For the last three days, there have been 5-7 Royal Terns mixed in with the gang of Ring-bills and immature Herring gulls at the Myer's Park spit. The lake and stream levels are high and there is not much spit above water for the crowd of birds to use. The gulls fuss and argue the real estate while the terns do as terns do, sit quietly ignoring them, huddled together all facing the wind. Yesterday, I watched two immature Herring Gulls repeatedly dropping mollusks on the gravel spit presumably to open them.
Everyday I see exquisitely plumed pairs of Hooded and Common Mergansers cruising up and down Salmon Creek ignoring the wind, rain, and cold. At Salt Point, the E. Bluebirds are populating the meadow; a Red-tailed Hawk patrols the Salmon Creek near Rt. 34; Killdeer, Amer. Robins, Song Sparrows, and N. Mockingbirds dominate the air-waves; and rattling Red-winged blackbirds and Kingfishers compete for back up. Coots, C. Geese, Mallards, mergansers, and Red-head Ducks patrol the shore and the call of a Common Loon can still be seen and heard every few days offshore. (I'm usually focused on the ospreys so my bird sightings are by no means complete.) The pair of ospreys that were claiming the new platform at Myers Hill apparently stopped their efforts. I have not seen them in over a week. Has anyone else? These things happen. There is still time for another pair to move in. Last year, the Salt Point pair did not meet until Earth Day, April 22, 2013. The female osprey—I nicknamed the female Ophelia and male Orpheus)—at Salt Point should be getting ready to lay eggs soon. and that's the way it is... Candace -- 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/ --
