[cayugabirds-l] Hummingbird update

2017-07-19 Thread Dave Nutter 
Remember that hummingbird nest I mentioned awhile back? I checked it yesterday 
afternoon, and the 2 nestlings looked like actual birds. They were well past 
the lizard stage with wrinkly round chameleon eyes and serrated iguana ridges 
where pinfeathers were forming. They had grown real hummingbird beaks. One 
youngster was nicely contoured with a green tint above and a gray-speckled 
throat. The other looked a bit scruffier. It had all the feathers but they were 
not as open or lying as neatly, and they were more buff-tipped above. I could 
still see a bit of sheath on the outermost primary of that one, but the wings 
were generally hidden from view due to the upward viewing angle and the birds' 
position in the nest. Actually the nestlings were more on than in the nest for 
the past several days, and yesterday I could see a black-clawed pink toe 
gripping the rim. 

Standing side by side, they took turns exercising their wings behind the 
other's back. "Scruffy" was curious, probing the nest with its bill, tasting 
nearby leaves (including where they had defecated), and poking its sibling, not 
in a mean way, but not random either. "Svelte" looked dignified, and stayed 
still more, maybe having already done that exploration. Both tracked a nearby 
flying insect with their bills. And when mama alit on the rim they stretched 
up, and opened their rather dangerous bills to receive regurgitant pumped deep 
inside them through an even more dangerous bill. 

I checked again this morning about 5:45 between taxi calls, but the leaves were 
so droopy I couldn't see the nest in the sole sometimes-possible line of sight. 
(On Monday I had also looked from the taxi just before a storm. Those kids had 
quite a ride with the branch going up & down, but one of the leaves acted as a 
wind screen for them.) I checked again today from the taxi at 11:30am and 
finally got a view. The rim of the nest was an unbroken line, although the 
youngsters haven't been able to hide inside the cup for days. I got out for a 
closer look to double check. They were gone off into the wide world.  

A bit more about this nest. It's on one of several branches drooping down 
toward Fall Creek. It's not close enough to the water to be in danger from 
flooding, but there are other risks. It's next to a popular fishing spot. 
There's line tangled in an adjacent branch, and one time I arrived to find an 
angler trying to yank free a line and hook caught in a different adjacent 
branch, but shaking everything nearby. I mentioned to the angler that there was 
a bird nest in there, and the person packed up and left, perhaps a bit 
embarrassed at catching the tree instead of a fish. Meanwhile, I moved to the 
one line of sight where I could view the nest, and it still had babies. Perhaps 
that event was just another storm to them. Another time when I saw someone move 
along the bank right next to the nest to fish, I pointed out the nest and asked 
that they be extra careful, and that person obligingly moved a bit farther 
away. It's true that the mama chose to nest there despite people along the path 
and people fishing and canoeing, so the bird was clearly somewhat tolerant of 
humans, but if it was going to get disturbed I didn't want it to be birders' 
fault. The mama definitely noticed me when I was close, so I was only close for 
limited periods and late in the nesting. 

Anyway, I apologize for not having shared the nest's location, and for being 
vague to people on the path who asked what I was looking at. I feared that a 
constant stream of birders trying to see and photograph it might be too much. I 
made one exception. Melissa Groo, whom you all know as a wonderful 
photographer, asked if she could discreetly try her hand, and I thought it 
would be good to have high quality documentation, knowing that she would be 
very careful. She made several visits despite a busy schedule and the fact that 
the nest was frustratingly hard to view among the leaves. I also documented the 
progress of the nesting, and my photography got better during that six weeks. I 
hope to put together a more complete and illustrated story which might be 
worthy of an article in the Cayuga Bird Club newsletter. 

--Dave Nutter
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[cayugabirds-l] Osprey and Blue Heron

2017-07-19 Thread Poppy Singer 
Twice this week I've been at Salt Point and witnessed an Osprey repeatedly
attacking a Great Blue Heron in the water and in the air. The Heron squawks
loudly each attack. It is distressing to see. Does anyone know what this is
about?
(Mr. White-winged Scoter was still there as well)

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Re: [cayugabirds-l] Bald Red-winged Blackbird

2017-07-19 Thread AB Clark 
Could be molt, and it might be exacerbated by a fight with another male.  Seems 
late in the year for this, but I have watched fights between males (typically 
in late April or early May)  that resulted in chunks of feather pulled out and 
bald or partly bald males.



> On Jul 19, 2017, at 6:33 PM, Annette Nadeau  wrote:
> 
> I have a bald Red-winged Blackbird visiting one of my feeders this evening 
> here in Brooktondale. I've seen bald Blue Jays, but this is a first for me. 
> He looks fine otherwise, so I'm guessing this is a molting phase. 
> 
> 
> Annette 
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[cayugabirds-l] Bald Red-winged Blackbird

2017-07-19 Thread Annette Nadeau 
I have a bald Red-winged Blackbird visiting one of my feeders this evening
here in Brooktondale. I've seen bald Blue Jays, but this is a first for me.
He looks fine otherwise, so I'm guessing this is a molting phase.


Annette
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Re: [cayugabirds-l] 13+ BC Night-Herons from East Road

2017-07-19 Thread Dave Nutter 
Who says it's not a rookery? In years past, my impression was that they 
probably nested along the channel on the south end of the west side. I heard 
that the trees there had been cut down, but perhaps they are nesting somewhere 
very nearby. 
--Dave Nutter

> On Jul 18, 2017, at 11:21 PM, Sandy Podulka  wrote:
> 
> Montezuma was fairly quite this afternoon, but from the overlook on East Road 
> we could see 13+ adult Black-crowned Night-Herons foraging in the marsh. The 
> most I recall seeing outside of a rookery anywhere!  Also present were 
> numerous Great Egrets and Great Blue Herons. I was especially surprised to 
> see so many Night-Herons at 3:30 in the afternoon!  Perhaps they are 
> desperately feeding young right now?
> 
> --Sandy Podulka
> 
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[cayugabirds-l] Virginia Rail yard bird in Brooktondale

2017-07-19 Thread Sandy Podulka 
After years of looking for rails and playing tapes unsuccessfully on 
our property, we finally saw a Virginia Rail walking along the 
driveway! It quickly ran into the grasses and called and another one 
answered it. It's been a while since we had a new yard bird here in 
Brooktondale!


Sandy Podulka


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