I spent my week-end at various locations on my quest for odonates. Saturday in Finger lakes national Forest and Sunday in McIlroy preserve and Summer Hill and returned via Caswell Road.
Birds of note were as follows; EASTERN MEADOWLARKS. In FLNF region at least 6 of them. On the way to Summer hill along the Salt road and at various locations saw another dozens or so. Many were on the wires and singing. Caswell road I saw another four Meadowlarks. Similarly, saw numerous EASTERN KINGBIRDS on wires all along the fields of Salt Road and Lick Street. BOBOLINKS were seen in small groups (there were more than one breeding males in each group). On the junction of Salt and Fillmore Roads, there were 8 of them very close to road and were making a racket. Another dozen or so in FLNF grasslands. I think Caswell road had the highest concentrations of Bobolinks. Total of about 30+ were seen between West-Dryden road and Upper Creek road on seasonal part of the Caswell road. In Summer Hill today, I heard a NORTHERN GOSHAWK at the intersection of Salt and Hoag Road. There was also a WINTER WREN singing. On Lick Street I heard two WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS singing and at the same location there was also a pair of YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKERS going crazy with their mewing sounds and drumming. And there were many other species, including several species of warblers (Ovenbirds, Chestnut-sided, Yellow, Yellow-rump, Common-yellowthroat, Pine Warbler), and Veery, Hermit and Wood thrushes, Scarlet Tanager, Rose-breasted grosbeaks and many Indigo Buntings, Baltimore Oriole etc. Last week on Seaberg road of FLNF, I heard a GRASSHOPPER SPARROW singing from a grassland opposite Ballard pond. I keep wondering when FLNF, Robinson Hollow, Connecticut and Summer Hills are less than 20 miles from Ithaca, with lot more to see and hear, why everyone keeps driving all the way to MNWR. FLNF is wonderful place to spend the day. Such a nice post of observation from Sue Gregoire in FLNF on Am. woodcocks. On Caswell Road, I also had lots of butterflies especially Baltimore Checkerspots, I estimated more than 300+ along the road as usual! Summer is wonderful! Meena Haribal Ithaca NY 14850 http://haribal.org/ http://meenaharibal.blogspot.com/ -- 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/ --
