I watched the skies from Mount Pleasant for a couple of hours at midday today. Hawks weren't exactly in abundance, but geese were, and the raptor flight wasn't bad for the season. I was joined by Jeff Gerbracht, Tom Schulenberg, and Charles Eldermire for a little while. Here is what I had.
Snow Goose - 2000, mostly in flocks of 80-200; one or two smaller birds, but no obvious Ross's (though Jeff said they had one over the Lab on their way up); a few Blues, perhaps one every 100; most interesting Snow was an almost all-white bird, with apparently only one black feather in each wingtip ( https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/URxH3rPf9jOd6ozKTpSe-A?feat=directlink ) Canada Goose - 4000 CACKLING GOOSE - 8 (in groups of 1-2) ( https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/u9Reo4FAio1I3H4RsLSB4g?feat=directlink ) NORTHERN PINTAIL - 4 (in a group of about 100 Canada and Snow geese) Turkey Vulture - 21 NORTHERN GOSHAWK - 1 probable immature, heading north RED-SHOULDERED HAWK - 1 circling north Red-tailed Hawk - 13 (some local, some migrating) Rough-legged Hawk - 3+ (2 dark, 1 light) ( https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/JW92PHTLPZzELlwtGJR7qQ?feat=directlink ) GOLDEN EAGLE - 1 adult heading NE at 1:35PM Killdeer - 3 Rock Pigeon - 15 American Crow - 120 Horned Lark - 59 Tufted Titmouse - 1 White-breasted Nuthatch - 1 Eastern Bluebird - 4 American Robin - 6 European Starling - 33 Red-winged Blackbird - 550 Common Grackle - 450 House Finch - 1 The female REDHEAD was back at George Road today after being absent yesterday (with four Lesser Scaup in her place). This morning Stewart Park had the usual waterfowl, with an increased number of Ring-necked Ducks (almost 300) directly offshore. I saw the Ring-necked x scaup hybrid briefly in this flock but was unable to relocate it. Wigeon numbers were higher as well, and a pair of Green-winged Teal, a male Wood Duck, and seven Ruddy Ducks were also present. A Bald Eagle was in the cormorant tree. Good birding, Jay McGowan -- 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/ --
