[cayugabirds-l] CBC Field Trip Today

[bob mcguire]

In spite of the dire weather prediction for today, four folks showed up to join 
me for a drive around the lake. I will save a full report for the CBC March 
newsletter, but want to share the highlights now. A FOY (first-of-year) 
KILLDEER greeted us as we got out of the cars at Myers, foraging on the gravel 
bar along side the creek. We also had a variety of ducks, including 3 
Long-tailed Ducks and 3 White-winged Scoters (birds that have been there for 
the past few weeks). 

We received the RBA message of a BOHEMIAN WAXWING in Groton, which would have 
been a life bird for several of us, and decided to chase it. By the time we got 
there the flock of 35 waxwings (as reported) had dwindled to 32, and the 
Bohemian was missing!

Somewhat disappointed, we continued north and encountered a large flock of Snow 
Buntings (approx 500) along Davis Road. They were far back in the corn stubble, 
constantly in flight and, try as we might, we were unable to pick out any 
Lapland Longspurs.

Aurora Bay was empty of grebes; there was no sign of Friday’s Gyrfalcon in the 
vicinity of Great Gully (didn’t really expect it to be that cooperative). 

We found a few Green-winged Teal along the shore to the north of Frontenac 
Park. There was nothing out of the ordinary on the ponds in Union Springs nor 
on the water at Mud Lock. 

Next we checked the Finger Lakes airport for Snowy Owls (none) and the area of 
the quarry for Gyrfalcon (nothing). 

The view from Sheldarake Park was unremarkable. And from there we ran ahead of 
the cold front (wind and rain) all the way home.

Bob McGuire
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[cayugabirds-l] CBC field trip today

[Paul Anderson]

I led a group of four on a Cayuga Bird Club field trip today: Caroline, 
Judy, Lee-Ann and Becky. Given the very strong South winds, I was 
hopeful that something interesting had arrived, but no luck. The 
starlings in the trees teased us with their imitations of Meadowlarks, 
Towhees and Red-tailed Hawks, but there were few real birds of interest 
among those trees other than an Eastern Phoebe. Looking out on the lake 
we saw the usual three gulls, Mallards, Common Mergansers, Bufflehead, 
Canada Geese, and a single Common Loon. To the East were flocks of 
Coots, Scaup (both), three Ruddy Ducks. If there had been Shovelers and 
Lesser Black-backed Gulls around then, I think we would have found them, 
so they must have arrived later. An adult Bald Eagle flew over as we 
were scoping, a female Belted Kingfisher strafed the surface, and a few 
Tree Swallows flew around the mouth of the inlet. Further in the inlet 
were Wood Ducks, more Bufflehead, more Common Mergansers, several Hooded 
Mergansers, and a Pied-billed Grebe.


We then headed into Renwick in the hope of finding the Great-horned Owl. 
No luck. There were many more Wood Ducks though, at one point a flock of 
about eight males flew over above the treetops. We found a female 
perched high in a tree.


The possibility of Bohemian Waxwings was too good to pass up, so we then 
headed to Drake Road. No luck on those, but we did add a few more 
species: Red-bellied Woodpecker, and Flicker.


We then stopped at Myers, and picked up three Killdeer, a small flock of 
Redhead and another Common Loon.


Finally we went to Sapsucker Woods, starting with the field beyond the 
far parking lot. There we found about half a dozen Golden-crowned 
Kinglets that were very cooperative. A single American Tree Sparrow was 
mixing with the Song Sparrows. We then walked along the first stretch of 
the Wilson Trail hoping to find a Fox Sparrow or two. No luck there 
either, but we did find a couple of White-throated Sparrows.


Despite missing our target species and that fierce wind, it was still a 
great day to be out.


Paul

--
Paul Anderson, VP of Engineering, GrammaTech, Inc.
531 Esty St., Ithaca, NY 14850
Tel: +1 607 273-7340 x118; http://www.grammatech.com


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