The south end of Cayuga Lake has much the same birds as have been described recently, but the ice is a bit more extensive, sweeping out toward the white lighthouse then near the end of the red lighthouse breakwater. Despite the extent of ice off Stewart and totally covering Cayuga Inlet and the Hog Hole, it is not very broad along the lakeshore of Treman Marine Park. Most waterfowl extended west of the red lighthouse breakwater and were fairly close, not too hard to see through the tall weeds. The ice off Stewart held hundreds of gulls, and the lake north from there had the TUNDRA SWANS, most of the COMMON GOLDENEYE, and many of the COMMON MERGANSERS. Here's my total list from a walk to the lakeshore and back in the middle of the day:
TUNDRA SWAN - 19 CANADA GOOSE - a few around on water and distantly in air GADWALL - few AMERICAN BLACK DUCK - few MALLARD - many NORTHERN PINTAIL - 1 female AMERICAN WIGEON ~3 male, 2 female REDHEAD - lots CANVASBACK - quite a few RING-NECKED DUCK - few LESSER SCAUP quite a few GREATER SCAUP - few COMMON GOLDENEYE - a couple off Treman; several off Stewart BUFFLEHEAD - few RUDDY DUCK - 2 COMMON MERGANSER - scattered about HOODED MERGANSER - still a few PIED-BILLED GREBE - 1 with large duck flock DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT - 1 nearly adult on emergent rock off Treman Marine Park AMERICAN COOT - few BALD EAGLE - 2 adults flew from Hog Hole along west side of lake to a tall pine about halfway to Ithaca Yacht Club. One (larger/female?) has dark spots across upper rum, making white tail in flight rectangular. Other has normal broad wedge of white from tail up rump. RED-TAILED HAWK - 1 over Cass Park RING-BILLED GULL - lots on ice HERRING GULL - lots on ice & in water LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL - 1 adult on ice off Stewart Park GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL - some on ice, some in water, some on red lighthouse breakwater, recaliming a once-popular resting spot that has been shunned by nearly all gulls for weeks now. ROCK PIGEON ~90 on high tension wires over Flood Control Channel RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER - with American Robins AMERICAN CROW - various places and commuting overhead AMERICAN ROBIN ~30 wandering near Cass Rink and railroad grade EUROPEAN STARLING - 1 near rink, 6 overhead from my yard WHITE-THROATED SPARROW - 2 hiding in tall weeds in my yard NORTHERN CARDINAL - 1 male along railroad grade HOUSE SPARROW - 2 males in thicket west of Children's Garden --Dave Nutter -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES Archives: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
