[cayugabirds-l] Montezuma godwit, etc.
Tim Lenz and I birded around Montezuma most of today. Nothing too exciting, but lots of nice birds around. A molting juvenile HUDSONIAN GODWIT was feeding in the grass at the Visitor Center pool. The wildlife drive still had 7 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS and lots of waterfowl on the main pool. The avocet was still at Puddlers, as well as lots of geese, four Dunlin, and some nice landbirds, including LINCOLN'S SPARROW and tons of kinglets. Mays Point had upwards of 10 LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS and the Snow x Canada hybrid, but we were unable to find a white-fronted Goose anywhere on the complex. On our way down the lake, we stopped at Dean's Cove, where the only bird of note was an adult LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL. Jay McGowan Ithaca, NY -- 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/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/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/ --
[cayugabirds-l] 75 Turkey Vultures
That's how many were in the kettle that flew in over Union Springs Academy at 4:45 p.m. today. I counted 60 as they approached in a tight group got on a thermal, rapidly rising. Another 15 appeared from the north right behind the 60 also got on the thermal. All rose together in quite a tight circle with sunshine making their wing tips glisten 'til they were almost out of sight before heading southward. Mid-morning, 25 TVs were migrating through, more eastward not as high. I was too busy to look to the skies very much today. What a beautiful day to be outside though. So glad to hear the Aurora loon report, Jay, GRRR that I was stuck here. Good news!!! ... I got my chestnut oak acorns before the deer, mice squirrels did this yr. planted 50 of them, many already sprouting. Fritzie -- 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/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/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/ --
[cayugabirds-l] Montezuma Highlights
Gary Chapin and I birded Montezuma for half a day today and we had a number of nice birds. We did not have any species that have not been reported in recent days or weeks, but if you would like to hear the details, then feel free to read on. We started at the Visitor's Center at 7:30am where we spent an hour watching the massive morning flight of icterids and waterfowl. There were at least 10,000 Red-winged Blackbirds, Grackles and Starlings lifting out of the marsh as we arrived, and this was a loud and impressive sight. Six (6) NORTHERN HARRIERS were swirling amongst the blackbirds making for an exciting show. We had continuous flocks of Canada Geese flying south over the refuge, as well as geese lifting off of the Main Pool also heading south. Highlights in these geese flocks were a single GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE, CACKLING GOOSE and one of two hybrid SNOW X CANADA GEESE that we saw today. Hundreds of geese landed in the Visitor Center impoundment, however the three geese of interest continued south out of the refuge. Two COMMON LOONS flew over heading south, and we scoped three BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS in Larues. From here we headed north to Martens Track where we located at least four (4) NELSON'S SPARROWS. This is a conservative estimate since this was the high count that we had in view simultaneously. I posted a NELSON'S SPARROW photo at my Flickr site at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/brad_carlson/ We had one male RING-NECKED PHEASANT here and four (4) SANDHILL CRANES flew over heading south. Gary had an AMERICAN TREE SPARROW on the road just before the parking lot, while I was photographing the Nelson's Sparrows. A few AMERICAN PIPITS flew overhead here, and we had a couple overhead at most stops throughout the day. There were seven (7) TRUMPETER SWANS (4 adult and 3 immature) on the north side of Savannah Spring Lake Road east of Rt. 89. At Puddler's Marsh we had the continuing AMERICAN AVOCET, along with three DUNLIN, and a handful of GREATER and LESSER YELLOWLEGS. One BALD EAGLE and a couple of dozen TREE SWALLOWS were flying overhead. We only spent a few minutes at May's Point Pool where we had our second SNOW X CANADA GOOSE hybrid of the day. This goose had much less white on the front and underside of it than the one we observed flying over the Visitor's Center in the early morning. One LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER and numerous YELLOWLEGS were foraging amongst the waterfowl. There was one BALD EAGLE perched here, as well as another overhead. We left Mays Point after a few minutes because we heard that a Hudsonian Godwit had arrived at the Visitors Center. We headed over to the Visitor Center, and were able to relocate the HUDSONIAN GODWIT foraging in the center of impoundment. We also relocated what we presume was the first SNOW X CANADA GOOSE hybrid that we originally saw fly over in the morning. The hybrid goose was resting with thousands of Canada Geese in the impoundment. This hybrid had a white head, neck breast and belly, and a mantle with similar plumage as a Canada Goose. All in all, a beautiful Fall day to be out in the field. Regards, -Brad Carlson Honeoye Falls, NY bradcarls...@hotmail.com -- 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/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/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/ --
[cayugabirds-l] addendum to my list of Freese birds yesterday
I forgot to add GREY-CHEECKED THRUSH to my list of birds. There was one bird definitely which sat on an open branch for sometimes, but there were three or four more around it that vanished behind the shrubbery. They were all on a multiflora rose bush. Meena Meena Haribal Ithaca NY 14850 http://haribal.org/ http://meenaharibal.blogspot.com/ -- 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/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/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/ --
[cayugabirds-l] tree sparrows
Of all the birds seen today while walking the dog around our place, the most surprising were 3 Tree Sparrows. Is it really that late in the season? A Towhee is still calling in our woods, and still some White-crowns are hanging out. Nancy Dickinson Mecklenburg -- 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/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/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/ --
[cayugabirds-l] Mt Pleasant American Pipits
HI all, There was a flock of American Pipits in the field east of the radio tower and adjacent to Mineah Rd. late this afternoon. Visible only when they flew, and identified by call. 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 Now on FaceBook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Marie-Read-Wildlife-Photography/104356136271727 -- 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/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/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/ --
[cayugabirds-l] SodusBay-Montezuma, Knox Marcellus Purple Martin
Joann and I birded Sodus Point down to Montezuma this afternoon. 3 Brant on the beach was the only highlight at Sodus Point. Several groups of Pied-billed Grebes were scattered around the bay. A nice flock of 25 Coot were at the south end of the bay near the Ridge Road Bridge. We also saw the Hudsonian Godwit at the Montezuma Visitor Center around 3pm. A Merlin attempted to catch Goldfinches there as well. 3 Wilson's Snipe and 2 Lesser Yellowlegs were at Benning Marsh as a small mudflat is developing there. Ring-necks, Pintail, Wigeon and Gadwall numbers are up on the main pool, but bad light discouraged a Eurasian Wigeon hunt. Only 3 Great Egrets were left at May's Point. Dave Wheeler reported a Stilt Sandpiper and Dunlin at Puddler's Marsh along with the Avocet. At 5pm a group of about 30 Tree Swallows over Knox-Marcellus Marsh included 1 Barn Swallow and were joined briefly by a presumed female Purple Martin which flew off high to the SE. (We don't know the other Martin species so experts be alert (although everything about it looked like a Purple Martin). A probable Bank Swallow did a quick flip that looked to show the neck band but glided away without a wing beat to be sure. Mike Tetlow -- 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/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/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/ --
[cayugabirds-l] Myer's, late migrants, Bluegrass Nelson's
I started out this morning at Myer's Point. The lake was surprisingly quiet, although a small flock of BRANT finally came down the lake about an hour after I arrived. A BONAPARTE'S GULL circling around the spit and single female RED-BREASTED MERGANSER and GREEN-WINGED TEAL were about the only other water birds of interest. Salt Point was very active, however, especially the fruiting trees and shrubs near the tip. Best bird there (eating berries) was a very late female BALTIMORE ORIOLE, among the many CEDAR WAXWINGS and ROBINS, 15-20 EASTERN BLUEBIRDS, and 2 NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRDS. In the shrubs and goldenrods were 2 BLACKPOLL WARBLERS, 4 RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS, sev. YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS, and a mixed flock of CHIPPING and FIELD SPARROWS. As I was leaving, I scanned a flock of 150 or so CANADA GEESE heading south and with them were a group of 4 CACKLING GEESE that stayed together but kept separating from the main flock. Back home in the late morning, I was very surprised to see a RED-EYED VIREO in the locust tree in my backyard -- also a WINTER WREN (not in the locust tree). In the late afternoon, I walked the dog in the fields off Bluegrass Lane, and went right to the spot where Tom had found the NELSON'S SPARROW -- in the wet area (w some cattails) on the south side of the tall switchgrass field. As I approached on the lane through the middle of the switchgrass, the NELSON's popped up and did the classic Nelson's 1-minute sit (in the bright afternoon sun) before flying up and diving back into the grass -- showing off it's sharp tail feathers in flight. The bright orange face, but blurry, uncrisp streaking on the breast suggested the race alterus, which breeds around James Bay. We also flushed a SNIPE along the lane through the switchgrass. In the grassy field and along the goldenroddy edge of the woods to the east, I saw sev. FIELD, and SAVANNAH, 1 WHITE-CROWNED, 1 SWAMP, and many SONG SPARROWS. I was surprised that no pipits were flying. KEN Ken Rosenberg Conservation Science Program Cornell Lab of Ornithology 607-254-2412 607-342-4594 (cell) k...@cornell.edumailto:k...@cornell.edu -- 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/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/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/ --
