[cayugabirds-l] Cayuga Bird Club Loon Watch
With temperatures hovering a few degrees above freezing and winds gusting from the NW at 20+ knots, conditions seemed perfect for a substantial loon flight this morning. The 20+ Cayuga Bird Club members and observers who arrived at Taughannock State Park around dawn were not disappointed. Dividing into two watch stations; the traditional location at the confluence of Taughannock Creek with Cayuga Lake and another approximately 100 yards south along the lake shoreline, observations were started 15 minutes before sunrise (6:31 AM). Over the course of the next two hours approximately 2,200 Common Loons were observed…….plus one Red-throated Loon. Using 15 minute intervals, two distinct flights were observed. Birds from Cayuga Lake were believed to comprised the first flight, with there numbers declining by 7:15 AM. A second flight, presumed from Lake Ontarion, began to arrive around 7:30 AM with numerous waves of 60 to 70 birds arriving from the NNE just below the cloud cover. This flight continued for approximately 45 minutes. A summary of the counts from the south watch station follows: 6:30 AM - 19; 6:45 AM - 75; 7:00 AM - 277; 7:15 AM - 57; 7:30 AM - 151; 7:45 AM - 218; 8:00 AM - 102; 8:15AM - 10; 8:30 AM - 27; and 8:45 AM - 14. Count total = 958. The reported count for the traditional location was 1,200. One observer noted that there where too many birds to count! On that note, I would say it was a very successful Loon Watch. Thanks to all who participated (and to the loons) and let’s try to keep this great traditional alive in future years. -- 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] Cayuga Bird Club Loon Watch
Hi All - Just a reminder that I will be leading a Loon Watch at Taughannock Falls State Park this Sunday, November 13, 2016 beginning at 6:20 AM. We will assemble on the south side of Taughannock Creek at its confluence with Cayuga Lake. Depending on the number of participants, we may break into two groups in order to maximize our coverage of migratory routes. Last year we had a banner day with +1,000 Common Loons and a couple of Red Throated Loons. Yesterday, while closing my cottage for the season, I scanned the lake from my front yard on the west shore near Camp Barton. My high count was 168 Common Loons. My guess is that at this vantage point I can view about 8 square miles of lake surface or approximately 12% of the total surface of Cayuga Lake. This would suggest there could be +2,000 loons currently on the lake……but then, who’s counting! See you Sunday. Wes -- 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] Cayuga Bird Club Loon Watch
Please join me and the Cayuga Bird Club at our annual “Loon Watch” this Saturday, November 10th at 6:20 AM. The event will be held at Taughannock Falls State Park near the entrance of Taughannock Falls Creek into Cayuga Lake. Winds are forecast to be blustery and from the WSW Saturday morning. Not ideal for a major flight, but hopefully we will be able to observe some movement. I have been monitoring loon populations near the Camp Barton Boy Scout Camp this past week and usually find 15-20 birds on the water at any given time. So hopefully we will have some activity. Three years ago we observed ~ 900 loons, but last year only 127. So the numbers are unpredictable, but there is a chance to see many other migrants including scoters, Brant and other ducks. And the company is always fun. So dress warm and plan to stay around until we end the count around 8:30 AM. See you Saturday. -- 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 Bird Club Loon Watch
Great job, Wes. From: bounce-119896078-25065...@list.cornell.edu on behalf of Wesley W. Blauvelt Sent: Saturday, November 14, 2015 7:58 PM To: cayugabird...@list.cornell.edu Subject: [cayugabirds-l] Cayuga Bird Club Loon Watch With temperatures hovering a few degrees above freezing and winds gusting from the NW at 20+ knots, conditions seemed perfect for a substantial loon flight this morning. The 20+ Cayuga Bird Club members and observers who arrived at Taughannock State Park around dawn were not disappointed. Dividing into two watch stations; the traditional location at the confluence of Taughannock Creek with Cayuga Lake and another approximately 100 yards south along the lake shoreline, observations were started 15 minutes before sunrise (6:31 AM). Over the course of the next two hours approximately 2,200 Common Loons were observed…….plus one Red-throated Loon. Using 15 minute intervals, two distinct flights were observed. Birds from Cayuga Lake were believed to comprised the first flight, with there numbers declining by 7:15 AM. A second flight, presumed from Lake Ontarion, began to arrive around 7:30 AM with numerous waves of 60 to 70 birds arriving from the NNE just below the cloud cover. This flight continued for approximately 45 minutes. A summary of the counts from the south watch station follows: 6:30 AM - 19; 6:45 AM - 75; 7:00 AM - 277; 7:15 AM - 57; 7:30 AM - 151; 7:45 AM - 218; 8:00 AM - 102; 8:15AM - 10; 8:30 AM - 27; and 8:45 AM - 14. Count total = 958. The reported count for the traditional location was 1,200. One observer noted that there where too many birds to count! On that note, I would say it was a very successful Loon Watch. Thanks to all who participated (and to the loons) and let’s try to keep this great traditional alive in future years. -- 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/ --
Re: [cayugabirds-l] Cayuga Bird Club Loon Watch
Thanks for the update. Do you foresee any future such gatherings this season? Thanks Pete Saracino On 11/14/2015 7:58 PM, Wesley W. Blauvelt wrote: > With temperatures hovering a few degrees above freezing and winds gusting > from the NW at 20+ knots, conditions seemed perfect for a substantial loon > flight this morning. The 20+ Cayuga Bird Club members and observers who > arrived at Taughannock State Park around dawn were not disappointed. Dividing > into two watch stations; the traditional location at the confluence of > Taughannock Creek with Cayuga Lake and another approximately 100 yards south > along the lake shoreline, observations were started 15 minutes before sunrise > (6:31 AM). Over the course of the next two hours approximately 2,200 Common > Loons were observed…….plus one Red-throated Loon. Using 15 minute intervals, > two distinct flights were observed. Birds from Cayuga Lake were believed to > comprised the first flight, with there numbers declining by 7:15 AM. A second > flight, presumed from Lake Ontarion, began to arrive around 7:30 AM with > numerous waves of 60 to 70 birds arriving from the NNE just below the cloud > cover. This flight continued for approximately 45 minutes. A summary of the > counts from the south watch station follows: 6:30 AM - 19; 6:45 AM - 75; 7:00 > AM - 277; 7:15 AM - 57; 7:30 AM - 151; 7:45 AM - 218; 8:00 AM - 102; 8:15AM - > 10; 8:30 AM - 27; and 8:45 AM - 14. Count total = 958. The reported count > for the traditional location was 1,200. One observer noted that there where > too many birds to count! On that note, I would say it was a very successful > Loon Watch. Thanks to all who participated (and to the loons) and let’s try > to keep this great traditional alive in future years. > > > -- > > 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/ > > -- > > > > - > No virus found in this message. > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com > Version: 2016.0.7227 / Virus Database: 4460/10999 - Release Date: 11/14/15 > > > > -- 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 Bird Club Loon Watch
I went to Taughannock this morning. There was a NW breeze, i.e. pretty much aiming along the lake. I watched from 6:40am til 7:50am and saw 120 loons flying south and 20 flying back north again. I was only looking against the sky, not at anything flying below tree level or close to the lake, which had some shimmer due to cold air. Most loons followed the lake going SE past Taughannock in singles or rather spread out groups of up to half a dozen. The paths of these birds were of varying height and distance from me. Rather late in my count I saw a couple of tighter groups follow the west shore and possibly continue over land. To see these both paths it may be best to observe from the north side of the creek on the concrete platform at the point, as trees obscure one area or the other from the south side of the creek. Gladys Birdsall joined me toward the end, when flying loons were getting sparse and the number returning was close to the number leaving. Aside from the loons and a flock of about 50 northbound American Robins over the west shore, my most interesting observation was of a tight trio of Common Ravens who flew from Taughannock NE across the lake. Good luck tomorrow! --Dave Nutter On Nov 08, 2016, at 12:44 PM, "Wesley W. Blauvelt" wrote: Hi All - Just a reminder that I will be leading a Loon Watch at Taughannock Falls State Park this Sunday, November 13, 2016 beginning at 6:20 AM. We will assemble on the south side of Taughannock Creek at its confluence with Cayuga Lake. Depending on the number of participants, we may break into two groups in order to maximize our coverage of migratory routes. Last year we had a banner day with +1,000 Common Loons and a couple of Red Throated Loons. Yesterday, while closing my cottage for the season, I scanned the lake from my front yard on the west shore near Camp Barton. My high count was 168 Common Loons. My guess is that at this vantage point I can view about 8 square miles of lake surface or approximately 12% of the total surface of Cayuga Lake. This would suggest there could be +2,000 loons currently on the lake……but then, who’s counting! See you Sunday. Wes -- 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/ --