Re: [cayugabirds-l] Cayuga Lake, east side

[Dave Nutter]

Forgot to mention: Thanks to a hot tip from another birder at Myers Point, we saw the lovely EASTERN SCREECH-OWL framed by a large oval knot-hole in a dead tree below the orchards on Sweazey Rd in Lansing.--Dave NutterOn Mar 04, 2014, at 09:37 PM, Dave Nutter  wrote:This afternoon Ann Mitchell & I birded the east side of Cayuga Lake. Before we left Ithaca, we toured the Northside neighborhood in quest of FISH CROWS, and we eventually heard and saw at least 2 among AMERICAN CROWS near the sadly twice-defunct grocery store at First & Hancock Streets.We skipped East Shore Park because the ice edge was by the houses to the north. Our first stop along the lake was Ladoga Park Rd, where we expected open water, but were surprised to see the entire bight from Portland Point to Myers Point iced over, except for a distant lead and 3 small and crowded polynyas, which still made for good birding. One of these openings was south of Ladoga along the shore where perhaps a stream comes in. Two others were near the south side of the Finger Lakes Marine Service marina next to Myers Point Park, and there was a small area of open water within that marina as well. A birder we met there said a huge ice floe floated north to help create the shelf. Birds at those openings included at least 14 NORTHERN PINTAILS, several AMERICAN WIGEON, RED-BREASTED MERGANSER, COMMON GOLDENEYE, all 5 usual Aythya, AMERICAN COOT, CANADA GEESE, MALLARDS and AMERICAN BLACK DUCKS. Out on the open water, better seen from the lighthouse, were 2 LONG-TAILED DUCKS, 31 WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS, and lots of COMMON GOLDENEYE. North of Myers Point was a distant raft of mixed Aythya and in the cove north of Salt Point were more ducks in good variety. The 3 usual gull species rested on the icy shoals north of the mouth of Salmon Creek. We skipped north to Union Springs, which was iced in, and then headed back south. Highlights at the Mill Pond in Union Springs included one each continuing RED-NECKED GREBE, HORNED GREBE, and male WOOD DUCK ( the latter flew, perhaps to the outlet stream, shortly after I found him). A female GREEN-WINGED TEAL tried to hide in the Factory Street Pond. There were great looks at GADWALL, AMERICAN WIGEON, REDHEAD, TUNDRA SWAN, and BUFFLEHEAD in these ponds. From the cliffs by Mackenzie-Childs we saw 7 each HORNED and RED-NECKED GREBES, 2 pairs of MUTE SWANS and 9 or more TUNDRA SWANS. There were plenty of ducks at the Wells College Boathouse, but a dearth of grebes. Long Point State Park had 13 HORNED and 2 RED-NECKED GREBES, 20 WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS, a distant pair of NORTHERN PINTAIL, lots of CANVASBACKS, and a nice variety of other ducks.  In the cedar-strewn woods north of Long Point State Park we saw a single YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER as well as a CAROLINA WREN, and several EASTERN BLUEBIRDS with the more usual winter woods birds. From here south through Lansing, we saw occasional groups of AMERICAN ROBINS in trees and in spread-out flying flocks. At 5:30pm as we drove past the fields between Long Point State Park and the Long Point Winery, and we saw 1 SHORT-EARED OWL atop a power pole.Despite today's cold temperatures it was great birding because the low winds made the lake calm and the wind chill tolerable just long enough to give the lake a decent scan. But we couldn't find Carl Steckler's Surf Scoters, so we'll have to be content with his fine photos for now.  --Dave Nutter--
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[cayugabirds-l] Cayuga Lake, east side

[Dave Nutter]

This afternoon Ann Mitchell & I birded the east side of Cayuga Lake. Before we left Ithaca, we toured the Northside neighborhood in quest of FISH CROWS, and we eventually heard and saw at least 2 among AMERICAN CROWS near the sadly twice-defunct grocery store at First & Hancock Streets.We skipped East Shore Park because the ice edge was by the houses to the north. Our first stop along the lake was Ladoga Park Rd, where we expected open water, but were surprised to see the entire bight from Portland Point to Myers Point iced over, except for a distant lead and 3 small and crowded polynyas, which still made for good birding. One of these openings was south of Ladoga along the shore where perhaps a stream comes in. Two others were near the south side of the Finger Lakes Marine Service marina next to Myers Point Park, and there was a small area of open water within that marina as well. A birder we met there said a huge ice floe floated north to help create the shelf. Birds at those openings included at least 14 NORTHERN PINTAILS, several AMERICAN WIGEON, RED-BREASTED MERGANSER, COMMON GOLDENEYE, all 5 usual Aythya, AMERICAN COOT, CANADA GEESE, MALLARDS and AMERICAN BLACK DUCKS. Out on the open water, better seen from the lighthouse, were 2 LONG-TAILED DUCKS, 31 WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS, and lots of COMMON GOLDENEYE. North of Myers Point was a distant raft of mixed Aythya and in the cove north of Salt Point were more ducks in good variety. The 3 usual gull species rested on the icy shoals north of the mouth of Salmon Creek. We skipped north to Union Springs, which was iced in, and then headed back south. Highlights at the Mill Pond in Union Springs included one each continuing RED-NECKED GREBE, HORNED GREBE, and male WOOD DUCK ( the latter flew, perhaps to the outlet stream, shortly after I found him). A female GREEN-WINGED TEAL tried to hide in the Factory Street Pond. There were great looks at GADWALL, AMERICAN WIGEON, REDHEAD, TUNDRA SWAN, and BUFFLEHEAD in these ponds. From the cliffs by Mackenzie-Childs we saw 7 each HORNED and RED-NECKED GREBES, 2 pairs of MUTE SWANS and 9 or more TUNDRA SWANS. There were plenty of ducks at the Wells College Boathouse, but a dearth of grebes. Long Point State Park had 13 HORNED and 2 RED-NECKED GREBES, 20 WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS, a distant pair of NORTHERN PINTAIL, lots of CANVASBACKS, and a nice variety of other ducks.  In the cedar-strewn woods north of Long Point State Park we saw a single YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER as well as a CAROLINA WREN, and several EASTERN BLUEBIRDS with the more usual winter woods birds. From here south through Lansing, we saw occasional groups of AMERICAN ROBINS in trees and in spread-out flying flocks. At 5:30pm as we drove past the fields between Long Point State Park and the Long Point Winery, and we saw 1 SHORT-EARED OWL atop a power pole.Despite today's cold temperatures it was great birding because the low winds made the lake calm and the wind chill tolerable just long enough to give the lake a decent scan. But we couldn't find Carl 
Steckler's Surf Scoters, so we'll have to be content with his fine 
photos for now.  --Dave Nutter
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Re: [cayugabirds-l] Cayuga Lake East Side, Montezuma Visitor's Center and Summerhill Today

[Tim Lenz]

Just a note that Ethan Kistler and I relocated Dave's POSSIBLE JAEGER SP.
at Cayuga Lake SP sometime after noon.  We were looking for the Gannet of
course when I spotted a flash of white in what appeared to be the outer
primaries of a bird coming up the far side of the lake.  We followed the
bird for a while and at one point it looked like a gull was chasing it.
However, it soon blended back into thermal dreamland and was never seen
again.  It was truly a miserable day to be scoping the lake and I can't
believe so many awesome birds were found today!  The best we could come up
with were single RED-NECKED GREBES at Cayuga Lake SP and Sheldrake (where
we tried and failed to intercept the Sabine's Gull).

On Sun, Nov 11, 2012 at 6:25 PM, david nicosia  wrote:

>
>
>
>
> I also think I had JAEGER sp.  from Long Point. This was before the gannet.
> It was distant and I was not sure. The way it was flying around at times
> low over the water
> and general size and shape made me think JAEGER. It was a light brownish
> bird
> but lighting was poor. I am pretty sure it was not a gull. I chalk this up
> as a "possible"...
> let alone trying to determine which specie for this birder!
>
> Subscribe, Configuration and 
> Leave
> *Archives:*
> The Mail 
> Archive
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> *Please submit your observations to eBird
> !*
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>



-- 
Tim Lenz
t...@cornell.edu
Web Applications Developer
Cornell Lab of Ornithology

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[cayugabirds-l] Cayuga Lake East Side, Montezuma Visitor's Center and Summerhill Today

[david nicosia]

Went birding today with Renee DePrato and Melissa Penta. Here are the 
highlights. 

Stewart Park- 3 WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS, 90+ RUDDY DUCKS. 
Also a strange goose- Domestic GRAYLAG X CANADA??  

http://www.flickr.com/photos/davenicosia/8176869170/in/photostream

 
Totaled 34 species here alone! 

Myer's Point- a SNOW BUNTING landed right by our car!!! He was very
cooperative. Tooks a few photos: 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/davenicosia/8176879048/in/photostream


http://www.flickr.com/photos/davenicosia/8176840709/in/photostream/


http://www.flickr.com/photos/davenicosia/8176841747/in/photostream/



NORTHERN GANNET Long Point. This was the biggest surprise of the day.
I saw a very large bird naked eye distant to the south and I just thought 
greater 
black-backed gull but it was very very distant at first. In my bins, it became
obvious that it was not a gull. It had long thinner wings. I got my
scope on the bird and bingo...NORTHERN GANNET. It was a juvenile or immature
as it was a mostly brownish but did have some lighter brown/more whitish toward
the shoulders and neck. Underneath was lighter brown but lighting was not 
great.  
The head was obvious. The bird flew north and I kept him in my scope the whole 
way 
until he was out of sightnorth. Melissa and Renee were able to get on the 
bird in 
their bins as he passed north. I fortunately was able to get him in my scope 
and I never
stopped watching him in the scope until he was too distant. 

I also think I had JAEGER sp.  from Long Point. This was before the gannet.
It was distant and I was not sure. The way it was flying around at times low 
over the water 
and general size and shape made me think JAEGER. It was a light brownish bird
but lighting was poor. I am pretty sure it was not a gull. I chalk this up as a 
"possible"...
let alone trying to determine which specie for this birder!  There were also 2 
LONG 
TAILED DUCKS close that were cooperative.  See: 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/davenicosia/8176839795/in/photostream


We also had a feeding frenzy of mostly RING-BILLED GULLS, also few HERRING and
GREATER BLACK BACKED GULLS that developed in front of us on the lake. There 
were some 
COMMON LOONS in with the gulls and a RED-BREASTED MERGANSER. Nothing else 
that we found. 

We drove up the lake but did not refind the GANNET or possible JAEGER. Montezuma
visitor's center was quiet. There were a couple CACKLING GEESE among tons
of Canada's. 

Summerhill area:  FOX SPARROW, RED CROSSBILL type 2??, WHITE-WINGED
CROSSBILL, flyover COMMON LOON!! and RING-NECKED PHEASANT which
was very close to the road. see: 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/davenicosia/8176870240/in/photostream/


Dave Nicosia 

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