Pine Siskin numbers soared at our feeders after the first ice storm, but we had another ice storm on 3/2/16 and they sky-rocketed! I returned home on 3/2 to find all 20 feeders empty. The siskins were eating over 15 pounds of thistle seed and 15 pounds of sunflower hearts each day through 3/7. Things finally settled down yesterday with warming temps. We have never had this many feeders birds (even in the years when we have 500 redpolls). My husband said his brain was ringing with siskin sounds! They covered every feeder, both the front and back porch floors (where I put more seed since there isn't enough perches), and they were all over the ground around the house and they also filled the trees - it was wild!
Long Lake is opening up quickly and if things continue like this, I won't be surprised to see a Common Loon on the lake soon. I suspect many new record early arrival dates will be set this year. Sightings from the past week: 3/9/16 Long Lake (Hamilton Co.) It went over 70 degrees today. Moths flying around our outside lights once again this evening. It feels like May in early March. A Coyote was just howling in the forest behind our home - I howled back and it kept answering. Gray Jay - 2 (1 along Route 30 and 1 at the Round Lake Trailhead) Brown Creeper - singing everywhere I went Golden-crowned Kinglet - one song heard today American Robin - flock along North Point Road (with grackles, Red-winged Blackbirds, Blue Jays, and European Starlings (a very rare species to see in Long Lake!)) Snow Bunting - 2 different birds along Sabattis Circle Road Red-winged Blackbird Common Grackle - 2 at our feeders and more with the robin flock Red Crossbill - 12 (flock of 10 along Sabattis Circle Rd. with at least one fledgling, first year males, and adult males and females - I observed the fledgling be fed a spruce seed by an adult male! Two more Red Crossbills flew over me at Sabattis Bog.) Pine Siskin - everywhere - many are paired off now and appear to be getting ready to nest. 3/8/16 Long Lake Moths flying around our outside lights in the evening - such a bizarre sight for early March. Ruffed Grouse - 3 Gray Jay - 7 (2 different groups of 3 along Route 30 and 1 at Sabattis Bog) The two different groups of 3 Gray Jays along Route 30 were foraging along the road and continuously caching food - I assume an insect outbreak from the warm temps. They were completely focused on this activity and it was fascinating to watch. One of the birds carried a stick. 3/7/16 Long Lake This was the last record setting day at our feeders for Pine Siskins. We also had 50 Amer. Crows and 11 Wild Turkeys outside the house. I found 7 Gray Jays - 1 along Route 30, 3 at the Round Lake Trailhead, and 3 at Sabattis Bog. One Red Crossbill called at Sabattis Bog. 3/5/16 & 3/6/16 On a two day tour with 6 birders from NYC, we visited Long Lake, Newcomb, Minerva, North Hudson, Keene, and Jay (all in Essex Co. except Long Lake). It was a beautiful winter weekend and the days began in single digit temps! Here are some of the species found: Ruffed Grouse - 2; a flushed bird, and a bird displaying on the Blue Ridge Road Bald Eagle - adult at Long Lake Sharp-shinned Hawk - perched over feeders in Newcomb Barred Owl - along Route 30 in Long Lake Black-backed Woodpecker - 2 in Minerva (1 observed on Sat. and 2 observed in the same location on Sun. - one was a male observed foraging. It then flew and another Black-backed Woodpecker followed - they drummed back and forth.) Merlin - in Newcomb (observed in flight and perched) Northern Shrike - 1 along Hesseltine Road in Jay Gray Jay - 8 (1 vocalizing at a marsh in Newcomb, 1 flew across the road in Minerva, 1 observed along the Roosevelt Truck Trail, and 5 observed at Sabattis Bog in Long Lake) Common Raven Boreal Chickadee - 6 (distant vocalizing bird at the north end of the Roosevelt Truck Trail on Sat., at least 4 in a mixed flock in Newcomb on Sunday with nice views of 2, and 1 heard vocalizing in Minerva) Red-breasted Nuthatch Brown Creeper Golden-crowned Kinglet Bohemian Waxwing - nice views of a flock of 15 to 20 feeding on crab and common apple trees in Keene on 3/6/16 next to the "Keene Arts" building American Tree Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco Northern Cardinal Red-winged Blackbird - flock in Newcomb Purple Finch - many Red Crossbill - several - flock observed in Newcomb, a perched singing male observed in Newcomb, and several others heard in Newcomb-Minerva on Sat. On Sun., several flyovers, several gritting birds flushed along the Blue Ridge Road including one male that perched and sang. Pine Siskin - many American Goldfinch Evening Grosbeak - flock observed in Newcomb near a feeder, and more heard both in the town of Newcomb and around the Newcomb-Minerva town border along Route 28N. On Sunday, a flock was observed at a feeder location on Hazen Road in Jay, and we heard several flyover birds in Newcomb and Minerva. 3/4/16 Long Lake - Newcomb - Minerva - North Creek - Warrensburg This was a shopping trip day, but I birded along the way! Black-backed Woodpecker - male observed in Newcomb Gray Jay - 4 (2 at the Round Lake Trailhead and 2 at Sabattis Bog) Boreal Chickadee - 1 in Newcomb Bohemian Waxwing - 2 in Warrensburg with a flock of ~70 Cedar Waxwings Cedar Waxwing - ~70 in Warrensburg with 2 Bohemian Waxwings Red-winged Blackbird - flock along Route 28N in Minerva (near North Creek at Moxham Pond) Red Crossbill - 5 (1 at Sabattis Bog in Long Lake, 2 in Newcomb, and 2 gritting in Route 28N near the Newcomb-Minerva town line (one a first year male and one an adult male)) 3/3/16 Long Lake Gray Jay - 10 (2 different groups of 2 along Route 30, 3 at the Round Lake Trailhead, and 3 at Sabattis Bog) 3/2/16 On a tour with 2 birders from Long Island our goal was to find Bohemian Waxwings and Evening Grosbeaks. This was the wild storm day with bitter cold temps and 40 mph winds! We found ~50 Evening Grosbeaks in 4 different flocks (35, 3, 10, and more heard, but not observed) in Newcomb. A flock of ~10 was found feeding near the road at eye level, which was a great opportunity for photographs. We found ~160 Bohemian Waxwings in Keene in two different flocks of ~80 each. One flock was eating fruit from two small trees in front of, and next to, the Keene Library. We had beautiful eye-level views. They would perch high in a tree behind the Library in between foraging periods. Behind the Library there was a brook. On the other side of the brook was a house with a cat roaming outside. The Bohemian Waxwings were dropping down to a puddle that was draining into the brook - on the side with the cat. A Common Raven perched in a tall tree next to the waxwings. Each time the raven took flight, it flew close to the tree with the Bohemian Waxwings and they would shift away from the raven. We spent about 45 minutes watching and photographing the waxwings - it was 14 degrees and extremely windy. With frozen hands, we decided to leave. As we were getting in the car, the raven flew by with what appeared to be a Bohemian Waxwing in its bill. Unfortunately, we missed what happened. The raven took the bird to a branch and ripped it apart - gray feathers flew everywhere. We were left wondering if the waxwing was a cat kill or whether the raven actually captured a live bird. We also found a flock of Canada Geese at the edge of open water on Long Lake - a very strange sight for March 2. A Red-winged Blackbird (first of the season for me) flew into the tree with the 80 Bohemian Waxwings in Keene. 3/1/16 Long Lake Gray Jay - 10 (3 along Route 30, 4 at the Round Lake Trailhead, and 3 at Sabattis Bog) Emily Farr reported a flock of Red-winged Blackbirds at her feeders in Long Lake on 3/1/16. Blue Jays have been regularly imitating Broad-winged Hawks for weeks. Gray Jays have been imitating Sharp-shinned Hawks, Northern Goshawks, and Blue Jays! I posted many photos to my Facebook page below. Joan Collins President, NYS Ornithological Association Editor, New York Birders 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/ --
