This morning from 8:00AM to 8:30AM, I made a last minute decision to stop by Renwick Sanctuary to try for Prothonotary Warbler. I was minorly disappointed that the trailhead on the left, after driving into Stewart Park, was submerged.but this brought back memories of my life bird in Renwick on this day in 1993 following the flood of '93. Instead, I decided to drive around the loop, by the Cascadilla Boat House and park near the North suspension bridge and at the least, walk to that NW corner of Renwick Sanctuary to listen for any potential loud singing Prothonotary Warbler. I did not hear one.instead, I heard an ORCHARD ORIOLE singing from the treetops across Fall Creek from the other West suspension bridge. After getting closer to where this singing Orchard Oriole was, I found Stuart Krasnoff birding there. We tried to get on the Orchard Oriole together, but it kept moving so rapidly in a general NE direction. I did spot it through the branches in the treetops. From my broken view, I could tell this bird was an immature male. It was yellowish and I caught a glimpse of a black bib/throat. The last time I heard it sing was well to the NE, from the direction of a tall willow tree, more into Stewart Park. It could be slowly moving up the East side of Cayuga Lake.
Also in that spot were many RUSTY BLACKBIRDS singing and easily observed feeding on the flooded grass edge near the North suspension bridge. From the Northwest corner of Renwick Sanctuary, there were several CAROLINA WRENS, many YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS, and a good handful of YELLOW WARBLERS actively foraging for insects among the corners of the new wooden foot-bridge/walkway. As Stuart and I were leaving, we encountered a very cooperative BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER down low right near the edge of the new wooden foot-bridge/walkway. Keep Renwick Sanctuary and the Lighthouse Jetty Woods in mind for Prothonotary Warbler. The habitat and conditions are really quite ideal right now! You can access a slightly more elevated portion of Renwick Sanctuary from the Southeast corner, by parking in the dirt pull-off on the West side of Cayuga Street - opposite the Ithaca High School. Walk under Route 13 and over the railroad tracks on the North side of the railroad trestle over Fall Creek. Enter Renwick via the dirt pathway. The path will split, one going left and one going right. The right pathway should allow for slightly better access into the woods of the Sanctuary, before encountering the water. Bring tall boots and you can probably go farther into the woods along the flooded pathway for some good warblers! I did not have time to stop and try this Southeast corner access point today. Good birding! Sincerely, Chris T-H -- Christopher T. Tessaglia-Hymes TARU Product Line Manager and Field Applications Engineer Bioacoustics Research Program, Cornell Lab of Ornithology 159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, New York 14850 W: 607-254-2418 M: 607-351-5740 F: 607-254-1132 http://www.birds.cornell.edu/brp -- 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/ --
