Hi all, I went up the east side of Cayuga Lake yesterday, and then again today with Tom Johnson leading a small field trip for ornithology. Here are my highlights:
Saturday, 30 January 2010 Stevenson Road compost - GLAUCOUS GULL (2nd cycle, somewhat small-bodied but with diagnostic bicolored bill and pure white wings), 1st cycle Iceland Gull Myers Point - American Pipit on the spit; adult Bald Eagle soaring over the Lansing School Center Road x Mahaney Road, King Ferry - ~200 Snow Buntings, 20 Horned Larks, and at least one LAPLAND LONGSPUR (found by Tom on his way up before me) Lake Road, Long Point S.P. - adult Bald Eagle cruising low along the lake shore Union Springs - Eastern Screech-Owl, American Wigeon Mud Lock - 5 TRUMPETER SWANS at the lock, many Tundra Swans on the ice to the south Sunday, 31 January 2010 Myers Point (<8:00) - GLAUCOUS GULL (apparently the same bird from the compost yesterday), 2 Northern Pintail, Belted Kingfisher Long Point S.P. - Snow Goose; raft of Redhead (with Canvasback, Ring-necked Duck, Greater Scaup, Lesser Scaup, Common Goldeneye, Bufflehead), perhaps in the 6-10 thousand range, very densely packed and quite close to shore; the noise of ducks diving was quite impressive on its own, and when the flock became agitated and rapidly changed shape, the effect was striking. Union Springs (Mill and Factory ponds) - 82 GADWALL (this seems like a pretty high count), ~25 American Wigeon, other regular waterfowl I then checked the Stevenson Road compost, where I found an adult ICELAND GULL (presumably the same Tom had a few days ago, very white wingtips with only traces of gray), and the continuing 1st cycle Iceland Gull. After that, I spent the afternoon looking for land birds at Monkey Run, Pinckney/Lower Creek road preserve, Mill Street, Southworth Road, Cornell Lane, Dryden Lake linear path near Chaffee Road, and Beam Hill. Although enjoyable, this effort turned up little of particular note save common birds, including White-throated and American Tree sparrows, EASTERN BLUEBIRDS everywhere (12+ at four locations), three Carolina Wrens, Brown Creeper, American Goldfinch, House Finch, Belted Kingfisher (Willow Crossing), Common Raven (flyover at Monkey Run S), and a male light-morph ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK on West Lake Road near Dryden Lake. I had high hopes for finding a Wood Duck in Fall Creek in Etna, but only came up with ~100 Mallards, 6 American Black Ducks, 2 Hooded Mergansers, and some Canada Geese. Jay McGowan Beam Hill Dryden, NY -- 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 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
