I went birding up the east side of Cayuga Lake and around the Montezuma area today. Starting at Long Point SP, the wind howled from the south and the waves crashed, but birds were scarce. By the time I got to the Aurora Boathouse, the wind had shifted to the NW and the temperature had dropped 20 deg. I managed to locate 19 HORNED GREBES in the swirling waters brfore my hands froze. By Union Springs, the wind had died and the lake calm. 8 more HORNED GREBES showed up. REDHEADS are beginning to amass, with several hundred there. The lake at Cayuga was open water, and a scan from north to south found 10 GULLS and fog. >From the Potato Bldg. in the Mucklands, hundreds of TUNDRA SWANS, CANADA >GEESE, MALLARDS and BLACK DUCKS and RING-BILLED GULLS covered the mostly >watery expanse. I spied 2 SNOWY OWLS, one on a pole, the other on a roof, and >both close to the road, for eye-popping visuals. On to the east end of Van Dyne Spoor Rd., where I hoped to find more owls on the massive MUSKRAT house development. This area used to be a great spot for short-eared owls, but is flooded now. I scanned anyway and found 9 BALD EAGLES (3 adult) on the ice apparently waiting for a muskrat to venture a little too far from protection. I hear muskrat is good eating, better than dead carp anyway. Finally, I stopped in an area south of Aurora and saw 1 male N. HARRIER, and 2 SHORT-EARED OWLS. There may have been more, but I remained fascinated watching these two. I wish I could move like that.
Culinary treat: Dave's in Savannah has EXCELLENT Texas Hots. I got one with mustard and onions to go, with coffee; only $3.43. Ate it at Morgan Rd. while I watched about 100 CROWS gad about. Why would a crow just stand on the ice for long periods of time? Aren't they intelligent? Steve Fast Brooktondale -- 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/[email protected]/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/ --
