Day III Homeward Bound...
Click here if you missed Day 1
Click here if you missed Day II part 1
Click here if you missed Day II part 2
The next day we were up and around by 7:00 a.m. We were still riding high from the previous day's success and after an excellent cup of coffee we were on our way to bird for a bit before heading back home. Our first stop did not reward us with much and so we discussed whether it was worth going back to the Montezuma Wildlife Refuge or head back through Orange County for possible Shorebirds. We ended up at Montezuma and did not regret it at all. As soon as we got to the refuge, Shai and I scoped the Main Pool while Pat headed to park the truck. Shai picked up the sounds of warblers behind us and we quickly keyed in on the area. We ended up with Black Throated Green, Nashville Warbler and a nice trip addition in Philadelphia Vireo.
Moving on, Pat and I decided to work the same spot we had tried the previous day where we did not have much success while Shai went on further. What a difference a day made. The moment we walked into the circle around the vistor’s center we immediately picked up Chipping and Song Sparrows. Further along, we got quite a few Swamp and Savannah Sparrows. Encouraged, Pat and I worked the area hard and we found White-throated and a White-crowned Sparrow – this was the same area where we could not have brought a sparrow the previous day. We were about to call Shai to relay the news to him when Pat received a call from Shai. He had found a Lincoln’s Sparrow. Trying to stay ahead of a few birders we noticed on our trail, Pat and I hustled over to the area and got the Lincoln’s. After a few minutes, we moved onto another location and picked up another trip bird in Pectoral Sandpiper. We made another stop at Tschache’s Pool and had many of the same species we had the day before with one addition in Redhead Duck. We then left and tried to find the Sandhill Cranes again, this time for Shai but we could not locate them. We did however had better looks at the Trumpeter Swans we had seen the day before.
By then, it was time to head back to NYC. The ride home was fantastic made so by the stories and the games that we played. The quiz session was one of my favorite moments on the trip. We ended up with 111 trip birds, which was not bad given that we were always under a time crunch. The trip was outstanding!!! What more could I ask for? The company was fantastic and the birds were great – I had so much fun. I am tremendously grateful to Pat and Shai for having me along with them and BY GALLEY GASKIN I look forward to many more adventures in the field with them.Tags:
Birding, 
Montezuma Wildlife National Refuge, 
Philadelphia Vireo, 
Trumpeter Swan
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