Late this morning from my home near the south end of Cass Park I scoped 2 large black birds atop the tall concrete smokestack low on South Hill in Ithaca. Suspecting them to be BLACK VULTURES, I sent a tentative text rare bird alert just before one of them raised its wings to fend off a diving crow and revealed the diagnostic white markings only below the outer primaries. Shortly thereafter they took flight and soared together nearby on flat, very short & broad wings and showing their tiny sharp-cornered tails. I think my alert enabled Ken Rosenberg to see them from Elmira Road (He did not waste time to proofread his reply). I put a description and a couple bad photos in my ongoing Daily Yard List on eBird. https://ebird.org/checklist/S157475632 Black Vulture is considered rare in Tompkins County, but a pattern of sightings this year suggests they bred here. Perhaps these 2 are part of the possible family of 4 seen several times this autumn, and there’s a chance they will be seen on the Count on New Year’s Day. If you are within sight of that old Morse Chain factory smokestack, glance at it every now and then.
- - Dave Nutter -- (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/ --
