[cayugabirds-l] Merlin vs. Elf Owls

[John Luther Cisne]

Merlin, the Lab of O’s smartphone app, recently got an Elf Owl’s sincerest form 
of endorsement.


Edward Bulwer-Lytton might have called that July night in Big Bend as black as 
the back of a Common Blackhawk (and verifiably, too, since a pair were nesting 
in the particular campground).   Driving away at the end of my night of owling, 
at least two Elfs set up a commotion in the brush close by as a shape 
resembling a Great Horned Owl’s sailed through my headlights.


Replaying Merlin’s Elf Owl to confirm the ID, I got an immediate answer from a 
rustling in the bushes scarcely an arm’s length away!  Score one for Merlin as 
implemented on the iPhone.


+
John L. Cisne, Professor Emeritus
Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
Office Hours: Catch-as-Catch-Can or by arrangement
http://www.eas.cornell.edu/eas/people/profile.cfm?netid=jlc34
Phone: [Please contact by e-mail instead]
+

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Fwd: [cayugabirds-l] Red-tail crowd

[chuckgibson]

Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone
 Original message From: "W. Larry Hymes"  
Date: 8/2/17  5:17 PM  (GMT-05:00) To: cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu Subject: 
[cayugabirds-l] Red-tail crowd 
While slowly cruising Armitage Rd. yesterday afternoon, I kept hearing a 
RED-TAILED HAWK constantly cheeeing.  As soon as I spotted the bird, 
3 other birds flew up to it wondering what all the fuss was about - 
GOLDFINCH, CEDAR WAXWING, and a tiny BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER that appeared 
to look the hawk directly in the face!  The hawk apparently didn't like 
the crowd and promptly flew off.

Sara Jane and I were treated to good looks of a LEAST BITTERN at Larue's 
Lagoon.  We got to show the bird to a family from Florida.  It's really 
nice to be able to get out of the car at designated areas along the 
wildlife drive!!

We, too, saw large numbers of GREAT EGRETS at Knox-Marcellus.

Larry

-- 


W. Larry Hymes
120 Vine Street, Ithaca, NY 14850
(H) 607-277-0759, w...@cornell.edu



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[cayugabirds-l] Red-tail crowd

[W. Larry Hymes]

While slowly cruising Armitage Rd. yesterday afternoon, I kept hearing a 
RED-TAILED HAWK constantly cheeeing.  As soon as I spotted the bird, 
3 other birds flew up to it wondering what all the fuss was about - 
GOLDFINCH, CEDAR WAXWING, and a tiny BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER that appeared 
to look the hawk directly in the face!  The hawk apparently didn't like 
the crowd and promptly flew off.


Sara Jane and I were treated to good looks of a LEAST BITTERN at Larue's 
Lagoon.  We got to show the bird to a family from Florida.  It's really 
nice to be able to get out of the car at designated areas along the 
wildlife drive!!


We, too, saw large numbers of GREAT EGRETS at Knox-Marcellus.

Larry

--


W. Larry Hymes
120 Vine Street, Ithaca, NY 14850
(H) 607-277-0759, w...@cornell.edu



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Re: [cayugabirds-l] Hungry youngsters! and song question

[Melanie Uhlir]

We have had a hilariously raucous Blue Jay family around the yard the 
past couple of weeks or so (I failed to note the exact date that they 
started their residence). We also have a Chickadee family! I know we 
have several other species breeding here but it's easiest to notice the 
ones who come around the bird baths and feeders.


At Lime Hollow yesterday evening we were treated to several Towhee songs 
in different areas of the preserve. One from very close range who also 
let me see him. From close-by their song sounds very thrush-like and 
musical. If the mosquitoes hadn't been trying to exsanguinate me I would 
have stood there and listened until the bird flew off or stopped 
singing. So beautiful! He was also varying from the song I'm used to. 
Instead of "Drink your tea!" He sang, "Drink! Drink! [long pause, then 
extremely musical:] your Teaa!" Maybe that's not so unusual, but I 
don't remember hearing a Towhee do that variation of the song before. It 
was especially pretty.


But I have a question. As we were heading back toward the entrance I 
heard a bird singing near the semi-circular sculpture. This bird was 
singing with the more typical cadence of the phrase "Drink your tea!" of 
a Towhee, but each note was a clear whistle and the first two notes were 
the same pitch, with the last being approximately a fifth higher. Each 
note was of the same duration. I don't recall ever having heard that 
before, not that I'm great with bird songs. Any ideas what that bird 
might have been? There were many Grey Catbirds around but the vocal 
quality and style/pattern didn't sound like the Catbirds I hear on our 
property.


We also saw a number of Wood Ducks on one of the ponds.

Melanie

On 8/1/2017 5:08 PM, Geo Kloppel wrote:

Lots of hungry young birds around, but I especially feel for this fledgling 
Broad-winged Hawk, whose wails are not only piteous (all Broad-wings sound that 
way to me) but also right in my ears, because the bird favors the trees that 
shade my workshop.

Most years the Broad-wing fledglings take up begging stations several hundred 
yards away, overlooking secluded Maple Avenue, where their parents hunt, but 
this year is different for some reason...

-Geo
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[cayugabirds-l] Virginia Rails being obvious (out of basin)

[AB Clark]

Virginia rails (2) that have been recently foraging in the Hile School Rd 
wetlands are very vocal and fairly fearless and picture ready this past week.  
I have found them along the S edge of unpaved road, on the east side of the 
wetlands, in mixed willow and grasses. 

The young green herons, kingfishers, cedar waxwings and kingbirds have also 
been fun to watch and listen to. Many species, including a catbird this 
morning, seem to be orienting toward the water surface and grabbing insects off 
it. 

Anne B Clark
147 Hile School Rd
Freeville, NY 13068
607-222-0905
anneb.cl...@gmail.com






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Re: [cayugabirds-l] Hungry youngsters!

[AB Clark]

If I may chime in: 

 because our crow families do have known territories, and families include 
unbanded birds, it would be great to have anyone finding an UNbanded dead crow 
in the Cornell Campus-Cayuga Heights-Sapsucker Woods-Airport areas text or 
email Kevin or me before disposing of it entirely.   We can use tail shape, 
molt, etc to infer which bird it might be, and potentially connect a missing 
family member with the death. 

And these days of August-September, our crows travel widely, off territory.  
Not all our banded crows have tags….these do come off.  So a tagged crow SHOULD 
have bands, but a banded crow might not have tags.  Please check those legs 
before chucking, in any area. 

Thanks from the CRG researchers!

Anne
  
Anne B Clark
147 Hile School Rd
Freeville, NY 13068
607-222-0905
anneb.cl...@gmail.com





> On Aug 1, 2017, at 7:37 PM, Kevin J. McGowan  wrote:
> 
> Do they call at 5 in the morning? That's what my local crows do. I love 
> crows, as most people know, but I'd rather they weren't so vocal so early.
> 
> Just a note on the crow breeding season this year. Good number of breeding 
> families after a big hit from West Nile virus in 2012&2013. Earliest ever WNV 
> positive deaths this year, but not much since the first of May. But, now is 
> the traditional time for WNV to hit hard, the hot days of late summer. We 
> know that WNV is here, so the state isn't too interested in testing crows or 
> other birds that you might find dead in your yard (just bury them). But, if 
> it's a dead tagged or banded crow, please, please do let me know. We (the 
> Crow Research Group) are still trying to track death and survival of crows as 
> best we can.
> 
> We tagged this year's cohort with orange tags with black letters. Some people 
> seem to be seeing the tags as red, so be open for that. Any sightings would 
> be most appreciated.
> 
> Best,
> 
> Kevin
> 
> 
> Best,
> 
> Kevin
> 
> From: bounce-121694030-3493...@list.cornell.edu 
>  
>  > on behalf of Geo Kloppel 
> >
> Sent: Tuesday, August 1, 2017 5:08 PM
> To: CAYUGABIRDS-L
> Subject: [cayugabirds-l] Hungry youngsters!
>  
> Lots of hungry young birds around, but I especially feel for this fledgling 
> Broad-winged Hawk, whose wails are not only piteous (all Broad-wings sound 
> that way to me) but also right in my ears, because the bird favors the trees 
> that shade my workshop.
> 
> Most years the Broad-wing fledglings take up begging stations several hundred 
> yards away, overlooking secluded Maple Avenue, where their parents hunt, but 
> this year is different for some reason... 
> 
> -Geo
> --
> 
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> cayugabirds-l Thread; Date ; Earlier messages; Messages by Date 2017/07/12 
> Re: [cayugabirds-l] Two questions Linda Orkin
> 
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> 
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> eBird 
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Re: [cayugabirds-l] Hungry youngsters!

[Geo Kloppel]

No, 5 am is pretty quiet now. Here's a tally of first voices from 5:00 to 5:30

5:03 Cardinal
5:06 (Bantam Rooster)
5:17 Towhee
5:21 Hermit Thrush
5:22 Veery
5:23 Catbird
5:24 Hooded Warbler, Robin, Wood Thrush
5:28 Mourning Dove
5:30 Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Scarlet Tanager, Common Yellowthroat, Blue Jay, 
(still no Crows)

-Geo



> On Aug 1, 2017, at 7:37 PM, Kevin J. McGowan  wrote:
> 
> Do they call at 5 in the morning? That's what my local crows do. I love 
> crows, as most people know, but I'd rather they weren't so vocal so early.
> 
> 
> Just a note on the crow breeding season this year. Good number of breeding 
> families after a big hit from West Nile virus in 2012&2013. Earliest ever WNV 
> positive deaths this year, but not much since the first of May. But, now is 
> the traditional time for WNV to hit hard, the hot days of late summer. We 
> know that WNV is here, so the state isn't too interested in testing crows or 
> other birds that you might find dead in your yard (just bury them). But, if 
> it's a dead tagged or banded crow, please, please do let me know. We (the 
> Crow Research Group) are still trying to track death and survival of crows as 
> best we can.
> 
> 
> We tagged this year's cohort with orange tags with black letters. Some people 
> seem to be seeing the tags as red, so be open for that. Any sightings would 
> be most appreciated.
> 
> 
> Best,
> 
> 
> Kevin
> 
> 
> 
> Best,
> 
> 
> Kevin
> 
> From: bounce-121694030-3493...@list.cornell.edu 
>  on behalf of Geo Kloppel 
> 
> Sent: Tuesday, August 1, 2017 5:08 PM
> To: CAYUGABIRDS-L
> Subject: [cayugabirds-l] Hungry youngsters!
>  
> Lots of hungry young birds around, but I especially feel for this fledgling 
> Broad-winged Hawk, whose wails are not only piteous (all Broad-wings sound 
> that way to me) but also right in my ears, because the bird favors the trees 
> that shade my workshop.
> 
> Most years the Broad-wing fledglings take up begging stations several hundred 
> yards away, overlooking secluded Maple Avenue, where their parents hunt, but 
> this year is different for some reason... 
> 
> -Geo
> --
> 
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> Re: [cayugabirds-l] Two questions Linda Orkin
> 
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> 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html
> 
> Please submit your observations to eBird:
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> 
> eBird
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