Around 1400 we had a mixed flock of Canada Geese and Atlantic Brant heading south. The Brant were quite vocal. Not a common migrant as we have only had them in 1996 and 2004 at this location between Seneca and Cayuga Lakes.
Enjoyed the conversation about the Aurora but we were bummed as we missed it. This despite being outdoors trying to band Saw-whet owls during the times you folks in Ithaca were enjoying the Northern Lights! Yes, we did look up but saw only a few stars and clouds. Saw-whets have been very slow this year. Despite 24 nights of effort we have only banded 19 and had one previously banded bird. Numbers are considerably higher in Canada and lower at most stateside stations. By this time last year, an irruption year, we had banded 57 birds. The foreign encounter was banded last October at Whitefish Point, Michigan. We also had a reported return of one of the birds we banded last fall from Quebec -just north of the northern tip of Maine. We study molt under black light and that has been intriguing. Feather age not readily discernible to the naked eye stands out beautifully in the black light. New feathers fluoresce a bright pink and old and very old feathers don't fluoresce but one can clearly see the difference. To answer the obvious question, this technique does not work for all owl species nor for many other birds. J&S -- John and Sue Gregoire Field Ornithologists Kestrel Haven Avian Migration Observatory 5373 Fitzgerald Road Burdett,NY 14818-9626 Website: http://www.empacc.net/~kestrelhaven/ "Conserve and Create Habitat" -- 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/ --
