A few interesting birds are finally showing up around the Ithaca area this week. Last night, John Garrett found a very dull female-type AUDUBON’S YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER along the trail on the north side of the water treatment plant just east of the Farmers Market. Checklist here: https://ebird.org/checklist/S157044345 Several people have checked the area today with no luck, but it is undoubtedly roaming along the inlet somewhere. Other lingering land birds, such as Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Gray Catbirds, Hermit Thrushes, and others seem to be particularly abundant in the last couple of weeks. Considering that and the number of western vagrants showing up in the state right now, it would be well worth keeping an extra close watch on any brushy areas, especially along the inlet. Hopefully the Christmas count will turn something up, but it's never too early to start looking.
On Saturday, Bryce Robinson found a male TUFTED DUCK in the flock of several thousand Redhead and scaup just off Stewart park. It continues as of this afternoon, in the company of a Redhead x Ring-necked Duck and a Redhead x scaup hybrid. Rarer still, an apparent Tufted Duck x scaup hybrid, a bird long overdue on the lake, was photographed towards the north end of Cayuga Lake yesterday: https://ebird.org/checklist/S157022327 Jay -- (copy & paste any URL below, then modify any text "_DOT_" to a period ".") Cayugabirds-L List Info: NortheastBirding_DOT_com/CayugabirdsWELCOME_DOT_htm NortheastBirding_DOT_com/CayugabirdsRULES_DOT_htm NortheastBirding_DOT_com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave_DOT_htm ARCHIVES: 1) mail-archive_DOT_com/cayugabirds-l@cornell_DOT_edu/maillist_DOT_html 2) surfbirds_DOT_com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) aba_DOT_org/birding-news/ Please submit your observations to eBird: ebird_DOT_org/content/ebird/ --
