8/17/14 Northville-Placid Trail in Long Lake (Hamilton Co.)
I took a mid-afternoon hike on the Northville-Placid Trail (S) in Long Lake. I found a male Black-backed Woodpecker near the trailhead and a pair of Common Ravens perched together at the top of a tall tree. Wildflowers are lovely, including Turtleheads which are currently in bloom. Mushrooms are remarkable this summer! Cedar Waxwings were once again flocking with Eastern Kingbirds at the Little Tupper Lake outlet (see below). 8/16/14 Long Lake (Hamilton Co.), Tupper Lake causeway (Franklin Co.), Gull Pond and Massawepie Mire (St. Lawrence Co.) I was awakened at 3 a.m. by two vocalizing Barred Owls behind our house - the best way to wake up! David Buckley and I hiked 6 miles round trip at Massawepie Mire, starting at 6:30 a.m. It was wonderful to find yet another Black-billed Cuckoo! We were surprised to find a very vocal Yellow-bellied Flycatcher family group - calling and singing. We also found several singing Canada Warblers! Here are some of the species found at Massawepie Mire: Ruffed Grouse Black-billed Cuckoo American Kestrel - 1 Merlin - 2 together Yellow-bellied Flycatcher - vocal family group Gray Jay - at least 7 Boreal Chickadee - 4 Winter Wren Golden-crowned Kinglet Eastern Bluebird Hermit Thrush Black-and-white Warbler - many Nashville Warbler Common Yellowthroat Northern Parula Magnolia Warbler Blackburnian Warbler Chestnut-sided Warbler Black-throated Blue Warbler Palm Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Canada Warbler - several singing! Lincoln's Sparrow Swamp Sparrow White-throated Sparrow Purple Finch At Gull Pond in Piercefield, there was a Great Blue Heron and Tree and Barn Swallows. Down the road a bit (over the line into Franklin Co. now) I found a group of Cedar Waxwings flocking with Eastern Kingbirds near the Raquette River. Later, I found the same behavior at the outlet of Little Tupper Lake. I stopped at the causeway pull-off between Tupper Lake and Simon Pond. I was about to scan for waterfowl when I flushed an American Bittern that had only been a few feet from me! It stayed close by and I observed it for a long time. I added photos of the male Black-backed Woodpecker, Common Ravens, American Bittern, Gray Jays, Tent Caterpillars, Turtleheads, Steeplebush, and Meadowsweet to my Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/AdirondackAvian . Joan Collins Long Lake, NY (315) 244-7127 cell (518) 624-5528 home http://www.adirondackavianexpeditions.com/ http://www.facebook.com/AdirondackAvian -- 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/ --
