I looked from 7:50 to 8:50 this morning and from 10:30 to 1:15 without any sightings or hearings of the BBWD. Three others also looked at times during the same period and did not have it. If it is there, this is one very frustrating bird. I have to wonder if the use of recordings may have something to do with this bird's behavior. I have not seen anyone play a recording during my 11 hours at the site but I know that others have. Is it possible for a bird to be this intimidated by hearing (but not seeing) another of its own kind that it stays out of sight most of the time? Perhaps this is just speculation by a frustrated whistling-duck searcher.
Some things I did see at the location were a family of Common Moorhens, Virginia Rail, Sora, American Bittern, Black-crowned Night-Herons, Bald Eagle, several Osprey, Caspian Tern, and several Bobolinks and Purple Martins overhead. DIRECTIONS: The BBWD was on NY 77, in a roadside marsh about 200 yards northwest of the Cayuga Pool Overlook (Iroquois NWR). NY 77 is a north-south highway that travels NW in the area of the refuge. Thus, the reason for the sometimes confusing directions. In any case, if you are heading north on Rt 77, Iroquois NWR and Cayuga Pool overlook are on your right and Tonawanda WMA is on your left. Note that there is an exit for Rt 77 from the NYS Thruway. The duck was on the Tonawanda WMA side of the road and likes to stay hidden in the cattails. Good birding and stay safe out there. The trucks really move through the area. Willie ---------------- Willie D'Anna Betsy Potter Wilson, NY dannapotterATroadrunner.com http://www.betsypottersart.com -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
