[nysbirds-l] Red Crossbills/More Sandhill Cranes!/Mountain Birdwatch survey & more
Red Crossbills continue to be heard on most outings. There was a singing Red Crossbill over Larry Master and I while we were birding in the Spring Pond Bog Preserve on the 4th of July! A Pine Siskin was vocalizing up on Whiteface on July 5th. At least 5 Sandhill Cranes were observed on July 2nd in Tupper Lake. The family of 4 was in its normal marsh location (the young can't fly yet) and we observed at least one Sandhill Crane (I believe there were 2) in the marsh located by the bowling alley along Route 30 (observed from the marsh deck location). So it appears there are more Sandhill Cranes scouting the marshes of Tupper Lake! I conducted the annual Mountain Birdwatch survey of Whiteface Mountain on 6/27/17. I tallied 16 Bicknell's Thrushes. I tallied unusually low numbers for Yellow-bellied Flycatcher and Swainson's Thrush this year. The weather has been cold on the summit (has ranged from 35 to 45 degrees during most birding trips) which may account for lower numbers of Swainson's Thrushes. The several Bobolink pairs nesting in a field along River Road, not far from Whiteface, made it through nesting this year without their field being cut! Many species have been observed carrying nesting material in July. I suspect the severe rain storms have taken a negative toll on nests and many species are now re-nesting. Recent sightings: Out birding on 7/5/17 at Whiteface Mountain, Bloomingdale locations, Tupper Lake, and Long Lake locations, we found 72 species: Canada Goose Wood Duck Ruffed Grouse - several! (babies heard!) Wild Turkey Rock Pigeon Mourning Dove Sandhill Crane - 4! (family group) Ring-billed Gull Common Loon Great Blue Heron Northern Goshawk Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - nest! Hairy Woodpecker Black-backed Woodpecker Northern Flicker Pileated Woodpecker Merlin Yellow-bellied Flycatcher Least Flycatcher Eastern Phoebe Eastern Kingbird Blue-headed Vireo Red-eyed Vireo Blue Jay American Crow Tree Swallow Cliff Swallow Barn Swallow Black-capped Chickadee Boreal Chickadee - 5! (likely a family group) Red-breasted Nuthatch Brown Creeper Winter Wren Golden-crowned Kinglet Ruby-crowned Kinglet Eastern Bluebird Veery Bicknell's Thrush - nice view Swainson's Thrush - nice view Hermit Thrush American Robin Gray Catbird European Starling Cedar Waxwing Purple Finch Pine Siskin - one vocalizing on Whiteface! American Goldfinch Ovenbird Black-and-white Warbler Nashville Warbler Common Yellowthroat American Redstart Northern Parula Magnolia Warbler Blackburnian Warbler Chestnut-sided Warbler Blackpoll Warbler Black-throated Blue Warbler Palm Warbler Pine Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler Canada Warbler Chipping Sparrow Savannah Sparrow Song Sparrow Swamp Sparrow White-throated Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco We also found a Gray Fox, Porcupine, Snapping Turtle, Deer, and Snowshoe Hare! July 4, 2017 Long Lake and Tupper Lake Larry Master and I observed many Ruffed Grouse at the Spring Pond Bog Preserve. We also encountered at least 2 Gray Jays and calling/singing Red Crossbills among many other species. I also found 3 Grays Jays at Sabattis Bog and 2 along Route 30 in Long Lake. I stopped to make sure a baby Porcupine got across Route 30 - it was harrowing to watch. A car was coming at a high rate of speed - I flashed lights, beeped my horn and still the person nearly hit the Porcupine. Roads are such a major threat to wildlife. Out birding on July 2, 2017 at various Long Lake and Tupper Lake locations, we found 74 species: Canada Goose Wood Duck Mallard Ring-necked Duck Ruffed Grouse -adult birds and family groups Wild Turkey Pied-billed Grebe Rock Pigeon Mourning Dove Chimney Swift Ruby-throated Hummingbird - with nesting material at Shaw Pond (cattail fluff!) Sandhill Crane - 5! (family of 4 and one more near the bowling alley marsh deck) Ring-billed Gull Common Loon - several including a pair with a chick Great Blue Heron Turkey Vulture Bald Eagle Northern Goshawk Broad-winged Hawk Belted Kingfisher Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Hairy Woodpecker Black-backed Woodpecker Northern Flicker Merlin - Long Lake Yellow-bellied Flycatcher Alder Flycatcher - nice views Least Flycatcher Eastern Kingbird Blue-headed Vireo Philadelphia Vireo - Beautiful views of a bathing bird! Red-eyed Vireo Gray Jay - 3 (Sabattis Bog) Blue Jay American Crow Common Raven Tree Swallow Barn Swallow Black-capped Chickadee Red-breasted Nuthatch Brown Creeper Winter Wren Golden-crowned Kinglet Hermit Thrush American Robin Gray Catbird European Starling Cedar Waxwing Purple Finch American Goldfinch Ovenbird Black-and-white Warbler Nashville Warbler Common Yellowthroat American Redstart Northern Parula Magnolia Warbler Blackburnian Warbler Yellow Warbler Chestnut-sided Warbler Black-throated Blue Warbler Palm Warbler Pine Warbler
[nysbirds-l] Red Crossbills/More Sandhill Cranes!/Mountain Birdwatch survey & more
Red Crossbills continue to be heard on most outings. There was a singing Red Crossbill over Larry Master and I while we were birding in the Spring Pond Bog Preserve on the 4th of July! A Pine Siskin was vocalizing up on Whiteface on July 5th. At least 5 Sandhill Cranes were observed on July 2nd in Tupper Lake. The family of 4 was in its normal marsh location (the young can't fly yet) and we observed at least one Sandhill Crane (I believe there were 2) in the marsh located by the bowling alley along Route 30 (observed from the marsh deck location). So it appears there are more Sandhill Cranes scouting the marshes of Tupper Lake! I conducted the annual Mountain Birdwatch survey of Whiteface Mountain on 6/27/17. I tallied 16 Bicknell's Thrushes. I tallied unusually low numbers for Yellow-bellied Flycatcher and Swainson's Thrush this year. The weather has been cold on the summit (has ranged from 35 to 45 degrees during most birding trips) which may account for lower numbers of Swainson's Thrushes. The several Bobolink pairs nesting in a field along River Road, not far from Whiteface, made it through nesting this year without their field being cut! Many species have been observed carrying nesting material in July. I suspect the severe rain storms have taken a negative toll on nests and many species are now re-nesting. Recent sightings: Out birding on 7/5/17 at Whiteface Mountain, Bloomingdale locations, Tupper Lake, and Long Lake locations, we found 72 species: Canada Goose Wood Duck Ruffed Grouse - several! (babies heard!) Wild Turkey Rock Pigeon Mourning Dove Sandhill Crane - 4! (family group) Ring-billed Gull Common Loon Great Blue Heron Northern Goshawk Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - nest! Hairy Woodpecker Black-backed Woodpecker Northern Flicker Pileated Woodpecker Merlin Yellow-bellied Flycatcher Least Flycatcher Eastern Phoebe Eastern Kingbird Blue-headed Vireo Red-eyed Vireo Blue Jay American Crow Tree Swallow Cliff Swallow Barn Swallow Black-capped Chickadee Boreal Chickadee - 5! (likely a family group) Red-breasted Nuthatch Brown Creeper Winter Wren Golden-crowned Kinglet Ruby-crowned Kinglet Eastern Bluebird Veery Bicknell's Thrush - nice view Swainson's Thrush - nice view Hermit Thrush American Robin Gray Catbird European Starling Cedar Waxwing Purple Finch Pine Siskin - one vocalizing on Whiteface! American Goldfinch Ovenbird Black-and-white Warbler Nashville Warbler Common Yellowthroat American Redstart Northern Parula Magnolia Warbler Blackburnian Warbler Chestnut-sided Warbler Blackpoll Warbler Black-throated Blue Warbler Palm Warbler Pine Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler Canada Warbler Chipping Sparrow Savannah Sparrow Song Sparrow Swamp Sparrow White-throated Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco We also found a Gray Fox, Porcupine, Snapping Turtle, Deer, and Snowshoe Hare! July 4, 2017 Long Lake and Tupper Lake Larry Master and I observed many Ruffed Grouse at the Spring Pond Bog Preserve. We also encountered at least 2 Gray Jays and calling/singing Red Crossbills among many other species. I also found 3 Grays Jays at Sabattis Bog and 2 along Route 30 in Long Lake. I stopped to make sure a baby Porcupine got across Route 30 - it was harrowing to watch. A car was coming at a high rate of speed - I flashed lights, beeped my horn and still the person nearly hit the Porcupine. Roads are such a major threat to wildlife. Out birding on July 2, 2017 at various Long Lake and Tupper Lake locations, we found 74 species: Canada Goose Wood Duck Mallard Ring-necked Duck Ruffed Grouse -adult birds and family groups Wild Turkey Pied-billed Grebe Rock Pigeon Mourning Dove Chimney Swift Ruby-throated Hummingbird - with nesting material at Shaw Pond (cattail fluff!) Sandhill Crane - 5! (family of 4 and one more near the bowling alley marsh deck) Ring-billed Gull Common Loon - several including a pair with a chick Great Blue Heron Turkey Vulture Bald Eagle Northern Goshawk Broad-winged Hawk Belted Kingfisher Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Hairy Woodpecker Black-backed Woodpecker Northern Flicker Merlin - Long Lake Yellow-bellied Flycatcher Alder Flycatcher - nice views Least Flycatcher Eastern Kingbird Blue-headed Vireo Philadelphia Vireo - Beautiful views of a bathing bird! Red-eyed Vireo Gray Jay - 3 (Sabattis Bog) Blue Jay American Crow Common Raven Tree Swallow Barn Swallow Black-capped Chickadee Red-breasted Nuthatch Brown Creeper Winter Wren Golden-crowned Kinglet Hermit Thrush American Robin Gray Catbird European Starling Cedar Waxwing Purple Finch American Goldfinch Ovenbird Black-and-white Warbler Nashville Warbler Common Yellowthroat American Redstart Northern Parula Magnolia Warbler Blackburnian Warbler Yellow Warbler Chestnut-sided Warbler Black-throated Blue Warbler Palm Warbler Pine Warbler
