[cayugabirds-l] Ithaca Area IV Xmas bird count challenge

[Laura Stenzler]

Hi all,
  I am writing to ask if you would be interested in counting birds for the Jan 
1 Ithaca area Audubon Christmas Bird Count, which is coordinated by the Cayuga 
Bird Club.  Specifically, there is a challenging route that John Fitzpatrick 
has covered for the past 20 years, which he cannot cover this year.  He has 
been asking around and has written up the following detailed description of the 
route, which is in Area IV in the town of Dryden.  It follows Cascadilla Creek 
as it parallels Thomas Road, between Rte 79 and Ellis Hollow Creek Road.

Here is Fitz's description:
"For a couple decades I’ve been doing a really fun, productive, largely walking 
route on the Ithaca CBC every January 1. Now that I’ve joined the migratory 
flocks, I’ll be doing a CBC in Florida on that same day instead, for the second 
year in a row. Last year Eliot Miller did the route, but he’s tied up this year 
on New Year’s Day and can’t participate. I’m worried that this route will go 
begging.  Warning, it’s pretty “physical.”

Basically, it’s a walk from Caroline School area up the headwater riffles of 
6-mile Creek, through those marshes and beaver ponds near the divide (below the 
Thomas Rd. B) and continuing down the first several miles of Cascadilla 
Creek. I typically get all the way down to Genung Road, then break off and do a 
couple other things (see below) before dark.  Not coincidentally, my house is 
about a mile upstream from Genung Rd., and I get there right around noon for 
lunch and working the bird feeders, scanning for hawks over the valley, etc.

This route provides the Ithaca CBC most (occasionally all) of its Song Sparrows 
(I aim for >30) and often its only Swamp Sparrows (I aim for 5). It has also 
provided its share of “bonus” birds, including Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Gray 
Catbird, Hermit Thrush, Field Sparrow (one year I had 3), Snow Bunting (fields 
by Caroline School), plus “rare but regular” spp. such as E Bluebird, Ruffed 
Grouse, Winter Wren, N Flicker, etc. All three owls are on the route, and one 
year I had an unexpected Long-eared Owl calling its low hoot above Thomas Road 
just before dawn while trolling for Screech Owls."

IF you think you might be up for this, or know anyone else who might be, please 
let me know!  This falls in "area IV" of the count circle, and I am the 
coordinator for this area.  Also, I am sure Fitz would be more than happy to 
answer any questions.

Here is a link to the Cayuga Bird Club's webpage describing the count. 
https://www.cayugabirdclub.org/resources/christmas-bird-count
And here is a link to an interactive map of the count circle. You can zoom in 
to Thomas Road and see the path of Cascadilla Creek.

https://audubon.maps.arcgis.com/apps/View/index.html?appid=d4c508bc191d4bed9a8d736fd43bc528=-76.8983,42.2769,-75.9603,42.6291

Let me know if you have any questions, or any suggestions for others who may be 
able to do this if you cannot.  Thanks,
Laura

Laura Stenzler
l...@cornell.edu


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Re:[cayugabirds-l] Binocular question

[Rick Bonney]

Hi folks

I saw the original thread on this, and also Chris's reply, both below.

I am not familiar with the models in the Wirecutter article. I have personally 
gotten a lot of good info from Wirecutter.

What I can add is that last year I tested a lot of binoculars while buying new 
pairs for my wife and myself. Of course we found a lot of great ones starting 
at several hundred dollars a pair.

However, for far less money, I was very impressed with the Vortex Diamondback 
HD 10x42, which are currently selling for $229 at one major retailer and 
probably others.

I couldn't see a lot of difference between these and some others that cost two 
and three times as much.

I did not test them long term, nor in wet/foggy conditions, etc. 

I recommended these to a family member who wanted to spend just a couple 
hundred dollars and he is very happy with them.

Rick


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Subject: Re: Binoculars - reasonably priced?
From: "Chris R. Pelkie" 
Date: Thu, 16 Dec 2021 12:26:37 +
X-Message-Number: 1

https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/the-best-binoculars/
Just updated in late Nov. I didn’t disagree with anything said but I’m not 
familiar with all the models reviewed.
Written by a birder/ornithologist/real user.

ChrisP

__

Chris Pelkie
Data Manager; IT Support
K. Lisa Yang Center for Conservation Bioacoustics
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
159 Sapsucker Woods Road
Ithaca, NY 14850
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/ccb/

In office: Tue, Thu 0730-1130
Else: working remote

On 2021-12-15, at 23:13 , Kathleen P Kramer 
mailto:k...@cornell.edu>> wrote:

Hello,

I hope this is an acceptable message for this ListServ. Can anyone suggest 
reasonably priced binoculars for a beginning birder? I’m taking a chance that 
the recipient will even pursue birding and I also know that “bad” binoculars 
can discourage a beginner. So I’d really appreciate a couple of suggestions!

Many thanks,
Kathleen Kramer



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[cayugabirds-l] Bufflehead and Snowy Owl Videos

[Suan Hsi Yong]

Given the clear weather on Friday before this messier weekend weather,
I took the afternoon off driving around the lake, and got some nice
video footage. First are buffleheads with the male's head feathers
iridescing in the sun at Union Spring's factory pond (a good spot for
pretty close views of bufflehead, gadwall, and green-winged teal).
Next are three Snowy Owls at the Finger Lakes Airport just chillin'
near the tarmac:

  Buffleheads: https://youtu.be/cHsvDj5j7Io
  Snowy Owls: https://youtu.be/T7kcEs1kmuQ

Suan

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[cayugabirds-l] Join the Ithaca Christmas Bird Count

[Joshua Snodgrass]

Hi all,

After seeing the totals from Syracuse's Christmas Bird Count, I got excited
for the upcoming count in Ithaca, and wanted to take the opportunity to
invite everyone who is interested to join us on January 1st, 2022 for
Audubon's 122nd and our 60th annual Christmas Bird Count.
 Please contact me (or any of the Area leaders) off list to join.
 A map of the count circle and further information can be found on the
Cayuga Bird Club website at Cayuga Bird Club - Christmas Bird Count

We hope you will join us for a great kick-off to the new year counting
birds and contributing to science!

Thanks,
Josh Snodgrass

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[cayugabirds-l] Syracuse Christmas Bird Count Results

[Jason Luscier]

The Syracuse Christmas Bird Count occurred on Saturday, 18 December.
Twenty-five
observers encountered 84 species – 10 more species than the 30-year average
of 74 species/year.  It was a very wet day and thus overall numbers were
down.  The most noteworthy sighting was of *one female Pine Grosbeak* at
Green Lakes State Park (last encountered on the Syracuse CBC 14 years ago).
 Also, two Northern Shrikes were encountered – one at Green Lakes and the
other along the west shore of Onondaga Lake.



Canada Goose 2038

Mute Swan  20

Tundra Swan   32

Gadwall   4

American Wigeon   3

American Black Duck  10

Mallard   377

Northern Pintail  1

Redhead  210

Ring-necked Duck   2

Greater Scaup 6

Lesser Scaup   4

White-winged Scoter  5

Bufflehead  27

Common Goldeneye   11

Hooded Merganser 27

Common Merganser   14

Red-breasted Merganser2

Wild Turkey 69

Common Loon2

Pied-billed Grebe2

Red-necked Grebe  1

Double-crested Cormorant93

Great Blue Heron3

Northern Harrier 2

Sharp-shinned Hawk   3

Cooper’s Hawk6

Bald Eagle   10

Red-tailed Hawk 39

American Coot15

Bonaparte’s Gull 1

Ring-billed Gull   636

Herring Gull22

Great Black-backed Gull 11

Rock Pigeon1302

Mourning Dove   384

Eastern Screech-Owl  3

Great Horned Owl  3

Snowy Owl  1

Belted Kingfisher5

Red-bellied Woodpecker51

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker2

Downy Woodpecker   65

Hairy Woodpecker  22

Northern Flicker  30

Pileated Woodpecker 7

American Kestrel2

Merlin 3

*Northern Shrike 2*

Blue Jay   127

American Crow   8100

Fish Crow1

Common Raven  9

Black-capped Chickadee 323

Tufted Titmouse 87

Red-breasted Nuthatch  12

White-breasted Nuthatch  64

Brown Creeper   3

Winter Wren   6

Marsh Wren3

Carolina Wren 9

Golden-crowned Kinglet 6

Ruby-crowned Kinglet1

Eastern Bluebird 3

Hermit Thrush 1

American Robin  132

Gray Catbird1

Northern Mockingbird5

European Starling   4081

Yellow-rumped Warbler 2

American Tree Sparrow  191

Dark-eyed Junco 164

White-throated Sparrow180

Song Sparrow  26

Swamp Sparrow  1

Chipping Sparrow   *cw*

Northern Cardinal   230

Red-winged Blackbird 53

Common Grackle4

Brown-headed Cowbird 1

*Pine Grosbeak1*

House Finch111

Pine Siskin   1

American Goldfinch217

House Sparrow   364


Cheers!


*Jason Luscier*

Associate Professor

Dept. of Biological and Environmental Sciences

Le Moyne College

Syracuse, NY 13214

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