January through early March 2008

Note the major feature of this winter season: the presence of many northern birds such as hundreds of Common Redpolls at feeders, dozens of Pine Grosbeaks feeding on abundant crabapples at Tri-Valley school and other locations, a couple of Bohemian Waxwings and our first county records of Hoary Redpolls.  Add to that a remarkable number of N Shrikes!

SNOW GOOSE -1 Neversink Res 1/1 & 350 at Tri-Valley School Grahamsville overhead 1/12 (LV)
MUTE SWAN - 3 at Bashakill 1/20 still present 12/25 to early Mar (JH AB et al); 1 at Cochecton 3/2 imm on Delaware (MG)
WOOD DUCK - 4 Bashakill 3/1 (VF MC); 1st on pond at Ellenville 3/6 (PB)
GADWALL -1 at Bashakill 2/9 (JH AB LV) (only report)
GR-WING TEAL -3 at Rio Res 2/17 only report on ff (JH AB LV)
WH-WING SCOTER -1 at Neversink Res 1/26 (LV JH AB) (the only report)
C GOLDENEYE -1 at Bashakill 2/9 & 2/15; 3 on 2/21 (JH AB LV); 4 on 2/21 (SB DH) & continuing
HOODED MERG -2 at Highland Rt 32 pond 2/10 (JH AB);10 at Hasbrouck on Neversink Riv below bridge 3/5 (RM)
RED-NECK GREBE -1 at Neversink Res 1/1 & 1/5, 1/9 to 1/19 (LV JH AB)
GR BLUE HERON -1 at McDonald Rd 2/16, the only report on ff (JH AB DS PJ)
T VULTURE - 1 at Hilldale Rd 1/13 feeding on a deer carcass; very early (SS); 1 at Monticello 2/8 & 2/13 (JH)
BALD EAGLE - 15 at Rio 1/8 (RM); 16 at Mongaup gathered on ice 1/23 (P & SB); 2 at Rondout Res 1/30 on nest (RS RM)
N HARRIER -1 at downtown Roscoe 2/2 (JH AB)
N GOSHAWK -1 at Horseshoe L Rd 1/5 & early Feb (KC)
ROUGH-L HAWK -1 at Horseshoe L Rd 1/9 & on Davis Rd 1/12 (JH AB);1 at Beechwoods Radio Tower Rd 1/13 (LV); 1 at Beechwoods  Radio Tower Rd, the only 1 on ff 2/15 (VF MC)
KILLDEER -1 at Bashakill 2/20 Haven Rd (P & SB)
GULLS at landfill: numbers vary greatly, with a max of about 4000 in late Jan (JH). All following  reports are from the landfill at Monticello or Apollo Plaza (except where noted):
ICELAND GULL - 1 on 1/16 1st winter, 1 on 1/19 beautiful 2nd winter plumage; 1 on 1/26 1st winter new bird;  a 2nd winter bird at Woodbourne sand & gravel pond 2/1; 3 at Monticello landfill 2/2: two 2nd winter & 1 first winter dark, 2 new; 1 on 1/29 adult winter (new bird); 2 on 2/23 both new 1st winter (JH)
LESSER BL-BACK GULL - 1 in 3rd winter plumage 1/16; 1 in 2nd winter plumage 2/1 and 2/2; 1 in adult winter plumage 2/6 to 2/9 (JH AB TB)
*SLATY-BACKED GULL - two birds: 1 on 1/14 & 1/16; a different bird 2/6 to 2/9 (JH AB TB GB LV)
GLAUCOUS GULL - a 1st winter, dark plumage bird on 1/5, 1/9, 1/12 & 2/1 & 2/2 (JH); a different one on 1/26 & 2/1, 2 on 2/8 & 2/9 (JH LV TB GB); 1 at Bashakill on Haven Rd 2/9 (TB GB)
M DOVE  - a few listed on most feeder counts, max 53 at Horseshoe L Rd 1/5 (KC); 50 at Hilldale Rd 1/5, 35 in early Feb, 30 in early Mar (RS)
E. SCREECH-OWL - 2 at Youngsville 3/9 seen in 2 nest boxes; copulation seen 3/10 (RD)
N SAW-WHET OWL -1 at Swan L 2/16 responded to caller ff (RD MG) (the first county report since 2005)
SAPSUCKER - 1 at Sundown Rd 1/5 & 2/17 (JH AB LV); 1 Wurtsboro 2/5 (SM); 1 Bashakill 2/17 (P & SB); 1 at Cape Pond 2/23 (VF MC)
FLICKER - 1 at Hurleyville 1/3 Columbia Hill by Edith Porter (fide RS); 1 at Ellenville 1/5 Briggs Hwy (PM); 1 at Westbrookville 1/30 fields across from deli through Feb (JH); 1 at Cape Pond 2/8 off & on, Dec through early Mar (VF MC); 1 at McDonald Rd 2/17 ff (JH AB LV); 1 at Bashakill 2/25 Haven Rd (SB)
*N SHRIKE - 18 scattered around the county in Jan & Feb (mob), a remarkable number (especially when added to the 13 seen in Nov & Dec)
FISH CROW - 1 at Monticello landfill 2/8 (the 2nd earliest arrival) (JH); 3 at Wurtsboro nr ponds 3/5 (AB)
C RAVEN - 2 at Fir Brook 1/5 (LV); 2 at Horseshoe L Rd 2/5 (KC); 2 at Pond Eddy overhead 2/6 (PJ);
1 at Youngsville feeding on deer carcass Stump Pond Rd 2/10 (RD); 4 at Ellenville Briggs Hwy 3/5 (PM)
HORNED LARK -2 at Youngsville 2/10 Stump Pond Rd (RD); 10 at Gabel Rd found by 3 teams 2/15-16 ff (VF JH RD)
RED-BR NUTHATCH - 1 at feeders: (MG, PC, CB, B & BK, DM, LB, JH, SG MG KE KB)
C WREN -1 at Highland 2/10 Rt 32 (JH AB); many reports of 1-2 on feeder reports (MG, CS, SM, LH, SG, JH, AB, KC SA LS LB JLy); 1 at Wurtsboro development 3/6 (RS RM)
WINTER WREN - 1 at Ellenville 1/5 & 2/5 (BSB); 2 at Bashakill Haven Rd 1/8 (SB); 1 at Divine Cors 2/3 Cole Rd (SS); 1 at Robish Hill Rd 3/2 (MG)
G-C KINGLET - 2 at Rio Res 2/2 (LV); 1 to 4 at Sundown Rd 2/15, 2/21 Rt 153 (SB DH et al); 2 at Yulan 3/5 (SG)
E BLUEBIRD - 4 at Geiger Rd 1/5 (PM); 3 at Napanoch 1/5 Dean Rd (JLy); 10 at Wurtsboro 1/7 South Rd nr ballfield (P & SB); 6 at Hasbrouck Clark A Rd on sumac 1/23 (LB); 5 at Hilldale Rd 2/5 (RS); 5 at Youngsville Stump Pond Rd 2/5 (RD); 4 at Rose Rd Hasbrouck 3/5 (RM)
ROBIN - sev reports of 1 or 2 in Jan & flocks in Feb, numbers increasing (mob)
CATBIRD -1 at Wurtsboro 2/16 South Rd - old laundry, also seen on 2/17 (PD VF MC JL AB JH). (Our 2nd winter record; the other was 1 on the Christmas Count 12/26/70)
*BOHEMIAN WAXWING - 1 at Sundown Rd 12/30 (J Askildsen et al); 2 at Liberty Clements Rd 1/5, 1/6 & 1/8 (J Workman et al); 1 at Neversink Rt 55 in the village, flyover 1/6 (A Wilson et al) (all fide JH). (7th to 9th Sullivan Co records.)
CEDAR WAXWING -12 at Wurtsboro South Rd nr ballfield 1/7 (P & SB); 50 at Grahamsville Tri-Valley School, 20 on 1/12 & 50 on 1/13 (LV); 15 at Hasbrouck Clark A Rd 1/14 & 20 on 2/28 (LB); 5 at Frost Valley 2/5 (SA); 12 at Kiamesha 3/5 (LS)
TREE SP - a few each on many feeder reports, max 40 at Hilldale Rd in early Feb (RS)
FOX SP - appearing in early March: 1 each at Claryville (CB), Yankee L (JH), Rock Hill (B & BK), Cape Pond (VF MC), Hilldale Rd (RS), Briggs Hwy (PM), & 2 at Wurtsboro (SM)
SONG SP - in early Jan: 1 at Monticello, Yankee L, & Greenfield Pk (DM JH AC); 2  Bashakill South Rd feeders 1/5 & 3 in early Feb, 6 in early Mar (SB); 1 Rock Hill, Yulan, Hilldale Rd, Yankee L 3/5 (B & BK SG RS JH)
WH-THR SP -1 at Monticello 1/5 (DM); 3 at Ellenville 1/5 (CS); 4 at Wurtsboro 1/5 & 2 in early Feb, 3 in early Mar (SM); 1 at Greenfield Pk 2/5 & 2 in early Mar (AC)
SNOW BUNTING -1 at Hasbrouck Rose Rd 1/5 (RM); 1 at Muhlig Rd Bradley 2/14 (VF MC) & 2 on 2/17 (JH AB); 25 at Monticello Rubin Rd ff 2/17 (RD MG JH AB LV); 25 at Bashakill Haven Rd 2/20, overhead (P & SB); 6 at Beechwoods 3/2 Radio Tower Rd (MG)
RED-WING - 2 at Bashakill South Rd feeders 1/3 (the 1st report), up to 68 in early Mar (SB); 1 at Parksville Cooley Mt Rd 2/8 & 60 in early Mar (SR); 75 at Rock Hill 3/5 w/Grackles & a few Cowbirds & Starlings (B & BK); 40 at Hasbrouck Rose Rd 3/5 (RM); 25 at Monticello Hamilton Rd 3/5 (PC)
*PINE GROSBEAK - the largest numbers ever reported in Sullivan Co, all on or near crabapples.  At Tri-Valley School Grahamsville: 6 on 1/5 (fide JH) (S Ausable et al), 50 on 1/6 & 42 on 1/19 (JH AB P & SB), 55 on 1/12 & 40 on 1/26 (LV et al). Other locations: 7 at Bradley Muhlig Rd 1/5 (JH AB); 12 at Liberty Clements Rd 1/6 & 23 on 1/12, 7 on 1/19 (JH AB et al); 26 at Sundown Rd 1/7 & 24 on 1/17 (LV P & SB et al); 18 at Liberty Airport Rd 1/14 (JH AB et al);10 at Liberty 2/16 along Rt 55 nr Cold Spr Rd ff (VF MC PD JL RD MG); 7 at Liberty near police barracks Rt 17 exit 100A 2/21 (VF MC); the latest report: 10 at Roscoe 3/8 next door (M & RG)
PURPLE FINCH - 1  Ellenville 1/5 Briggs Hwy 1/5 & 6 in early Mar (PM); 3 Cape Pond 2/5 & 8 on 2/23 (VF MC)
C REDPOLL - the largest irruption in years, the most since 1998 and 1987. Jan to Mar feeder reports showed a few to 20 each (RM PM LS EK SG KE KB SB CB AB MGa MG LB). Larger numbers:100 to 200 at Blue Hill Rd in early Jan, & 100+ at Cooley Mt & Liv Manor (P & SB SR LV JH); 60 at Parksville 1/12 Woodard Rd (JH AB); 60 at Horseshoe L Rd 1/13 & 61 in early Feb, 100 on 2/10 (KC); 60 at Dr Duggan Rd 2/17 & 10 on 2/24 (JH AB); 50 at Harris 2/5 Big Woods Rd, fide KC (Joan Flint); 30 at Fremont 2/2 Deer Valley Rd (JH AB); 33 at Monticello 1/5 & 53 in early March (DM); 32 at Liberty 1/23 Ferndale Loomis Rd (RD MG); 32 at Youngsville 1/5 Stump Pond Rd; 24 in early Feb, 65 on 2/10 (RD); 30 at Frost Valley YMCA 1/5  & 1 in early Feb (SA); 25 Youngsville 1/12 & 34 in early Feb, 8 in early Mar (LH)
**HOARY REDPOLL - at least 5 were found: 1 at Horseshoe L Rd 1/5, 1st for Sullivan Co, well described (JH AB KC); same place 1/6, 2 on 1/13 & 1/14; 1 early Feb (KC RD MG); 1 at Blue Hill Rd 1/5 at feeders w/100 C Redpolls, fide JH (John Workman, KM); 1 at Parksville Cooley Mt Rd 1/5 & 2 on 1/6, 1 on 1/14, 1/17 (SR RD MG et al)
PINE SISKIN - 20 at Liv Manor 1/5 (EK); 2 at Claryville 1/5 (CB);1 at Pond Eddy 1/5 & 3 in early Feb (PJ); 1 at Horseshoe L Rd 1/5 (KC); 3 at Bashakill South Rd feeders 1/15 (SB); 2 at Greenfield Pk 2/5 & 3/5 (AC)
GOLDFINCH - most feeder reports show a few or up to 40; max 100 at Liv Manor (EK)
EVE GROSBEAK - up to 38 at Parksville Cooley Mt Rd 1/5 through early Mar (SR RD JH et al); 1 at Bashakill South Rd feeders 1/5 (SB), 1 at Hilldale Rd 1/10 (RS); 19 at Parksville Woodard Rd 1/12 (JH et al); 3 at Kauneonga L Amsterdam Dr 1/5, 31 in early Feb, & 12 in early Mar (KB)

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