[cayugabirds-l] yard bird
We had two sand hill cranes fly over today. They circled once, leading us to believe they were going to land, but they continued flying west. Marty === Marty Schlabach m...@cornell.edu 8407 Powell Rd. home 607-532-3467 Interlaken, NY 14847 cell315-521-4315 === -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
Re: [cayugabirds-l] The tale of two merganser ducklings on Beebe Lake
Great first story! I look forward to more. I finally get to see some of your great photos after meeting you on the trail many times! ___ Chris Pelkie > On May 27, 2019, at 13:33, Wee Hao Ng wrote: > > My first post to the list. -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[cayugabirds-l] Spring Bird Quest -- Bock-Harvey Forest Preserve (Sun 5/26) and Lindsay-Parsons Biodiversity Preserve (Mon 5/27)
On Sunday and Monday, I led two more walks for the Finger Lakes Land Trust Spring Bird Quest (SBQ). Again we had essentially perfect weather, impressively large groups of very congenial birders, and our fair share of rewarding bird moments. Sunday, May 26 Bock-Harvey Forest Preserve (owned by the Finger Lakes Trail Conference subject to a conservation easement held by the Finger Lakes Land Trust) Enfield 34 species of birds seen and/or heard 18 participants, plus me After a surprisingly quiet walk through the old-growth woods, our patience and persistence finally paid off when we returned to more open edge habitat. Here we all got fine scope views of a male SCARLET TANAGER and male INDIGO BUNTING, plus repeated close binocular views of a CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER. Many birds sang but remained unseen, including HOODED WARBLER, BLACKPOLL WARBLER, BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO, EASTERN TOWHEE, WOOD THRUSH, and others. (One special aspect of this walk was the participation of my 80-year-old mom, Johanna Chao, who is visiting this weekend from Massachusetts. She was very happy that I, and now she too, could connect with so many nice people. Thank you!) __ Monday, May 27 Lindsay-Parsons Biodiversity Preserve West Danby 56 species of birds seen and/or heard 23-25 participants, plus me The PRAIRIE WARBLERS, BLUE-WINGED WARBLERS, and CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLERS here were very vocal along several of the field edges, but alas, we got only brief obscured views of them despite much effort. We had similarly fleeting viewing opportunities with a BLACKPOLL WARBLER and a BROWN THRASHER, both down by the north pond. Here we did have a reasonably long open view of a WILLOW FLYCATCHER, which at one point was singing at the same time as a nearby ALDER FLYCATCHER. Other species, including BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER and HOODED WARBLER, sang but stayed behind a few too many layers of branches to see. The viewing highlight of the morning might have been a BOBOLINK that perched and sang for a long time atop a little shrub in the first grassy field. Or maybe it was the GREAT BLUE HERONS at their rookery above the wooded pond next to the West Danby Fire Department’s facility on Sylvan Drive. I think that there are at least 8 nests here. I conservatively counted at least nine adult herons and eight begging nestlings of various ages, but I think that the actual numbers could well be a lot higher. Here at this pond, we also found the morning’s biggest surprise – a DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT, a rare find for the SBQ. (Special thanks to Suzanne Giffin for carrying her scope and tripod on both of these walks, and sharing many great views with many people. Thanks again also to Ken Kemphues, who similarly carried and shared his scope on yesterday’s walk, and to both him and Diane Morton for helping to guide our large group.) ___ In the end (counting a LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH that I found on a visit to the Land Trust’s Sweedler Preserve at Lick Brook at dawn today), my species tally for the weekend is 82. This year’s SBQ will again yield at least a couple thousand dollars in donations for the Land Trust. (Contact me or visit www.fllt.org if you too would like to make a donation.) Thanks to all for your participation and support! It is just so much fun to see all of you and to share so many bird moments with you at all these Land Trust preserves! -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[cayugabirds-l] The tale of two merganser ducklings on Beebe Lake
Hi all, My first post to the list. I usually like to keep a low profile, but the story that unfolded before me this morning was so full of twists and turns that I had to share it with other bird enthusiasts. I will call the two ducklings Ruth and Edek, in homage to The Silver Sword by Ian Serraillier. Yesterday afternoon, while walking around Beebe Lake on Cornell campus, I saw a handful of common merganser ducklings together with their parents resting lazily on a branch in the afternoon sun. Great, I thought, since it meant that I could return tomorrow morning and watch the ducklings jostle to sit on the back of mama when they go out foraging, always an entertaining spectacle. The morning arrived, and I started walking around the lake. No sign of the merganser family. Just when I was about to leave, I finally saw a lone merganser duckling, with no signs of the rest of the family. Has it been abandoned? Should I call a rehabiliator, or should I leave it be since it is able to feed itself, and is too agile anyway? I left the lake feeling somewhat uncertain. I returned a few hours later. Again I saw a duckling, which henceforth I shall name Edek, but this time playfully swimming near an adult female. Great, I thought, that Edek has finally found its mum! However, it soon became obvious that the female wasn't friendly, and what I had thought to be playful swimming was in fact frantic attempts by Edek to escape. The female finally caught up with Edek, lifted Edek with its beak, and started violently thrashing Edek about. Realising what was happening before me, instinctively I ran forward, causing the female to swim away. However, I could no longer see any signs of Edek, so I assumed that Edek had perished. With a heavy heart, I left the scene. While crossing the small wooden bridge on the southern side of the lake, I spotted a movement in the creek below. In a shadowy corner hid yet another merganser duckling, which henceforth I shall name Ruth. Quietly, I stepped back to avoid alerting Ruth to my presence. Minutes later, Ruth made a dash for the lake. Oh how fast the little mite went, perhaps wary of dangers lurking in the thick foliage on either side! Ruth didn't go very far though, and stopped to preen on a branch at the mouth of the creek. Soon, Ruth started calling. To my surprise, I heard a call back, from the direction where I thought Edek had perished! This got Ruth excited, and it started calling with increasing fervour. And lo! Edek soon came into view. Unable to contain its excitement, Ruth hopped off the branch and swam forward to join Edek. Reunited at last! I've created an eBird checklist with screencaps of the actors involved. https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S56796010 Descriptions are in the photo comments. The first two are Edek trying to scramble away from the adult female, the third Ruth sitting quietly in the creek, the fourth Ruth returning call to Edek, the fifth Ruth and Edek at the moment of reunion, and the sixth Ruth and Edek resting on a branch post-reunion. Unlike The Silver Sword, the story of Ruth and Edek is not over yet, since I am uncertain whether their parents will return given that I have not seen any other female mergansers (except the hostile one) on the lake. What is the usual recommendation for seemingly abandoned ducklings that are still really small (such as those in the photos), but nonetheless able to forage by themselves? Is it better to leave them be, or is rehabilitation preferred? Regards, Wee Hao -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[cayugabirds-l] Scarlet Tanager yard bird
Yay! I just had a male Scarlet Tanager in my yard. Robyn Bailey -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
Re: [cayugabirds-l] Red Knots NJ Delaware Bay Good News
Cool!!!Great news.Here's hoping the trend continues.Pete SarSent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone Original message From: David Nicosia Date: 5/26/19 7:08 PM (GMT-05:00) To: Cayuga birds , BroomeBirds Subject: [cayugabirds-l] Red Knots NJ Delaware Bay Good News I have been in south NJ past couple days for the annual spring shorebird migration and I had a conversation with one of the folks who works with the Red Knots and other shorebirds. He told me that the preliminary numbers from last night's aerial survey is 30,000 Red Knots which is way above the 10 to 13 thousand that they have seen for many years. Of course, he cautioned it is a preliminary number but it falls in line with the horseshoe crab moratorium put into place 11 years ago in NJ. It takes 10 years for the crab to mature and they are seeing a rebound in horsecrabs as well. There is a long way to go but it is encouraging. There are also many more RUDDY TURNSTONES, and DUNLIN. SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS. Dave Nicosia -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: Welcome and Basics Rules and Information Subscribe, Configuration and Leave Archives: The Mail Archive Surfbirds BirdingOnThe.Net Please submit your observations to eBird! -- -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
