This has been a good winter for owls. I reported last month on the 2 Northern Saw-whet owls that were found in the county.  Three Northern Saw-whet Owls were found on March 14 by Chet Vincent, Barbara Butler, Valerie Freer and Renee Davis at Thompson Pond.  The last date one was found was March 24th by Barbara Butler.   Jim Clinton was birding there on April 5 and did not find any Saw-whet Owls.  The one found at Pawling Nature Reserve Chet saw on March 1 was gone on the 28th when he returned to find it.  Thanks to all and especially Roger Cohn for checking on the owls dates here.  The Long-eared Owls Chet has been watching were down to one during the month.  The last date he saw it was April 11.  Chet also found 2 Long-eared Owls at Baird Park on March 22.  The last date he found one there was March 26th.  Thanks again to Chet for keeping a watch on the owls.     Long-eared Owl               Photo by Jim Clinton

A Horned Grebe in breeding plumage was found by Allan and myself on March 15 at Redwing Lake in Beekman.  It was seen by several observers thru March 20th.  And Chet found a Horned Grebe at Vanderburgh Cove on March 15 still in winter plumage.

Allan and I also found 8 Redheads at Redwing on March 15th.   This is the second time this winter that Redheads were reported at Redwing - the last time was on the Christmas Census in December.  They were observed by several members and the last date seen was one on March 21st by Ken & Carol Fredericks.  John Ike saw a Short-eared Owl (a rare sighting on our side of the river) on March 28 over the fields near the equestrian center on Pugsley Hill Road.  Jim Clinton went to Thompson Pond on April 5th and found a Golden Eagle.  I think this is the latest date they have been reported. Usually they are gone by the end of March.

Spring has arrived, the early flowers are blooming and it is time to look for shorebirds migrating north.  Woodcock, Snipe, Phoebes, Winter Wrens, and Chipping Sparrows are back.  Some of the lakes and ponds still have Ring-necked Ducks and Pied-billed Grebes have been seen in the past two weeks.  Soon we will be enjoying the warblers and other breeding birds that come back to nest in our area.

On our April 14 Tymor field trip we found both Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned Kinglets.  It was nice to hear the bubbly song of the Ruby-crowned Kinglet.  Please if you see a bird you think may be rare to the county.  Thanks to everyone who called or emailed to let me know how long these birds stayed.  Good birding to you all.