This post was edited by Wendy Tocci, Atlas regional coordinator for the Hudson Valley, who organized a camping trip with the NYS Young Birders Club for Big Atlas Weekend. The names of the young birders are not included for privacy.
Here are excerpts of the trip reports submitted by members of the New York State Young Birders Club. Due to space constraints we are only able to publish excerpts, however, we have included links to the full write ups. We recommend reading the reports in their entirety to fully capture the enthusiasm and awe of nature that these young birders experience. It is contagious and so refreshing to be around.
I’d like to add that we were wet a good portion of this trip. Torrential rain at times. At one point we were huddled under a canopy waiting out the rain. They were not phased and instead were passing the time by counting off between flashes of lightning to determine its distance from us. My point is that circumstances are what you make of them. Despite the rain we all had a great time and learned so much from our observations and atlasing that the wetness of that weekend has faded into the background for all of us.
Friday
[The following is an excerpt. Read full trip report]
On the first day, as we slowly trickled into the campground and set up our tents, each of us marveled at the amazing array of birds–Dark-eyed Juncos with their fledglings, the high-pitched songs of Blackburnian Warblers, the tinkle of the Winter Wren, the short tune of the Magnolia Warbler, and the constant sound of Chipping Sparrows and American Redstarts. As soon as I arrived, I was itching to begin atlasing. After a short walk around the campsite, I had already racked up several new confirmed codes, including a pair of Black-throated Green Warblers collecting food, some adorable Black-capped Chickadee fledglings, a cute American Redstart fledgling, and a Blackburnian Warbler feeding his fledgling.
After more of us had arrived, a few of us began wandering around and finding more birds and confirmed codes. We heard singing Blue-headed Vireos, spotted a Brown Creeper, saw a few Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, and watched a few Common Mergansers flying over. However, on a more depressing note, we did come across a dead Gray Catbird (which showed no signs of injury), a sad reminder that surviving in nature is not easy for birds. Soon after our first adventure around the campground, it was time for dinner. A few sandwiches and conversations later, it was time to explore the Beaverkill itself. While some of us (not including me!) brought water shoes, a few of us were forced to go barefoot–and it did not feel amazing! The water was cold and fast and the rocks were definitely slippery and treacherous, but it was still very fun. Once we navigated the river and were safely on the other bank, we ventured along the forest edge and then decided it was time to head back (which was easier said than done). Almost none of us emerged dry. I was soaked and it was drizzling. But once we reached the bank, it was time to see our next surprise. A Garter Snake! While we took turns holding it and admiring it, we all noticed something less pleasant–it had musked on us! The foul smell coated our hands and we tried to wash it off as fast as possible because snake musk can smell for days. Luckily, the musk was mild enough that we were able to get it off. And after observing it for another minute, we let the snake go back into the shrubbery and it disappeared in moments.
Once we had changed back into dry clothes and it had seemed like the rain had mostly dissipated, the whole group decided to go for an evening walk along the Beaverkill (with many of us crossing our fingers for a Mourning Warbler). Before we had even moved, we noticed a female Red-breasted Nuthatch carrying food–another confirmed code! It was clear that there were tons of birds around and most were raising families.
Continuing down the campground towards the trail, the ominous clouds seemed to threaten more rain, but we persisted. We continued to note the common species as we traveled, including Red-eyed and Blue-headed Vireos and tons of Blackburnian Warblers (there were loads along the trail as well). Over the patter of water droplets falling from leaves and the rush of the Beaverkill, hearing the birds was not very easy. But that still didn’t stop us from seeing some great birds.
Moving down the trail, we eventually noticed some ducks swimming down the river. Common Mergansers! There was one adult female and seven adorable ducklings! We all raced to get good photos, but the lighting was not great. However, we still got to enjoy great views of the ducklings.
The trail ended at a covered bridge and we crossed it to the other side of the river. We continued to hear several common species, such as Red-winged Blackbirds and Song Sparrows. We also observed Cedar Waxwings and a Least Flycatcher that was calling from the forest nearby.
Saturday
[The following is an excerpt. Read full trip report]
My family and I went with Wendy and Susan to the Arena NW priority block. Just when we started birding it started to pour but we still got to see a Chestnut-sided Warbler up close and it was carrying food! We also confirmed Black-capped Chickadee and Common Yellowthroat at our second stop followed by a Blue Jay. Then we got to an open field and saw an Eastern Kingbird flying to its nest in a tree just off the road. At that same spot, we saw a Common Grackle carrying food. Then we drove up a winding dirt road to a little trailhead where Ruffed Grouse had been spotted last year. Unfortunately, we didn’t see anything and we were completely soaked from the rain so we headed back to the campground. On the way back my car got a flat tire and my dad changed it, but he, my mom, and my sister all had to go to town to get it checked out after we ate lunch at the campsite. When we got back to the campground we were the last ones to return as everyone had returned earlier because of the rain.
Since many birders got back to the campsite earlier than expected because of the rain, they went back out just as we were returning. Once we finished lunch we headed out to the road along the creek on the opposite side of the campsite. It was a surprisingly good birding spot. We saw 19 species and had 5 confirmations! The highlight was a Red-breasted Nuthatch nest with young and the parents kept flying back and forth so you could see the babies stick their heads out for food. We also saw a Brown Creeper feeding its young which was also really cool. Then we saw a Black-capped Chickadee, American Robin, and Dark-eyed Junco all carrying food.
After that we headed back to the cars to drive a bit farther to another spot. As we passed a creek and an electrical power line Peter screamed “Mourning!” and everyone jumped out of the car to find the Mourning Warbler. After a few minutes of pishing it came out of the bush and some of us saw it. At that stop, we also saw a Pileated Woodpecker hole but we weren’t sure if it was from this season or last season.
Sunday
[The following is an excerpt. Read full trip report]
We began our final full day of birding together on a glorious, albeit wet, morning filled with the cacophony of Red-eyed Vireos that blended with the calls of Blackburnian Warblers, Dark-eyed Juncos and Chipping Sparrows, and the cries of American Robins. After organizing ourselves into our respective birding groups for that day, we ventured off ready to continue on with this important citizen science initiative. Despite the occasional rains, we were not to be disappointed with what this day held in store for us.
On Cattail Road, the thin, wispy, and of course high trills of Cedar Waxwings woke us from our reverie, and we were soon picking up the calls of a pair of extremely agitated Common Yellowthroats. We must have been a mere three to four feet from their nest situated near the road. Their behavior was well-deserving of the A (for agitated) that we marked on our checklist. As we traveled further down the dirt road, Field Sparrows whistled softly accompanied by the buzzes of Prairie Warblers. Suddenly, Mark DeDea heard and then spotted an Alder Flycatcher, but much to our disappointment, as soon as he pointed it out, it flitted down, flycatching and promptly disappeared (a mere S for Singing in our eBird checklist). We then witnessed Cedar Waxwings fly to a spruce tree with something in one of their beaks–nesting material!
At our second stop for the day, we came across a fledgling Broad-winged Hawk flying our way; his brief layover on a tree gave us enough time to confirm that he/she was indeed a fledgling by his developing plumage. We then observed an interesting phenomenon–a Gray Catbird striking a large, green caterpillar on a branch repeatedly and then scarfing it down! It left us wondering why the Catbird would feel the need to do this to its prey. Is a dead caterpillar tastier or perhaps easier to swallow?
Driving back, we crossed over a bridge and Peter pointed out that earlier, along that very same river, he had spotted a Belted Kingfisher burrow that we should investigate after lunch. Lunch was followed by additional downpours, but the rain would not deter us. For many of us, the Kingfisher burrow was too great of a lure and we set out to investigate. For approximately thirty minutes we watched the Kingfisher’s burrow. With no luck in spotting her or him, we decided to commemorate the burrow discovery with a group photo. Then, a flash of brown on the riverbank caught our attention. A Spotted Sandpiper–quite an interesting find deep in the heart of the Catskills and not even during migration season, but still deserving of the code H for habitat!
While photographing the sandpiper, we heard a rattling call and spotted a flash of electric blue–the Belted Kingfisher and a glimpse of silver–a meal of fish! The kingfisher landed far enough away that we had ample time to hide behind some bushes. To anyone driving by, we must have been a strange sight indeed! After several minutes of hiding we spotted it again, flying our way with a fish twice the size of its head clasped in its beak (CF–carrying food–want a fish, anyone?). The kingfisher, with its keen eyesight and binocular vision, was not to be fooled by our hide-and-seek antics; it caught sight of us in the bushes, changed direction, and landed in a distant tree. It was time to give the kingfisher the privacy she needed and a pizza party, courtesy of the John Burroughs Historical Society, was awaiting us.