[cayugabirds-l] Call for papers for NYSOA Annual Meeting
Just a reminder that the deadline to submit abstracts for the Scientific Paper Session at the NYS Birders Conference and 2015 NYSOA Annual meeting is August 15. The meeting is hosted by the Hudson-Mohawk Bird Club and will be held at the Holiday Inn Wolf Road in Albany, NY October 2-4. The paper session is Saturday afternoon, October 3rd from 1:30-4:30pm. Students, environmental monitoring groups, resource managers, and scientists are encouraged to share recent research on such topics as avian behavior, life history, ecology, migration, or the effects of climate change, land use, invasive species, and disease on bird populations. Talks are limited to 20 minutes including questions. For more information and to submit abstracts contact Dawn O'Neal, 2015 Scientific Paper Session Co-Chair, mailto:d...@huyckpreserve.org d...@huyckpreserve.org. Meeting details and registration at https://hmbc.net/nysoa/ https://hmbc.net/nysoa/. Posted on behalf of Dawn O'Neal Scientific Paper Session Co-Chair -- 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/ --
RE: [cayugabirds-l] Cayuga Lake bird sightings while kayaking
Dennis, We had a similar sized group of Common Mergansers on the Chemung River in Elmira several years ago. When I first saw them in early summer, the young all appeared to be the same very small size. At the end of summer, when the young were nearly full grown, the count was the same. The literature that I read at that time referred to such a group as an amalgamated family with one adult female and lots of young. While my source stated that multiple females may lay eggs in a single nest, it did not seem to attribute the amalgamation to that, and considered the mechanism by which the amalgamation developed to be unknown. I think that the young associate with just one adult female. -- Bill Ostander _ From: bounce-117656961-56173...@list.cornell.edu [mailto:bounce-117656961-56173...@list.cornell.edu] On Behalf Of John Dennis Sent: Saturday, July 26, 2014 1:09 PM To: cayugabird...@list.cornell.edu Subject: [cayugabirds-l] Cayuga Lake bird sightings while kayaking On 23 July while kayaking on Cayuga Lake, my bird sightings included a Bald Eagle, several ospreys, some double-breasted cormorants, a kettle of TVs perched at the waters edge, and what appeared to be a single adult female Common Merganser with a brood of 32 chicks in tow. One disadvantage of solo birding is there is no one available to answer simple questions such as: 1) According to allaboutbirds.org, Common Merganser clutch size is 6-17 eggs. Are Common Merganser females known to combine broods and work in shifts? 2) Would a Bald Eagle that is disturbed during breakfast and drops its fish from a tree and flies off, come back later to continue its meal? (I see at www.baldeagleinfo.com/ that they also eat carrion, so I suppose coming back to retrieve a recently caught fish would not be an indignity.) 3) Would a kettle of Turkey Vultures be intrigued by a large zucchini bobbing in the lake water a few feet from shore, wondering (from a distance at least) if perhaps if it was a dead animal? (And does kettle refer only to the airborne formation of TVs or can it also be used to describe a group of TVs that is perching? Apologies for such simple questions,John P.S. At the risk of being long-winded, here are a few more details regarding the location and details of my sightings: I departed from Myers Point at about 7:30am, went a bit north of Atwater, crossed over and kayaked down the west shore until Taughannock Park where I followed a heading directly back to Myers Point, arriving there about 4pm. There was a mild tail wind going north and a dramatic tailwind from abreast of Milliken Station all the way back to Myers Point. On the northerly, east coast leg of the journey, I spotted a Bald Eagle perched in a tree perhaps 1.5 miles north of Myers Point. I watched it fly out over the lake and dive close to the water and then circle back to the same tree. Having never seen a Bald Eagle fishing before, I assumed it had missed its target when I saw no spray come up at the end of its dive. By that time I had my bins on the bird, but movement of the kayak prevented me from seeing it well. Only when it was back perched in a tree and later dropped its fish upon my approach did I realize it had caught one. Rounding a point about half a mile south of Milliken Station, I was startled as a TV look wing from about the water level and landed in a tree where two or three other TVs were perched. I believe there was at least one more circling overhead. On reaching a willow tree that was partly in the water and where it seemed the TV had departed from, I found no carrion that could have been of interest to the TVs, but there was a 16 long, 4 diameter zucchini that was bobbing in the water a few feet from shore. There were a couple of half-inch nicks in the skin of the zucchini, but none seemed deep enough to been the result of TV beak-work. As I recall the larger Merganser brood was between Cuddeback Point on the Bell Station parcel and the Atwater/Nut Ridge Road area. Cell: 1-607-227-5172 -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME Welcome and Basics http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES Rules and Information http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm Subscribe, Configuration and Leave Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html The Mail Archive http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds Surfbirds http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html BirdingOnThe.Net 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)
[cayugabirds-l] Adirondack Boreal Bird Workshop and Field Trip
Hi, everyone. Here's an exciting opportunity from NYSOA: NYSOA Boreal Bird Workshop and Whiteface Mountain Field Trip July 7-8, 2012 The New York State Ornithological Association is offering a boreal bird workshop and field trip in Wilmington, New York on the weekend of July 7-8, 2012. On Saturday, Adirondack bird experts, John and Pat Thaxton will give a presentation entitled The Usual Suspects: A Rogue's Gallery of Adirondack Boreal Specialties. The presentation, which is free and open to the public, will take place at the Adirondack Wildlife Refuge and Rehabilitation Center, 977 Springfield Road near Wilmington beginning at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 7th. John and Pat will lead the Sunday field trip to Whiteface beginning at 7:30 a.m. The field trip is open to individual, student, family and life members of NYSOA but limited to 20 participants. Field trip attendees must preregister for the field trip by calling Kathy Schneider at (518) 799-3457 or emailing her at falll...@nycap.rr.com. More information about the exceptional expertise of the speakers and field trip leaders, trip arrangements, including discounted lodging, directions and membership in the New York State Ornithological Association can be found at the NYSOA website, nybirds.org. Bill Ostrander Elmira, 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] Adirondack Boreal Bird Workshop and Field Trip
Hi, everyone. Here's an exciting opportunity from NYSOA: NYSOA Boreal Bird Workshop and Whiteface Mountain Field Trip July 7-8, 2012 The New York State Ornithological Association is offering a boreal bird workshop and field trip in Wilmington, New York on the weekend of July 7-8, 2012. On Saturday, Adirondack bird experts, John and Pat Thaxton will give a presentation entitled The Usual Suspects: A Rogue's Gallery of Adirondack Boreal Specialties. The presentation, which is free and open to the public, will take place at the Adirondack Wildlife Refuge and Rehabilitation Center, 977 Springfield Road near Wilmington beginning at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 7th. John and Pat will lead the Sunday field trip to Whiteface beginning at 7:30 a.m. The field trip is open to individual, student, family and life members of NYSOA but limited to 20 participants. Field trip attendees must preregister for the field trip by calling Kathy Schneider at (518) 799-3457 or emailing her at falll...@nycap.rr.com. More information about the exceptional expertise of the speakers and field trip leaders, trip arrangements, including discounted lodging, directions and membership in the New York State Ornithological Association can be found at the NYSOA website, nybirds.org. -- 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] Adirondack Boreal Bird Workshop and Field Trip
Hi, everyone. Here's an exciting opportunity from NYSOA: NYSOA Boreal Bird Workshop and Whiteface Mountain Field Trip July 7-8, 2012 The New York State Ornithological Association is offering a boreal bird workshop and field trip in Wilmington, New York on the weekend of July 7-8, 2012. On Saturday, Adirondack bird experts, John and Pat Thaxton will give a presentation entitled The Usual Suspects: A Rogue's Gallery of Adirondack Boreal Specialties. The presentation, which is free and open to the public, will take place at the Adirondack Wildlife Refuge and Rehabilitation Center, 977 Springfield Road near Wilmington beginning at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 7th. John and Pat will lead the Sunday field trip to Whiteface beginning at 7:30 a.m. The field trip is open to individual, student, family and life members of NYSOA but limited to 20 participants. Field trip attendees must preregister for the field trip by calling Kathy Schneider at (518) 799-3457 or emailing her at falll...@nycap.rr.com. More information about the exceptional expertise of the speakers and field trip leaders, trip arrangements, including discounted lodging, directions and membership in the New York State Ornithological Association can be found at the NYSOA website, nybirds.org. -- 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/ --
RE: [cayugabirds-l] Merlin food
I sent this previously to Bob McGuire, but thought that it might be of interest to others: The one bird that I've seen Merlin catch was a House Sparrow. The Merlin that our Audubon group saw last Saturday was hunting pigeons. It split a flock in two and then cut an individual out of the flock and was pursuing it when the two birds disappeared behind a building, so we did not see how the action ended. Of course, Merlins seem to enjoy the chase even if they have no real intention of catching the object of their pursuit. I even saw one allowing four crows to chase it around our neighborhood. The Merlin appeared to be flying slowly just so they could keep up. The pigeon chaser last Saturday seemed serious and even experienced at dealing with pigeon flocks. When I was an undergraduate many decades ago, I saw a Kestrel chasing a pigeon near the bus station in Ithaca. On another occasion I saw a Kestrel catch a Starling. In both cases it was winter, so maybe when food is scarce these raptors take chances on hunting bigger, more available prey. Somewhat related, an immature Red-tailed Hawk spent a winter in downtown Elmira hunting the same pigeon flock that the Merlin was working on Saturday. That same winter, an adult Red-tail spent a lot of time hunting for mice on a nearby island in the river. I attributed that difference to experience. An article that I read about the expansion of Merlin into urban/suburban areas in western Canada attributed their expansion to the availability of House Sparrows. -- Bill Osrander _ From: bounce-38942179-3518...@list.cornell.edu [mailto:bounce-38942179-3518...@list.cornell.edu] On Behalf Of Kevin J. McGowan Sent: Thursday, December 08, 2011 11:49 AM To: CAYUGABIRDS-L Subject: [cayugabirds-l] Merlin food Since it has been mentioned that Merlins taking mostly House Sparrows (no one has ever mentioned starlings that I know of) is hogwash, I thought it might be useful to look at the available data. I copy here Appendix 1 from the BNA Merlin account, which lists the results of 6 published studies of Merlin prey selection, specifically to contrast urban and rural nesting birds. You make your own conclusions. The BNA account summarizes those and other studies as follows, Most studies report specialization on one or two locally abundant species of small birds. Principal prey species characterized as: one of most abundant species in area, often foraging away from cover making it vulnerable to predation, and in 20-40 g weight range. That seems reasonable, and suggests that the primary food will indeed vary over space and time. Kevin ** Urban Rural S1 AU S2 AR MO AL House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) 63.6 75.7 64.5 - + - Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris) 5.7 - 9.1 50.0 27.2 + Bohemian Waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus) 4.0 5.8 + - - - White-winged Crossbill (Loxia leucoptera) - 5.2 - - - - American Robin (Turdus migratorius) + + 4.3 - - - Chestnut-collared Longspur (Calcarius ornatus) + - - 37.0 + - Lark Bunting (Calamospiza melanocorys) - - - + 17.6 - Vesper Sparrow (Pooecetes gramineus) - - - + 12.6 - Mountain Bluebird (Sialia currucoides) - - + - 6.6 - Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta) + - + + 4.2 - American Pipit (Anthus spinoletta) - - - - - 6.2 American Tree Sparrow (Spizella arborea) - - - - - 11.5 Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca) - - - - - 8.9 White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys) - - + - - 8.0 Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis) + + + - + 10.6 Snow Bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis) - - + - - 5.3 Lapland Longspur (Calcarius lapponicus) + - + - - 9.8 No of prey items 176 173 1332 2070 427 113 No of nests studied 3 5 65 46 20 4 Appendix 1. Principal prey species of breeding Merlins in urban vs. rural habitats in North America. Data presented as percentage of prey by number. Species that made up equal to or more than 4% of the total diet in a study are included in the table; + equals less than 4% of the diet. AL: Alaska (Laing 1985 ), AU: Edmonton and Fort Saskatchewan (James and Smith 1987 ), AR: Alberta (Hodson 1978 ), MO: Montana (Becker 1985 ), S1: Sasaktoon (Oliphant and McTaggart 1977 ), and S2: Saskatoon (Sodhi and Oliphant 1993 ). * Laing http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/044/articles/species/044/galleries /data/app1/species/044/biblio/bib053 1985 * James http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/044/articles/species/044/galleries /data/app1/species/044/biblio/bib044 and Smith 1987 * Hodson http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/044/articles/species/044/galleries /data/app1/species/044/biblio/bib040 1978 * Becker http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/044/articles/species/044/galleries /data/app1/species/044/biblio/bib005 1985 * Oliphant
[cayugabirds-l] SFO Local Trip to Park Station
Our group of four investigated Park Station, a Chemung County park about 3.5 miles southwest of Arnot Forest. We first stopped at the fishing access on Laurel Hill Road where two adult Ring-billed Gulls were hanging out in the parking area. A transitional Common Loon was very actively diving, so we decided to track down the singing Bobolinks in the flood control dam's spillway and had fine looks at them, one landing just 10 yards away in the mowed trail. He joined two others to chase a female. We watched the flap-glide flight of Eastern Meadowlarks and listened to the buzzy songs of Savannah Sparrows. When we returned to the scope, the loon had finally settled down and we were able to enjoy leisurely looks at it. The six White-winged Scoters that had been on the lake, Saturday, had already departed, so Mallards and a passing female Common Merganser were the only other waterfowl. Next, we parked near the main entrance and headed for the woods. Two members of our group were beginners, so we took our time lookikng at birds that afforded good veiws: Chipping Sparrow, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Red-eyed Vireo, Warbling Vireo, Yellow-rumped, Yellow, and Blackburnian Warblers, Eastern Kingbird, and Tree Swallow. Only I got to see the Bay-breasted Warbler foraging in a Red Oak. We also spent time learning how to distinguish vireo, robin, and Scarlet Tanager songs. Early in our walk, we listened to the quiet song of the Philadelphia Vireo, but only a couple of us got fleeting glimpses. Other songs that we spent time on included Black-throated Green Warbler, Ovenbird, and a couple of the many calls in the Red-winged Blackbird repertoire. A Red-shouldered Hawk screamed from the forest as we were walking away from it. Everyone commented on the beauty of the place. Unfortunately we did not have enough time to explore it more. -- Bill Ostrander -- 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] SFO Sunday Local Trip
The local SFO group was small with just three students: Joan and Bob Horn and Stephanie Herrick. We spent most of our time at Dryden Lake and walking a loop around the Jim Schlugg Trail, Keith Lane and Lake and West Lake Roads. We were able to compare females of all three merganser species. Only the very distant Commons included any adult males. Other waterfowl included some Ring-necked Ducks, a single male Ruddy Duck transitioning into breeding plumage, a breeding-plumaged Common Loon, and a near breeding-plumaged Horned Grebe. On our way to Dryden Lake the group discussed how to differentiate the trilling bird songs and listened to junco, Swamp and Chipping Sparrows on Stephanie's BirdsEye Pro. We were glad to hear Swamp Sparrow singing in one of the cattail areas at Dryden Lake. As we walked in that direction, we found a Brown Creeper calling and creeping in the grove of trees next to us. After a patient search, we did locate the Swamp Sparrow who allowed all of us to view him through the scope and see the field marks that we had already discussed. On the hillside beyond was a flock of Wild Turkeys and the students noted that the one displaying male looked to have been through a few battles this spring. Our main finds of interest on the Jim Schlugg Trail were a little flock of Golden-crowned Kinglets near our starting point and a Ruffed Grouse drum about halfway to Keith Lane. We did not encounter many birds on the roadsides, but did enjoy watching a pair of White-breasted Nuthatches stripping bark from a snag to take to their nest in a large tree cavity. A shrubby pond back at the park was full of barking Wood Frogs. We used our remaining time up at Stewart Park where we added Bufflehead, Lesser Scaup, Redhead, Gadwall, and American Wigeon to our day's list. Stephanie spotted a small flock of swallows hawking insects toward the lighthouse jetty. The flock included at least a couple Tree Swallows, a Barn Swallow, and two male Purple Martins. When we went to the boathouse, the Martins made occasional passes over the swan pen. We also saw a Mallard land high in one of the trees along the lake shore and Bob found a Wild Turkey perched high in one of the trees along the channel behind the boathouse. Raptors were notably absent and we had to be satisfied withour two sightings of individual Turkey Vultures on our way back to the Lab. -- Bill Ostrander -- 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] Snow Geese and others
Our Chemung Valley Audubon group was at Knox-Marcellus when all the Snow Geese took off from the mucklands. When we arrived at the Potato building, there was only one Snow Goose to be seen, the one that four young hunters carried back to their rendezvous point at the Potato Building. It looked like they were probably done for the day. I asked them what the bag limit was, and they said 25 per person per day, so they were short of their combined limit by 99 birds. It's going to take a long time to reduce the population by hunting if every time one gets shot, the other quarter million fly away. We saw Jay, Tim, and Hope at Sheldrake. I did forget to tell Jay one other unusual bird we saw was a Red-shouldered Hawk perched in one of the bushy trees far across the marsh due west of the visitors' center at the Refuge. -- Bill Ostrander _ From: bounce-9181465-3518...@list.cornell.edu [mailto:bounce-9181465-3518...@list.cornell.edu] On Behalf Of Meena Haribal Sent: Saturday, March 12, 2011 8:28 PM To: cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu Subject: [cayugabirds-l] Snow Geese and others Hi all, I went to north side of the lake, specially in search of Snow Geese. I was not disappointed. Along the Drake Road, I found some tom Turkeys under usual feeders. Center Road was quiet except for couple of Horned Larks. But as I was passing the road, I encountered my first flock of Snow Geese passing over me heading somewhere along 34 B. By the time I got the camera out, the birds were gone. But I considered that as a good omen for things to come ahead next. After a short detour on 90, I took my favorite Dixon road from Rafferty. Nothing special but many robins along the road, a flock of about 100 grackles with a few Red-winged mixed in and a Kestrel. At the end of the road I headed down to the lake, which comes out at Aurora Fire Station. Along the lake north, I stopped at Factory Pond. As Bill noted it was devoid of any ducks, but sleeping Screechie. At the same spot there was a very entertaining Starling doing all kinds of mimicry including Meadow Lark. So I spent some time with him trying my camera. Next, I stopped at Cayuga Village road just off of 90. Here I encountered huge flocks of Snow Geese flying overhead, which I found were heading to other side of the lake as the lake was mostly frozen around this area. There were many ducks but I did not spend time watching them as I was on an assignment, so shot some B rolls. I went to the water's edge at Cayuga park where I encountered Jay et al. Along Lake Road, I got a nice Common Goldeneye. Then headed to visitor Center for a short stop. Then I headed to Mucklands via East Road. From East Road, I could see huge flocks of Snow Geese in the muck. So I headed directly there. From both sides of the road there were thousands of Snow Geese and were just abut 300 mt from the road. I parked at the Potato building and hid behind the building and watched and took shots (not with guns but with a camera). I spent an hour or so when my battery died. When the whole group on the east side of the road rose, it made such a swishing noise, it was soothing and hypnotic and amazing. Some took off and other landed far side of the Muckland. As my battery had died, I wanted to recharge it, so decided to drive to Carncrass road. While my batter was charging on my car battery, I watched and took videos of Tundra Swans and their behaviors. I just watched the shots on my TV and so many amazing behaviors they seem to have. While I was there several thousands of Snow Geese went north of Carncrass road, to feed I think. But watching them overhead, made me feel dizzy as they made several kinds of patterns, V, U, M, N and Xs. I watched one X it had amazing movements, one group went west and other group east, but maintained that X for quite some time. I shot some part of it and watched it home, it was mind boggling as to how could they do that. As always when I watch these movements, I keep thinking who were the members of each groups, where they random or were they belonging to a specific clan? If they are clans, how do they keep in touch with each other? What is the cue to decide to take off? So many things I would like to learn, but I guess we may need a few more years if not decades to find answers to these questions with the modern technology. By the time I headed back, there were no Snow Geese in the Mucklands. Mucklands seems to be a location with very dynamic activities. Near Tschache channel, there were a few male Hooded Mergansers displaying to a couple of females. I stopped a little ahead and wanted to walk back without alarming them. But some how they sensed my intention, so they scooted. On the way back I took again back roads. Near Warrick and another town (forget name) Townline, I ran into another flock of Snow Geese feeding in the cornfield. I also ran across Greg and Susan at this point. From here I headed straight to lab to take care of something. As I
