10/6/15 Sabattis Circle Road in Long Lake (Hamilton Co.)
I found 3 Common Grackles at the inlet of Little Tupper Lake along Sabattis Circle Road early this morning on my way to Sabattis Bog. After visiting the bog, I drove by the inlet area again and there was a flock of at least 50 Rusty Blackbirds! It was nice to meet Pat Condello, a birder from Syracuse, who arrived as I was watching the Rusty Blackbirds. We observed the Rusty Blackbirds for a long time. (Photos of the Rusty Blackbirds and one of the Common Grackles are on my Facebook page.) Here are some of the 28 species found along Sabattis Circle Road this morning: Belted Kingfisher Northern Flicker Pileated Woodpecker Blue-headed Vireo - many Blue Jay - many Common Raven Red-breasted Nuthatch - many Golden-crowned Kinglet Ruby-crowned Kinglet Hermit Thrush Amer. Robin Gray Catbird - quite vocal Blackpoll Warbler Pine Warbler - singing Yellow-rumped Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler Savannah Sparrow - 2 Song Sparrow Swamp Sparrow - singing White-throated Sparrow - singing White-crowned Sparrow - 2 Rusty Blackbird - 50 at the inlet of Little Tupper Lake! It was great to hear their voices! Common Grackle - 3 at the inlet of Little Tupper Lake Purple Finch Amer. Goldfinch Pat found two Porcupines along Sabattis Circle Road before we met - and one was vocalizing! (Sept. - Oct. is mating season for porcupines!) 10/5/15 Newcomb - Minerva along Route 28N (Essex Co.) Midday, I drove to Minerva to look for Red Crossbills (and also check on a snowmobile trail being cut through beautiful boreal habitat - from Newcomb through Minerva to North Hudson). I found 3 Red Crossbills along the railroad bed. Then, a pickup truck driving the rails, stopped to ask what I was doing. After we talked for a minute about birds, they politely asked me to leave - the railroad bed is now off-limits to hikers, skiers, rail-bikers, and snowmobilers since it is becoming an active rail-bed again. According to the men, the trains were supposed to start running today, which I find hard to believe since the rails don't appear ready. So the lovely wetlands along the railroad bed (in both directions) can no longer be accessed. And the wildlife will have to deal with loud trains going through. I hiked the first part of the Roosevelt Truck Trail from the southern trailhead on Route 28N to see where they cut the new snowmobile trail. (At the new cut area, I found a nasty message left by a hunter for the tree cutters which included swearing!!! So birders are not the only group upset about the habitat destruction.) I also found 6 Boreal Chickadees - in two flocks of at least 3 each. After I got back to my car, I drove up the hill a bit to listen for Black-backed Woodpeckers, and immediately heard Red Crossbills! A family group of 5 Red Crossbills was perched high in the trees above me and then flew across the road. I scoped a female with two fledglings! The fledglings flew to another tree out of sight before I could photograph them. I did get photos of the female. I stopped at a marsh in Newcomb on my way back to listen for Black-backed Woodpeckers - one was calling along with lots of other birds, including two Boreal Chickadees - and then a male Amer. Kestrel flew out of the forest explaining the ruckus! I photographed the kestrel. I had nice views of the Boreal Chickadees, but they were too quick for me to photograph! Joan Collins President, NYS Ornithological Association Editor, New York Birders Long Lake, NY (315) 244-7127 cell (518) 624-5528 home http://www.adirondackavianexpeditions.com/ http://www.facebook.com/AdirondackAvian -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
