Montezuma: Glossy and White-faced Ibis

 White-faced Ibis (left) Glossy (right) 

White-faced Ibis 

Glossy Ibis 

White Pelicans

Trumpeter Swan

Panic on the River! Buffalo Brown Booby

If you would like to cut to the chase and see a picture of the Booby scroll to the end. The first day it was sighted (10/7) by Jim Pawlicki, I was put to the test while birding around Rochester-do I chase now? It's a Brown Booby: of course.  

I arrived at the Erie Basin Marina to a hurricane and no birders. Cool. The waves were crashing over the breakwall and onto my car as I drove up to the tower. Not a good sign. Jim told me they were all at the rowing club so I made my way with multiple wrong turns. This was a brilliant start to a chase. 10 minutes later, the bird is being seen at Squaw Island, so off the caravan goes like crazed hornets. Joe Mitchell made an audible and turned down a street to bird island pier before hitting Squaw Island. He must have information. He jumped out of the car and was immediately on the Booby heading up river with Cormorants toward the Peace Bridge, into the Bridge, and out of sight. He called it out perfectly so everyone could see it. 

One problem: I fucking missed it-I missed it, right in front of me. All I saw were DB Cormorants in the sun. I melted. Now I found myself in Buffalo chasing ghosts again. An existential crisis was developing and it was rush hour traffic downtown.

The bird headed up the river toward Erie Basin Marina so the logical thing was to head there. But I was the only one, which was disconcerting b/c I knew a few others missed it too. Whatever, after a wrong turn I was back at the basin with slightly better weather. About 10 minutes in I had 3 Jaegers, 2 of which were Parasitic-very close looks! I thought that if I missed the Booby, I could live with the Jaegers. But not really. 

Parasitic Jaegers

An hour later, wet from the waves, and no Booby-Peter Yoerg, a river rat (I say that with respect) showed up. I told him that I was ready to head home. He said, "well, if you have something more pressing..." as he headed up the tower. Fine, I'll give it 30 more minutes. I was avoiding the tower b/c of high winds-It was brutal up there. My scope fell over once and I used "language of the street", as Peter comically put it. 

Soon after, I heard "I think I got it". It was gliding up river over a breakwall toward the red water intake building, cutting effortlessly through the wind. As sunset fell the bird disappeared and the chase paid off! 

Little did we know that the bird would be around daily for going on a week now-coming and going to the roost in the morning and evening. Everyone has seen it at this point, so my chase was unnecessary, but it was masochistically fun.

Double-crested Cormorants on Donnely's pier sandbar 

2nd trip to see the Booby. 

12 hours up in smoke, or how I should not complain that I have 12 hours to hang out looking for a bird.

Reports were coming in all week and I just couldn't make back to the marina area to get the killer looks that a few lucky souls had managed. Brooke had not seen it yet and she was salivating to get there. I went Saturday morning, getting there at 7 am just in time to see it leave the roosting site.I had to linger around the river and Lake Erie waiting for Brooke to be able to make it to the Marina after her obligations. I wanted to go home by 11 am. I waited, thankfully, and at 630 pm, racing against the sunset, we were headed out to the Reef Lighthouse on a boat to get spectacular views of the Booby! 

These two pictures were taken from the boat at sunset

Brown Booby!

For now click on the link below to see the boat trip.

http://outofthemousenest.blogspot.com/2013/10/out-in-water-buffalos-mega-rarity-brown.html

Rock Point Provincial Park, Ontario. Again.

Thanks to Willie D'Anna and Betsy Potter, it's one of our favorite birding trips.

Baird's Sandpiper

I don't care if it's partially blocked; it's a Cape May and I like it. 

Red Knot a little off kilter 

Short-billed Dowitcher 

Adirondacks, Labor Day

Milbert's Tortoiseshell 3/4 of the way up Whiteface Mountain. 

Ferd's Bog

Leonard's Skipper (don't expect to see another one of these for the rest of my life) 

Raven on top of Whiteface Mountain 

This thing, a Spotted Pine Sawyer, flew into the back of my collar and I made damn sure it didn't go down my shirt. The pinchers were scary as hell, but what a cool looking thing.

Knives out at Charlotte Beach

Nothing exotic but it doesn't get better than having a cup of coffee with this Semipalmated Plover. He was very curious about my intentions, and I gather he was ready to throwdown but we parted on good terms. One morning I was there at 5:45am and I swear they were combing the beach with a heavy-super-duper tractor before 6am. It's not very peaceful, but fun photographic opportunities. 

 Sanderling

 Least Sandpiper

 Double-crested Cormorant 

Fish Crow(s) out in the open and sharing some Wendy's 

 Black-bellied Plover. Piece of crap kid threw a stick at a couple of Ring-billed gulls and this bird was associated with them. I couldn't get to the kids fast enough to give a wheezing old-man lecture. It would have been the second of the day. I'm seeing this happen way too often. I can't continue like this. 

Bonaparte's Gull (Juvenile)

Mendon Ponds

Twelve Spotted Skimmer 

Hummingbird Clearwing

Common Whitetail 

7/20/2013

Red-necked Phalarope, Hamlin Beach

A juvenile and adult Red-headed Woodpecker from a few days ago

Rock Point Provincial Park, Ontario

These Sandhill Cranes were found close to the road on the way to the park. Somewhere in Canada.  

 Black Saddlebags

A couple of camera pics for the terrain. I love the beach here. Tons of fossils-you can get those at http://outofthemousenest.blogspot.com/

Meadowhawks

Eastern Forktail

Fragile Forktail

 Meadowhawk

Tule Bluet

Tule/Familiar Bluet? 

Bluet

Thanks to Willie D'Anna for the Damselfly ID help.