March 2010 Records

This March was mostly lamb-like, without the proverbial lion ushering it in. Daytime highs were never below 40 and we even got to 70 for a few days. Exceptional species this month included Eurasian Wigeon seen by Ken Harris and Northern Shoveler and Northern Shrike seen on a JBNHS field trip to Tivoli Bays. Another notable sighting was a very early Gray Catbird spotted by Chet Vincent on the 4th.

Canada Goose: Largest flocks: 1500/9 McEnroe mudpuddle CV; 125/10 Mills Mansion FT; 100/17 Tymor Pk FT; 136/20 Wappinger BJM; 152/24 HVRT Amenia FT
Mute Swan: 2/7 Southlands MP; 2/9,17 (on nest) BAM, 8/11 Wappinger Lk BJM,CV;  5-10 WappLk, 1/11 Locust Grove KH; 2/17 Tymor Pk FT; 2/20-24 Overlook Pk, Overlook Rd JA/KJ;a pair on most small Pds by month end CV
Wood Duck: 3/1 Vassar Lk, 3/27 Vandenburg Cove CV; 1/8 Valkill CG; 6/11 WappLk, 4/11 Locust Grv, 3/25 Mdm Brett, also at Lk Walton, Norrie Pt, StonyKill KH; 9/11 Wapp Lk BJM,CV; 7/19 Bog Hollow yard DF; 4/21 Mosquito Lane Pd, Stanfordville DJK; 2/27  Landesman Kill MP
Gadwall: pr/19 Round Pd DF; pair/29 Traver Pd CV
Eurasian Wigeon: 1/11 WappLk KH
American Wigeon: pr/9 Sheffield Hill Rd Pd, 1 male/28 Mashomack CV; x/20 Tivoli Bays JBNHS FT
American Black Duck: 6/5 The Fly, 5/9 McEnroe mudpuddle, 1/29 Traver Pd CV; 4/7 CIES WHS/LDS; 2/11 WappLk, 1/16 Lk Walton KH; 1/20 RHGC MP
Mallard: Usual numbers; high counts 20/3 Verbank FT; 20/14 Rhinebeck MP
Northern Shoveler: x/20 Tivoli Bays JBNHS FT
Northern Pintail: 2/9 McEnroe mudpuddle, gone from The Fly in March (their usual location the past several years) CV
Green-winged Teal: 2/2 Mashomack, 2/9 McEnroe mudpuddle, 4/24 Reagan Rd, 14/28 Strever Fm Rd, 12/28 Traver Pd CV; 2pr/11 Wapp Lk BJM,CV; 11/11 WappLk KH; x/20 Tivoli Bays JBNHS FT
Canvasback: 1 /14 Southlands MP; x/20 TivoliB JBNHS FT
Ring-necked Duck: 20 reports incl. highs of 28/9 Sheffield Hill Rd CV; 23-30/16 Lk Walton KH; 30/19 Round Pd DF; 21/28 Ryder Pd. AP
Greater Scaup: x/20 Tivoli Bays JBNHS FT
Lesser Scaup: 1/25 Riverfront Pk Beacon KH; x/20 Tivoli Bays JBNHS FT
Bufflehead: 3/8 Mills Mansion, 2/27 Vandenburg Cove CV; 4/10 Mills FT; pr/19 Round Pd DF; 2/27 Father’s Trail FT
Common Goldeneye: 2/10 Mills Mansion FT; 11/8 Mills Mansion Cove CV
Hooded Merganser: 2/4 Wapp Cr at Salt Point, 8/9 Pd @ Rt 55/292 CV; 2/4, 4/10 Salt Pt Tpk, 2/29 Shunpike AP; 5/6 Jeckose Lk BJM,SG, f/17 Hillside Lk BJM; 1/7 Rhinebeck MP; 2/11 WappLk KH; 2/13 Rhinebeck yd MP; pr/28 Pd Gut Sue Infante
Common Merganser: 25 reports including high counts of 17/1 Norrie Pt, 18/7 Beacon Long Dock, 18/27 Vandenburg Cove CV; 27/19 Round Pd DF
Ruddy Duck: 1/11 Hudson River @ New Hamburg CV; 3/18 Lk Oniad BJM
Wild Turkey: 4/1 15/31 Sleight Plass Rd, 2-6 at Wigsten Rd, Domin Fm, Stanford Preserve, Myers Corners Rd CV; 3f 2m/18 Shaughnessy Rd, gobbling/17,19 yd BB; 15/27 Father’s Trail FT; 2-21/most Rhinebeck MP; 1m 5f/many days in yd BAM
Pied-billed Grebe: 1/11 WappLk KH; 1/28 Mud Pd, Pine Plns. It struggled, but swallowed a sunfish as I watched CV; 1/25 Tamarack Lk. AP
Double-crested Cormorant: 20/10 Poughkeepsie CP/HT; 1/26 WappLk KH; 1/27 Rhinecliff CV; 1/31 Beacon DR
Great Blue Heron: 13 rpts incl 1/2, 3/8, 7/9, 5/24,30 Baird Heronry DJK; 5/23 Taconic Pkwy nests CV; 1/12 Taconic at Baird w/stick BJM; 3 on nests/28 heronry W of Taconic, N of 52 BB
Black Vulture: 14 reports of 1-3 each throughout month plus 8/5 Waterbury Hill Rd BB
Turkey Vulture: Many reports, earliest 16/4 Wappinger BJM; other highs 11/8 slowly Stanfordville DJK; 13/28 Stissing Mtn, 12/16 LaGrange CP/HT
Bald Eagle: 1-5 ea. Norrie, Pawling, Mashomack, New Hamburg, Verbank, Red Hk, Tamarack Sw, Locust Grv, Wapp Lk, ReeseSanct, Salt Pt Tpk, RoundPd, Father’s Trail, Shunpike.
Northern Harrier: 2/2 1/5,28 Mashomack CV; 1/4 Shuman Rd, 1/7 Killean Rd AP; 1/16 Poughkeepsie CP/HT; 1/18 Stormville EBR
Sharp-shinned Hawk: 1/2 Mashomack CV; 1/19 StonyKill KH; 1/27 Father’s Trail FT
Cooper’s Hawk: 1/5 Rt 82 CV; 1/13 Rhinebeck MP; 1/10 yd BAM, 1/18 Humeston/BBT BJM; 1/17 Tymor Pk FT; 1/18 StonyKill, 1/22 WappLk KH
Northern Goshawk: 1 imm/20 Tivoli Bays JBNHS FT; 1/27 StonyKill KH
Red-shouldered Hawk: 1/3-4,6,13,19,20,26-28, 3/5, 2/7,12,  4/18 Rhinebeck MP; 1/9,16 DRTH, 2/18 StonyKill KH; 1/10 Domin Fm CV; 1/11 Widmer Rd, 1-2/many yd BAM; 1/27 Father’s Trail FT; 1/occ neighborhood MK
Red-tailed Hawk: Many reports throughout month, incl. 1/27 Bulls Head on nest, 1/28 Conklin Hill on nest DJK; 1/27 on nest StonyKill KH; 5 /31 (2 nests) Millbrook School FT
Golden Eagle: 1/4,17 Little Stissing Mtn JW
American Kestrel: 1/3 Verbank FT; 1/10 Shunpike AP; 1/24 Red Hook NG;  1/27 Dinsmore Golf Course CV
Merliin: 1/6 StonyKill  KH
Peregrine Falcon: 1/8 Mid-Hudson Bridge tower CV
Killdeer: 2/8 Southlands, 4/18 5/19 4/20 7/27 StonyKill KH; 1/9 HVRT, 4/11 Overlook Pk, 2/25 Rombout Rd, 5/28 Pderosa CV; 2/10 Pd near Pderosa BB; 1/11 Hitchcocks John Askildsen; 5/13, 6/14,28, 8/20 Southlands MP; 1/15,18 Slezak Fm DJK; 2/17 Tymor Pk FT; 1/17 McEnroe’s JR; 2/18 Humeston Fm/BBT BJM; 1/24 HVRT Amenia FT
Wilson’s Snipe: 1/27 StonyKill KH; 4/28 Southlands MP
American Woodcock: 4/16 Cary IES FT; 1/16,18,25, 2/17,21 Red Hook NG
Ring-billed Gull: 1/3 Verbank FT; 7-32 WappLk, 40/25 Riverfront Pk Beacon KH; 50/11 Wapp Lk BJM/CV; 1/24 HVRT Amenia FT; 18/27 Father’s Trail FT
Herring Gull: 5/2 Reagan Rd, 2/11 New Hamburg, also Marist boathouse, Vandenburg Cove CV; 3/11 Wappingers Lk BJM/CV; 1-3 Wapp Falls, 3/25 Riverfront Pk Beacon KH
Great Black-backed Gull: 5/7 Beacon Long Dock, 1/8 Norrie Pt, 2/27 Vandenburg Cove CV; 1/10 Mills FT; 1/11 WappLk BJM/CV; 6/25 Riverfront Pk Beacon, 1/2,22 WappLk KH
Rock Pigeon: Usual numbers.
Mourning Dove: On most reports. Highs: 4-10/most yd MP; 6-10/all, 20/1 yd Poughquag CP/HT
Eastern Screech-Owl: 1/early mo 122 Maple Av, Millbrook folks from Cary IES
Great Horned Owl: nest/2-31 Sleight Plass Rd, nest/4-31 Hennessey Lane (high on nest on 25 - yg hatched?) CV; 1/8,17,24 on nest Mabbetsville Rd, 1/11 Shunpike, 1/16 CIES AP; calling/14 & 25 yd BB; 1/16 Cary IES FT
Barred Owl: 1/9 DRTH, 2/18 StonyKill KH; 1/10 Domin Fm CV; 1/16,21,31 Tivoli NG; 1/16 Gidley & Skidmore Rd Ellen Bender; calling/17 & 21 yd BB
Belted Kingfisher: 1/5 Arborios, 1/8 Norrie, 2/9 Mill Rd swamp (Northeast), 1/11 Vassar Lk CV; 1/7 CIES WHS/LDS; 1/16 pd on Stringham Rd BJM/TS; 1/27 Father’s Trail FT
Red-bellied Woodpecker: 1-5 on most reports.
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker: 1/10 Mills Mansion FT; 1/12 Liss Rd DJK; 1/14 Southlands MP; 1/17 Wapp Rural Cemetery KH; 1/20 Vassar Fm MHB Eidam, 1/29,30 yd Stormville EBR
Downy Woodpecker: Many sightings of 1-7 each.
Hairy Woodpecker: Many sightings of 1-4 each.
Northern Flicker: Many sightings of 1-4 each.
Pileated Woodpecker: 2/1 Rombout Rd, 2/11 Vassar Fm, 1 ea at Lk Rd (Pine Plains), yd LaGr, Domin Fm CV; 1/10 Mills Mansion FT; 1/20,27 StonyKill, also at 4 other places KH; 2/27 Father’s Trail FT; 1/31 Millbrook School FT; 1-2/all yd Poughquag CP/HT
Eastern Phoebe: 1/17-31 Ludlow Woods DJK; 1st/24 yd BB; 3/25 Rombout Rd CV; 2/24 HVRT Amenia FT; 2/25 Mdm Brett, 1/25 Dennings Pt, 1-2 at Wapp Rural Cem, StonyKill, Bowdoin KH; 4/27 Father’s Trail FT; 5/31 Millbrook Schl FT
Northern Shrike: x/20 Tivoli Bays JBNHS FT
Blue Jay: Good numbers.
American Crow: Highest reports 30/3 Verbank FT; 44/24 HVRT Amenia FT; 10/31 Millbrook School FT
Fish Crow: 1/1 Marist Boathouse, 2/7 Beacon Long Dock CV; 2/11,22 WappLk, 1/9,16 DRTH, 3/20 StonyKill, 1-2 many places along Hudson KH; 6/16 Poughkeepsie CP/HT; 1/20 over yd, 1/27 South Hills Mall BAM; 1/24 HVRT Amenia FT
Common Raven: 2/2 Deerfield Ponds Pawling, 1/4 2/5,27 Stissing Mtn, feeding young by the 28th on Stissing Mtn CV; 2/11 Tamarack Swamp John Askildsen
Horned Lark: 30/1 Winchell Mt Rd, 24/1 Pulver Rd AP; 50/3 Verbank FT
Tree Swallow: 1/25 Rombout Rd, 6/28 Mud Pd, 35/28 Mashomack, 15/29 Traver Pd, most Pds by month end CV;
Black-capped Chickadee: Good numbers.
Tufted Titmouse: Good numbers
White-breasted Nuthatch: Good numbers
Brown Creeper: 1/1,3,4,13-15 yd LaGr, Lagrange CV; 1/1 yd Stormville EBR; 1/5 FDR Home, 1/10 Norrie Pt, 1/28 Bowdoin Pk KH; 1/17 Tymor Pk FT; pr/20 Tivoli Bays JBNHS FT; 1/27 Father’s Trail FT; 1/occ yd MP; almost daily yd AP
Carolina Wren: Many reports of 1-3 of these perky birds.
Winter Wren: 1/7 Long Dock, 1/9 HVRT CV
Golden-crowned Kinglet: 1/10 Mills Mansion FT; 11/17 Tymor Pk FT; 3/18 StonyKill, 1/19 2/26 Wapp Rural Cemetery KH; 3/24 HVRT Amenia FT
Eastern Bluebird: Many reports throughout month. Highs: 8/11 Vassar Fm CV; 7/17 Tymor Pk FT; 6/20 Vassar Fm MHB Eidam; 6/24 HVRT Amenia FT; 8/31 Millbrook Schl FT
American Robin: Many reports all month. Highest: 68/11 Vassar Fm, 20/25 Rombout Rd CV; 17/24 HVRT Amenia FT; 27/27 Father’s Trail FT; 25/31 Millbrook School FT
Gray Catbird: 1/4,6 Rombout Rd CV
Northern Mockingbird: 3/1,7,25 Rombout Rd, 4/11 Vassar Fm CV; 1/4 Buttercup E BB; 2/6,18,19,27 StonyKill, 1 ea at Wapp Rural Cem, Southlands, WappLk KH; 1/14 Southlands, 1/20 RHGC MP; 2/17 Tymor Pk FT; 3/24 HVRT Amenia FT; 2/27 Father’s Trail FT; 2/31 Millbrook School FT; 1/occ yd Poughquag CP/HT
European Starling: Usual numbers.
Cedar Waxwing: 8/19 Round Pd DF
Yellow-rumped Warbler: 1/4,9 Rombout Rd CV
American Tree Sparrow: 1/6 StonyKill KH; 3/6 yd MP; 1/11 Vassar Fm (less than normal for March) CV; 2/18 StonyKill KH; 1-3/most 7/16 yd LaGr JA/KJ
Field Sparrow: 1/18 StonyKill KH; 1/20 TivoliB JBNHS FT
Savannah Sparrow: 1/14 yd LaGr JA/KJ; 2/20 3/27 StonyKill KH; 6/28 Southlands MP
Fox Sparrow: 1/11 feeder, Millbrook John Askildsen; 1/15 Millerton yd JR; 1/27 StonyKill KH; 1/31 Stony Kill DR
Song Sparrow: Many reports including 15/25 Rombout Rd, 10/11 Vassar Fm CV; 10/24 HVRT Amenia FT; 18/31 Millbrook School FT
White-throated Sparrow: Still around all month. Highest reports included 12/25 Rombout Rd CV; 5-15/all yd Poughquag CP/HT
White-crowned Sparrow: 1/2 Reagan Rd CV; 1/31 Millbrook School FT
Dark-eyed Junco: Many reports throughout month, incl. 14/30 yd LaGr CV; 10/31 Millbrook School FT; 10-15/all, 40/13 yd Poughquag CP/HT
Snow Bunting: 60/1 Winchell Mt. Rd., 23/3 No. Mabbettsville Rd AP
Northern Cardinal: Good numbers & starting to sing!
Red-winged Blackbird: Many reports incl. 15/1 35/7 22/25 Rombout Rd, 20/9 HVRT CV; 15/11 yd BB; 12-16/all yd MP; 1-11/all yd JA/KJ
Rusty Blackbird: 5-7/18 StonyKill in with Redwings KH; 2/31 Millbrook School FT
Common Grackle: 2/2 Sheffield Hill Rd, 45/7 6/25 Rombout Rd, 8/9 HVRT CV; 1/4 -> 5/11-31 yd BB; 21/11 WappLk, 20/16 DRTH, 12/25 Long Dock, 1-7 other places KH;  7/17 Tymor Pk FT; 2/24 HVRT Amenia FT; 2/31 Millbrook School FT; 6-12/all yd MP; 1-13/all yd LaGr JA/KJ
Brown-headed Cowbird: Usual numbers.
Purple Finch: 1/2 Wapp Rural Cemetery KH; 1/3,13,14 yd Lagrange CV; 1m/13 & 26 yd BB; 1/30 yd AP; 1/31 Millbrook School FT
House Finch: Most reported sightings of 1-6. Also reported:  82/17 Tymor Pk FT
Pine Siskin: 1 with goldfinches/27 Hillside Lk yd TC/RW.
American Goldfinch: Many reports. Highest counts 12/1-19, 20-35/20-30 yd Poughquag CP/HT; 10/1 19/3 33/12 daily at feeders CV; 8-10/all yd BAM
House Sparrow: Usual numbers.

Other Sightings:
Eastern Comma & Mourning Cloak: x/20 Tivoli Bays JBNHS FT
Wood Frogs: calling/16 Cary IES FT
Painted Turtle: 1/11 (female) at Vassar Fm Pd. CV
Spotted Salamander: 10th Mills Mansion FT
Garter Snake: 1/20 Tivoli Bays JBNHS FT
Red Fox: 1/19 LaGrange CP/HT
Mink: 1/3 Verbank FT

Observers:
Judy Atwood & Karen Jaquith (JA/KJ); Tammie Carey & Robert Williams via BJM (TC/RW); Barbara Butler (BB); Dot Fleury via BB (DF); Annatje Gilbert (AG); Susan Gilnack via BJM (SG); Carrie Grey via BB (CG); Natalie Gilbert (NG); Maha Katnani via BB (MK); Doug Koch (DJK); Barbara & Allan Michelin (BAM/BJM/AJM); Mona Payton (MP); Carena Pooth (CP); Adrienne Popko (AP); Edith & Barry Rosen (EBR); Jane Rossman via BB (JR); Dick Ryley (DR); Lisa Dellwo Schlesinger (LDS); William Schlesinger (WDS); Thalia Sudnick via BJM (TS); Herb Thompson (HT); Chet Vincent (CV); Jane Waters (JW)

Field Trips (FT):
3rd Verbank, 10th Mills Mansion, 16th Cary IES (Woodcock Walk), 17th Tymor Pk, 24th Hudson Valley Rail Trail Amenia, 27th Father’s Trail, 31st Millbrook School

Abbreviations:   
BBT – Bluebird Trail;
DRTH – Dutchess Rail Trail (Hopewell)
Southlands – Southlands Farm

Also see our Key to Notation.

Compiled by Carena Pooth