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Bedford Audubon's Adirondacks North Country Weekend,
The weather was fabulous and 88 species of birds were recorded by the group. Several different habitats were visited including northern hardwood forest, boreal bog, deciduous floodplain, open grassland, high peaks (4,500' elevation), freshwater marsh, freshwater lakes and rivers. Views of the high peaks were spectacular to say the least, especially in the Lake Placid area. The views from the top of Whiteface Mountain were wonderful. No less than three mountain ranges could be seen from the 360º views. They were the Green Mountains of Vermont, the White Mountains of New Hampshire, and the Catskill Mountains of New York. A few on the trip, ran into our old friends Ed and Debbie Kanze formerly of Cross River, at the Paul Smith's Visitor's Interpretive Center (VIC). There, Ed and Debbie showed us several species of orchids in the bog including: Rose Pogonia (Pogonia ophioglossoides), Pink Calopogon (Calopogon tuberous), and White-fringed Orchid (Habenaria blephariglottis). They were stunning, indeed! Pitcher Plants were in bloom in the bogs. The dark brown, burgundy flower of this carnivorous plant towered above the “pitchers” on a long, thin, stem. We also found Sundews in the bog which were really neat! The Sheep Laurel was just about done blooming there. We keyed out Black, Red, and White Spruce, and Douglas Fir and Bog Rosemary with Ed and Debbie Kanze's assistance.
Walks along dark, cool spruce-covered trails typically provided
looks at kinglets, Red-breasted Nuthatches with their
Other avian highlights included Northern Goshawk in Bloomingdale, Bald Eagle on the nest, 16 warbler species, American Bittern, frozen in position on Tupper Lake, Merlin in Bloomingdale, Red Crossbill in two locations. There were Common Ravens calling in a group on a road right in front of our vehicles, and we found a very "cooperative" Common Loon at Long Lake, that posed so nicely for us. I know that I won't forget that too soon! Although the hoped for boreal species eluded us, we were at least able to hear a couple of them. But hey, that's birding! You just can't see it all, every time! You’re just going to have to go back for another try next time.
Places Visited: Birds Seen Photos copyright © by Curtis R. Lew Copyright © 2004 Bedford Audubon Society |
Bedford
Audubon Society
Eleven
people traveled with Bedford Audubon to the six million acre Adirondack
Park in northeastern New York State, over the July 4th holiday weekend.
yank-yank-yank
calls, and the soft notes of the Hermit Thrush were seemingly, ever present. The
Purple Finch belted out a cheerful warbling song, and the Blue-headed Vireo gave
its lazy call from the spruce tops. Not to be outdone, the liquid, dance-like
song of the diminutive Winter Wren, penetrated the dense, dark forest and was a
welcome interruption to the otherwise soft sounds of the Adirondack woods.