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/ --
