Errands took me up along the west side of the lake today and a few observations of note (this was not really a birding trip, but the binoculars were in the car and road trips go faster when I have my kids counting and looking for birds!). The freezing fog rising off the lake in the early morning sun was a sight to behold.
* A flock of 500-700 snow geese was feeding in the corn stubble just south of Hosmer Wineries on Rt. 89; the number may have been higher as more were flying in as I left * One snowy owl was visible on the Finger Lakes Regional Aiport * 10 bald eagles seen including three bombing down the frozen channel of Taughannock Creek where it goes under Rt. 89 * Multiple norther harriers hunting the fields around the airport * Two roughlegged hawks (both dark phase) hunting near the airport as well * Lots of ducks on the lake in various spots, but I did not do a deep look at them (definitively seen were common goldeneye, redhead, bufflehead, black duck, mallard, scaup sp., common mergansers, and ring necked duck). I was a little surprised to see three red-breasted mergansers as well (two male and one female) in Varick near where 89 is close to the shore * Quite a number of mute swans on the lake in the Varick area -Andrew Miller Freeville, NY -- 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/ --
