Hi folks, Sorry for the late posting. Just catching up on a busy weekend that included some excellent birding. On Saturday, Alberto Lopez, Nancy Chen, Hector Claudio-Hernandez (friend visiting from Puerto Rico) and I had a fun morning checking out sites in Tompkins County. Highlights of the 113 species were 1 MOURNING WARBLER and many CANADA WARBLERS at Hammond Hill, 1 MERLIN, 2 SNOW GEESE in farm fields, a CLIFF SWALLOW at Dryden Lake, lingering AMERICAN PIPIT and NORTHERN PINTAIL plus LEAST SANDPIPER at Myers Point, and SOLITARY SANDPIPER and LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL at Stewart Park. Details below:
We started the morning at Goetchius Preserve around dawn (from Flatiron Road), where it was raw and misty and the air was full of Swamp Sparrow trills and spring peepers. We heard a grunting VIRGINIA RAIL over the din of trills and peeps, Wood Ducks were flying about and we heard one Willow Flycatcher calling from far out in the preserve. From there we moved to Hammond Hill which was quietly birdy, despite the cold, fog and mist. Highlights there were a number of CANADA WARBLERS, one singing MOURNING WARBLER, a quite a few BLACKBURNIAN WARBLERS to go with singing PURPLE FINCH, BROWN CREEPERS and GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS, to name a few. All, of course, had to be heard over the ceaseless din of singing Ovenbirds from every direction. >From there we passed singing BOBOLINKS and a perched MERLIN on Irish Settlement Road to arrive at Dryden Lake, which had no water birds to speak of but tons of swallows, including many Barn, and Tree, a few ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOWS and BANK SWALLOWS, and at least one CLIFF SWALLOW. En route to Myers, by way of Dunkin' , we were very surprised to find two SNOW GEESE in a roadside farm field on Rt 38. The bird we studied closely was an immature with a clear grin patch, light mottling on the back and behind the eye, and size and shape right for Snow Geese. We paused just long enough to confirm the ID on the one bird, which was within 50 yds of the road, and we moved on quickly due to the traffic. It'd be nice if someone could confirm these birds at a time when traffic is more leisurely and might permit longer study. At Myers Point, which was pleasantly birdy, Two CASPIAN TERNS were on the spit and a COMMON TERN fought the winds offshore. A lingering AMERICAN PIPIT graced the spit, and the creek was home to a GREATER YELLOWLEGS and LEAST SANDPIPER as well as killdeer and the lingering NORTHERN PINTAIL. Offshore was quiet except a few DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS and 3 COMMON LOONS. Many swallows here too, mostly tree and barn but also BANK SWALLOW and ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW. Heading down the lake to Stewart Park, we found a LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL (adult plumage, seen well in comparison to Ring-billed, Herring and Great black-backed Gulls on the jetty to the red lighthouse). No Bonaparte's Gulls or diving ducks of any sort, but Alberto and Hector picked out PALM WARBLERS and a SOLITARY SANDPIPER plus the woods held BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER. Stops at Sapsucker Woods and Hawthorn Orchards did not add anything new to the lists already sent out about those sites. Ebird Checklists: Goetchius: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S10657470 Hammond HIll: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S10657543 Dryden lake: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S10657667 Myer's Point: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S10658692 Stewart Park: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S10658815 Sapsucker: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S10658855 Hawthorn Orchard: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S10658908 Good birding! Chris Dalton Ithaca, 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/ --
