Hi all, Ton and I went around the lake yesterday, Saturday, for some birding. The wind was strong from the southwest all day. We started out on Stevenson Rd., in the area around the Pheasant Farm in Ithaca where there was a huge flock (200+) of mostly female REDWING BLACKBIRDS, with a few GRACKLES mixed in. In addition, the area held 8 TURKEY VULTURES, one BLUEBIRD and only 2 REDTAILED HAWKS in addition to the hundreds of AMERICAN CROWS. We then stopped at Myers Point (skipped Stewart Park, so missed Tim's scoter), which was empty except for MALLARDS. On up the east side of the lake - where we spotted one KESTREL along the way before we stopped at Long Point Park. One (and the only one of the day) COMMON LOON and several BLACK DUCKS. Aurora Bay had more BLACK DUCKS and a fly-by CORMORANT and one CANADA GOOSE. In Union Springs, the Factory Rd. pond had 6 GADWALL (3 pairs) while the larger pond along the main road contained MALLARDS and 2 female BUFFLEHEAD. The lake was pretty empty! Only a couple of Mallards at the town hall park in Cayuga. Around 2 pm we arrived at the Visitors Center at Montezuma. The following lists were entered into eBIRD. X means too many (or too difficult) to count.
Location: Montezuma NWR--Visitor Center Number of species: 7 Canada Goose 4 American Wigeon 10 Mallard 20 Green-winged Teal 25 Black-bellied Plover 5 Greater Yellowlegs 1 Dunlin 70+ Location: Montezuma NWR--Main Pool (wildlife drive) The Main Pool, of course, is covered in vegetation, but also in water, which makes a great hiding place for the ducks! It's hard to see them, but a cooperative adult BALD EAGLE flew over, toward the wildlife drive, putting up hundreds and hundreds of PINTAILS, RING-NECKED and other ducks. The Pintails dominated, however. Number of species: 21 Greater White-fronted Goose 1 Canada Goose - many flying American Black Duck X Mallard X Northern Shoveler X Northern Pintail X Green-winged Teal 25 in wetland to right of first part of drive Ring-necked Duck X Greater/Lesser Scaup X Double-crested Cormorant a few Great Blue Heron X Bald Eagle 2 Northern Harrier 2 Red-tailed Hawk 4 American Coot X Black-bellied Plover 3 - in new mudflat just past the main pool Killdeer 2 Dunlin X - in new mudflat just past the main pool Ring-billed Gull X Herring Gull X Great Black-backed Gull X American Crow X Red-winged Blackbird X Location: Montezuma NWR--Knox-Marcellus Marsh Observation date: 10/30/10 Number of species: 11 Snow Goose 400 Canada Goose X Tundra Swan 30 Not certain these were all Tundra or Trumpeter or both - in distance. Most likely Tundra. Mallard X Common Merganser 5 Ruddy Duck 4 Great Blue Heron 8 Sandhill Crane 16 - our first EVER seen at Montezuma! I always thought it was a myth...... Dunlin X Ring-billed Gull X Herring Gull X Laura Stenzler l...@cornell.edu -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
