Sunshine Pond
On May 21, 2011 I birded some of the ponds and streams in the northeastern Pepperbox Wilderness of the Adirondack State Park for the Audubon Society’s Birdathon. The Birdathon is a challenge to locate as many bird species as possible in a single 24-hour period. This was my second attempt to perform the Birdathon in the Pepperbox Wilderness. The morning of the Birdathon took me from my campsite at the southwestern shore of Sunshine Pond to Deer Pond where I subsequently followed the outlet stream to the southern Moshier Pond.
Date: May 21, 2011
Length: 1.7 miles
Difficulty: Moderate
Birdathon 2011 had finally arrived!
It was just passed midnight when I awoke to listen for barred owls. I hoped to start the day off with at least a single owl species and the most likely candidate was a barred owl as they are by far the most common species in the Adirondacks.
Unfortunately, no owls called when I was up and about the campsite. But all was not lost as a lone white-throated sparrow was singing within the cacophony of spring peepers and American toads. In addition, only some of the brightest stars were visible indicating clear skies but foggy conditions, which hopefully foreshadowed the weather for the entire day. After last year’s windy and often cloudy conditions a nice day this year was greatly needed.
View Birdathon Part One in a larger map
Twenty more minutes passed without a single owl call. Finally, I decided to call it a worthy but unsuccessful effort and headed back under my tarp to catch several more hours of sleep before the rest of the big day. When I was finally back safely into my sleeping bag
, a barred owl finally screeched from a nearby tree.
Two species down and it was not even an hour into the Birdathon.
After about another four and a half hours of sleep I was up and about making breakfast and taking down my camp. The fog was still quite thick, leaving me limited visibility especially across Sunshine Pond.
Since the visibility was still limited I took my time disassembling my campsite and picked up many of the more common Adirondack bird species in the process. While listening for more bird species, I spotted a subtle but clearly visible rainbow over the eastern shore of Sunshine Pond produced by the rising sun and prodigious moisture.
[popup url=”http://www.bushwhackingfool.com/Linked-Pages/Species-Lists/Birdathon/2011/Birds around Sunshine Pond campsite Birdathon 2011.html”]Bird list for my campsite on Sunshine Pond.[/popup]
After about a couple of hours around my campsite (point 8), I picked up my backpack
and started heading northwest toward Deer Pond. The rocky ridge between the two ponds was easily climbed and sparsely vegetated, although judging by the density of the young bracken ferns poking their way through the forest floor it would not remain so for long. By the time I climbed to the top of the rocky ridge the sun was fully shining and the day looked to be pleasant giving me hope of a banner year in bird species.
When I descended the ridge I had to force my way through some dense spruce/fir for a while before luckily locating a hunters’ trail. The presence of this hunters’ trail slipped my mind entirely so it was a very pleasant surprise when I stumbled upon it. The trail wound its way through the dense conifers all the way to near the outlet of Deer Pond (point 9).
Forest near Sunshine Pond campsite
The Deer Pond outlet was overflowing with many of the coniferous trees surrounding it standing in puddles of murky water. This was clearly the highest water levels I have seen at Deer Pond since I first visited it many years ago. The plentiful snow followed by a very wet spring has definitely taken its toll on the ponds of this area.
Before moving on down the Deer outlet I journeyed around the edge of the pond as best I could. Although the water levels were high, the flat rocks just north of the outlet were still somewhat dry, albeit with much less exposed surface area as in times past.
When I exited the forest to approach the rock a male common goldeneye and a male wood duck took flight from the southern part of the pond. A female goldeneye took a less radical approach and merely swam north into the main portion of the pond.
Leaving my pack on the dry, flat rock, I continued north along the shore. Typically, this route involves remaining on the exposed shoreline but the high water forced me to retreat further from shore, stepping on shrubbery where necessary in a futile attempt to keep my boots as dry as possible. Canada geese were honking to the south, whether due to my presence or some other concern I could not say.
Deer Pond
From the end of the constricted southern portion of the pond I was able to view most of the wider northern portion. In addition to the pair of goldeneyes there was a male ring-necked duck and a pair of hooded mergansers out on the water’s surface. This was turning out to be an outstanding morning for waterfowl.
[popup url=”http://www.bushwhackingfool.com/Linked-Pages/Species-Lists/Birdathon/2011/Birdathon 2011 Birds around Deer Pond.html”]Bird list for Deer Pond.[/popup]
After returning to retrieve my backpack I crossed the swiftly flowing water of the outlet where it entered a narrow but deep flume and fought my way into the dense conifers beyond. I headed for the edge of the next beaver pond along the outlet stream to the south of Deer Pond.
When I finally emerged from the forest at the northwestern corner of the beaver pond (point 10), four Canada geese and a female American black duck spotted me. The geese immediately started honking as loud as they possibly could with two of the most aggressive individuals heading right in my direction from across the pond. They continued swimming in my direction until I finally retreated back into the woods, continuously honking their discontent with my intrusion on their privacy.
[popup url=”http://www.bushwhackingfool.com/Linked-Pages/Species-Lists/Birdathon/2011/Birdathon 2011 Birds at beaver pond south of Deer Pond.html”]Bird list from beaver pond south of Deer Pond.[/popup]
Fleeing the continuous honking of the birder-hating geese, I headed due west toward the northern tip of the next beaver pond along the Deer outlet stream. Along the way I encountered a green metal oil drum lying down on its side on the forest floor (point 11). There were numerous branches on top of the drum initially suggesting it was once purposely hidden, although after looking more closely it was obvious the branches merely fell naturally over time. The drum was likely evidence of logging done in the area in the long distant past.
Green oil drum
Soon after leaving the green drum behind, a large, old beaver pond could be seen through the trees right in front of me. Just before descending a short distance down into the wetland I crossed another old hunters’ trail (point 12). The trail appeared quite old, with nothing more than a slight indentation in the forest floor and a greater than normal number of broken branches indicating its presence.
The trail headed to the northeast in one direction, perhaps meeting up somewhere with the trail on the eastern side of the Deer Pond outlet. The other side of the trail headed south along the wetland border to points unknown. Another slight herd path left the main trail and headed north apparently around the old beaver pond now lying before me to the west.
Instead of following either path, I headed straight toward to the old beaver pond. I exited the forest almost directly opposite a very high and old beaver dam. The dam was busted open now and the pond’s water level was almost half of what it had been in its heyday. A forested peninsula blocked my view of the rest of the pond to the south.
On the opposite side of the old pond, I spotted some movement of something that was obviously a medium-sized bird. Quickly pulling out my compact Leica binoculars located on my hip belt, I identified two gray jays. As I long suspected the Pepperbox was home to this uncommon boreal species. This would ensure me at least one single (a species found by no other birder team) for the Birdathon now.
Partially-drained beaver pond
One of the two individuals appeared to be begging from the other. Since these birds nest very early, I assumed one may be a fledgling from earlier in the year. It was not too long before these two birds spotted me and almost immediately flew across the pond to a tree near my location (point 13). Obviously they were as curious about me as I was about them.
Fascinated by their curious nature, I totally forgot about the camera on my hip belt
Before moving on I hugged the edge of the wetland to check out the southern portion of the beaver pond around the peninsula. While moving along the shoreline an osprey began to whistle off to the west. Although I scanned the tree tops in that direction, I never caught a glimpse of this fish-eating bird of prey.
The southern portion was mostly a large mud flat with scattered remains of shrubs around a murky looking stream. The water flowing through the southern portion of the pond and out through the broken beaver dam was still the outlet from Deer Pond on its way to Moshier Creek to the west.
Small, boggy wetland
While scanning the mud flats for sandpipers (of which I found none), I observed a lone savannah sparrow amongst the leafless shrubbery. At first I was dubious of the identification given the location but after consulting my field guide there was no other obvious choice. I made a feeble attempt to mimic its song with the hope it would respond but it remained silent the whole time I observed it.
As I turned around to head back to the point where I first left the forest I was momentarily startled by the sudden appearance of a great blue heron flying overhead. I stopped and watched this large bird fly slowly over the beaver meadow until it disappearred over the tree tops of the surrounding forest.
[popup url=”http://www.bushwhackingfool.com/Linked-Pages/Species-Lists/Birdathon/2011/Birdathon 2011 Birds at drained beaver pond west of Deer Pond.html”]Bird list from busted dam beaver pond southwest of Deer Pond.[/popup]
Returning to the point where I first intersected the herd path, I followed the least traveled side path heading northwards around the partially drained beaver pond. As I navigated through the forest on my way around the beaver pond, I spotted a female hooded merganser on the northernmost portion of the open water. I failed to spot her before when I entered the clearing around the pond so she must have been hiding in the vegetation somewhere.
Soon the herd path cut through a wet area to the north of the beaver pond and I lost the subtle trail. Instead of wasting time trying to pick up the trail again, I bushwhacked around the wetland to the north and then cut back to the southwest before reaching another pond surrounded by dense shrubbery.
Hardwood forest between Deer and Moshier Ponds
As soon as I exited the forest a female hooded merganser took flight off the small pond (point 14). The shoreline was wet and thick with shrubbery so I avoided trying to get to the waters edge and just walked around the edge of the clearing, off into the forest. A turkey vulture circled overhead, probably searching for its next meal.
[popup url=”http://www.bushwhackingfool.com/Linked-Pages/Species-Lists/Birdathon/2011/Birdathon 2011 Birds at shrubby beaver pond west of Deer Pond.html”]Bird list from shrubby beaver pond southwest of Deer Pond.[/popup]
Dense coniferous forest and wet conditions forced me uphill and northwards as I made an attempt to move around the beaver pond. As I worked my way through the forest I spotted a clearing to the north, and I instinctively headed for it. The clearing turned out to be a small boggy wetland surrounded by forest (point 15).
From the wetland I headed due west toward the southernmost Moshier Pond. This took me over a ridge covered by hardwoods just showing the first signs of leafing out (point 16). There was some blowdown on the ridge but it was easily navigated through and within a half hour I was near the shrubby shoreline of the southernmost Moshier pond (point 17).
[popup url=”http://www.bushwhackingfool.com/Linked-Pages/Species-Lists/Birdathon/2011/Birdathon 2011 Birds in hardwood forest between Moshier and Deer Ponds.html”]Bird list from hardwood forested ridge between Deer and Moshier Ponds.[/popup]
The Moshier Ponds are a series of ponds along the northern portion of Moshier Creek with the northernmost pond being the largest. My plan was to work my way around the ponds to the north before heading south along Moshier Creek to meet the outlet stream from Cropsey Pond, a significant distance to the south of my current position. At this point it was a quarter past eleven in the morning and I was experiencing doubts to whether I could make my way to Cropsey Pond before dark but I decided to continue north anyways.
Southernmost Moshier Pond
Would I make it to Cropsey Pond following my planned route or would I have to head straight for Cropsey as I did the previous year? Check out the second part of Birdathon 2011 to find out.
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