Wonderful visit to the main refuge this afternoon where it was children's day! On the drive we listened to American Bittern from the shorebird wetland as we watched two Least Bittern criss cross the drive to fetch and return food for their young which were on the east side. Around that same area a we just missed good looks at a Virginia Rail and young but did see several Black Tern, Caspian Tern Green Heron and some real young on the main pool side. Here in the canal we found one group of three adult Gallinule and 7 chicks still in the black natal down. A bit further north, just beyond the red flag, we spotted many more gallinule chicks that were quite a bit older. That continued all the way to LaRue's as we saw many more.
We also had many young coot and while watching the antics of those families, up popped two Pied-billed Grebe youngsters and their parent. That area produced many more coot young as we creeped along. Of course, we don't have a decent telephoto lens so our pix are identifiable but fuzzy -much like those very young Gallinules! Tsache tower produced a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, one eagle and at least 13 Great Egret among the other species present. Before heading back we walked the towpath with not much to report other than butterflies and katydids and Sandhill cranes. -- John and Sue Gregoire Field Ornithologists Kestrel Haven Avian Migration Observatory 5373 Fitzgerald Road Burdett,NY 14818-9626 Website: http://www.empacc.net/~kestrelhaven/ "Conserve and Create Habitat" -- 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/ --
