Big numbers continue, with increases in Least & S-P Sandpiper, Stilt, Pectoral, S-P Plover, and a new-arrival Wilson's Snipe. Many distant and hard-to-see places harbored lots of birds and may have contained the "missing" species.
Water levels at Knox-Marsellus (low) and Puddler's Marsh (okay) at the moment, but dry will be the enemy in August (or sooner) if things don't change. Most places that were flooded in June are becoming mudflat, and I checked some of the Northern Montezuma spots. Most promising is the pond at Marten's Tract, which has no shorebirds............yet. At the end of Carncross Rd the water edges have become algae/mudflat and a few shorebirds were there with probably more out of sight looking south. Van Dyne Spoor has a few spots that are close but no shorebirds yet. I didn't get to Mays Point, Tschache, or the Visitor's Center/Wildlife Drive. Dave Wheeler Oswego County, NY Montezuma NWR--Puddler Marsh, Seneca, US-NY Jul 19, 2011 7:45 PM - 9:15 PM Protocol: Traveling 0.25 mile(s) 34 species Canada Goose X Wood Duck X American Wigeon 1 Mallard X Green-winged Teal X Great Blue Heron X many Great Egret 25 exact count Green Heron 1 Bald Eagle 3 all immatures Semipalmated Plover 12 estimate Killdeer X many Spotted Sandpiper X Solitary Sandpiper 1 Probably more Greater Yellowlegs 35 Mostly together in one area Lesser Yellowlegs 750 Guesstimated Semipalmated Sandpiper X not sure how many but increased numbers vs previous visit Least Sandpiper 750 Guesstimated Pectoral Sandpiper 10 estimate Stilt Sandpiper 12 Short-billed Dowitcher 3 Wilson's Snipe 1 Ring-billed Gull 15 Caspian Tern X Black Tern X Tree Swallow X Barn Swallow X American Robin X Gray Catbird 1 European Starling X Yellow Warbler X Common Yellowthroat X Song Sparrow 1 Red-winged Blackbird X American Goldfinch X Montezuma NWR--Knox-Marcellus Marsh, Seneca, US-NY Jul 19, 2011 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM Protocol: Traveling 0.5 mile(s) Comments: From East Rd 15 species Canada Goose X Wood Duck X Mallard X Great Blue Heron X Sandhill Crane 1 heard calling Semipalmated Plover 1 Killdeer X Spotted Sandpiper X Lesser Yellowlegs 100 estimate Semipalmated Sandpiper X Least Sandpiper 250 Pectoral Sandpiper 1 Ring-billed Gull 5 Caspian Tern 5 Black Tern X N. Montezuma WMA--Carncross Rd., Wayne, US-NY Jul 19, 2011 5:00 PM - 5:10 PM Protocol: Stationary Comments: From the end of Carncross Rd on the small bridge, looking south along the river-of-sorts that separates Carncross from Howland Island. The edges have become muddy and some shorebirds were present on the Carncross side. 4 species Killdeer 6 Spotted Sandpiper 4 Lesser Yellowlegs 6 Belted Kingfisher 1 -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
