My name is John Haas and I have been an avid birder for 32 years. My world list stands at 881 species, I have a current ABA list of 760 species, a current New York State list of 435 species. My current Sullivan County list is 289 species. My favorite birding location is the Bashakill Wildlife Management Area in the town of Mamakating, Sullivan County. I am a member of the Sullivan County Audubon Society, The Basha Kill Area Association, The New York State Ornithological Society, The Peregrine Fund and Hawaiin Audubon Society. As of March 1, 2019, I became the Region 9 Editor for New York State Ornithological Society’s publication, “The Kingbird”.  As of April 2021, I became the ebird reviewer for Sullivan County, New York. As of October 2021, I became a reviewer for Orange and Ulster Counties as well. I hope you will enjoy my blog with birding adventures both here in Sullivan and many places around the country and the world.
A Birding Guide to: Sullivan County New York Including the Bashakill Wildlife Management Area
: I am pleased to announce the release of the third edition of my book. It was released on March 9, 2019. It was revealed at the Mamakating Library on that date for a book signing and slide program “The Birds of the Bashakill” presented by Lance Verderame and myself. The book is fully revised with the most up to date information on where and when to find birds in Sullivan County with special focus on the Bashakill. There is a complete new set of photos reflecting everything from common species to some of the extreme rarities that have found their way to our county. New birding sites that have become known to us have been added as well as information on spots that are no longer viable birding locations. There is an updated checklist of birds reflecting the new species in the recently revised ABA taxonomic order. The book is available through the Basha Kill Area Association, The Morgan Outdoor Store in Livingston Manor and The Canal Town Emporium in Wurtsboro for $20.00 per copy. I would like to thank the Basha Kill Area Association for completing the application, and New York State Parks and Trails for their generous grant to aide in the publication of this book. All proceeds from the sale of this book will go directly to the Basha Kill Area Association. If you would like a copy, go to the Bashakill.org page to see how to order it before they are gone.
Bashakill Birder 
Hello, John. Nancy and I are back in Texas until July 13th. We’ll be back to Yankee Lake then and hope you still have a copy of your Birding Guide you can sell us. I think when we went birding with you in June you said you still had some copies in your car — I thought we already had one, but it was the BashaKill guide). See you soon! — John and Nancy Masterson (7 Gregory Road, Yankee Lake)
Hi John,
Nice to hear from you. Yes, I should still have a copy for you. Just let me know when you are ready for it. Have a good trip. Best, John
Hey there! Please email me at BKKayak ‘at’ Gmail.com. I don’t seem to have your email.
I took some photos of a really big juvenile bald eagle holding her wings oddly and flying clumsily at the Bashakill today (Friday 9/9). She (I presume) was hanging out and calling with an adult. I think it may be our girl.
John- Desperately seeking your book! Do you have one stashed away? An ex-cohort of yours loaned me her copy and I’d love to purchase one for Silvia and me. Any chance??? Great format and content.
Hope all is well w/ you & yours.
DJ and Sil and The Menagerie
silviabea@earthlink.net
DJ,
Answered you via e-mail, I will see that you get a copy, best, John
NICE SITE DON’T HAVE YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS PLEASE SEND IT TO US BOB& MARY
John, do you know of any places in Sulivan County where I can find Yellow-bellied flycatchers. Thanks.
Peter, The best spot is the Bashakill on Migration. They have been seen other places, but not with any consistency. Not an easy bird, but seems more frequent in the fall than spring. Good luck, John
John,
I am just filling out my application to the Basha Kill Area Association and found your Blog.
Peggy Sulak Green
John
I’m so glad to have met you and to be reading this blog. I have always been a bird watcher, but thanks to the spring trip with you last year…I’m becoming a fanatic and love taking pictures of all the birds I see. Can you please be more specific about the locations of some of the places you see the the birds, as I am not familiar with some of the areas.
Thanks so much, Wilma Amthor
Do you have contact info so I could possibly identify a bird I saw in my yard today?
Great blog. I though I would ask you for some guidance on a possible bird trip. I am considering coming up to Bashakill next week and I was wondering if you thought it would be possible/likely to see common gallinule and virginia rail at this time of year there. I am not sure if they become even more reclusive after breeding and become very difficult to see. Thanks for any help. Also, should I bring / rent a kayak to bird the wetlands?
I sent you a detailed email response as to where you are most likely to find the birds at this time. Thanks for your inquiry.
Thanks, but I do not have an email from you in my inbox or my junk folder. Could you possibly resend it to chasecammarota@hotmail.com.
Will do.
________________________________
Hello John,
Do you remember me Shoji from Japan.
Hi Shoji, of course I remember you! Great to hear from you! Get in touch through my email address vanhaas@citlink.net and we’ll catch up, Best, John
Nice post,John
Thanks Liza, nice to hear from you, glad you and Ajit were able to see the Western Grebe! John
Hi, A local group of birders are planning on going to the Bashakill for a canoe/kayak trip. I was wondering if you could tell me if there are any boat rental places nearby?
I don’t know of any off hand, but you might check either Orange County Rentals or Sullivan County Rentals. Is it just for you, or do you need more?
It would just be for me.
You can borrow mine for the trip if you’d like to, just let me know when.
John, Thank you very much for your offer. That’s very nice of you. The Delaware/Otsego Audubon Society has planned a canoeing and kayaking trip on May 1st to the Bashakill wetlands in Sullivan Co. (1131 South Rd. in Wurtsboro) I thought I’d start checking out the rental options. The trip is still being organized so I won’t know much more about the details until next month.
You’re welcome to use the kayak, just remind me as the time gets near so I can have for you that day.
I wrote to you back in March about finding a canoe or kayak to rent and you offered to lend me one. Well my plans have changed. I won’t be able to go on the canoe and kayak trip the local Audubon society has planned for the first of May. Feel free to join them if you’re around. Our field trips are always free and open to the public and they are a great bunch of guys- Birders are like that.
I’ve been reading your posts regularly ever since a friend said his group used to make regular trips to the Bashakill. Going birding there has been on my birding bucket list and the opportunity to go with my local group seemed perfect. Drat. I may try to go Monday if I’m up to it, but I’ll just hike the trails if I do. Again, thanks for the offer, Les
Hi John! I know this is not the proper forum for this, but I had to Google you to find you! I’m throwing a surprise retirement party for Kim and Jim on 6/25 and I would love if you and the Friday night dinner crew can make it! Hopefully you can delete this after you read it, lol. Please email me for the details. Kristin.noha@gmail.com
Hello! I wonder if I might get permission to print out this image of a pied-billed grebe nest to use in a public teaching display for Seattle Parks (printed photo, laminated – occasional table use, not a permanent installation): https://bashakillbirder.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/dscn3486pbgn1.jpg
Do you have a usage policy online? Thanks!
Laurie Ross
laurie@nnross.com
Laurie,
I have no particular policy. Please feel free to use the image, just credit me as the photographer. John
Will do! Thanks so much – it’s a great photo!
Crediting as “(c) 2011 – John Haas – bashakillbirder.wordpress.com”
I visited and photographed Bashakill on August 3&4, 2016. I took a number of photos of the Great Blue Heron that I would be happy to share with you for any purpose that you choose.
Hi John, it’s me Les. The Southwest Florida Eagles, Made the Today show. I was at the nest for a few hours today. The is 2 eggs in the nest the first can hatch at any time. Check them out if you get the chance. I thot I seen what looked like a small crack . They been building up the sides for the last couple days. Eaglet any time.
Hi Les,
What a coincidence, I just mentioned you to Karen today, wondering if you got back to Florida. Hope you are enjoying the warmth, cold and snowy up here. Glad to hear about the eagles, hope they successfully hatch and fledge. I know you’ll be keeping an eye on them. Enjoy your new year and good luck with the eagles. John
Hey John, how you been, i am still in Florida. been watching the Eagles nest down here in North Fort Myers, One egg didn’t make it but the another named E-9 has grown an started branch hopping an his wing exercising. he may be trying his first attempt to fly in a week or so. hope to still be here to catch that. anyway. hope you made it Thu the winter. see ya soon on the Kill.
Hey Les! Good to hear from you! We had five inches of snow today, but the winter hasn’t been to bad overall. Glad the eaglet is doing well. Both of our pairs at the Bashakill are on eggs now, the second pair built a nest off Haven Road where they had built their original one the fell down the first year. Hopefully this one will hold. Look forward to spring, guess we’ll see you then!
Was up at the Bashakill earlier today & noticed a dead Purple Gallinule on the side of Haven Rd. Someone came by & picked it up. I haven’t seen one this early or as out in the open. Is it common to find them here this time of year? Welcome back from FLA
Was it a “Purple” or “Common” Gallinule? If it was Common, they should be coming in now. If it was Purple, it would be a mega rarity!
Thanks John. With a closer look at the photos I took, it appears to be the Common Gallinule.
Mitchell,
I received a report that the Common Gallinule was initially seen along Haven Road and then later found dead. Very unfortunate, migrating all that way to be killed so quickly. Thanks for letting me know. John
John, I am Paula Medley’s sister and would like to contsct you directly. Thx.
Sue, my email address is vanhaas@citlink.net please feel free to contact me. John
Hi John. I believe one of the eaglets at the Haven bridge. He flue over head. Heading toward the nest. Let Scott know for me may not be up this way for a few days. Happy Birding.
Will do Les, thanks!
Hi John. I am sitting at the bashakill boat ramp. Just spotted a Harrier Hawk. On the far side of the kill. It is 11:30 am. Was heading low toward haven. To far for a pic
L
My son forwards your email to me but I would like to recieve my own. Recently joined the Sullivan Co. Audubon Soc. Hope to see you there.
Sylvia, I believe we met at the Rondout around the time of the Little Blue Heron. Nice to hear from you. I think its pretty easy to subscribe to my blog, hopefully your son can assist you. Since mine is the main site, I’m not exactly sure how it works, but I believe somewhere near the top of the post you can click on to subscribe. Good luck and thanks for keeping up with my posts, John
Hi John , I hope your having a great time an seeing alot of birds. I just heard the Eagle nest I watch in North Fort Myers. Harriet just layed her 2nd egg in 4 days. Fort myers eagle cam
24 – 7 live feed. Seen 3 immature eagles an 1 other adult, other then our 2 nesting pair. The immature one was flying in an around the nest tree, at the boat ramp. See ya when you get back
Thanks Les, we are having a good time. Glad the Eagles are doing well! See you soon!
Hi John,
I’m so glad I found your blog. It’s very informative! I believe we met before either through DHC and/or Ed.
I’m hoping you can direct me to those Buntings and the Horned Lark because I will be in Sullivan next week and would love to see those beauties!
On a side note, I reside in the N. Florida area (for the next year), so if you ever want to bird around Wakulla and Leon county let me know 🙂
Hi, I would like to know your name. I would be happy to help with the larks and buntings as long as conditions are good. We should have some snow again before they start to show up, so keep your fingers crossed. I did have one Snow Bunting on the Neversink Dam this morning and more should be coming. Get in touch when you’re in the area and I’ll fill you in on what I know at the time. John
Hi,
My name is Natasza Fontaine. I was a volunteer trail guide with DHC at the Bethel office. Any hints would he great! Thanks so much. I will be in touch next week
Ok, look forward to hearing from you, John
Hi John– I just came here to tell you how much I’ve been enjoying your NY RBA posts about the (nesting!) Prothonotary Warbler in Bashakill. With it, Yellow-throated, Red-headed Woodpecker, et all, all the birds I see when I visit family in South Carolina are definitely moving in…and watching the progression of posts about this Protonotary has been especially fun.
I’m a lifelong birder–and eBirder–currently located a stone’s throw from Croton Point Park (lucky!). I’m there most days. When we lived in NYC, we’d borrow a car and make special trips to Bashakill, and we’ve been back several times since. (My lifer Virginia Rail and Mourning Warbler were there!) It’s a wonderful place, and this is a wonderful blog.
Thank you so much! Glad you are enjoying my posts! I see lots of things you are reporting as well, keep up the good work!