Hi again, Thanks, I will. Cheers, Bob To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [nysbirds-l] Doodletown Rd, Iona Island, Mine Rd., and a mind blowing 3-4 seconds that left us very perplexed. From: [email protected] Date: Sat, 4 Jun 2011 12:34:55 -0400
Yes you can share the communications. -----Original Message----- From: ROBERT ADAMO <[email protected]> To: acupressur <[email protected]> Sent: Fri, Jun 3, 2011 9:28 pm Subject: RE: [nysbirds-l] Doodletown Rd, Iona Island, Mine Rd., and a mind blowing 3-4 seconds that left us very perplexed. Hi Bob, We haven't met (that I know of) but I do know your son Doug, a wonderful young man, an outstanding birder with the tools and motivation to become a real leader- you must be quite proud ! Re: D'town Rd., and using your landmarks, we first saw the BBWO about half way up the e/w rd. which connects the two cemetery turn- offs, it was in the air, just past the road, about 15' high, flying in a northerly direction (toward Perkins Dr.), ~ 9:45 AM (as stated below). The bird was well lit, and although I'm not sure of the sun's exact position at that moment, believe it would have been to our right (easterly). Our presence might have been the reason for the bird to flush, but have no way of telling, due to it's position when we first became aware of it. Thank you for asking me to clarify my directions, and also for the important, additional info. Good luck looking for the bird, and please give my best to Doug. Cheers, Bob Adamo....P.S. Can I share our communications/information with NYBirds-L ? To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [nysbirds-l] Doodletown Rd, Iona Island, Mine Rd., and a mind blowing 3-4 seconds that left us very perplexed. From: [email protected] Date: Fri, 3 Jun 2011 15:05:07 -0400 As the books that you listed will tell you, BBWO is extraordinarily rare down state, at any season. There is a note in the 1998 edition of Bull, edited by Levine, that "...individuals that do stray from their breeding area often find a locale and stay for weeks or even months...", which is why the bird should be looked for again to see whether it has found a place to stay. So, in order to relocate the bird, it would be helpful to improve on your locational description. It appears a bit hazy... on the east-west road, roughly between the two cemetery turn-offs? Was the bird flying northerly (toward Perkins Drive) or southerly (toward the valley)? How high in the air? What time of day (where was the sun?). Was it flushed initially? Bob Gochfeld Brooklyn -----Original Message----- From: ROBERT ADAMO <[email protected]> To: NY BIRDS <[email protected]> Sent: Fri, Jun 3, 2011 2:29 pm Subject: [nysbirds-l] Doodletown Rd, Iona Island, Mine Rd., and a mind blowing 3-4 seconds that left us very perplexed. Yesterday, on Thursday the 2nd, Linda Sullivan and I left Wading River at 5 AM, arriving at D'town Rd. at 7:25 AM. We had a total of 29 "sure" species for the day, plus one big question mark at D'town Rd.. We found the birding, for the above areas, in the first week of June, to be very slow and fairly quiet- with stiff wind conditions certainly being one of the negative factors. We had both Vultures, with 2 Blacks seen at Mine Rd. We saw a Yellow-Billed Cuckoo, in addition to hearing a Pileated Woodpecker at D'town Rd. We had a total of 6 warblers: Blue Winged; Golden Winged (Mine Rd.); Yellow; A. Redstart; Common Yellowthroat and Hooded (D'town Rd.). We observed a lone, male Indigo Bunting, bathing in a stream along Mine Rd. Of the remaining 18 "sure" species, all qualified as common "breeders". We think (however improbable it seems to be) that #30 was a male Black-backed Woodpecker. This brief encounter happened about 9:45 AM, on the road that "Tees" off the main road, that one takes in from Rt.9W. This intersection occurs just after passing the pond on your left, and if you make a left turn here, it will take you to the cemetery nearest the pond. After checking this area out, we returned to the afore-mentioned "T"and went straight, heading for the next road on the left, that would take us to the farthest cemetery. About half way up to this cemetery road, Linda and I were startled by a dark bird that had flown over the road about 15-20' in front of us, and was flying away from us rather quickly. Our next impression was that it looked and flew like a woodpecker. When we got binoculars on the bird, all we could see was the upper half (tail, back, wings and crown)of the bird- we did not see any white outer tail feathers, the bottom half of the bird, nor the rest of the head ( face, bill, etc.). What we both did see was a completely black upper half, except for the crown which was yellow. We took the size to be smaller than N. Flicker and Lewis's W., (which I had seen recently near Rochester), but larger than Red-headed, Red-bellied and Hairy Woodpeckers. We agree with the description found in Sibley's Guide to Birds that reads " appears large-headed, short- tailed". The only specie we know of that has similar size and general plumage is Yellow-headed Blackbird, but we discounted it, because of the bird's white primary coverts, tail/ body proportion, and flight style. A short while after it disappeared, we tried playing an "I- phone", to no avail. After reading about the BBWO in the following publications: The Atlas of Breeding Birds in N.Y.S., Robert F. Andrle and Janet R. Carroll, Editors; The Second Atlas of Breeding Birds in N.Y.S., Edited by Kevin J. McGowan and Kimberly Corwin; Birds of N.Y.S. by John Bull; Bull's Birds of N.Y.S., Edited by Emanuel Levine; Feild Guide to the Birds of N.A., National Geographic; The Sibley Guide to Birds by David Allen Sibley; A Natural History of American Birds of Eastern and Central N. America by Edward Howe Forbush and John Bichard May, we believe we have the responsibility to document this sighting, even though we know of the questions, and/or the skepticism it will surely generate. We will be submitting this sighting to NYSOA's NYSARC for for it's consideration. My previous experience with Black-backed Woodpecker is limited to 5 sightings- the 1st 3 in the Connecticut Lakes area of New Hampshire, the 4th in the Lake Placid area of New York, with the last being in the Saranac Lake area of New York.Their respective dates are: 6/22/91; 6/26/92; 6/25/93; 9/12/97 and either, 6/1 or 2/ 02. The '92 and '93 sightings were of both parents (possibly same pair), at the same tree and nest hole, feeding 2 young. I have seen many Yellow-headed Blackbirds in both the northwestern & southwestern areas of our country, as well as at a Centereach, L.I. feeder on 2/25/78. Cheers, Bob -- NYSbirds-L List Info: Welcome and Basics Rules and Information Subscribe, Configuration and Leave Archives: The Mail Archive Surfbirds BirdingOnThe.Net Please submit your observations to eBird! -- -- 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/[email protected]/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/ --
