Now that Bow-tie Beaver Meadow, the Four Ponds, and Big Bad Leroy Bog (and their respective bird species) are in the Birdathon record book for this year, it is time to move on to Sunshine and Deer Ponds, before finally stopping for my lunch break at Hunters’ Vly. The route to these waterbodies can be
Birdathon 2015: Pond-hopping Through The Pepperbox Wilderness
The early morning hours of the Birdathon are the most productive for picking up bird species. My time so far was spent using an illegally marked trail to get from Raven Lake in the Five Ponds Wilderness to Big Bad Leroy Bog within the Pepperbox Wilderness with disappointing results of not even 30 species
Birdathon 2014: Departing the Pepperbox Wilderness via the Bowtie Beaver Meadow
The day after the Birdathon is often a letdown. All the excitement of the chase for new bird species is over, leaving just the responsibility of reporting the results, and the necessary frantic exit from the backcountry that goes along with it. The only redeeming part is the dream of doing better next year. This
Birdathon 2014: The Case of the Missing Tent Stake at Sunshine Pond
Where to end my Birdathon bushwhack in the Pepperbox Wilderness always becomes a difficult decision. There is always the constant incentive to push on, hoping that the next destination will provide the big breakthrough of a plethora of bird species, producing the banner year I continue dreaming about during the weeks leading up to the
Birdathon 2014: Birding Up Deer Pond Outlet to Sunshine Pond
Birds tend to be less active in the late afternoon; that is just a fact. The singing dies down, with many birds taking their siesta after feeding during the earlier morning hours. This phenomenon makes Birdathon afternoons a time of profound desperation, where the frantic search for any new species to add to a scant
Birdathon 2013: Fleeing the Pepperbox Wilderness using an Old Hunters’ Trail
The morning after any Birdathon is fraught with frustration and bitterness, as avian species not observed the previous day suddenly appear, gleefully rubbing my face in the fact they evaded detection. Despite this dread, I woke in early morning after the Birdathon 2013 enjoying the morning chorus near the southwestern corner of Sunshine Pond; luckily,
Birdathon 2013: Ending the Day at Sunshine Pond
Time is running out. Reaching the dead period of mid-afternoon, the chances of producing a stellar bird list for my first Birdathon in two years is decreasing rapidly with every passing moment. Birds no longer sing with the fervor of the early morning hours, leaving visual identification of new species my most important chance of
Birdathon 2013: Forty-six Bird Species and a Black Bear in the Pepperbox Wilderness
Finally, after a two-year absence due to a nagging knee injury, I once again participated in the Audubon Society’s Birdathon this past weekend. For the third time, I ventured into the wild and trailless heart of the Pepperbox Wilderness in the northwestern Adirondacks. Unfortunately, I was not alone, as a nasty and tenacious head cold
Birdathon 2011: Final Report for the Pepperbox Wilderness
On May, 21 2011, I participated in the Audubon Society, Onondaga Chapter’s Birdathon, a competition to observe as many bird species as possible within a single 24-hour period. For the second year in a row, I bushwhacked through the Pepperbox Wilderness even though last year was less than a complete success. Unlike last year, the
Birdathon 2011: Bushwhacking Birding Along Deer Pond Outlet Stream
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
