When I turned from Seyboldt onto Stahl Rd at 10:46am, Tim Lenz was still there, recently joined by Garrett MacDonald and Rose Swift, and they had a scope aimed at the bird, which had moved from a roadside pole to a tree in the northern part of the farmyard, about 1/6 mile from us. The gray GYRFALCON was very cooperative, and sat quietly, looking around, bobbing its head, preening, and glaring at the occasional crow which had the nerve to fly close. After several minutes, and for no obvious reason, it flew NE about 1/3 mile, crossing Seyboldt Rd so low it had to swoop up to avoid a passing car, and then perched atop a utility pole, where it stayed a few more minutes. Then it flew NE then NW slowly climbing and occasionally circling until it was hard for me to discern through binoculars, but with directions I was able to refind it through Garrett's scope. After I handed off the scope, he said the bird stooped, then leveled off going westerly, and the last he saw, it appeared to possibly be about to land. This was far to our north, somewhere in the vicinity of the Fingerlakes Regional Airport, but when I drove around that area and near the Lott Farm I did not find it. Perhaps it found the gulls attractive at the Seneca Meadows landfill, but I did not go there. Or maybe it was on the ground eating a Ring-necked Pheasant, of which I saw 10 in the neighborhood.
This was a massive falcon, so broad in the body as to make the head appear small compared to its more familar congeners. The rounded tail was considerably longer than the sharply-pointed folded wingtips. The plumage was a lovely light gray all above, with numerous narrow white lines barring the tail. The back feathers also had very fine white edges or points on them. It had a complete helmet of similar pale gray, highlighted by the white throat and by a narrow bar of white just above the light-colored, black-tipped bill. There was also a narrow white horizontal mark on either side of the nape. The facial pattern was very subtle, but there was a a slightly darker gray vertical mark extending down in front of the eye and a narrow slightly darker line extending back from the eye. I never saw the underside completely but did see some narrow dark barring near the base of the undertail coverts and on the flanks which were otherwise white. When it flew away it showed a white flash from the underside of the primaries on the bottom of each downstroke, but this was well in from the wingtips. This was only the second time I've seen a Gyrfalcon well enough to count it, and the first time in the Cayuga Lake Basin. Many thanks to Tim for getting the word out and to Garrett & Rose for sharing the scope (mine is off being repaired). In addition to Tim (who left before the falcon did), Garrett, & Rose, there was also another couple who stayed in their car whom I did not recognize, and a fellow from downstate who was in Weedsport when he got the message on Cayugabirds-L and arrived in time to see the bird from Seyboldt or Cemetery Road. A car of Cornell students was also cruising around the Fingerlakes Regional Airport when I was, and later Ann Mitchell & Gary Kohlenberg went looking, but I assume by their silence that they did not share my good fortune. By the way I DID say which way it flew (see below). I often find that re-reading text messages is helpful, as I have also overlooked information when relaying a text alert to the listserve. --Dave Nutter >From Tim Lenz text to CayugaRBA, 9:28am: Gray GYRFALCON perched on phone pole on Stahl rd (off of Seybolt rd) Seneca Co. >From me to CayugaBirds Listserve, 9:36am: gray GYRFALCON on pole, Stahl Rd off Seyboldt, Canoga, Fayette Township, Seneca County >From me texted to CayugaRBA, 11:13am: Gyrfalcon flew north from Stahl Rd a couple miles but dropped as if landing. -- 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/ --
