Took a trip up to the Montezuma wetland complex today. First stop was at the visitor's center for a restroom break and a quick check...saw many yellowlegs, mostly lesser but a few greater also. Killdeer also present. Didn't spend much time here. Next stop was May's point. Lighting is horrible midday and I know this, but it was the only time that worked for me. Even so, there are still loads of peeps all over. I saw and heard both least and semipalamated sandpipers. There are also many yellowlegs, few killdeer and several semipalmated plovers. Best birds I had were 4 pectoral sandpipers. I also had a candidate for a BAIRD's but the distance and lighting just was not in my favor, at least at my skill level. So I won't call this one. There were also many great egrets...I counted 37 but it is probably many more. Next stop was Muckrace flats on Savannah Spring Lake road. This area had a nice variety of shorebirds and the distance was not that bad although midday lighting was still not good. I had the following: 14 lesser yellowlegs, 2 greater yellowlegs, many least and semipalamated sandpipers, 1 semipalmated plover, 2 pectoral sandpipers, several dowitchers (short-billed I assume?) and 1 stilt sandpiper. Got some nice views of this bird in and around the dowitchers. Last stop was railroad road to see if I could get lucky enough to see the ibis. I walked around one of the impoundments but the heat and humidity really got to me so I did not get to the others. No ibis for me. But there were a few peeps on the algae mats, a family group of trumpeter swans, the young are tagged. I also had a nice view of a northern harrier sitting in a tree just above the marsh. there were also many pied-billed grebes, 1 common moorhen, and lots of great-blue herons. I also checked some of the other roads(Morgan, Carncross and Van Dyne Sporer) up there for the ibis as it could be anywhere...with no luck. It could also easily be hiding in the reeds and the purple loosestrife in any of these places! Too hot and tired to check out Knox-Marcellis marsh today....next time!
I imagine this evening could be quite nice up there...with better lighting and a little cooler temperatures. Dave Nicosia Johnson City, NY -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
