Hi Everyone,
Bruce Di Labio gave me permission to forward his interesting message (below) to the lists. I asked why the power dam (in Massena) does not attract the same number of birds anymore. His answer: It appears that there has been a drop in the fish population and the area isn't as attractive as it was during the 1970s,1980s, and into the 1990s. Bruce also sent a link to a birder’s guide to the Moses-Saunders Power Dam that he wrote in the 1990s: http://www.ofo.ca/ofo-docs/MosesSaunders.pdf . He added that most information is still accurate but since 911 there is no access to the actual power dam and a couple roads are off limits. 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 From: bruce.dilabio bruce.dilabio [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Thursday, February 02, 2017 7:28 PM To: joan.collins <[email protected]> Subject: Reminiscing: Ross's Gull Hi Joan Even after 50 years of birding it was an exciting moment seeing the Ross's Gull. I was fortunate back in 1975 seeing the Ross's Gull at Newburyport, Massachusetts. At the time it was regarding as the“bird of the century” and was in Time Magazine. A group of us drove overnight in March 1975 to see this mythical bird and we saw it along with a huge crowd of birders from the east coast. An amazing time in birding. During my travels I've seen Ross's Gulls in June numerous times at Churchill, Manitoba. Even though exciting it doesn't match the Tupper Lake experience. During the heyday of the Moses-Saunders Power Dam that was my most wanted bird. From the early 1980s to the mid 1990s I searched all the flocks of Bonaparte's Gulls hoping to find one. No joy. They have been found in the Montreal area along the St.Lawrence in December 1994 and November 2013. Unfortunately the power dam doesn't attract the same number of birds nowadays. During its peak of activity from the mid 1980s to mid 1990s is was an oasis for rarities. I regularly birded the dam from late August to mid February and it was exciting. Highlights included Long-billed Murrelet, Atlantic Puffin, Northern Fulmar, Northern Gannet, Razorbill,Black-headed Gull, Franklin's Gull, California Gull, Black-legged Kittiwake, Sabine's Gull,Little Gull, Pomarine Jaeger, Parasitic Jaeger, Great Cormorant, and Red Phalarope. Take care, Bruce -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME.htm http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES.htm 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://birding.aba.org/maillist/NY01 Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
