Re: [cayugabirds-l] Another Sandhill Crane family, 6/23/10

[Elizabeth B. King]

Hi Steve Fast -- Mary Van Buren and I found the 
Sandhill Cranes this morning -  just where you 
said they were south of Rt. 90 and E. Venice Rd. 
We parked on E. Venice Rd. and walked down for a good view from Rt. 90.

  A farmer stopped to talk and said the cranes 
have been in those fields eating mice and frogs 
for at least 9 years. Apparently they spend part 
of the winters around a couple of ponds just 
north of there. I'm glad you found them for us. Thanks - Elizabeth King

At 03:16 PM 6/23/2010, you wrote:
I spent 3 hours this morning viewing the 
SANDHILL CRANE family­first from Carncross Rd., 
then from Morgan Rd.  About 1100, I witnessed 
some really “cool” aggressive behavior from 
presumably the male, in defense of his family 
from a perceived human threat (not me).
Anyway, Chuck Gibson dropped by to watch them 
for a bit, and he mentioned that Frank Morlock, 
the DEC Wildlife Tech. there had seen another 
Sandhill Crane family.  So in I went to talk to 
Frank.  He showed me where he had recently seen 
them and said that a friend of his had first 
spotted them last month.  The location was 
pretty much on my way home.  I found 2 ADULT and 
2 COLT SANDHILL CRANES in an alfalfa field, Town 
of Genoa, Cayuga County.  They were easily 
visible to the south from State Route 90 and the 
south end of E. Venice Rd.  Rt. 90 is a busy 
road, and the shoulders are narrow.
I did not attempt to contact the property owner.
The 2 colts appear the same size as the 
Montezuma pair, and are a russet color.  The 2 
adults, however, still look mostly gray, unlike their Montezuma counterparts.


Steve Fast
Brooktondale

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[cayugabirds-l] Raven

[Meena Haribal]

Today morning, I was working in the garden around 7.30 am. I just looked up to 
find a raven circling and after a bit of circling it headed northwards!

Other interesting notes are, Tufted titmouse and Black-capped Chickadees have 
their fledglings along with them these days and BCCHs are very protective of 
their babies!

I have found that now I have two pairs of Catbirds coming to my yard. The pair 
from my yard has become so very bold that they daily in the mornings scold me 
for scaring away the beautiful moths from my moth sheet. One of the catbird, I 
think she a female based on her calls and behaviors, would just sit two to 
three feet away from me and keep chucking and gurgling at me, as if it to tell 
dont'... dont scare that big moth, I want it . I can converse with them. They 
talk back to me and refuse to budge away from the sheet. Imagine catbirds doing 
that! You can see the beautiful moths, which I have been denying being food to 
baby catbirds at this link. 
http://picasaweb.google.com/ithmoths/June2010MothsMeenaSHouse#
Later at some point I will post the chucking calls of catbirds and them running 
over my gutter looking for moths.

A pair of Kestrels, seem to be giving hard time to Vet School Red-tailed Hawks, 
sometime they chase them long distance away. I guess kestrels have fledglings 
are around near by. On Saturday, I watched one of the male Kestrel carry a 
mouse in its talon towards the Vet School.

Past Saturday, I paddled E. Tioughnioga river from Cuyler to East Homer.  
Highlights were -  one adult Bald Eagle, several pairs of Kingfishers (may be 
10+ individuals), several pairs of Spotted Sandpipers (10+), three females of 
Common Mergansers with various sized babies, Cedar Waxwings (many), Eastern 
Kingbirds, Warbling Vireos, two Yellow-throated Vireos and tons of Barn and 
Tree Swallows, many rough-winged swallows, a few Baltimore Orioles, Yellow 
Warblers, Common Yellowthroats and I guess something more which I am forgetting 
now. Only two species of odonates - two dark females of Enallagma sp., and one 
male Ebony Jewel wing. I also saw my first two monarchs of the year.

Happy Summer!

Meena



Meena Haribal
Ithaca NY 14850
http://haribal.org/

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