Hi folks, Any chance that an effort could be made to have some folks with higher-power optics and knowledge of shorebird ID meet us less-fortunate folks up at Towpath sometime soon to try to view these special birds. I've used my 45-power Vortex from both East Rd and Towpath, and it's a challenge to ID much beyond the closest parts of the mudflats.
Just a thought. Thanks. Jody Enck __________________________ Jody W. Enck, PhD Human Dimensions Research Unit Department of Natural Resources 119 Fernow Hall, Cornell University Ithaca, NY 14853 607-255-8192 www.dnr.cornell.edu/hdru/ -----Original Message----- From: bounce-6287225-3493...@list.cornell.edu [mailto:bounce-6287225-3493...@list.cornell.edu] On Behalf Of Matthew Medler Sent: Sunday, September 12, 2010 11:49 AM To: Cayugabirds-L Subject: [cayugabirds-l] Red Knot and Ruff Sighting Info For those still interested in trying to see the Red Knot and Ruff at Montezuma, I thought I'd share a few details of the sightings that Shawn Billerman, Andy Johnson, Jay McGowan and I had yesterday (11 September 2010). We spent from roughly 3 pm to 6 pm scanning the shorebirds from Towpath Road. During that time, we had a very distant views of the RED KNOT in Knox-Marsellus Marsh (the wetland area on the left/west side of the dike). By very distant views, I mean very distant views with Swarovski spotting scopes at 60X. It would have been impossible to identify the knot (or any other shorebirds) with just binoculars or perhaps even with a low-powered scope. As we were about to depart the Towpath Road area, we traveled a bit further down the road (to the east) to view shorebirds in what is apparently called "Puddlers Marsh" (the wetland area on the right/east side of the dike, as viewed from Towpath Road). During the brief time we were there, a group of shorebirds (mostly Semipalmated Plovers) occasionally landed close enough to us so that we could not only see and identify them, but actually enjoy the beauty of their intricate plumages. However, this group was very flighty and kept flying around the area. During one of their brief touchdowns, though, the Red Knot was in their midst, offering nice (but brief) views. We then heard from Kevin McGowan that the Ruff was present in Knox-Marsellus Marsh as viewed from East Road. So, we headed up there, and Jay quickly relocated the Ruff. Again, this bird was extremely distant, and it required high-powered scopes just to see it and identify it. It was much too distant to really enjoy or appreciate any of the subtle details of its appearance. While we were watching it, the Ruff was in the vicinity of some of the many Lesser Yellowlegs present. To my eye, the body of the Ruff was about the same size as the Lesser Yellowlegs. However, its legs were much shorter, giving a more compact look overall (compared to the yellowlegs). For those who haven't seen the Ruff, it is a juvenile bird, meaning that it does not have any of the flashy ruffs that make adult males so flashy. Instead, the most striking thing about the bird is the buffy coloration on the head and breast. The general pattern of the bird is somewhat similar to Pectoral Sandpiper (and there are many Pectorals present), but the Ruff is buffier, and, importantly, much larger. I hope this is helpful for those still hoping to see one or both of these birds. It is quite challenging (and frustrating) to find and identify these birds (and all of the shorebirds present at Knox-Marsellus), but with a good scope and maybe a little luck, it can be done. Good birding, Matt Medler Ithaca -- 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/ -- -- 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/ --