For those still interested in trying to see the Red Knot and Ruff at
Montezuma, I thought I'd share a few details of the sightings that Shawn
Billerman, Andy Johnson, Jay McGowan and I had yesterday (11 September
2010). We spent from roughly 3 pm to 6 pm scanning the shorebirds from
Towpath Road. During that time, we had a very distant views of the RED
KNOT in Knox-Marsellus Marsh (the wetland area on the left/west side of
the dike). By very distant views, I mean very distant views with
Swarovski spotting scopes at 60X. It would have been impossible to
identify the knot (or any other shorebirds) with just binoculars or
perhaps even with a low-powered scope.
As we were about to depart the Towpath Road area, we traveled a bit
further down the road (to the east) to view shorebirds in what is
apparently called "Puddlers Marsh" (the wetland area on the right/east
side of the dike, as viewed from Towpath Road). During the brief time
we were there, a group of shorebirds (mostly Semipalmated Plovers)
occasionally landed close enough to us so that we could not only see and
identify them, but actually enjoy the beauty of their intricate
plumages. However, this group was very flighty and kept flying around
the area. During one of their brief touchdowns, though, the Red Knot
was in their midst, offering nice (but brief) views.
We then heard from Kevin McGowan that the Ruff was present in
Knox-Marsellus Marsh as viewed from East Road. So, we headed up there,
and Jay quickly relocated the Ruff. Again, this bird was extremely
distant, and it required high-powered scopes just to see it and identify
it. It was much too distant to really enjoy or appreciate any of the
subtle details of its appearance. While we were watching it, the Ruff
was in the vicinity of some of the many Lesser Yellowlegs present. To
my eye, the body of the Ruff was about the same size as the Lesser
Yellowlegs. However, its legs were much shorter, giving a more compact
look overall (compared to the yellowlegs). For those who haven't seen
the Ruff, it is a juvenile bird, meaning that it does not have any of
the flashy ruffs that make adult males so flashy. Instead, the most
striking thing about the bird is the buffy coloration on the head and
breast. The general pattern of the bird is somewhat similar to Pectoral
Sandpiper (and there are many Pectorals present), but the Ruff is
buffier, and, importantly, much larger.
I hope this is helpful for those still hoping to see one or both of
these birds. It is quite challenging (and frustrating) to find and
identify these birds (and all of the shorebirds present at
Knox-Marsellus), but with a good scope and maybe a little luck, it can
be done.
Good birding,
Matt Medler
Ithaca
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