4/6/14 Minerva (Essex Co.) and Long Lake (Hamilton Co.)
I found several Red Crossbill fledglings this morning in Minerva. Red Crossbills were found in 3 locations along Route 28N and 1 location on the Blue Ridge Road - at least 16 birds were found today. I took photos of a fledgling at the top of a tree that was among a flock I found as soon as I got out of my car. The flock moved down the road and I followed not expecting to find them. I was on the right side of the road looking left where the birds had gone when I heard quiet vocalizations over my head - a Red Crossbill fledgling! It was making really interesting sounds non-stop. It was only a few feet from me, so I slowly moved away. It seemed completely tame and I was able to take quite a few photos. A second fledgling was doing the same vocalization nearby and they both dropped down behind the snow bank (just a few feet from me) to a wet spot with no snow. They spent a long time on the ground, but they were out of my sight with the snowbank blocking my view. After a while, a flock of calling Red Crossbills flew in and the fledglings joined them as they flew off. (I came back a couple hours later to the same spot, and once again found Red Crossbills as I got out of my car - I observed 3 adult females, but they didn't stay still long enough for photographs.) I posted 10 photos of the fledglings at https://www.facebook.com/AdirondackAvian . We had a juvenile Red Crossbill gritting in our driveway with an adult pair on 2/22/14 (in Long Lake), but I had not observed any other juveniles this winter/spring until today. I drove down the road about a mile from the fledgling location and nearly hit a pair of Red Crossbills gritting in the road. As I slammed on the breaks, a Red Crossbill flew up over my hood - it was really close, but the birds were fine. They continued gritting and I took photos - I also posted 10 photos of this pair - you can see their long, pink tongues in the photos! (I also took a video of this pair that I will post to Facebook.) I also found Boreal Chickadees in Minerva. I attempted to photograph one, but my iPhone was in video mode, so I went with that - will post to Facebook also. Since I returned from Iowa on Wednesday, Brown Creepers and Golden-crowned Kinglets are singing. Purple Finches are widespread. Wild Turkeys seem to be everywhere. I found a Ruffed Grouse on Sabattis Circle Road again today - and photographed it. My husband and I observed several voles running in and out of their tunnel system under the snow in our backyard just before sunset. So, we still have plenty of Barred Owl food near our house! (My husband said he heard Barred Owls 3 nights in a row after I left for Iowa.) 4/5/14 Montezuma (windy and cold) I was in Montezuma for a meeting yesterday and spent about an hour birding in later afternoon before returning home. Here are some of the species found by driving around the loop road: Gadwall Amer. Wigeon Blue-winged Teal Northern Shoveler Northern Pintail Green-winged Teal Ring-necked Duck Bufflehead Hooded Merganser Pied-billed Grebe Double-crested Cormorant (3 on the river) Great Blue Heron Turkey Vulture Osprey - on many nests Bald Eagle - many! Northern Harrier Red-tailed Hawk Amer. Coot There seemed to be an abundance of food for the raptors, gulls, and waterfowl - this is such an important area for wildlife. 4/4/14 Long Lake Since the record-early Red-shouldered Hawk returned, the Blue Jays switched from doing "Broad-winged Hawk" to "Red-shouldered Hawk" vocalizations at our feeders! 4/3/14 Long Lake After returning from Iowa (where it was warm and there were many birds!), there were several first-of-the-season species (for Long Lake): Mourning Dove, Dark-eyed Junco, Song Sparrow, Turkey Vulture, and Hooded Merganser pair (on a tiny section of open water on the Round Lake outlet on Sabattis Circle Road). Joan Collins Long Lake, NY -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
