I finally got out to do some Basin birding on this summery March day -- a few highlights below:
Started very early (0610) on Salt Rd. in Summerhill State Forest, where I heard 2 GREAT HORNED and 2 BARRED OWLS but no Saw-whet or Long-eared -- it was warm and dead calm. PINE SISKINS were everywhere, flying around in pairs and small groups on Salt, Hoag, and Lick St. A flock of about 15 WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS came into the swamp on Hoag Rd. and then flew west -- I did not get very good looks but heard them well. At least 8 FOX SPARROWS were calling and sitting up nicely. 2 drumming RUFFED GROUSE and 2 other visuals. Lots of singing GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS, RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH, AND several BROWN CREEPERS, plus 1 WINTER WREN. Many displaying HORNED LARKS around King Ferry and Center Rd.; a male RING-NECKED PHEASANT crossed Rt. 90 just south of the Tompkins Co line. Myer's and the Lake were very quiet; PIPIT on the gravel bar, singing FLICKER in the park. Stewart Park equally quiet with single AM WIGEON, PIED-BILLED GREBE, and KILLDEER the only semi-interesting birds. Mt. Pleasant 2:30-3:30 PM. Warm, puffy clouds, south wind; not a single bird I would call a migrant. Got a long scope view (5 minutes at 50-60X) of an immature NORTHRN GOSHAWK, though, circling up out of the woods, over the fields, right overhead, and diving back into the woods to the north. Certainly a highlight of this magnificent day, KEN Ken Rosenberg Conservation Science Program Cornell Lab of Ornithology 607-254-2412 607-342-4594 (cell) k...@cornell.edu -- 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/ --
