June 11, 2013 | 
Author When I lead dawn tours up Whiteface Mountain, I rise at 1 a.m. and leave the house at 2:30 a.m. Some clients stay in Long Lake and we do some nocturnal birding together along the way, and some choose to stay closer to Whiteface so they can sleep longer! I am often asked how I can get up so early. There are wonderful benefits to being up during the night. For instance, on June 5th, I got up at 1 a.m. and heard noises outside. It was an Ermine (or Short-tailed Weasel) running around our front lawn! I also found a Luna Moth perched on our home (photograph included) and heard a fox vocalizing in the forest. During my drives to Whiteface, I find many nocturnal creatures such as Red and Gray Foxes, Eastern Coyotes, Porcupines, Raccoons, Deer, Fishers, and Minks. At stops with clients we often hear owls: Barred Owls, Northern Saw-whet Owls, and Great Horned Owls, and other species such as Beavers, Ruffed Grouse, Wilson’s Snipe, American Woodcock, Common Loons, and American Bitterns. On June 5th, as I approached Whiteface Mountain in the pre-dawn glow, there was a sliver moon over the majestic mountain and it was breathtaking. I spent the day with a couple from Long Island, NY and the day had perfect weather conditions. It was very cold on the summit of Whiteface Mountain at dawn, so we had no insects to bother us! We found 62 species (including 17 warbler species) by visiting Whiteface Mountain, Bloomingdale, and Lake Placid – species listed below:
Mallard
Common Merganser
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Belted Kingfisher
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Hairy Woodpecker
Black-backed Woodpecker – both the male and female at their nest location (photo included)
Northern Flicker
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
Alder Flycatcher
Least Flycatcher
Eastern Phoebe
Blue-headed Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Gray Jay – 2 juveniles and 1 adult eating raisins from hands! (photo included)
Blue Jay
American Crow
Common Raven
Tree Swallow
Cliff Swallow – adorable nest sites!
Barn Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
Boreal Chickadee – lovely scope views on Whiteface Mountain during our descent at about 3500’
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
House Wren
Winter Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Eastern Bluebird
Veery
Bicknell’s Thrush (15 to 20) with a few, brief visuals
Swainson’s Thrush (~10)
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
Nashville Warbler
Northern Parula
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Cape May Warbler – lovely views of one!
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Pine Warbler
Palm Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
American Redstart
Ovenbird
Mourning Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Scarlet Tanager
Chipping Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Common Grackle
Purple Finch
American Goldfinch
I greatly enjoy the dawn tours up Whiteface Mountain because I am fascinated by high elevation bird species and it is always lovely to be awake during the Adirondack nights!
Luna Moth on June 5, 2013 in Long Lake.
Juvenile Gray Jay eating raisons from a hand!
Hi Joan,
Great photos of a great day! Being alone on Whiteface at dawn was MAGICAL. I’m so glad you brought the raisins for the Gray Jays. You gave me two new life birds, the Bicknell’s Thrush and the Mourning Warbler, that day. And the Olive-sided Flycatcher later in the week at the Hamilton County Birding Festival! Plus several new species for my New York State list. Going with you is such fun! EVERYONE should do it! 8-)