...Route 13 and disappeared to the east over the trees and out of the lake valley. (Sorry again about the hair-trigger "send" feature on this device I'm using.) --Dave Nutter Ithaca, NY
On Aug 22, 2011, at 9:28 PM, Dave Nutter <nutter.d...@mac.com> wrote: > This evening (Monday 22 August) the egrets are, like last night, sleeping > separately. I walked through the dusk to have a brief look (8:35-8:40pm). > Yet this morning as I scoped from East Shore Park they appeared nearly > simultaneously out from behind Jetty Woods at 6:18am and immediately flew, > very close together, almost directly towards me over the lake. When they were > nearly overhead they circled once, then continued over NYS > > --Dave Nutter > Ithaca, NY > > On Aug 21, 2011, at 9:48 PM, Dave Nutter <nutter.d...@mac.com> wrote: > >> From 8:20-8:30pm this evening (21 Aug) I was by the mouth of Treman Marina >> gazing across Cayuga Inlet at our 2 local roosting Great Egrets. The >> sedentary one was on it's usual perch. The active one moved among 5 >> different perches during the darkening 10 minutes I watched. When I left it >> was on the more northerly of its 2 favorite roosting perch atop a small tree >> quite separate from the other egret. How does it decide between the 2 >> perches it regularly uses? How did the other decide on its single perch? >> >> --Dave Nutter >> Ithaca, NY >> >> On Aug 20, 2011, at 10:34 PM, Dave Nutter <nutter.d...@mac.com> wrote: >> >>> Sorry about that - the message got sent before it was finished. Consider >>> this interval while I finish writing to be like waiting for the egrets... >>> At 7:31pm I spotted the first Great Egret, but perhaps because I was only >>> armed with binoculars, it was only a minute away from landing. I first saw >>> it about lined up with East Shore Park against the hillside about halfway >>> between the lake and the sky. It flew south, then followed the Stewart Park >>> shoreline toward us, veering a bit north as it rounded the Swan Pond, and >>> as soon as it got to Cayuga Inlet it flew south to the perch occupied last >>> night by, I believe, the same bird. That was the earlier one taking off >>> which disappeared from my view for awhile because it took a more southerly >>> route. This bird stayed put at least until we left, also characteristic of >>> the earlier occupant of that perch. At 7:43 I spotted the second Great >>> Egret flying toward us, initially seen in about the same direction, but it >>> flew in a more direct path over the lake, then took a perch a few feet >>> below its comrade. As we walked around the marina I saw this lower bird >>> fly to its alternate perch, a low tree to the north. But by the time we >>> had gotten back to the Inlet it was back again at the perch it first came >>> to this evening and that it used last night. I wonder if they also have >>> distinct feeding habits or other personality traits to distinguish them if >>> I were to see them elsewhere during the day. >>> >>> --Dave Nutter >>> Ithaca, NY >>> >>> On Aug 20, 2011, at 10:01 PM, Dave Nutter <nutter.d...@mac.com> wrote: >>> >>>> At 7pm this evening (Saturday 20 August) Laurie and I settled in on a >>>> bench north of the mouth of Treman Marina to await the arrival of our >>>> egrets. Judging by how long they took to disappear from view after taking >>>> off in the morning I figured I might have 6 minutes of lead time to see >>>> where they came from. >>>> >>>> --Dave Nutter >>>> Ithaca, NY >>>> >>>> On Aug 20, 2011, at 1:10 PM, Dave Nutter <nutter.d...@mac.com> wrote: >>>> >>>>> Back at dawn today, Saturday 20 August, I found the 2 Great Egrets >>>>> perched near each other in the same tree as I left them. At 6:20am the >>>>> first took flight, and judging by perch choice it was the same one that >>>>> flew first yesterday without me seeing it. It flew north, then turned >>>>> sharply east just past Jetty Woods such that it was hidden from my view >>>>> by 6:21am. I thought (temporarily, it turns out) that perhaps it was >>>>> headed for Stewart Park or Fuertes Sanctuary. I immediately looked back >>>>> to the roost tree and found it devoid of egrets - no 15 minute delay >>>>> between take-offs today! Fortunately I saw the second egret in flight >>>>> before it reached the end of Jetty Woods, and I was able to follow it >>>>> through my scope as it veered northeast (a bit more northerly than >>>>> yesterday) and flew steadily toward the treeline atop the edge of the >>>>> valley. As it cleared those trees I saw that it was joined by the other >>>>> egret, who must have taken a less direct route, and they headed east >>>>> together about where NYS 13 cuts through by the Cayuga Heights exit. >>>>> Again, I wonder where they go for they day to feed - the Lab of O? Fall >>>>> Creek's middle reaches? some fortunate farmer's pond? And I'm intrigued >>>>> that they return faithfully to Jetty Woods to roost, sometimes to a >>>>> particular branch. Perhaps they are attracted by the Double-crested >>>>> Cormorants who fly conspicuously around the area and have established a >>>>> successful and comfortable roosting site. >>>>> >>>>> --Dave Nutter >>>>> Ithaca, NY >>>>> >>>>> On Aug 19, 2011, at 10:12 PM, Dave Nutter <nutter.d...@me.com> wrote: >>>>> >>>>>> Today (Friday 19 August) I checked out the Ithaca egret roost in the >>>>>> morning and in the evening. During a dawn lull in work I stopped by >>>>>> Treman Marina and saw the 2 GREAT EGRETS in their separate trees a few >>>>>> minutes after 6am as I had left them Thursday night. Unfortunately I >>>>>> got distracted and did not see when one of them flew off around 6:10am. >>>>>> That one had been more actively stretching. I was hoping to see where >>>>>> they went. The second, more lethargic, bird eventually stretched more, >>>>>> and at 6:23am it suddenly took flight to the north. When it got to the >>>>>> white lighthouse jetty it turned toward East Shore Park, flapping >>>>>> continuously and slowly gaining altitude. Then it circled several times >>>>>> for more altitude and continued east over the treetops of Cayuga Heights >>>>>> and out of sight at 6:29am. I wonder if it went all the way to George >>>>>> Road or Dryden Lake. >>>>>> >>>>>> This evening both Great Egrets were back. At one point they occupied >>>>>> the same perches in separate trees as the previous night, but this >>>>>> evening there was more interaction and one of them (presumably the >>>>>> second to fly this morning, considering its perch preference) moved back >>>>>> and forth, landing near the other, returning to its previous perch >>>>>> (perhaps told to leave), then eventually settling down near the other >>>>>> bird. So tonight when I left they were just a few feet apart in the >>>>>> same tree. >>>>>> >>>>>> Other birds included an adult BALD EAGLE flying north over the lake. >>>>>> This morning I also stopped by Stewart Park and saw a/the adult Bald >>>>>> Eagle perched on the snag opposite the boathouse. I was able to see leg >>>>>> bands, blue on its left leg and silver on its right. I know I >>>>>> photographed an eagle with these color bands years ago on ice at Stewart >>>>>> Park, and when I get access to those photos I will check whether they >>>>>> were on the same legs and whether it was the adult or the juvenile with >>>>>> the bands. >>>>>> >>>>>> Continuing from this evening, I counted at least 80 DOUBLE-CRESTED >>>>>> CORMORANTS in the trees near the egrets. Two GREAT BLUE HERONS were >>>>>> also nearby. A GREEN HERON flew past over the inlet then turned east at >>>>>> the south edge of Jetty Woods. A GREAT HORNED OWL flew from around the >>>>>> north part of Jetty Woods westbound over the inlet and into the trees >>>>>> north of the marina. There were 13 CASPIAN TERNS discernible on the >>>>>> submerged red lighthouse breakwater from my vantage south of the marina >>>>>> boating entrance. There was also at least one BELTED KINGFISHER & BARN >>>>>> SWALLOW, lots of MALLARDS & RING-BILLED GULLS, a couple of GREAT >>>>>> BLACK-BACKED GULLS, and a few CANADA GEESE. >>>>>> >>>>>> --Dave Nutter >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> On Aug 18, 2011, at 06:55 PM, Dave Nutter <nutter.d...@me.com> wrote: >>>>>> >>>>>>> This evening (Thursday 18 August) the two Great Egrets were clearly >>>>>>> identifiable with binoculars at 8:30pm in the same two trees as before. >>>>>>> --Dave Nutter >>>>>>> >>>>>>> On Aug 13, 2011, at 07:48 PM, Dave Nutter <nutter.d...@mac.com> wrote: >>>>>>> >>>>>>>> This evening (13 August) I took a walk along Cayuga Inlet by Cass Park >>>>>>>> to Treman Marina. Although it was fairly dark by 9pm when I was >>>>>>>> opposite Jetty Woods, with binoculars I was able to discern what I >>>>>>>> believe were probably (the) 2 GREAT EGRETS roosting in separate trees. >>>>>>>> --Dave Nutter >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> On Aug 06, 2011, at 06:35 PM, Dave Nutter <nutter.d...@mac.com> wrote: >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> Two GREAT EGRETS were roosting in the same spot on the edge of Jetty >>>>>>>>> Woods next to Cayuga Inlet this evening, 6 August. Also seen on this >>>>>>>>> evening's canoe-paddle all the way around the red lighthouse: 3 GREAT >>>>>>>>> BLUE HERONS, 2 BELTED KINGFISHERS, 2 PURPLE MARTINS, 3 SPOTTED >>>>>>>>> SANDPIPERS, 32 CASPIAN TERNS, 41 DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS, 3 WOOD >>>>>>>>> DUCKS, 6 COMMON MERGANSERS, 2 GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULLS, 1 HERRING >>>>>>>>> GULL, plenty of RING-BILLED GULLS, MALLARDS AND CANADA GEESE, one or >>>>>>>>> more BARN SWALLOWS, 2 AMERICAN ROBINS, and 1 MOURNING DOVE. Also >>>>>>>>> heard were 1 AMERICAN GOLDFINCH and 2 SONG SPARROWS. >>>>>>>>> We did not see any fireflies in our yard this evening On August 1 we >>>>>>>>> only saw 1 firefly, but a few weeks ago it was spectacular. >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> --Dave Nutter >>>>>>>>> Ithaca, NY >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> On Aug 02, 2011, at 06:55 PM, Dave Nutter <nutter.d...@mac.com> wrote: >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>> The Great Egret is roosting in the same place this evening, 2 August. >>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>> --Dave Nutter >>>>>>>>>> Ithaca, NY >>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>> On Aug 1, 2011, at 9:56 PM, Dave Nutter <nutter.d...@mac.com> wrote: >>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>> > >>>>>>>>>> > On this evening's (1 Aug) canoe-paddle on Cayuga Inlet Laurie and >>>>>>>>>> > I saw a Great Egret atop a small tree on the edge of Jetty Woods. >>>>>>>>>> > A Great Blue Heron stood on a log below, and 17 Double-crested >>>>>>>>>> > Cormorants rested on dead trees or soared nearby. A Belted >>>>>>>>>> > Kingfisher and a couple of Caspian Tern families flew past. When >>>>>>>>>> > we got home an Eastern Screech-Owl was calling from the edge of >>>>>>>>>> > our yard. >>>>>>>>>> > --Dave Nutter >>>>>>>>>> > Ithaca, NY >>>>>>> >>>>>>> -- >>>>>>> Cayugabirds-L List Info: >>>>>>> Welcome and Basics >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Rules and Information >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Subscribe, Configuration and Leave >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Archives: >>>>>>> The Mail Archive >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Surfbirds >>>>>>> >>>>>>> BirdingOnThe.Net >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Please submit your observations to eBird! >>>>>>> -- >>>>>> >>>>>> -- >>>>>> Cayugabirds-L List Info: >>>>>> Welcome and Basics >>>>>> Rules and Information >>>>>> Subscribe, Configuration and Leave >>>>>> Archives: >>>>>> The Mail Archive >>>>>> Surfbirds >>>>>> BirdingOnThe.Net >>>>>> Please submit your observations to eBird! >>>>>> -- >>>> -- >>>> Cayugabirds-L List Info: >>>> Welcome and Basics >>>> Rules and Information >>>> Subscribe, Configuration and Leave >>>> Archives: >>>> The Mail Archive >>>> Surfbirds >>>> BirdingOnThe.Net >>>> Please submit your observations to eBird! >>>> -- -- 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/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/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/ --
