Hi all, I woke up at about 3.50 am to a whinnying coming from my window and spent till just before about 15 minutes before starting this e-mail, enjoying beautiful day unfolding! I write my observations in chronological order.
3.50 am: I woke up to whinnying sound coming through my open bedroom window, so I inched closer to the window to listen to it. An Eastern Screech owl was softly singing. I listened to him for sometime. As he kept going, I thought may be I should record him. I went to next room where my recording equipment were. As usual battery was down in the MD, so searched for second MD and found it but with no disc. Put in a disc from the first recorder and by the time I was ready to record he stopped singing. So I decided to go out and check for moths. I looked out of the window it looked like sky was tad bit clear as I could see moonlight, so thought may be I am in luck for some perseids too. 4.10 am: I picked my camera and went out to check what is around. There were about 25 species of moths including some beautiful moths like Unicorn Prominent, Eultihis - Grapevine moths, Pale Beauties, Locust underwing moths etc. So I started taking pictures of these when I heard YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO calling from nearby. I was awed. I was thinking of dashing in to get the recorder again, just then my first Catocala (Underwings) of the season came clumsily bouncing around flying all over me and sheets and lights etc. So just could not miss the moth, so tried getting his picture, but had wrong lens with extension ring on and the moth was too big (about 4 inches across with folded wing, 5 in with fully extended wings) to focus it entirely. 4.30 am. So went inside and got a different camera with 100 mm macro. After couple of pictures, as it happens my battery ran out. So either I had to run to my car to get spare battery or switch lenses. I decided to do the latter. While I took pictures, cuckoo called again. I was also listening to many migrants flying overhead. Every year it is relearning of night flight calls. Some more flurry of activities to get the recorder out too. In between a cardinal called once. 4.45 am: I was back with recorder and by then I had taken pictures of most of the moths I needed to photograph, so decided to listen to call of migrants. But by then traffic had already increased. Where do people go so early in the morning? I stood few minutes listening to migrants, it looked like there was big migration going on and birds were probably coming down. To me, some sounded like ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAKS, VEERIES and some seeps and zeeps of warblers. Sky was still hazy, but moon was peeping out of clouds, but there was no chance for observing perseids. By then I felt hungry too. So decided to get a cup of coffee and a chair to sit and listen to migrants call. 4.55 am. I was out with a cup sweet cold coffee and a chair, all my cameras and recorders next to me and I settled to listen to calls with my head phones on. Traffic had become louder and planes also seem to be abounding the sky. I recorded when ever there was lull in the traffic. Birds were flying constantly and some sounded very close. More zeeps, and seeps and veeers. I think I got recordings of some calls at least. I will try to listen to them to night and try to identify them. 5.10 am. Cardinals started calling and there was some duet going on, I think it was a pair that was talking to each other. One called Kiddo kiddo kiddo and other went twe twe twe and the first one varied its vocalization, while second did not (I presume it was female). In next five minutes Robins woke up. First robin's call was alarm note, I dont if it was because it saw me with my furry microphone in my hand. Second robin started after another three or four minutes but simple chuck chuck and no robin song was heard. 5.20 am or so : A Blue Jay issued his first voclaization and several other Blue Jays woke up and started calling in different tones. 5.24 am. First American Crow woke up, first I heard was a big swishing sound of wing as he came out of the tree and landed on a branch about 20 ft above me. Then I heard strange sounds like as if a bug being zapped by an electrical bug zipper. So I looked around to see if the moths or something else burning at the moth light, but did not find any. Sound seem to be coming from above me. So I looked up to see if it was a squirrel, but it turned out to be the CROW! By then it was getting brighter and lighter. A Little Brown Bat flew over my head a few times. The crow flew to another better perch and started calling. A little later another joined. 5.48 am: Chickadees started stirring up and issued some calls and a Downy woodpecker called from somewhere nearby. I was hoping to hear the Catbird as it is time for him to come to eat moths. But no sign of him. But a pair of Cardinals did come and showed annoyance at my presence, and after sometime they left. I waited till 6.05 am to see if catbirds are coming. But I did not hear them. Looks like they have left my yard and gone to greener pasture or have moved on to south. Two days ago a new House Wren family was in the yard for couple of days. I did not hear them either. By then I decided it was time to head inside and look up my mails and read NYT! What a beautiful perfect morning! Tonight it is going to be clear. I know some people are planning to camp out on Mount Pleasant to watch perseids, I probably would head too and hope there would be more migrants passing overhead tomorrow too! I guess there should be more birds in the woods today! Cheers and Good Day! Meena Meena Haribal Ithaca NY 14850 webpage: http://www.people.cornell.edu/pages/mmh3/ http://www.geocities.com/asiootusloe/ http://www.geocities.com/asiootusloe/mothsofithaca.html http://meenaharibal.blogspot.com/ http://haribal.wikispaces.com/space/showimage/wildwest+trip+August+2007+.pdf Current Loc: 42o 25' 44.48" N, 76o 28' 16.90" W Elev 816 ft or 248.7 m Formerly: 19o 0' 41,65" N, 72o 51' 13.02" E Elev 33 ft or 10m -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES Temporary archive: http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
