This weekend I will be leading an all-day, around-the-lake trip for
the Cayuga Bird Club. We meet tomorrow, Saturday, at 7:30 at the Lab
of O.
In preparation for that trip, Ann Mitchell and I drove around
yesterday looking for birds. Here is what we found.
Stewart Park: At 7:45 the waterfoulers had not yet opened fire, and so
there was still a sizeable flock of Aythya ducks milling about just
off the ice edge. I counted 1600 Redheads, 5 Canvasbacks, 6 Lesser
Scaup, and 3 Ring-necked Ducks. In addition there was a single Ruddy
Duck keeping company with a Surf Scoter. And Ann quickly picked out a
winter-plumaged Red-throated Loon.
Along Portland Point Road, just past the last entrance to the Cargill
mine, we first heard (!), then spotted a Northern Shrike. While
watching him, I thought I heard a second shrike on the other side of
the road, but no manner of coaxing could bring it into view. From our
vantage point overlooking the lake we could see some 400 Mallards, 10
Black Ducks, 2 Redheads, and 30 Coots.
There were hunters on Salt Point, but from the spit at Myers we could
see 450 Mallards and 10 Black Ducks on the water. As we drove into the
marina, we heard shots. There was a small flock of Coots at the far
end of the open water. One was wounded and flailing in the water.
Three more floated, dead, and two dead Coots lay on the ice. Hunting
INSIDE the marina?
We drove down Sweany Road and found the hoped-for flock of 180 Cedar
Waxwings (no Bohemians), along with a Bluebird and several Robins -
and a huge flock of Starlings.
A light-phase Rough-legged Hawk was cruising the fields on Rafferty
Road.
From the Aurora Boathouse we spotted 2 Horned Grebes and a flock of
Bufflehead.
The Mill Pond in Union Springs held a good-sized mixed flock of ducks:
several American Wigeon, 1 Ring-necked Duck, several gadwall, a couple
of Buffleheads, and many Mallards.
The open water and ice edge just south of Mud Lock was filled with
Tundra Swans (hundreds - I did not try to count). And there were two
juvenile Bald Eagles perched in one of the trees near the nest on the
steel tower at the Lock.
We then drove through the Mucklands (completely frozen) and on the the
Outlet Mall in Waterloo. No sign of the Snowy Owl. We drove up and
down Bostwick Road, checking the fields and hay bales but again, no Owl.
Along Lake Road just north of Cayuga Lake State park we found a group
of Titmice, Chickadees, and 3 Golden-crowned Kinglets. Then, just
south of the park we scoped the lake: 3 Trumpeter Swans with a group
of Tundra Swans. There were few ducks at that end of the lake and most
of them were distant. Mainly Mallards, a few Black Ducks, and Common
Goldeneye.
The Lesser Black-backed Gull was swimming off Dean's Cove. Sheldrake
was nearly empty: a hundred Mallards, a score of Black Ducks, and
Canada Geese.
Bob McGuire
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