The WESTERN GREBE is being very accommodating near the southwest corner of the lake. I was looking from along Taughannock Boulevard, but I think it would have been almost equivalent viewing from Hogs Hole or the white lighthouse (and it would have been fantastic looks from the red lighthouse!) As it was, the bird was close enough for very good looks through a scope, unsatisfying looks in binoculars, and mediocre (but better than earlier in the week) photos. It was spending some time with a group of scaup as well as diving and wandering around a bit, but generally due north from Hogs Hole. A male RUDDY DUCK was also swimming nearby, and I saw a male LONG-TAILED DUCK fly north up the lake. This morning Tim and Brad also had two distant WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS from East Shore looking towards the yacht club.
Last night I stopped by Stewart Park to look for gulls. I succeeded in finding two 1st-cycle ICELAND GULLS and what I took to be a 2nd-cycle LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL, perhaps the same as the 3rd-cycle others have reported? The overall look was of a 1st-cycle Lesser, with some pattern on the back and a mostly dark bill. However, the back was quite dark (darker than any Herring) with some yellow on the bill. I would like to see this bird again in better light. Finally, yesterday morning I spent a little time at Summerhill, where I had 33+ WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS on Salt Road just south of Hoag, and a few more (or some of the same) crossbills and about 40 PINE SISKINS at the swamp on Hoag. Good birding, -Jay -- Jay McGowan Macaulay Library Cornell Lab of Ornithology jw...@cornell.edu -- 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/ --
