I had a vastly entertaining visit to Sapsucker Woods on Tuesday morning - maybe the most satisfying birding outing I've ever had here in any October. Here are some highlights.
* GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSH near entrance to Wilson Trail south of the Lab building. I had much the same experience that Kevin shared yesterday -- a 10-minute view from about 7 feet, just a few steps into the woods from the open garden area. I could see every rictal bristle and every barb of every feather. It could hardly have been a more immediate viewing experience had I held the bird in my hand. As I watched, the thrush coughed up three berries and also defecated three times. Then it flew into the hedgerow at the edge of the open area, where I saw it glean some shrubs in flight, then rest again. Wow!!! Thanks, Kevin! * Two SWAINSON'S THRUSHES near this Gray-cheeked Thrush. * A fine mixed flock of songbirds in the power line cut on the Dryden side, near the entrance to the woods. I saw SCARLET TANAGER (apparent male with nice black wings), PHILADELPHIA VIREO (plainly seen, cautiously identified), BLUE-HEADED VIREO, RED-EYED VIREO (my total count of 3 seen on both sides of the road triggered the coveted eBird "confirm" prompt, as did the Philadelphia), NORTHERN PARULA, BLACKPOLL WARBLER, MAGNOLIA WARBLER, NASHVILLE WARBLER, RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS, several EASTERN PHOEBES, and a lot of chickadees and titmice. * BROWN THRASHER, my first in the sanctuary for more than a year, between the far parking lot and the power line cut. * NORTHERN HARRIER migrating high overhead. * COMMON RAVEN over the main pond, confirmed by both sound and sight. I had another fortuitous bird encounter yesterday afternoon. At the intersection of Uptown and Warren Roads in northeast Ithaca, I saw three perfectly round flocks of starlings rising from the power line cut. As if at the flourish of a wand, the flocks stretched, instantaneously merged, and reformed into another flawless sphere. Then I saw the trigger for such animated collective aerobatics -- a MERLIN on the attack, speeding, diving, slicing through the flock like a triply-pointed blade, but ultimately emerging with nothing. Mark Chao -- 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/ --
