Late this morning I found a CAVE SWALLOW in the swallow flocks off Myers Point and Salt Point, Cayuga Lake. It was first perched on a snag with other loafing swallows, where the pale throat and buffy underparts were evident. I later refound it foraging north of Salt Point over the bay, where it was often to tough to pick out in dim light but the dark rufous rump, dark back with white braces, pale throat and breast, brown forehead, and dark cap were obvious when it occasionally came close. At least two CLIFF SWALLOWS were also in the flock, much easier to pick out from the flock with their brighter rumps, pale foreheads, and dark heads. Also present were several Purple Martins, one Bank Swallow, and many Tree, Barn, and Northern Rough-winged, making my first ever seven-swallow day in the state.
While they are less than annual on Cayuga Lake, this appears to be the first spring record in eBird for the entire state, and one of only a handful of spring records in the northeast. The bird was still being seen as of 2:45 from the north end of the road at Salt Point where a parking area and turnaround overlook the bay. A few distant perched photos are here: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S44601357 And I will upload some flight shots from Salt Point to this checklist later this evening: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S44601384 Jay -- Jay McGowan Macaulay Library Cornell Lab of Ornithology [email protected] -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
