Long Lake (Hamilton Co.) November 28, 2017
As expected, more crossbills are irrupting into the Adirondacks! White-winged Crossbills were found at Sabattis Bog on 11/25/17 (see below). This morning (11/28/17), 4 White-winged Crossbills flew high over the bog singing and interacting, and more birds called nearby. I found 5 finch species along Sabattis Circle Road today. A flock of 9 adult Red Crossbills landed at the Little Tupper Lake inlet along Sabattis Rd. in brilliant plumage - quite a contrast from the molting adults that nested over the summer and are still near those nesting areas along with juveniles. It would appear that more Red Crossbills are arriving. Pine Siskins are everywhere and since we've been having snow, they are gritting in the roads - sadly, I found one dead in Sabattis Circle Road today. Purple Finches and Amer. Goldfinches are also gritting in the roadways (these two species normally leave the central Adirondacks by now, but they are still here!). It was 8 degrees this morning and the lakes had quickly iced over. A solo Bufflehead was feeding on the Little Tupper Lake outlet (Round Pond inlet) - this is a new late date for Hamilton Co. (The day before there were 2 Bufflehead on Little Tupper Lake, but it was completely iced over by today.) The tailless Gray Jay that I found at Sabattis Bog on October 23, 2017 showed up today, November 28, 2017 - not sure where it was during the past month. It shows no sign of growing a new tail. It came in for food that I put out, and its flight still reminds me of a woodcock's! I found 11 Gray Jays this morning in 3 Long Lake locations. There are huge numbers of Blue Jays still in the area, and it appears that for a 3rd year in a row, that they may overwinter in the central Adirondacks. Groups of Blue Jays are harassing all the Gray Jays I've been observing - following them and un-caching their food. Clever on the part of the Blue Jays, but I think this could have a serious impact on Gray Jays. Out boreal birding on November 27, 2017 (cold and windy!) in Newcomb, Minerva, North Hudson, and Long Lake, we found the following 21 species: Snow Goose - gorgeous flock (with some Canadas) as we hiked on the Round Lake Trail (about 3 inches of snow) Canada Goose - many migrating flocks during the afternoon Bufflehead - 2 on Little Tupper Lake Ruffed Grouse - 4 Hairy Woodpecker Black-backed Woodpecker - 3! (2 drumming back and forth in Newcomb - we observed a female; and 1 female observed in Minerva) Gray Jay - 6 (1 in Minerva and 5 in Long Lake) Blue Jay American Crow Common Raven Black-capped Chickadee Boreal Chickadee - 5 in Minerva Red-breasted Nuthatch Brown Creeper Golden-crowned Kinglet Purple Finch - many Red Crossbill - many; we observed a flock of 6 (2 males, 1 female, and 3 juveniles) near Sand Pond Marsh in North Hudson along the Blueridge Road - and when they took flight, more joined them that had not been in our view White-winged Crossbill - heard at Sand Pond Marsh in North Hudson, and 2 flew over Sabattis Circle Road in Long Lake (they perched in a spruce and vocalized as they flew back over our car) Pine Siskin - many, including a group of ~60 gritting in the Blueridge Road! They wouldn't leave the road and we had to beep the horn (briefly!) to get them out of the road. American Goldfinch - many Dark-eyed Junco - many November 25, 2017 Long Lake I was doing Gray Jay whistles at Sabattis Bog when a female White-winged Crossbill flew in calling! I observed her forage for at least 45 minutes - until the rain became too heavy for me and my camera! I hate walking away from a White-winged Crossbill - she was still foraging on Black Spruce cones when I left. I could hear more White-winged Crossbills calling across the bog. This is the first date that I've found White-winged Crossbills along Sabattis Circle Road this season. November 22, 2017 Long Lake There were 3 Common Loons on Little Tupper Lake. Two Barred Owls were vocalizing back and forth on the other side of Sabattis Bog midday! A Great Blue Heron flew over my car on Route 30. November 21, 2017 Newcomb - Minerva - North Hudson Ruffed Grouse - I came around a sharp turn in the Blueridge Rd. and had to slam on the brakes so I wouldn't hit a displaying male in the middle of my lane - he was fortunate that I'm a birder! He wouldn't move and I am sure he would have been hit by a non-birder's vehicle (like the logging trucks that frequent this road). Gray Jay - 1 in Minerva Purple Finch Red Crossbill - many at nearly every location where I stopped. I watched a flock of at least 10 (multiple family groups) for a long time by the railroad bed in Minerva - the adults were drinking and cleaning bills, and the juveniles were hanging out together waiting - and curious about me. I took photos and videos. Pine Siskin American Goldfinch Song Sparrow - one bird perched on a wire near a Purple Finch in Newcomb! Red-winged Blackbird - 2 at a feeder in Newcomb 11/14/17 - 11/15/17 Jefferson County I drove over to Jefferson County late on 11/14/17 to stay overnight (at the Duck Away Motel in Chaumont - yes, it is decorated for duck hunters!). I was on Point Peninsula in fading light and the deafening sounds of a huge flock of Tundra Swans in a protected bay was remarkable. I visited Cape Vincent, Point Peninsula, Point Salubrious, and Pillar Point. Here are the species from 11/15/17: Canada Goose Mute Swan Tundra Swan American Black Duck Mallard Bufflehead Common Goldeneye Hooded Merganser Common Merganser Red-breasted Merganser Wild Turkey White-rumped Sandpiper - hanging out with 4 different gull species on a sandbar off Point Salubrious! Bonaparte's Gull Ring-billed Gull Herring Gull Great Black-backed Gull Common Loon Double-crested Cormorant Great Blue Heron Northern Harrier Red-tailed Hawk Rough-legged Hawk - 3 (2 light and 1 dark morph) Northern Flicker American Kestrel Blue Jay Amer. Crow Horned Lark Black-capped Chickadee Golden-crowned Kinglet Amer. Robin European Starling Cedar Waxwing - huge flock on Point Peninsula (more than a hundred) House Finch Yellow-rumped Warbler - flock of more than 20 on Point Peninsula near an insect hatch American Tree Sparrow Mammals: Multiple Beavers and River Otters are regularly observed on Shaw Pond in Long Lake - often using the same small sections of open water! There are several Beaver lodges on this shallow body of water. A Muskrat has been feeding at the edge of ice holes on Little Tupper Lake near the inlet - on vegetation (likely Pickerel Weed) and mussels (leaving piles of mussel shells behind). I observed a Bobcat on 11/18/17! (Pelts can go for over $1,000, so I would never disclose locations for this species.) I posted photos on my Facebook page below. Joan Collins 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.htm http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES.htm http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/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/ --
