A little before 10:30 this morning, Celeste Morien and I had three swallows flying right along the lakeshore at Golden Hill State Park in Niagara County. I was able to get two in the scope and confirm that they were CAVE SWALLOWS, noting the square tail tip, buffy throat, and pale rump. The third swallow was likely the same species but we were unable to confirm that. Our complete checklist follows.
Golden Hill SP, Niagara, New York, US Nov 12, 2015 8:43 AM - 1:43 PM Protocol: Traveling 0.1 mile(s) Comments: With Celeste Morien. Submitted from eBird for iOS, version 1.1.3 Build 30 33 species (+2 other taxa) Canada Goose 400 American Wigeon 1 Northern Pintail 3 Ring-necked Duck 1 Greater Scaup 4 White-winged Scoter 38 Surf/Black Scoter 1 Long-tailed Duck 134 Bufflehead 2 Common Goldeneye 21 Common Merganser 1 Red-breasted Merganser 403 Red-throated Loon 144 Common Loon 24 Horned Grebe 10 Red-necked Grebe 32 About 12 on the water and the rest in flight. Double-crested Cormorant 1 Bonaparte's Gull 229 Ring-billed Gull 69 Herring Gull 91 Great Black-backed Gull 9 Blue Jay 4 American Crow 3 Cave Swallow 2 I noticed a swallow right in front of and above us and got Celeste on it. It had a pale buffy throat, was darkish above, and had a square tail. After it was past us I got it in the scope and could see that it had a pale rump. Celeste noted another swallow with it and I got it in the scope, eventually seeing a pale throat and rump, as well as similar size and shape to the first swallow. Celeste then noted a third swallow with the first two but I never saw that one. swallow sp. 1 Celeste saw this bird in binoculars and said that it looked similar to the Cave Swallows it was with but she could not see color details. Black-capped Chickadee 3 American Robin 2 European Starling 6 Cedar Waxwing 75 Snow Bunting 1 American Tree Sparrow 1 Dark-eyed Junco 14 White-crowned Sparrow 1 Northern Cardinal 1 American Goldfinch 1 View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S25804719 Good birding! Willie ------------------ Willie D'Anna Betsy Potter Wilson, NY dannapotterATroadrunner.com http://www.betsypottersart.com <http://www.betsypottersart.com/> 2013 Big Year: http://www.betsypottersart.com/willie-s-photos/2013-big-year/ Odonates: https://www.flickr.com/photos/107683885@N07/sets/72157653377711578 -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
