As is tradition, as part of summer trip out here we usually spend at least a few days with the folks, brothers and nieces out in the sticks, usually in the Catskills (well west and inland of Mass, in NY state), and this year was happily no exception.
Belted Kingfisher (above), Rose-breasted Grosbeak (below)
Our accommodation was nestled in a deep, wooded valley - the main habitat / geographical feature and theme of the area - and our time was spent doing family things, from hiking to waterfalls, swimming in the intense heat of the day, to a State Fair (not sure quite where to start with that one, but it was... interesting).
Birding time was limited to odd hours within striking distance with brother Ned, our favourite spot being Corbett Road Outlook, an open riverbank surrounded by woods and scrub about twenty minutes away on the way to Downsville. Nothing particularly special, but a nice range of species, from Belted Kingfishers, Bald Eagles and Spotted Sandpiper to lots of warblers, woodpeckers and other entertaining stuff.
Common Yellowthroat - one of the most, er, common warblers of the trip
Raven
Cedar Waxwings are ubiquitous, everywhere and all the time this trip, often in numbers - it's hard to stop anywhere without their silvery trills as a soundtrack. We were surprised to see this pair collecting nesting material so late, but then we've seen the same with several species (see e.g. forthcoming Cabot Woods post).
Bald Eagles
Bald Eagles
