Savannah Sparrow at Papscanee

Getting out of work a bit early today was perhaps the most wonderful thing to happen all week.  It finally felt like spring, with temperatures in the sixties and this wierd yellow-white object that gave off lots of light and warmth from the clear blue sky.  When I asked someone about it he said it was the “sun.”  Whatever it was, it was greatly appreciated.

A quick look around Papscanee Island was in order and along the entrance road were Killdeer, Mallards, Canada Geese, crows, Ring-billed Gulls, a distant Wilson’s Snipe, and the Greater Yellowlegs that I spotted earlier in the week.

Once I got out of my car and started into Papscanee proper Downy and Red-bellied Woodpeckers called and Wood Ducks and more Mallards flushed from the flooded woods.  The path was still underwater in spots but I refused to turn back and was rewarded by flushing a Great Blue Heron eating something from the water flowing over the path.  A closer look revealed minnows!

A minnow in the path at Papscanee Island.

No wonder the heron was hanging around, as these fish were struggling to get back to an actual stream.  When I can catch a fish with my bare hand I know a heron is having an easy time of it.

Then a flock of Green-winged Teal and some Mallards erupted from the flooded field:

While enjoying the flock overhead I ignored a little brown job that was flitting around in the bushes.  But then it made a sound that wasn’t right for a Song Sparrow so I looked closer and saw a Savannah Sparrow.

not the clearest shot but you get the idea

Then the path got really flooded and I figured I might as well go meet Will at Peebles Island where we had arranged to meet after work.  On my walk out a Red-tailed Hawk flew over and then a female Northern Harrier.

While waiting for Will to arrive I switched lenses so I could photograph the odd orange-and-black bugs that were everywhere in the parking lot.  I know nothing about bugs but these red-eyed creepy-crawlies were pretty cool-looking.  Anyone want to educate me as to what they are?  Box Elder bugs?  Thanks John.

Once Will arrived I pointed out the pair of Blue-winged Teal I had spotted (a year-bird for Will) and we walked the paths of Peebles.

drake Blue-winged Teal

Peebles Island is a New York State Park located in Cohoes, NY, at the confluence of the Hudson and Mohawk Rivers.  It is a wonderful spot to visit in the summer as the breeze off the river is very cooling.  Today, however, it was seriously bird-deprived.  Tree Swallows, chickadees, a Golden-crowned Kinglet, some juncos, a Downy Woodpecker and crows were pretty much it if you don’t count the ubiquitous Mallards, pigeons and Canada Geese.

Perhaps the most interesting sightings were the variety of dogs people were walking, ranging in size from a St. Bernard to a miniature pinscher.  What we didn’t understand, however, was the numerous plastic baggies of dog-doo that people had left behind along the trails.  Why bag it if you are going to leave it there?

Even though we didn’t see anything really neat it was great to be out enjoying an actual spring day instead of these faux spring days we’ve been experiencing.

Update:  Oops, forgot we saw our first garter snakes of the year!

picture actually taken last spring in saratoga