Hi Caroline, First, Orchard Oriole is a good bird at Sapsucker Woods, although there have been other sightings in recent years -- was this a pair of birds that you encountered?
Both Alder and Willow Flycatchers breed in the shrubby areas behind the Ithaca airport, and up towards Lansing and West Dryden in general. Caswell Road is good for both, too. there only a few around so far, but more will be in by the end of May. It is possible to hear both Alder and Willow calling from the same spot, with Alders preferring the wetter areas and Willows more in the dryer shrubs surrounded by grass. There are a couple of breeding spots for Acadian Flycatcher, and I'm sure these will get posted if someone finds one -- pretty rare though. Yellow-bellied is strictly a migrant, with most records in late may and late August. All of these are best found and identified by various vocalizations, so study up! KEN Ken Rosenberg Director of Conservation Science Cornell Lab of Ornithology 607-254-2412 607-342-4594 (cell) k...@cornell.edu<mailto:k...@cornell.edu> On May 21, 2011, at 2:54 PM, Caroline Manring wrote: Hello all, Today at the Lab, at about 10:30am, there were two SPOTTED SANDPIPERS having an altercation-- stiff wings spread wide, up on their tip-toes, batting and weaving and going at it with their bills, right on the gravel "beach" of the pond. After one of the sandpipers had been chased into the grass, the one that remained underwent an attack by a Red-winged Blackbird on the shore-- looked like the blackbird made some hearty contact, and the sandpiper flew off to the west. Why would a blackbird have a problem with a sandpiper? Because it moves? Other highlights for me were PHILADELPHIA VIREO (no song, but a good look, over on the first East side of the road pond), WILSON'S WARBLER, lots of RED-EYED VIREO turf fights, more GRAY CATBIRDS apparent than chickadees (!), and an up-close encounter with a PILEATED WOODPECKER messing around on the ground on the East trail. Also one Painted Turtle using the West Trail, somewhat ineffectually, so I moved him/her off to the side near what looked like some semi-permanent water (what do the turtles do when most of the woods except near the pond dry up?) and lots of snakes. Yesterday was BAY-BREASTED WARBLER day, with a total of eight (two were female) in and about the spruces on the Wilson Trail. Also a TENNESSEE WARBLER singing, and lots of BLACKPOLL WARBLERS. Also my first really good listen to ORCHARD ORIOLES, right in the parking lot. Where are folks finding the Alder Flycatcher? I'd sure like to hear/see him. Also any of the other flycatchers, other than Least, which I seem to be able to find no problem. Tips appreciated. Happy May! And it is! Pesky leaves, coming with June's onset... Caroline Manring Ithaca -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: Welcome and Basics<http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME> Rules and Information<http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES> Subscribe, Configuration and Leave<http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm> Archives: The Mail Archive<http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html> Surfbirds<http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds> BirdingOnThe.Net<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/ --