It has been over two weeks since I've heard or observed any Pine Siskins or Purple Finches in the central Adirondacks. American Goldfinches continue to visit our feeders, increasing in numbers. I hear them everywhere I hike also. I encountered Evening Grosbeaks again along Sabattis Circle Road in Long Lake. I've heard low-flyover White-winged Crossbills twice along Sabattis Circle Road.
11/11/14 Sabattis Circle Road, Long Lake (Hamilton Co.) Northern Cardinal - female; This is the second Northern Cardinal I've encountered in the past week - this species continues its range expansion White-winged Crossbill - small group heard flying over Sabattis Bog 11/10/14 Bloomingdale Areas and several roads in Spring Pond Bog (Franklin Co.) On a tour with a couple from Brooklyn, we spent the day in boreal habitat in Franklin Co. Here are some of the species found: Hooded Merganser Common Merganser Ruffed Grouse Northern Goshawk - flying across Oregon Plains Rd. in Bloomingdale! Black-backed Woodpecker - 2; photograph of a male on my Facebook page below Pileated Woodpecker - 2 Gray Jay - at least 7 in 4 different groups (2,2,1,2) including one that came to a hand for raisins! (5 photos on my Facebook page below) Boreal Chickadee - at least 11 in 4 different groups (2,3,2,4) Brown Creeper Golden-crowned Kinglet We also observed an Ermine cross the road in front of our car on Route 30. It was already in its winter white plumage (about 95% white with just a few brown hairs left). Daylight (not cold) is the trigger that stops hormone production in Ermine. Fur is shed and white fur is the result of no pigment. (There is also genetics involved since southern U.S. Ermine remain brown.) I have been observing white Snowshoe Hares and Ermine for the past decade sticking out like sore thumbs in a landscape devoid of snow. (The Snowshoe Hare often appear as white plastic bags on brown ground - in the snow, you would never notice them.) The timing of this change likely evolved over a long period of time. Climate changes in the past couple decades have been rapid and dramatic. I suspect this is causing serious problems for the white mammals. It has gotten to the point where the only month we can count on total snow cover in the Adirondacks is now down to just February. (Historically, it was late Oct. to late April.) Worrisome. 11/8/14 Sabattis Circle Road (Long Lake, Hamilton Co.) and Spring Pond Bog (Franklin Co.) At the Little Tupper Lake/Round Lake outlet area, I stopped the car to listen for Black-backed Woodpeckers. I didn't hear a woodpecker, but I did immediately hear White-winged Crossbills! I jumped out, and the White-winged Crossbill vocalizations faded away, and then I heard Evening Grosbeaks! There were several Bufflehead on Little Tupper Lake. In the afternoon at Spring Pond Bog, I found 3 different Ruffed Grouse, 1 adult Bald Eagle, 2 Black-backed Woodpeckers, 8 Gray Jays (3 different groups), and 3 Boreal Chickadees. 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/ --
