Happy New Year to everyone!
There is a solo Bohemian Waxwing in Long Lake. (I dont recall ever seeing just one!) Emily and Brian Farr texted me photos yesterday afternoon of a Bohemian Waxwing feeding in their Japanese Apple Tree. They said it has been in their yard for a week. The bird can be seen from the road (owners were fine with me posting). Their home is across from Stewarts Shop on Route 28N to the right of the Hosss Country Corners buildings. It is the first residential home and has feeders to the left of the house. The fruit tree is located to the left of the garage behind the home. Interesting that they have two other fruit trees that the bird isnt interested in! The homeowners said they donated one of the Japanese Apple trees to the Long Lake Library years ago a tree Ive kept an eye on this winter! If the bird runs out of fruit at their home, it may move to this fruit tree in front of the library a short distance from their home. I was talking to the homeowners for an hour and the Bohemian Waxwing just sits in the tree and occasionally grabs an apple! The only time it left the tree was when it was chased by Blue Jays. Quick update on finches: There is a large irruption of Pine Siskins in the Adirondacks that started in early fall. Purple Finches and Amer. Goldfinches are still around. Both Red and White-winged Crossbills are around in patchy areas. A flock of 8 White-winged Crossbills have been feeding near Sabattis Bog in Long Lake and I found a pair along Route 30 near John Dillon Park in Long Lake. A Red Crossbill was singing recently at the Round Lake Trailhead on Sabattis Road. I counted 41 White-winged Crossbills during the Saranac Lake CBC on 12/30/23 (Route 55, Oregon Plains, Bigelow Road, and about a mile of the bog trail ½ north and ½ south). Three different males along Oregon Plains Road were singing. My Pine Siskin count was 455 and that was conservative! A few climate change notes: Our first frost in Long Lake was October 31 this year about 6 weeks later than it used to be a couple decades ago. I had hanging flowers alive into November in the past they would always be dead by mid-September. On a warmish evening on November 17, 2023, I was driving home on Route 28N dodging frogs in the road just remarkable and surprising. As we watched the Bohemian Waxwing earlier today, we made note of the open ground with no snow cover, and lamented the disappearance of winter. Joan Collins Long Lake, NY -- (copy & paste any URL below, then modify any text "_DOT_" to a period ".") NYSbirds-L List Info: NortheastBirding_DOT_com/NYSbirdsWELCOME_DOT_htm NortheastBirding_DOT_com/NYSbirdsRULES_DOT_htm NortheastBirding_DOT_com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave_DOT_htm ARCHIVES: 1) mail-archive_DOT_com/nysbirds-l@cornell_DOT_edu/maillist_DOT_html 2) surfbirds_DOT_com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L 3) birding_DOT_aba_DOT_org/maillist/NY01 Please submit your observations to eBird: ebird_DOT_org/content/ebird/ --
