I also had a very good morning at Sapsucker Woods, seeing many of the same birds as Mark although we did not meet. I only have a few additions. I arrived at the parking lot along the Dryden Rd side midway along Sapsucker Woods at 8am and walked north along the trails of the Ithaca side toward the Podell Boardwalk. This is where I had seen at least 1 Swainson's Thrush last Saturday along with a couple of American Robins feeding on Spicebush fruits. Yesterday Kevin McGowan raised that to several SWAINSON'S THRUSHES and a WOOD THRUSH. Not only were they all still present this morning, but one Swainson's Thrush was giving "pit" calls and softly singing! Shortly after this serenade Wes Hochachka arrived on his walk to work. Together we quietly and slowly worked our way along the boardwalk, and he picked out the GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSH resting on a dead branch about eye-level a few yards west near the south end of boardwalk. We watched it regurgitate a couple seeds as shown in Kevin's photo, and eventually it flew north toward where Kevin said he'd seen it. When we arrived there it flushed again because it had been in a spicebush overhanging the path but hidden from view by a tree trunk until we surprised each other. However I was able to follow its short flight, and we were able to watch it another couple of minutes close to the ground and only a few yards away. For me, too, this bird was perhaps my best view yet of the species.
I also found the BROWN THRASHER, and again had the best extended view that I can recall. Initially it was giving call notes above a thicket along the powerline cut just north of where the trail cuts through the hedgerow toward the little wooden bridge over the ditch by the road. The Thrasher then dropped down into the bush but remained in view as it ate a Gray Dogwood fruit. What seemed to cause it to dive from view was a GRAY CATBIRD flying at it. I then saw at least 4 Gray Catbirds in the same bush where the Thrasher had been (plus there were at least 5 more along the mown trail further south). There were also several SWAMP SPARROWS in that same thicket.
Other fun birds included:
YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER - 1 north of Lab
EASTERN PHOEBE - 1 on stick in pond from Sherwood Platform, 1 north of Lab, 1 eating fruit along power line cut
BLUE-HEADED VIREO - 1 by Sherwood Platform
BROWN CREEPER - 2 on Dryden side in woods
RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET - 1 from Woodleton Boardwalk
MAGNOLIA WARBLER - 1 by Podell Boardwalk
BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER - 1 by Podell Boardwalk, 2 by Sherwood Platform
YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER - 3 by Podell Boardwalk, 2 along power line cut
COMMON YELLOWTHROAT - 1 immature male by Fuller Wetlands
TENNESSEE WARBLER - 1 by Fuller Wetlands
NASHVILLE WARBLER - 1 by Fuller Wetlands
BLACKPOLL WARBLER - 1 from Woodleton Boardwalk
Perhaps the thrill of seeing many of these birds is increased by the possibility that it may be months until we meet again.
--Dave Nutter
On Oct 04, 2011, at 12:06 PM, Mark Chao <markc...@imt.org> wrote:
I had a vastly entertaining visit to Sapsucker Woods on Tuesday morning -
maybe the most satisfying birding outing I've ever had here in any October.
Here are some highlights.
* GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSH near entrance to Wilson Trail south of the Lab
building. I had much the same experience that Kevin shared yesterday -- a
10-minute view from about 7 feet, just a few steps into the woods from the
open garden area. I could see every rictal bristle and every barb of every
feather. It could hardly have been a more immediate viewing experience had
I held the bird in my hand. As I watched, the thrush coughed up three
berries and also defecated three times. Then it flew into the hedgerow at
the edge of the open area, where I saw it glean some shrubs in flight, then
rest again. Wow!!! Thanks, Kevin!
* Two SWAINSON'S THRUSHES near this Gray-cheeked Thrush.
* A fine mixed flock of songbirds in the power line cut on the Dryden side,
near the entrance to the woods. I saw SCARLET TANAGER (apparent male with
nice black wings), PHILADELPHIA VIREO (plainly seen, cautiously identified),
BLUE-HEADED VIREO, RED-EYED VIREO (my total count of 3 seen on both sides of
the road triggered the coveted eBird "confirm" prompt, as did the
Philadelphia), NORTHERN PARULA, BLACKPOLL WARBLER, MAGNOLIA WARBLER,
NASHVILLE WARBLER, RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS, several EASTERN PHOEBES, and a lot
of chickadees and titmice.
* BROWN THRASHER, my first in the sanctuary for more than a year, between
the far parking lot and the power line cut.
* NORTHERN HARRIER migrating high overhead.
* COMMON RAVEN over the main pond, confirmed by both sound and sight.
I had another fortuitous bird encounter yesterday afternoon. At the
intersection of Uptown and Warren Roads in northeast Ithaca, I saw three
perfectly round flocks of starlings rising from the power line cut. As if
at the flourish of a wand, the flocks stretched, instantaneously merged, and
reformed into another flawless sphere. Then I saw the trigger for such
animated collective aerobatics -- a MERLIN on the attack, speeding, diving,
slicing through the flock like a triply-pointed blade, but ultimately
emerging with nothing.
Mark Chao
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