Nice mix of singers and activity back in the deeper wet woods this AM 7-8. Singing and cooperatively up on a branch VEERY, singing from a branch SWAINSON'S THRUSH (also did a fascinating set of chortles like Catbird, meow like Sapsucker, etc. in between the rising song phrases), singing, visible, and interacting WOOD THRUSHes, multiple singing EASTERN WOOD-PEWEE; calling for several minutes YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO (not visible), singing OVENBIRD, shrieking RED-TAILED HAWK (maybe from a nest unseen, not on the wing). Multiple EASTERN PHOEBEs along the way, including one that I first mistook for a possible Olive-sided FC but I think the breast was too dark (as was the lighting at 730am in the mid-undercanopy), though the bird was large and not tail-wagging when it perched after a hawking flight nor calling; maybe keep your eyes out for OSFL over by the pond edge. GREAT-CRESTED FLYCATCHER also was chortling.
Coming back across Podell, a MALLARD mom and 10 ducklings squirted out from under the boardwalk. After I snapped a couple pics and moved in, I heard her carrying on in a big ruckus and flying back and forth over the area, down low, so ran back over to see if it was a Mink attack, but could not see what the issue was before she and Dad seemed to have solved the problem and had ducklings in tow again (I could not do a second head count at that distance). Take your mosquito juice: they are omnipresent and aggressive today! When I was recording the Swainson's, my arm looked like one of those malaria documentaries from the 40s. ______________________ Chris Pelkie Research Analyst Bioacoustics Research Program Cornell Lab of Ornithology 159 Sapsucker Woods Road Ithaca, NY 14850 -- 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/ --
