Tom Johnson and I spent the morning birding a few areas in the Finger Lakes. Here's a quick summary of our birding along with links to eBird checklists, many of which have photos, more comments , and links to a map of the location.
We started birding at Island Park on the north end of Owasco Lake, which had 3 Red-breasted Mergansers and 10 Snow Geese. The mergansers were all on the water when we arrived and then flew up, circled and flew off to the west. eBird Checklist: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S13994840 We spent the rest morning birding northern portions of the Montezuma Wetland Complex. Carncross Road was highlighted by 2 Trumpeter Swans, a family of Sandhill Cranes including a recently hatched bird, and a fabulous female Wilson's Phalarope. Perhaps the biggest surprise here was the large number of Lapland Longspurs, including several males that flew overhead several times, often with American Pipits. In a quick check of eBird this evening, we only saw one other May record in New York (Willie D'Anna, Niagara County 11 May 2012). eBird Checklist: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S13995564 We headed over to Howland Island where highlights included a extremely cooperative Cerulean Warbler (photos) and a Vesper Sparrow singing from north of the parking lot at the end of Carncross Road. http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S13995548 >From there we headed to Van Dyne Spoor and the Sandhill Crane Unit of >Montezuma. We arrived to find Jay McGowan and Livia Santana had just found a >TRICOLORED HERON that flew over them, landed, but was hidden in the marsh. >Luckily, over the next 110 minutes we were there the bird flew up out of the >marsh several times and we enjoyed prolonged and excellent views of it in >flight. Shortly after joining Jay and Livia, two Glossy Ibis flew directly >overhead and straight away, never to be seen again (at least by us). There >were also good numbers of Black-crowned Night-Herons, Green Herons, Great Blue >Herons and at least one American Bittern, and nesting Trumpeter Swans. We also >had several flyover Lapland Longspurs here. Just before leaving we had >prolonged views of a mink. http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S13997039 Towpath Rd./ Knox-Marcellus Marsh was fairly uneventful. http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S14001609 Christopher Wood eBird Project Leader Cornell Lab of Ornithology http://ebird.org http://birds.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/ --
