As of yesterday, the HUDSONIAN GODWIT count at Montezuma is up to four. These birds still seem to be frequenting Eaton Marsh on the Wildlife Drive but are also often missed there, so they may be commuting back and forth to Knox-Marsellus and Puddlers frequently. This morning all four were at the north end of Eaton Marsh, three juveniles and one transitional adult. Also present were LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS, DUNLIN, and PECTORAL SANDPIPERS, and WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPERS have been reported recently. Yesterday a BAIRD'S SANDPIPER was photographed being taken by a Merlin at Eaton. Today a BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER was reported at the Visitor Center pool, although an AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER was present there on Sunday. Swallow numbers continue to be unseasonably high, with thousands of TREE SWALLOWS over the Main Pool and smaller numbers of BARN, NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED, BANK, and CLIFF mixed in. Duck numbers are increasing daily, with several hundred RING-NECKED DUCKS now in the middle of the Main Pool, today joined by at least a dozen LESSER SCAUP and one GREATER SCAUP, as well as scattered REDHEAD, RUDDY DUCKS, and all the usual dabblers. A male EURASIAN WIGEON still in transitional plumage but with a bright red head was amongst the American Wigeon this morning.
Here in Ithaca, warbler numbers and diversity is way down but a few species are still lingering, including good numbers of BLACKPOLL WARBLERS along the lake shore, as well as YELLOW WARBLER and NORTHERN PARULA, and of course much higher numbers of PALM and YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS. Kevin and a I found a PHILADELPHIA VIREO along the shore of the Sapsucker Woods pond yesterday, and Livia and I had two with a flock of Blue-headed and Red-eyed Vireos at Lindsay-Parsons on Saturday. LINCOLN'S SPARROWS are around in good numbers at most locations with suitable habitat, and WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS are everywhere. A walk around Hog Hole yesterday morning did not turn up any Nelson's Sparrows. Kayaking around the south end of the lake on Monday, Livia and I had a very late continuing COMMON NIGHTHAWK foraging above Jetty Woods at dusk, as well as late CASPIAN TERNS. Several LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS have been around as well, often seen out on the jetties and today at the compost piles. A few recent eBird lists of interest: Lindsay-Parsons on Saturday: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S25278239 Wildlife Drive on Sunday: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S25290455 Stewart Park area by kayak on Monday night: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S25312205 Hog Hole Tuesday: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S25317224 Sapsucker Woods Tuesday: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S25320700 Wildlife Drive today: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S25330307 -- Jay McGowan Macaulay Library Cornell Lab of Ornithology jw...@cornell.edu -- 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/ --
