Bedford Audubon Society

A Northern Westchester & Eastern Putnam Counties, New York Chapter of the National Audubon Society

Celebrating 95 Years of Conservation 1913-2008


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2008 Bedford Audubon Birdathon
By Richard L. Becker

BAS Birdathon: “D great way to get out and see birds while generating contributions for Bedford Audubon.” This year we were pleased to have five groups participating during the Birdathon period of May 9-10.

Scott Lenhart was able to take three North Salem High School students out on Friday afternoon. Despite the steady cold rain, they were able to count 19 species on school property in 1 hour. This was their first-ever “bird team.” Scott reports, “The kids and I had fun and they asked when we could do this again. My principal was very supportive of this activity.” Scott Lenhart's team sightings are marked "a" in the chart below.

BAS scholarship winner Scott Wieman was d team of one. With his parents switching off driving, Scott covered around 400 miles over the course of the contest, walking at Rye Marshlands, Edith G. Read Sanctuary, Ward Pound Ridge, Jamaica Bay, Jones Beach, Point Lookout, and the New York Botanical Garden. Scott recorded 100 species of birds and said, “…the best/rarest of which were Red-necked Phalarope at Jamaica Bay, Harlequin Duck at Point Lookout, American Golden-Plover at Jones Beach, Bobolink at Jamaica Bay, Blue-winged Warbler and American Woodcock at Ward Pound Ridge, and Yellow-breasted Chat at Jamaica Bay. Scott Wieman's sightings are marked "b" in the chart.

Jack Kozuchowski birded in Westchester County on Saturday at Ward Pound Ridge Reservation and at BAS’s Bylane Farm. Peter Becker joined Jack for part of the day. Jack totaled 52 species. Among Jack’s highlights were being able to “immediately key the song of d Rose-breasted Grosbeak and then being treated to d view of the grosbeak singing from the top of d tree” and “an imperial view of d male Common Yellowthroat at the Michigan Road Pond in Ward Pound Ridge Reservation.” Jack's sightings are marked "c" on the chart.

Tait Johansson participated in New Jersey Audubon’s World Series of Birding and supported the BAS Birdathon at the same time. Birding only on the Cape Island (Cape May south of the Intracoastal Waterway), Tait’s team tallied 145 species and won the Cape Island Cup for the most species found on the Cape Island. We congratulate Tait for his outstanding showing. His sightings are shown as "d" on the chart.

Joan B. and Richard Becker’s plans for birding on Friday evening were cancelled because of the heavy rain. Despite this, they tallied 100 species on Saturday at Alley Pond Park and Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge in Queens, New York. Joan’s best bird was d Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow at Bench 7 at Jamaica Bay; Richard’s was the Red-necked Phalarope at the same spot. D pair of Bobolinks made three unusual sightings at the same location. Joan and Richard's sighting are marked "e" on the chart.

Bedford Audubon would like to thank all who took part in the Birdathon and all those who sponsored the participants.

Birds Seen on the 2008 BAS Birdathon

a=Scott Lenhart  b=Scott Wieman  =Jack Kozuchowski  d=Tait Johansson  e=Joan B. and Richard Becker

WATERFOWL

   

RAILS & SHOREBIRDS

   

PERCHING BIRDS

   

  Yellow-rumped

bde

SWAN, Mute

bde   RAIL, Clapper d  

FLYCATCHERS

   

  Black-throated Green

bcd

GOOSE, Snow

d  

PLOVER, Black-bellied

de  

  Eastern Wood-Pewee

d  

  Blackbumian

d

  Brant

bde  

  American Golden-

b  

  Eastern Phoebe

bc  

  Pine

d

  Canada

bde  

  Semipalmated

bde  

  Great Crested

cde  

  Prairie

cd

DUCK, Wood

bde  

  Piping

d  

  Eastern Kingbird

de  

  Bay-breasted

e

  Gadwall

bde  

  Killdeer

abd  

  VIREO, White-eyed

de  

  Blackpoll

de

  American Wigeon

be  

OYSTERCATCHER, American

bde  

  Blue-headed

de  

  Black-and-white

bcde

  American Black

bde  

SANDPIPERS

   

  Yellow-throated

e  

  American Redstart

de

  Mallard

abcde  

  Greater Yellowlegs

bde  

  Warbling

e  

  Prothonotary

d

  Blue-winged Teal

d  

  Lesser Yellowlegs

d  

  Red-eyed

bcde  

  Worm-eating

e

  Green-winged Teal

d  

  Solitary

bde  

LARK, Homed

d  

  Ovenbird

bcde

  Greater Scaup

be  

  Willet

bde  

SWALLOWS

   

  Northern Waterthrush

de

  Harlequin

b  

  Spotted

bde  

  Purple Martin

d  

  Common Yellowthroat

bcde

  Surf Scoter

d  

  Ruddy Turnstone

d  

  Tree

bcde  

  Yellow-breasted Chat

bd

  Black Scoter

d  

  Sanderling

bd  

  Northern Rough-winged

d  

TANAGER, Scarlet

bcde

  Hooded Merganser

d  

  Semipalmated

bde  

  Bank

d  

TOWHEE, Eastern

bcde

  Red-breasted Merganser

e  

  Least

bde  

  Cliff

ad  

SPARROW, Chipping

bce

  Ruddy

be  

  Dunlin

d  

  Barn

bde  

  Field

bd
GAME BIRDS    

  Short-billed Dowitcher

d  

JAY, Blue

abde  

  Savannah

d

TURKEY, Wild

bc  

SNIPE, Wilson's

d  

CROW, American

abde  

  Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed

e

BOBWHITE, Northern

d  

WOODCOCK, American

bd  

  Fish

bde  

  Song

bcde

LOONS-HERONS

    PHALAROPE, Red-necked be  

CHICKADEE, Black-capped

abe  

  Lincoln's

d

LOON, Red-throated

d  

GULLS & TERNS

   

  Carolina

d  

  White-throated

bde

  Common

bd  

GULL, Laughing

bde  

TITMOUSE, Tufted

abcde  

  White-crowned

b

GANNET, Northern

d  

  Ring-billed

bde  

NUTHATCH, Red-breasted

d  

CARDINAL, Northern

abcde

  Double-crested

bde  

  Herring

bde  

  White-breasted

ae  

GROSBEAK, Rose-breasted

cde

HERONS

   

  Iceland

d  

WREN, Carolina

bcd  

  Blue

d

  Great Blue

de  

  Lesser Black-backed

d  

  House

bde  

BUNTING, Indigo

cd

  Great Egret

bde  

  Great Black-backed

bde  

  Marsh

b  

BOBOLINK

bde

  Snowy Egret

bde  

TERN, Royal

d  

GNATCATCHER, Blue-gray

bde  

BLACKBIRD, Red-winged

abcde

  Little Blue

bde  

  Common

bde  

BLUEBIRD, Eastern

bc  

MEADOWLARK, Eastern

d

  Tricolored

de  

  Forster's

de  

THRUSHES

   

GRACKLE, Boat-tailed

bd

  Cattle Egret

d  

  Least

d  

  Veery

bcde  

  Common

abcde

  Green

bd  

DOVES-WOODPECKERS

   

  Swainson's

be  

COWBIRD, Brown-headed

abde

  Black-crowned Night-

bde  

DOVE, Mourning

bcde  

  Wood

bcde  

ORIOLE, Orchard

de

  Yellow-crowned Night-

e  

PIGEON, Rock

bde  

ROBIN, American

abcde  

  Baltimore

bcde

IBIS, Glossy

bde  

OWL, Eastern Screech-

d  

CATBIRD, Gray

abcde  

FINCH, House

bcd

VULTURES, HAWKS, EAGLES

   

  Great Homed

de  

MOCKINGBIRD, Northern

bde  

GOLDFINCH, American

abcd

VULTURE, Black

d  

  Barred

d  

THRASHER, Brown

d  

SPARROW, House

abde

  Turkey

bcd  

NIGHTHAWK, Common

d  

STARLING, European

bcde      

OSPREY

bde  

SWIFT, Chimney

bd  

WAXWING, Cedar

d      

HARRIER, Northern

b  

HUMMINGBIRD, Ruby-throated

de  

WARBLER, Blue-winged

bc      

HAWK, Cooper's

b  

KINGFISHER, Belted

d  

  Nashville

bde      

  Broad-winged

c  

WOODPECKER, Pileated

ac  

  Northern Parula

bde      

  Red-tailed

bcde  

  Red-bellied

bcde  

  Yellow

bde      
FALCONS    

  Downy

abde  

  Chestnut -sided

e      

  American Kestrel

bd  

  Hairy

be  

  Magnolia

d      

  Merlin

d  

  Northern Flicker

be  

  Black-throated Blue

cde      

  Peregrine

b                  

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