** Monkey Run--SW loop, Tompkins, US-NY Dec 18, 2011 11:13 AM - 12:43 PM Protocol: Traveling 2.5 mile(s) Comments: An absolutely beautiful day. 24F. Dead calm at first, with light south wind picking up near the end. Clear sky. Highlights included my first every GOLDEN EAGLE at Monkey Run, a Bald Eagle (seen first) and a Hermit Thrush. No sign of the big numbers of geese that moved over yesterday. 24 species
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 1 Single bird along creek. Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 6 Resting on edge of creek. Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) 5 Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) 1 * The first that we have seen in December at Monkey Run. Just shy of an adult, and would have been easy to dismiss as full adult. Showed just a hint of brown on the outer tail feathers -- not dirt, but real coloring to feathers. Red-tailed Hawk (Eastern) (Buteo jamaicensis borealis) 1 Adult perched along creek. Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) 1 **The bird of the day -- a stunning juvenile that flew directly overhead while I was in the open field. I called Jessie to see if she could see it from the yard, but, alas, it was too low and she couldn't see it. A full juvenile with clean uniform wings and fairly extensive white to base of tail and primaries and secondaries from below (no white seen on upperwing). Stunning golden feathers on head really stood out in excellent light. Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) 6 Herring Gull (American) (Larus argentatus smithsonianus) 13 Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) 1 Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) 3 Downy Woodpecker (Eastern) (Picoides pubescens pubescens/medianus) 1 Hairy Woodpecker (Eastern) (Picoides villosus [villosus Group]) 1 Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) 2 Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) 5 American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) 8 Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) 18 Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) 7 Golden-crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa) 1 Alone along creek on far sw side. Not in conifers. Hermit Thrush (Northern/Eastern) (Catharus guttatus [faxoni Group]) 1 One was along the paved RR trail on the far west end near the apartments. The last time I did this walk I had two along the creek. I suspect this is a different individual, because of how far away it was, but perhaps one of those birds moves greater distances. Clearly an eastern/northern bird by warm upperparts and warm color to flanks. Call also typical of Eastern (coastal western birds apparently slightly different based on recordings). White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) 8 Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) (Junco hyemalis hyemalis/carolinensis) 16 Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) 8 House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus) 17 American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) 8 This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org) Chris Wood eBird & Neotropical Birds Project Leader Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York http://ebird.org http://neotropical.birds.cornell.edu Senior Leader, WINGS Birding Tours http://wingsbirds.com -- 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/ --
