Good morning everyone, We've been beginning to get a lot of calls, emails, and Facebook messages asking about the return of the Snow Geese, and other migratory waterfowl! I will try to share updates this way, as well as on our Montezuma Audubon Center Facebook page<https://www.facebook.com/MontezumaAudubonCenter>. Feel free to reach out directly to me or our Center as well. I took a drive to most of the "hot spots" within the Montezuma Wetlands Complex yesterday to get a feel for what conditions are like, and where the birds are hanging out. The following are my observations:
1. Montezuma Audubon Center: the trails fluctuate between patchy ground and ice. We had a lot of snowshoeing happening this winter, and so its really packed down the trails. That'll all disappear after Sundays weather. The marshes are still frozen, except for small pockets. I haven't seen any water birds, just songbirds including Eastern Bluebirds, American Goldfinches, House Finches, American Tree Sparrows, Tufted Titmice, Blue Jays, Northern Cardinals, Song Sparrows (heard on singing!), Dark-eyed Juncos, Red-winged Blackbirds, and Common Grackles (who are both are now regulars at the feeders). Raptors like Bald Eagles, a male Northern Harrier, Red-tailed Hawks, and I saw a lone Turkey Vulture soaring yesterday. Crusoe Creek, which runs just along the south edge of the MAC property, and route 89 crosses, is open and very full of water. I saw a bunch of Canada Geese and a few Mallards in there. 2. Carncross Road/Van Dyne Spoor Road: both not maintained, both snowy and icy, I can tell there are ruts where others have driven. Even when the snow and ice melt, the roads will be VERY soft. Also, Carncross is flooded over I believe, I couldn't get too close but I've heard other recent reports that it is. Proceed with caution! Or better yet, just don't attempt to drive down either yet. I was hoping to look for Sandhill Cranes at both. Last year 2/28/21 is when I saw Sandhills on Carncross. I saw cranes every month of 2021, but in February they disappeared because it got very cold and snowy. So even though I saw them in January, I call my "FOY" 2/28 because they had returned again. 3. Armitage Road: the flooded private ag fields are completely frozen over still. Between the flooded fields closer to the canal, and the fields closer to the route 89 intersection, the only birds I saw were American Crows (by the hundreds) as well as gulls (also by the hundreds). They were all flying around or landed on the ground, feeding on something but I'm not sure what. It was cool to see so many. I have seen the Bald Eagles that are known to nest on Armitage Road recently, and this morning stopped to take a look. One adult was sitting in a nearby tree, and I believe I saw a white head poking up from the nest. It is baby eagle making season! Once the fields thaw, I expect that there will be a lot of waterfowl action here, as well as cranes in the drier fields. 4. Route 31 Muck: Again HUNDREDS of crows and gulls in the air, in the trees, on the ground. They were everywhere. I drove down to the old "potato barn" pull off spot in the middle of that stretch of 31 to take a look and to turn around. I saw a flock of Snow Buntings, Horned Larks, and maybe a lapspur or two flitting around that pull off, and the corn stubble. I love them, some of my favorites. There were hundreds of swans, mostly Tundra based off of their sounds. I'm sure a few Trumpeters could have been in there too, but the white birds on white snow and ice, on very sunny day, made it difficulty to pick them out. Most of the swans were on the north side of 31, closer to the 89 intersection, but back from the road. Directly across 89 on the south side, there were more swans though not as many, Canadas, and ducks (Mallards and Pintails were the two I noticed while driving by). There are small pockets of water interspersed across the fields, and I think they were all just trying to fit in together. A lot in the air, but in hundreds maybe, and not thousands like are expected. A lot crows here too. 5. Knox Marsellus Marsh/East Road: The marsh is completely frozen over and I saw no signs of life except more crows! 6. May's Point: The canal/Clyde River is frozen in some spots, and open in others. The only water birds I saw were 4 Hooded Mergansers which were to the east of the lock on the canal. There is open water in front of the May's Point observation deck, but no birds. I did see 1 Rough-legged Hawk here though! I've seen them in this spot other times as well. There is a Bald Eagle nest viewable from that deck looking to the east, and there was 1 eagle on the nest, and 1 in the air soaring. 7. Wil-Goose on Route 89 just north of Montezuma Winery: Pretty quiet here as well, although a great spot to look for raptors. I saw another Rough-legged here as well as 2 Northern Harriers hunting the field. 8. Montezuma NWR visitor center pool: completely frozen, only saw 1 eagle soaring above. FYI: the refuge visitor center and wildlife drive are slated to both open April 1, which is dependent on weather conditions. 9. Mud Lock @ north end of Cayuga: it's pretty free of ice, many Canada Geese and mixed ducks along the opposite shore line looking west across from the boat launch. The sun glare was really bad, so I couldn't get a good look at the ducks, but I did see a lone Bufflehead, Mallards, and American Black Ducks. Hundreds of swans were hanging out on the ice shelf way across the water tucked along the western shore of the lake right near where the railroad trestle meets the land. Hard to see without a scope. 10. Cayuga Lake State Park: the lake is still almost completely iced over from the south side of the trestle, down past where Lower Lake Road reconnects with 89. I didn't get over to the east side, but there is open water in front of the Cayuga Municipal building. I'm curious if anyone has stopped there recently and if any birds have been seen on the water. My experience is that most of the birds are either in the middle of the lake, or closer to the west side where it's typically calmer. There are still ice fisherman out there, but probably for not much longer. 11. South of the state park: I drove the length of Lower Lake Road, and a pocket of open water that hugged the shoreline had a lot of waterfowl hanging out, but there are not very many places to stop and be safe while respecting private property. At the south end of Lower Lake Road, the shoulder is wider there, and I've stopped and gotten out here before, and this would give you some good looks at the open water to the south. Maps of the Montezuma Wetlands Complex are available for $1 at our center, but you can also access it digitally for free on the Friends of Montezuma webpage<https://friendsofmontezuma.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/montezumamap2011-sm.pdf>. I did not see a single Snow Goose yesterday either on the ground, in the air, or on the water. I know they are around in smaller numbers (hundreds to thousands), and many people think hundreds or thousands IS a lot of birds, but those of us who have witnessed 400,000+ Snow Geese plus another half million ducks, Canadas, and swans, a few thousand Snow Geese is a drop in the bucket. My prediction is that after this Sunday's mild temps (mid 60s), steady rain, and a south wind, the birds will get moving. Snow Geese are predictably unpredictable. We know they'll show up, we know it's going to be awesome, but unfortunately the specifics on arrival, duration of stay, and departure are not shared with us! I also have had my eyes looking for Sandhill Cranes as I mentioned earlier, and no sign yet. I hope this information is helpful, and if you are interested in learning more about migration and waterfowl at Montezuma, I have 3 virtual presentations coming up: * 3/10/22: All About Snow Geese<https://act.audubon.org/a/all-about-snow-geese-031022> (this is the same presentation that was previously offered) * 3/18/22: Mute, Tundra, or Trumpeter? Swan ID<https://act.audubon.org/a/mute-tundra-or-trumpeter-31822> * 3/23/22: Montezuma Migration<https://act.audubon.org/a/montezuma-migration-32322> Guided birding tours are also on the schedule. Below are the March dates, and the rest of spring 2022 coming soon! * 03/09/22 9:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. <https://act.audubon.org/a/montezuma-birding-tour-030922> * 03/12/22 1:30 - 4 p.m. <https://act.audubon.org/a/montezuma-birding-tour-31222> * 03/17/22 1:30 - 4 p.m.<https://act.audubon.org/a/montezuma-birding-tour-31722> * 03/19/22 9:30 a.m. - 12 p.m.<https://act.audubon.org/a/montezuma-birding-tour-31922> * 03/26/22 1 - 3:30 p.m.<https://act.audubon.org/a/montezuma-birding-tour-32622> * 03/30/22 1 - 3:30 p.m.<https://act.audubon.org/a/montezuma-birding-tour-033022> * 04/01/22 10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.<https://act.audubon.org/a/montezuma-birding-tour-040122> *All tours depart from the Montezuma Audubon Center unless otherwise noted. March kicks off a great time of year here, and it seems like almost daily new migrants can be seen or heard! Please be safe, respectful of private property, as well as closed areas on Refuge lands. Have a great weekend! Alyssa -- Alyssa Johnson Environmental Educator 315.365.3588 Montezuma Audubon Center PO Box 187 2295 State Route 89 Savannah, NY 13146 Click here to see upcoming programs and events!<https://ny.audubon.org/montezuma-programs-and-events> Pronouns: She, Her, Hers -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME.htm http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES.htm 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://birding.aba.org/maillist/NY01 Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
