Today was my first opportunity to look for the DICKCISSEL and it was singing from right where it was supposed to be atop the large spreading oak tree at Seneca Meadows.
My next stop was Montezuma NWR and Puddler's Marsh to look through the shorebirds that have been reported from this location. I was disappointed to find very few shorebirds here. There were a few each GREATER and LESSER YELLOWLEGS, several SPOTTED and LEAST SANDPIPERS, a number of KILLDEER, and 3 distant SHORT BILLED DOWITCHERS. The large congregation of CASPIAN TERNS continues. On Knox-Marsellus was a single GREAT EGRET. The marsh at the end of VanDyne Spoor Road was very active, but a single distant AMERICAN BITTERN flying over across the back edge of the marsh and a few BLACK TERNS were the only noteworthy species seen. There were also a several BLACK TERNS seen on Tschache Pool. Also seen today was a GRASSHOPPER SPARROW along Armitage Road. Heading west from route 89, this bird was between Olmstead Road and the barn a short distance to the west. The bird was singing (buzzing) away from a power line on the north side of the road. Lastly, I have seen few reports of SANDHILL CRANE this year from anywhere on the Montezuma Wetlands Complex. As such, I was surprised to find two birds along Lay Road on my way home. Lay Road is the east-west road between route 89 and Gravel Road just south of the South Spring Pool parking area and trail. These birds were in a field on the south side of the road between East Tyre Road and Gravel Road. Gary Chapin Victor, NY -- 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/ --
