[cayugabirds-l] Conn Hill and Home birds
Hi all, At night around 2.00 am, while I was out to check out moth, I heard piercing screams a few times. My brain reminded me of the Barn Owl calls of Matunga, Mumbai, where a pair nested in my brother's apartment building and called every day. I got my mic and was hoping to record it if it called again. But it did not call next 15 or 20 minutes before I went back to bed. The call came from Six Mile Creek. May be it was just a persistent Great Horned Owl baby. I wish my recorder was handy. Later in the morning when I was in the garden doing something and catbirds were following me while we both were meowing to each other as if having a conversation. They stopped calling and suddenly they looked up and I too looked up to see a SHARP-SHINNED HAWK circling over the garden. When I went out to the garden near moth sheet, that is when the Catbirds came to see me and kind of followed me. I don't know if they are thinking I am giving them moths. They seem to hang around me as if in expectation of food. Then later I went Conn Hills via Test Road and Carter Creek Road. On Test road, there was an Alder Flycatcher calling incessantly. There is a beautiful marsh, I would have liked to walk it, but don't know if it is a town property or private property. I did not see any posted signs. On the bottom of the Carter Creek road there was a female HOODED WARBLER catching some insects from a birch tree. The habitat here is beautiful and is good for Acadian Flycatcher. I had not been on this road in last 15 years as one of the bridge was under repairs. In a meadow on this road at the top of a hill, there were 50+ darners hawking for insects, so I spent some time here and saw four species of Darners, Canada, Green, Black-tipped and Green Darners. Some of them were co-operative enough to pose for pictures. While I was here, there was a NORTHERN GOSHAWK calling for some time. I have seen their nest along FLT in the past. A RAVEN also croaked for some time. Other than a couple of Song Sparrows, Common Yellow-throats and a Red Eyed Vireo it was quiet as far as birds were concerned. There were insects singing of course! Along Ridge/ Conn Hill Road, I came across a flock of scolding chickadees and among them were two or three CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLERS, one Empidanax, Blue Jays. Further down the road, just past the junction of Orchid Pond road and Conn Hill road, A BROAD-WINGED HAWK flew across the road. I think it is the same one that I have seen at the beginning of the summer. Closer to Boyland and Conn Hill raod Junction pond, I saw a cuckoo fly across the road but could not say what species it was. AM Goldfinches and Waxwings seem to be having blast hawking on insects and feeding on thistle. I did see several monarchs (five fully grown up caterpillars) and lots and lots of Great Spangled Fritillaries and a few other speices. Cheers Meena Meena Haribal Ithaca NY http://haribal.org/ http://picasaweb.google.com/ithmoths http://picasaweb.google.com/mharibal http://www.flickr.com/photos/91426...@n00/ -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
Re:[cayugabirds-l] Montezuma area 31 July
Thanks Tom! Heading up soon KEN On 7/31/10 12:35 PM, "Tom Johnson" wrote: Cayugabirders, I checked only a few of the good spots around Montezuma this morning, but ended up seeing neat birds anyway. What is likely the same Prothonotary Warbler found a few weeks ago is still present along the road at Mays Point Pool - each of the three times I've seen it, the bird was drawn to the roadside by a noisy chickadee mob. The Knox-Marcellus impoundments at East/ Towpath Roads are still in excellent shape, with high concentrations of shorebirds, herons, terns, and molting/ migrating passerines (Bobolinks, Yellow Warblers, swallows). A buffy juvenile Wilson's Phalarope (clearly different from the well-colored adult bird that had been present earlier in the month) was feeding with yellowlegs, and there are surely more goodies out there among the 1500+ shorebirds present. Morning viewing is good from Towpath Rd., but in the afternoon/ evening East Rd. is better, especially if you search for more creative viewing spots. The draw down of the western impoundment here has been superb for drawing in lots of shorebirds during early and now, peak shorebird migration, but several birders have expressed concern that the water level is still dropping and the pool might dry out entirely in the near future. Perhaps a bit of reflooding from the canal and then another drawdown would help to replenish the flats here... The main pool/ visitor center at Montezuma NWR might still be worth checking (LaRue's Lagoon has water but few birds), but the clear highlights of the refuge seem to be Knox-Marcellus, Mays Point, Tschache Pool, and North Spring Pool at the current time. I didn't go further north into Wayne County today, but the Savannah area has been quite good in recent weeks as well, especially Van Dyne Spoor Rd. Sandhill Cranes were along Rt. 89 near the Armitage Rd. intersection in two different fields (7 birds). Good birding, Tom -- Thomas Brodie Johnson Ithaca, NY t...@cornell.edu mobile: 717.991.5727 ** Ken Rosenberg Director of Conservation Science Cornell Lab of Ornithology Ithaca NY 14850 Phone: 607-254-2412 cell: 607-342-4594 k...@cornell.edu www.birds.cornell.edu -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[cayugabirds-l] Montezuma area 31 July
Cayugabirders, I checked only a few of the good spots around Montezuma this morning, but ended up seeing neat birds anyway. What is likely the same Prothonotary Warbler found a few weeks ago is still present along the road at Mays Point Pool - each of the three times I've seen it, the bird was drawn to the roadside by a noisy chickadee mob. The Knox-Marcellus impoundments at East/ Towpath Roads are still in excellent shape, with high concentrations of shorebirds, herons, terns, and molting/ migrating passerines (Bobolinks, Yellow Warblers, swallows). A buffy juvenile Wilson's Phalarope (clearly different from the well-colored adult bird that had been present earlier in the month) was feeding with yellowlegs, and there are surely more goodies out there among the 1500+ shorebirds present. Morning viewing is good from Towpath Rd., but in the afternoon/ evening East Rd. is better, especially if you search for more creative viewing spots. The draw down of the western impoundment here has been superb for drawing in lots of shorebirds during early and now, peak shorebird migration, but several birders have expressed concern that the water level is still dropping and the pool might dry out entirely in the near future. Perhaps a bit of reflooding from the canal and then another drawdown would help to replenish the flats here... The main pool/ visitor center at Montezuma NWR might still be worth checking (LaRue's Lagoon has water but few birds), but the clear highlights of the refuge seem to be Knox-Marcellus, Mays Point, Tschache Pool, and North Spring Pool at the current time. I didn't go further north into Wayne County today, but the Savannah area has been quite good in recent weeks as well, especially Van Dyne Spoor Rd. Sandhill Cranes were along Rt. 89 near the Armitage Rd. intersection in two different fields (7 birds). Good birding, Tom -- Thomas Brodie Johnson Ithaca, NY t...@cornell.edu mobile: 717.991.5727 -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[cayugabirds-l] Montezuma info?
Hi all, I am finally getting to make it up to Montezuma with the family this afternoon (Saturday), and I am wondering if anyone's been birding up there in the past few days? Some specific questions: Is the East Rd/Towpath impoundment still filled with shorebirds, or has that changed? Where is is that folks have had the most luck seeing marsh birds such as bitterns, rails, black terns? Is the visitor center/ wildlife drive even worth taking the time to visit? Thanks for any info, KEN ** Ken Rosenberg Director of Conservation Science Cornell Lab of Ornithology Ithaca NY 14850 Phone: 607-254-2412 cell: 607-342-4594 k...@cornell.edu www.birds.cornell.edu -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[cayugabirds-l] Mt. Pleasant Bobolinks
Hi all, A flock of 30-40 (possibly more) of Bobolinks was flying around the switchgrass field, which is across from the observatory and downhill slightly toward the farm. Most were juvenile/non-breeding plumage, but I noticed one recognizable but heavily molting male. Marie Marie Read Wildlife Photography 452 Ringwood Road Freeville NY 13068 USA Phone 607-539-6608 e-mail m...@cornell.edu http://www.marieread.com http://www.agpix.com/mari -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
