Re:[cayugabirds-l] My goodness--Swainson's here this morning!
I just saw a Swainson's Thrush feeding on Gray Dogwood berries, as well as a Golden-crowned Kinglet and a Nashville Warbler nearby in my yard. Anne Marie Johnson Caroline On 9/28/2012 2:24 AM, Benjamin Van Doren wrote: All - Just spent 1.5+ hours listening to flight calls. Radar showed very dense movement (some returns over 35 dBZ!), local conditions low cloud ceiling with a light misty rain. Calling rates approaching 60 calls/min (~50 counted in one timed minute, but varied). Lots and lots of Gray-cheeked Thrush, several per minute. Definitely in the hundreds of calls--never heard this many before! 5-7x as many Swainson's Thrush as a rough guess, plus assorted warblers and sparrows. I was listening in a field/parking lot on the Cornell campus. Can only imagine what it was like at Mt Pleasant or other better spots. Benjamin Van Doren 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 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] Sapsucker Woods Road migrants, 9/28
Hi all, There was a nice collection of migrants on my walk to work this morning from Salem Drive to the lab. See eBird links for full reports. I cut through Future Road (a trail connecting Salem to Sapsucker Woods Road) and, on the way, heard my first-of-fall PINE SISKIN. http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S11675495 Future Road had a nice assortment of migrants, with the highlight being a pair of WINTER WRENS hopping about together, one of which was singing a whisper-song. http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S11675528 Sapsucker Woods Road produced two new life Lab birds for me: a pair of low-flying CASPIAN TERNS and a very cooperative YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO near the Frog Barn. Other groups of the usual suspects were found in clusters all the way down the road. http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S11675605 -Brad -- 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] Laughing Gull at Myers Park
The Laughing Gull was present this morning at about 8:00 at Myers Park. It was seen while driving into the park, on the grass next to the soccer goals, with Ring-bills. After a few minutes the bird got up with the Ring-bills. The Ring-bills went to the point, and the Laughing Gull flew to the south out of sight. Jim Tarolli -- 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] More migrants
For about an hour migrants moved through the yard in waves. I kept thinking that was the end, and then I'd see something new. The movement finally ended with a batch of sparrows and a Palm Warbler. I saw the/a Swainson's two more times as well as a Hermit Thrush. My list from eBird is below, although not all are migrants. Anne Marie Johnson Caroline Mourning Dove 3 Downy Woodpecker 1 Red-bellied Woodpecker 1 Eastern Phoebe 1 Blue Jay 3 American Crow 3 Black-capped Chickadee 3 White-breasted Nuthatch 1 Brown Creeper 1 Golden-crowned Kinglet 1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1 Swainson's Thrush 1 Hermit Thrush 1 Nashville Warbler 1 Common Yellowthroat 3 Palm Warbler 1 Yellow-rumped Warbler 6 Black-throated Green Warbler 1 Song Sparrow 8 White-throated Sparrow 2 American Goldfinch 10 -- 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] Whip-poor-will
As we enter our 27th year of banding here we don't often get new species. Last night as we were opening nets for Northern Saw-whet Owls and waiting to initiate the caller, we spotted something in one of the six nets. It sure looked like a saw-whet and when I reached into the bag I felt an incredibly soft ball of feathers. Much softer than the soft and cuddly saw-whets. That feeling slowly morphed into a little whiskered treat that grunted and flared its tail often. This was the first Whip-poor-will we have ever netted and banded. That includes 27 years here and many years before that in the greater Chesapeake Bay region where they are much more common. This one was an adult male. I had NEVER thought I would be able to handle and band a Whip! The rest of the evening was equally terrific with four young saw-whets checking in for bracelets. Two males, one female and an unknown. These are the first saw-whets we have ever banded in September. Next, we paid for our jubilation as the first owl in the nets was the world's most feisty gray phase Eastern Screech Owl. This ball of fire reminded me several times of its talons and beak! Today I'm nursing my hands and Sue her ears! That round we also had our first saw-whet. We work and band under red light to save the owl's vison and our own. We have a short video of the Whip in hand as it grunts away. Each time it vocalizes,it flares its tail. We'll share that once I figure out how; it's too large to send as an enclosure to email. We also have a few photos of the whip and , of course, the saw-whets available and posted on our listserv. Be on the lookout/listenout. We did hear the grunting and some other call notes that we've never associated with Whips before but the bird did not sing the usual whip-poor-will song. John John and Sue Gregoire Field Ornithologists Kestrel Haven Avian Migration Observatory 5373 Fitzgerald Road Burdett,NY 14818-9626 Website: http://www.empacc.net/~kestrelhaven/ "Conserve and Create Habitat" -- 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] Monday Night Seminar: Go Birding, Save the World
We hope to see you at this week's Monday Night Seminar at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology! Monday, October 1, 2012 7:30 p.m. in the Cornell Lab of Ornithology Auditorium Go Birding, Save the World: Large-Scale Lessons from Citizen Science Allen Hurlbert, Assistant Professor, Department of Biology, University of North Carolina Have you ever run a Breeding Bird Survey route? Uploaded a checklist to eBird? Participated in a Christmas Bird Count? Then you can take credit for increasing our scientific understanding of avian ecology and the conservation threats birds face. Allen Hurlbert, assistant professor at the University of North Carolina, will discuss three examples of how these types of citizen-science efforts have provided important insights into geographic patterns of diversity and migration timing, insights that would otherwise have been nearly impossible to achieve. Dr. Hurlbert will also comment on how to maximize the utility of your birding checklists for future scientific endeavors. - Charles Eldermire Bird Cams Project Leader Cornell Lab of Ornithology 159 Sapsucker Woods Rd Ithaca, NY 14850 607-254-1131 SkypeID: celdermire -- 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] FOG - Night Flight
Good afternoon, birders! Tonight the forecast for the Ithaca, NY area (at least) is looking very interesting. The local forecast is calling for a light NW wind (3-5 mph). Currently, we've got foggy conditions (very low cloud ceiling). If the weather pattern holds true, we may see a slowly increasing cloud ceiling height over the course of the night (thanks Dave Nicosia for this info!). If this condition persists into the night, we may see an excellent night flight of low-flying night migrants (thrushes, warblers, sparrows, etc.). This means that migrants will be easily heard, but it also means that they may temporarily circle around or even temporarily settle down near well lighted areas (lighted athletic fields, mall parking lots, etc.). On the potentially detrimental side of things, this means that birds may be more prone to striking human-made objects that are in unexpectedly in the way of these night-flying birds (for example: radio towers, wind turbines, tall lighted buildings, etc.). The negative side-effects from this type of weather event may include higher than normal numbers of tower-killed and wind turbine-killed birds and an increased incidence of nighttime window-strikes at tall lighted buildings. Local areas to go to listen for migrants and check for birds (healthy or otherwise) include: lighted athletic fields (Schoellkopf Field Stadium or other practice fields around Cornell University and Ithaca College), lighted parking lots (especially those at higher elevations, such as Shops at Ithaca Mall, Ithaca College Campus, Cornell Campus, Cayuga Medical Center, etc.), near tall lighted buildings, and possibly include checking radio towers or wind turbine sites for deceased or injured birds. Hopefully, tonight won't contribute to many deaths, but these conditions invariably result in some level of casualties. Good birding and good night listening. Sincerely, Chris T-H -- Christopher T. Tessaglia-Hymes Field Applications Engineer Bioacoustics Research Program, Cornell Lab of Ornithology 159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, New York 14850 W: 607-254-2418 M: 607-351-5740 F: 607-254-1132 http://www.birds.cornell.edu/brp -- 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] Update on Night Flight
The radar bird echoes are not as expansive as last night from NWS Binghamton's radar. It is noteworthy that radar sites tothe south where cloud ceilings are non-existent or much much higher have expansive bird echoes. Cloud ceilings are running between 500 and 1000 feet in much of central NY at this time. Fog was covering the highest hills. There was drizzle and light rain but mostly in northern NY. This begs the question if the birds are flying too low and mostly under the radar beam...or not migrating en-mass like last night due to the light rains and drizzle. From: david nicosia To: david nicosia ; Christopher T. Tessaglia-Hymes ; CAYUGABIRDS-L ; NFC- L ; Bluewing Sent: Friday, September 28, 2012 7:33 PM Subject: [bluewing-group] Re: [cayugabirds-l] FOG - Night Flight Bird echoes rapidly expanding on radar after sunset! From: david nicosia To: Christopher T. Tessaglia-Hymes ; CAYUGABIRDS-L ; NFC- L Sent: Friday, September 28, 2012 4:41 PM Subject: Re: [cayugabirds-l] FOG - Night Flight As it stands now, I think there is a good chance for low ceilings lasting well into the night. Probably less than 1000 feet all night...there will be fog too... especially over the hills. Winds are expected to be NW around 5-15 knots up through about 5-6 thousand feet through the night. Not sure how many birds will be taking off in the foggy/drizzly air mass in NY...but north into Ontario (which is north of the low cloud shield) there is a chilly mass in place and northerly winds which will increase through the night with a colder air mass pouring south. I would imagine this will get birds going south from Ontario into NY. It will be interesting to see if birds fly above the lower cloud shield or go below it ...or both. There also will be a cloud layer between 2000 and 4000 feet above ground level. This could be a great night...or a bust. Depends on what the birds do. Forecasting weather is hard enough, forecasting what birds will do is beyond my expertise. Maybe someone else can help here with the birds?? If the flight is low enough it may fall below the radar beam and not show up as well. If we see radar echo "blossoming" after sunset then we know there is a flight at 2000-5000 feet above ground level which still could mean many birds below the clouds and in the fog. Since there is also drizzle and light rain showers, the radar is picking up precipitation echoes. I have access to dual polar radar data which will be able to determine between the precipitation and the bird echoes. This will be interesting to see also. In any event, I hope, in some ways, the flight is not too low because the risk of tower and wind turbine kills will go way up. If people go out listening tonight, please share on this listserver. If you live near a tower and it is foggy you may want to check for kills. Let's hope this does not happen. Good luck everyone! Dave Nicosia From: Christopher T. Tessaglia-Hymes To: CAYUGABIRDS-L Sent: Friday, September 28, 2012 3:49 PM Subject: [cayugabirds-l] FOG - Night Flight Good afternoon, birders! Tonight the forecast for the Ithaca, NY area (at least) is looking very interesting. The local forecast is calling for a light NW wind (3-5 mph). Currently, we've got foggy conditions (very low cloud ceiling). If the weather pattern holds true, we may see a slowly increasing cloud ceiling height over the course of the night (thanks Dave Nicosia for this info!). If this condition persists into the night, we may see an excellent night flight of low-flying night migrants (thrushes, warblers, sparrows, etc.). This means that migrants will be easily heard, but it also means that they may temporarily circle around or even temporarily settle down near well lighted areas (lighted athletic fields, mall parking lots, etc.). On the potentially detrimental side of things, this means that birds may be more prone to striking human-made objects that are in unexpectedly in the way of these night-flying birds (for example: radio towers, wind turbines, tall lighted buildings, etc.). The negative side-effects from this type of weather event may include higher than normal numbers of tower-killed and wind turbine-killed birds and an increased incidence of nighttime window-strikes at tall lighted buildings. Local areas to go to listen for migrants and check for birds (healthy or otherwise) include: lighted athletic fields (Schoellkopf Field Stadium or other practice fields around Cornell University and Ithaca College), lighted parking lots (especially those at higher elevations, such as Shops at Ithaca Mall, Ithaca College Campus, Cornell Campus, Cayuga Medical Center, etc.), near tall lighted buildings, and possibly include checking radio towers or wind turbine sites for deceased or injured birds. Hopefully, tonight won't contribute to man
