A VERY welcome sight at 9:30 a.m.. Our 1st CHIPPING SPARROW was hopping along the edge of the back walk either gleaning bugs or looking for the little birdseed I usually have sprinkled there for chippers & song sparrows.
Bluebirds are trying hard to chase away the abominable male house sparrows that fill every bird box hole. John hasn't had time to put the trap in the boxes. We seem to have a small colony of "rats with racing stripes" making tunnels up on the bank east of the house under the feeders. I suspect the little rats .... CHIPMUNKS .... have been climbing the tree & going out on the limbs to get to the 2 "squirrel proof" feeders. Sunflower seeds have been disappearing much faster than usual. Hey, John VN ..... great sighting of the BC Night Herons! And I didn't know about an osprey nest on the south side of 318 on Gravel Rd. but did see one a couple yrs. ago on the north side. I talked with the Mud Lock "tender" on Mon.. He said the female eagle is on the nest but usually is out of sight due to the depth of the nest. Four juvenile eagles hang around but they seem to be there mostly in the very early a.m.. The DEC man has been keeping close watch of their activities. This may be the 1st nesting for this female & I was told that her eggs may be infertile. Only time will tell 'cause she isn't!! The new glassed-in observation room at the Visitor's Center at the refuge is great when the weather is lousy & it has been open "after hours" when the Center is closed. You'll find a list in there of birds seen around the refuge by 85 yr. old Larue St. Clair. He does that twice a wk.. I've been told a man from The Syr. Post Standard recently interviewed Larue & that an article may be in the paper later this wk.. Now THAT'S great news for those who know & love this wonderful but humble man for all he has done for birding life & birder's pleasure at the refuge. For those who don't know .... there is an outdoor "facility" near the visitor's center & over at Tschache. Fritzie -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/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/ --
