Seemed better than earlier in the week. Both the Visitor's Center pool and Wildlife Drive spot have good water levels and are attracting shorebirds. The Main Pool is getting herons in the open area and may get shorebirds at some point. Benning Marsh is also looking good.
Highlight was a juvenile Bonaparte's Gull and possible Western Sandpiper at the Visitor Center pool. The peep had a big long bill but not much droop at the end and was feeding near a Stilt Sandpiper. I've been mostly seeing peeps from 500 yards so far this year, so at 50 yards there's a sudden flood of plumage information. Perhaps it was lighting but the plumage wasn't exactly what I think of for Western and I left it unsure which. Someone else may get to see it and I also have a photo I can post. 34-35 Great Egret at Mays Point but no wing tags that I could see. Dave W. Oswego County NY Montezuma NWR--Visitor Center, Seneca, US-NY Jul 29, 2011 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM Protocol: Stationary Comments: Shorebirds only 15 species (+1 other taxa) Great Blue Heron 1 Osprey 1 Bald Eagle 1 Killdeer 8 Spotted Sandpiper 1 Solitary Sandpiper 1 Greater Yellowlegs 4 Lesser Yellowlegs 30 Semipalmated Sandpiper 8 Least Sandpiper 6 Pectoral Sandpiper 1 Stilt Sandpiper 1 peep sp. 1 Possibly a Western Sandpiper, feeding near the Stilt Sandpiper Bonaparte's Gull 1 Stunning juvenile bird Ring-billed Gull 15 Caspian Tern 15 Montezuma NWR--Auto Loop, Seneca, US-NY Jul 29, 2011 6:15 PM - 6:30 PM Protocol: Traveling 0.5 mile(s) Comments: Shorebirds only, from the new shorebird area 9 species Great Blue Heron X Great Egret 1 Killdeer X Spotted Sandpiper X Greater Yellowlegs 7 Lesser Yellowlegs 15 Semipalmated Sandpiper X Least Sandpiper X Pectoral Sandpiper 1 Montezuma NWR--Puddler Marsh, Seneca, US-NY Jul 29, 2011 7:00 PM - 8:15 PM Protocol: Traveling 0.5 mile(s) Comments: Shorebirds only 21 species Canada Goose X Wood Duck X Mallard X Green-winged Teal X Great Blue Heron X Bald Eagle X Sandhill Crane X heard calling Semipalmated Plover 35 Something flushed the birds around 8pm and during the ensuing chaos all the Semi-p Plovers got together in a single-species flock and flew over Towpath Rd seemingly leaving the impoundment. A few were seen on the mud flat afterward. Killdeer X Spotted Sandpiper X Solitary Sandpiper 1 Greater Yellowlegs 30 estimate Lesser Yellowlegs 600 estimate Semipalmated Sandpiper X many Least Sandpiper X many Pectoral Sandpiper 120 estimate Stilt Sandpiper 15 approximately Short-billed Dowitcher 6 presumed Short-billed Ring-billed Gull 10 Caspian Tern 6 Black Tern 3 Montezuma NWR--Mays Point Pool, Seneca, US-NY Jul 29, 2011 9:00 PM - 9:05 PM Protocol: Stationary Comments: Counted Great Egrets 2 species Great Blue Heron X Great Egret 34 or 35. I didn't see any wing tags. -- 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/ --
