[cayugabirds-l] Wilson's Phalarope and Swainson's Thrush at MNWR

[Sandy Podulka]

Highlights of our birding at Montezuma included a breeding plumage 
WILSON'S PHALAROPE in the Main Pool along the Wildlife Drive at 
Montezuma (add 1 to the total Dave mentions?) around 6:30 pm, a 
singing SWAINSON'S THRUSH along Armitage Rd. near the Prothonotary 
Warbler site, and a COMMON NIGHTHAWK along Van Dyne Spoor Road at 
dusk. Many more shorebirds than two days ago--nice variety along the 
Wildlife Drive as well as at Knox-Marsellus.

--Sandy Podulka

At 11:56 PM 5/24/2015, you wrote:
>In the middle of this warm afternoon Ann Mitchell & I visited 
>Montezuma NWR's Knox-Marsellus Marsh, viewing from East Rd. There 
>were huge numbers of shorebirds. I estimated three thousand DUNLIN. 
>But the heat shimmer was a problem, so we left and returned when the 
>light was more behind us and the ground wasn't being heated so much. 
>At 5:30pm conditions were better for scoping the distant shorebirds 
>in shallow waters and wet or moist mud. There were at least 15 
>BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS in various plumages, several each of 
>SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS, SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS, and LEAST SANDPIPERS, 
>and 2 GREATER YELLOWLEGS. Ann also discovered a WILSON'S PHALAROPE, 
>pot-bellied and very white running drunkenly and pecking randomly at 
>the water's surface among a flock of sedately feeding Dunlin. As we 
>showed it to other birders it kept moving, then it flushed along 
>with all the nearby Dunlin. I refound a pale (male) Wilson's 
>Phalarope only to have it walk up to another with a dark mark on the 
>side of the upper neck (a female). They stood erect and walked tight 
>circles around each other for a minute before resuming their odd 
>foraging mode. Then I noticed 2 more males, for 4 Wilson's 
>Phalaropes in the same view. This is the most I've encountered at 
>once around here, and a great way to end a full day of birding, 
>which included finding the adult GLOSSY IBIS in Larue's Lagoon along 
>the Wildlife Drive. This was very fortunate, because Bob McGuire 
>said (I think - bad phone connection) that he saw it in the Main 
>Pool, which could have made it far harder to find or see well.
>
>--Dave Nutter--
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[cayugabirds-l] Wilson's Phalaropes @ Knox-Marsellus

[Dave Nutter]

In the middle of this warm afternoon Ann Mitchell & I visited Montezuma NWR's 
Knox-Marsellus Marsh, viewing from East Rd. There were huge numbers of 
shorebirds. I estimated three thousand DUNLIN. But the heat shimmer was a 
problem, so we left and returned when the light was more behind us and the 
ground wasn't being heated so much. At 5:30pm conditions were better for 
scoping the distant shorebirds in shallow waters and wet or moist mud. There 
were at least 15 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS in various plumages, several each of 
SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS, SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS, and LEAST SANDPIPERS, and 2 
GREATER YELLOWLEGS. Ann also discovered a WILSON'S PHALAROPE, pot-bellied and 
very white running drunkenly and pecking randomly at the water's surface among 
a flock of sedately feeding Dunlin. As we showed it to other birders it kept 
moving, then it flushed along with all the nearby Dunlin. I refound a pale 
(male) Wilson's Phalarope only to have it walk up to another with a dark mark 
on the side of the upper neck (a female). They stood erect and walked tight 
circles around each other for a minute before resuming their odd foraging mode. 
Then I noticed 2 more males, for 4 Wilson's Phalaropes in the same view. This 
is the most I've encountered at once around here, and a great way to end a full 
day of birding, which included finding the adult GLOSSY IBIS in Larue's Lagoon 
along the Wildlife Drive. This was very fortunate, because Bob McGuire said (I 
think - bad phone connection) that he saw it in the Main Pool, which could 
have made it far harder to find or see well.

--Dave Nutter
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[cayugabirds-l] Nighthawk @ Fall Creek neighborhood

[Suan Yong]

Sitting in the back yard of a friend's house in northern Fall Creek (a few 
blocks south of Northstar) I just heard and then saw a nighthawk circling about 
not too high (visible with naked eye, but not low enough to discern the white 
wing patches).

Suan
_
http://suan-yong.com
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[cayugabirds-l] Lindsay-Parsons Biodiversity Preserve, Sun 5/24

[Mark Chao]

Fourteen birders joined me on Sunday morning for a group walk at the
Lindsay-Parsons Biodiversity Preserve in West Danby.



The highlight of our morning – indeed, for many of us, a veritable
highlight of our birding lives so far – was an escalating sequence of
BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO encounters.  First we heard one repeatedly calling
nearby, but it refused to show itself or even to divulge its identity with
a vocalization clearly distinguishable from that of Yellow-billed.  (We did
hear a clear YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO later, and Bruce Packard probably saw one
near the railroad tracks.)



But then we saw one Black-billed Cuckoo on a low open branch in the island
of trees at the bottom of the big slope.  This bird stayed put for fine
scope views.   Another cuckoo then streamed into view, chasing the other up
into a nearer tree.  We could see both birds together at rest.  More
commotion ensued.  A couple of our group members conclusively saw a third
cuckoo in the scuffle.  And then two Black-billed Cuckoos dashed into a
shrub right in front of us, and then into another, where at once they
provided more excellent views while also proving their incredible capacity
for concealment.



It was all just way beyond perfect, with all the rewards of birding wrapped
up together – the thrill of an unusual find, the drama of unfolding
interactions, the sheer pleasure of watching something very beautiful, and
the human bonding from sharing all of this as a group.



We had only a few brief warbler sightings (CHESTNUT-SIDED in first patch of
woods, BLUE-WINGED in open area before railroad tracks, HOODED by Celia’s
Cup), but heard many other species, including several PRAIRIE and
BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLERS.  We had fine views of several other birds at
rest, including two BROWN THRASHERS, a couple of INDIGO BUNTINGS, a singing
ALDER FLYCATCHER, and a RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD.



Among all of our finds this morning, eBird seems to think that a
PIED-BILLED GREBE on Coleman Lake was the most exciting.  Out of 21
checklists I’ve submitted for the Finger Lakes Land Trust Spring Bird Quest
(SBQ) so far this month, this was the first bird that prompted the coveted
eBird “details” prompt.



Tomorrow I will lead two more SBQ walks – one at the Goetchius Wetland
Preserve in Caroline starting at 6:30, and one at the Roy H. Park Preserve
in Dryden starting at 8:30.  I hope to see many of you there!



Mark Chao



Running SBQ tally:  114 bird species

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[cayugabirds-l] 3 Red-headed Woodpeckers Mays Point

[Dave K]

At least 3 adult Red-headed Woodpeckers at Mays Point this AM
https://www.flickr.com/photos/105424358@N06/17420986724
  
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