Franklin’s, acting like bobble-head dolls as they picked off some of the billions of brine flies, was something one was not soon going to forget. The Chukars on Antelope Island were very cooperative with at a covey of 36 seen at close quarters. Owls continue to be everyone’s favorite family, as we had great luck with stunning views of Short-eared, Barn and Flammulated on two occasions. The first time with a moth in its mouth and the second time when one came in to an open branch and proceeded to go to sleep in front of us!

Long-billed Curlew with brine flies © J & A Binns

In addition to the owl show we caught a Poorwill and demonstrated just how large their mouths opened up to catch moths and other insects. On Deseret Ranch the variety of habitats and unique wildlife management practices lead to an extraordinary number of species breeding here. Our 114 species seen here included 3 terns, 12 shorebirds, 12 ducks and 4 species of grebes along with 9 sparrows, Greater Sage Grouse and Blue Grouse. Our mammal sightings did not disappoint either, with excellent looks at Porcupine, a bull Moose, two Bison and an American Marten that responded well to squealing!

Arizona Sky Islands & Grand Canyon – July / August 2005

Few words can describe the shear spectacle of the Grand Canyon. Its immense size and ever changing colors as time passes by are something that I hope everyone gets to see once in a lifetime. It is now home to an ever-increasing population of California Condors, two of which showed very well.

Grand Canyon
© J & A Binns

With temperatures unusually mild in this part of the world and with the monsoon in full swing we caught the beginning of hummingbird migration with 12 species seen. White-eared’s seem to be doing very well and there was no shortage of Calliopes, Lucifers and Costas. We watched Rose-throated Becards nest building and had great views of Black-capped Gnatcatchers and Elegant Trogons along with a close encounter with a Whiskered Screech Owl. It took a good long hike to find Spotted Owl but was well worth the looks that we had of a dozing and preening pair. A mixed warbler flock in the upper elevations of the Chirachua’s produced Hermit, Townsend, Red-faced, Olive and Grace’s along with Mexican Chickadees, Greater Pewee and Painted Redstarts.

The sparrows were well represented with top honors going to the aimophila’s, in particular the Five-striped show in California Gulch. On a pond surrounded by rushes we witnessed Varied and Lazuli Buntings as well as Blue Grosbeaks feeding side by side on seed heads as young Grey Hawks called from their nearby nest in a Cottonwood. We also had a good showing of all four desired species of thrashers with pairs of the big three, Crissal’s, Bendire’s and Le Conte’s seen very well. But, the highlight for those lucky enough to venture out after dark with me was a female Mountain Lion caught in the spotlight less than 50 feet from us, starring at us for a minute before moving on into the forest. Now that gets the adrenalin rushing!

Scotland - June/July 2005

Despite the early predations of a second consecutive disastrous breeding season, I can report that Britain’s seabird colonies are on the rebound with sightings of chicks from all families. That was not the only good news; we had 2 weeks of tremendous weather! In the highlands the heather covered moors held Red Grouse, Black Grouse, Skylarks, Meadow Pipits and Golden Plovers while Rooks, Jackdaws, Lapwings, Pheasants and gulls could be seen feeding in fields. 5 species of tits were common in the Caledonian forest while Scottish Crossbills and Capercaille proved more elusive. From the top of the Cairngorm plateau we had tremendous views of the Speyside Valley while watching a Dotterel on a nest and Ptarmigan chicks keep up with their mother.

On the Isle of Mull, though our views of Golden Eagle were distant, it was the White-tailed Eagles that captivated us when a pair flew onto a spit to feed on a carcass. By contrast the Shetlands are almost devoid of trees, though we did find a Marsh Warbler in a small wooded garden. Whooper Swans and Red-necked Phalaropes could be seen on certain lochs while Snipe winnowed high above the marshes. Concentrating on the seabirds, highlights included a midnight visit to a broch to watch British Storm-Petrels returning to their nest sites; Puffins moaning from inside their burrows and a marvelous boat ride to the Noup of Noss where we could see, smell and hear a colony of some 80,000 birds in full swing. See Trip Report & List

Puffin with Sand-eels © Adrian Binns

Southern Spain ~ May 2005

From the rolling steppe grasslands of Extremadura and peaks of the Gredos to the Stone Pines around Donana, wherever we went we had wonderful scenery and a wide array of birds in what turned out to be an exceptionally dry winter and spring. With the region so steep in history we also visited Roman amphitheatres, Moorish mosques and the breathtaking La Alhambra. In Monfrague, it was a treat to see hundreds of Griffon Vultures riding the thermals; watch the majestic and endangered Spanish Imperial Eagle put on a show and have White-rumped Swifts at eye level while viewing the extensive dehesas below us from the castillo on the escarpment.

On the Spanish steppes bustards held court with displaying Little’s and the heaviest flying bird, the Great seen exceptionally well, while Montagu Harriers, Collared Pranticole’s, Calandra Larks, Rollers, Hoopoes, Great Spotted Cuckoos and sandgrouse were around us.

Azue-winged Magpie © Adrian Binns

In the various mountain ranges we picked up Bluethroat, Alpine Accentor, Rock Thrush and Ortolan Bunting along with a profusion of yellow Broom bloom. Along the coastal areas, we did get to see good numbers of Purple Swamphens, 4 White-headed Ducks, Audouin’s Gulls, Whiskered Terns and stunning views of Great Reed Warbler while throughout the lowlands Black Kites, White Storks, Azure-winged Magpies and Bee-eaters were present. See Trip Report & List

South Florida & Dry Tortugas ~ April/May 2005

A dark morph Short-tailed Hawk hunted over the Key West Botanical Gardens as Scissor-tailed Flycatchers flew aerial sorties and we caught a brief glimpse of a Western Spindalis; Florida Scrub Jays feeding out of our hands; success in the Pinelands with Bachman’s Sparrow and Red-cockaded Woodpecker and the Hardwoods with Mangrove Cuckoo; a plethora of Miami exotics, not least a good showing of Spot-breasted Orioles; and watching graceful Swallow-tailed Kites glide over the tree tops made for a very exciting 3 weeks.

The devastation from Hurricane Charlie in the Dry Tortugas was not as bad as one feared and all 3 trips produced a wonderful array of passerines including Cape May, Black-throated Green, Bay-breasted, Blackburian and Swainson’s for a combined total of 27 warbler species – the last trip got 25!; thrushes galore including Gray-cheeked, Wood, Very and Swainson’s; Bobolinks and Dickcissel’s as well as Short-eared Owl and Antillean Nighthawk. At sea, Pomarine Jaeger’s, Audubon’s Shearwater; Bridled and Roseate Tern’s were all seen well, the later in a massive feeding frenzy off of Key West.

Cape May Warbler © Adrian Binns

Colorado ‘Chicken Odyssey’ ~ April 2005 Greater Prairie Chickens © Adrian Binns Somehow we missed the blizzard of 2005 and managed to find all of our target species. The ‘chicken's’ danced like never before, with the exception of Lesser Prairie Chicken which we watched in very windy conditions. The Gunnison’s Sage Grouse show was the best ever, numbering 26 individuals, and the Greater Sage Grouse totaled nearly 200, while the Greater Prairie Chickens were as close as they have ever been and the Sharp-tails were most people’s favorite. Along with Ptarmigan, Blue Grouse and Chukar; all 3 Rosy-finches including Hepburn’s seen coming into a private feeder; Western Screech Owl; Williamson's Sapsucker; and longspurs and Mountain Plover courting on the Pawnees, it was a resounding success

Morocco - March 2005 Birding on the Edge © Adrian Binns This exotic location never fails to amaze and enthrall those that venture to this part of the world, and this year’s trip was no different. The friendly people, stunning scenery and regional specialties gave us memories to last a lifetime. There was a very short stretch of road just before we reached the desert that we dubbed ‘miracle mile’ when in quick succession we found, Black-eared, White-crowned, Desert and Mourning Wheatear. The camel ride over the Sahara’s golden dunes, with one unhappy camel realizing that this was not his day – taking me for a ride. The Dupont’s Lark that made getting up at an ungodly hour well worth it, or the Levaillant’s Green Woodpecker and Red-necked Nightjar that froze within arm’s reach! How about the Eagle Owl on an escarpment out in the middle of nowhere? And how can anyone forget the wonderful showing of Hoopoes feeding on the ground as Magpies chased Greater Spotted Cuckoos? Then of course there was Ali Baba’s magic carpet store…..where somehow we were the thieves.

New England ~ Feb 2005 After 2 perfect days of weather and a fine assortment of birds a snowstorm moved in spoiling our final day. Our first birds were a Red-shouldered Hawk, obviously wintering well north of where it should be, followed by drive up Short-eared Owl perched 5 feet up in pine tree. Bald Eagles and Great Cormorants were on the Merrimac River as was a beautiful male Barrow’s Goldeneye. At Plum Island we were treated to 3 Snowy Owls, the last one sitting on the frozen pond at the Salt Pannes at dusk. A tour around Cape Ann produced an amazing number of Iceland Gulls; Harlequin’s; Black Guillemots; great looks at a Razorbill in flight and the highlight of the trip, a male King Eider in almost full breeding plumage. See Trip List drawing of King Eider © Adrian Binns Ontario ~ Feb 2005 Great Gray Owl Gazing © J & A Binns A return trip to Ontario for a long weekend was just as successful as the one 2 weeks prior. Though the numbers of Great Gray’s in general seem to be falling off, we witnessed a total of 18 including one sitting in the snow, occasionally rising up and pouncing as it tried to locate a rodent. With a light falling snow the setting for some of these was perfect. One Boreal Owl was found sleeping in Cedars on Amherst Island and we had a wonderful encounter with a very inquisitive Northern Hawk Owl, giving us a clean sweep of the big 3 Northern Owls. Other highlights included a Varied Thrush, Harris Sparrow, Bohemian Waxwings, Spruce Grouse, Pine Grosbeaks, very confiding Gray Jays and an American Marten. See Trip Report Wild Goose Chase ~ Feb 2005 Four of us spent a week witnessing the amazing numbers of geese that winter in the Netherlands - hundreds of thousands of them. Barnacle and Greater White-fronts were the most numerous with large numbers of Greylags spread throughout the lowlands. Brant were common along the coast and smaller numbers of Bean, Pink-footed, Lesser White-fronted and Canada were seen along with 2 Cackling and one sighting of the gorgeous Red-breasted Goose. Barnacle Geese © J & A Binns Also seen where small numbers of swans including Bewick’s and Whooper. Waterfowl and waders, in particular Eurasian Wigeon, Tufted Duck, Redhead, Lapwings, Redshanks, Curlews and Golden Plovers could be seen at times in huge flocks. Other highlights included 3 White-tailed Eagle, Goshawk, Black Woodpecker, Smew, Tawny Owl, 7 tit species, Black-throated Loon and one of the world’s most beautiful birds, the Bearded Reedling. See Trip Report Ontario ~ Jan 2005 Great Gray Owl © J & A Binns It has been an unprecedented year for Great Grays, with hundreds, even thousands being seen across some of the northern states and southern provinces of North America this winter. Ontario is one such place and our 4 day trip produced no less than 30 of these majestic northern owls along with Hawk Owl, Boreal, Snowy, Short-eared and Barred. Between owls we managed to see a Varied Thrush, Grey Partridge, Rough-legged Hawk, Boreal Chickadee, Gray Jay, Pine Grosbeak and White-winged Crossbills, the later species at Algonquin Provincial Park. A final stop along the Niagara River produced Iceland and Glaucous Gulls along with an impressive display of Long-tailed Ducks. See Trip Report Long Island ~ Jan 2005 The club trip to Long Island over the Martin Luther King weekend was a great success in spite of the absence of the long standing Boreal Owl in Central Park. With the exception of some rough seas at Montauk Point the weather cooperated beautifully. We began by debating the finer points of Pacific and Red-throated Loon as there was an odd plumaged bird being seen for several weeks. In short succession around Point Lookout we located the immature Harris’s Sparrow; had Bonaparte’s Gulls along with close up looks at Harlequin’s and watched Razorbills zipping low over the waves. A male Barrow’s Goldeneye rounded out the day. The following morning we had a red morph Eastern Screech Owl in the yard; found Red-headed Woodpeckers and had a distant Snowy Owl at Shinnecock. We were also treated to excellent views of American Bittern and Iceland Gull. Iceland Gull © J & A Binns Our final day was spent successfully searching the ponds as we worked our way west from Montauk for an assortment of ducks. It included finding a Eurasian Wigeon. A total of 24 duck species were tallied. Adrian Binns ~