I wasn't on a Muckrace team this year, but I couldn't resist birding Montezuma yesterday anyway. I spent the whole morning along Towpath Road, and although I didn't find anything amazing, I saw some nice birds for that spot. I also managed 101 species between (and during) rain showers, so it was a fun morning. Highlights included continuing shorebirds such as AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER, WHIMBREL, STILT, BAIRD'S, and WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPERS, the continuing AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN, a high count of *89* BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS, Peregrine Falcon, and Merlin. I also spent more time than usual looking for passerines along the road, which yielded, among others, YELLOW-BELLIED, LEAST, and WILLOW FLYCATCHERS; WILSON'S, CAPE MAY, TENNESSEE, YELLOW, BLACKPOLL, Chestnut-sided, and Magnolia warblers, American Redstart, Yellow-throated Vireo, BROWN THRASHER (a good bird for this spot), and an early RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET.
Full checklist (with a few photos) here: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S15118176 Sounds like the Muckrace itself was successful as well. I hope someone who was there can give us a more detailed account, but what I have heard so far was that the Cornell undergraduate team won with 139 species! -- Jay McGowan Macaulay Library Cornell Lab of Ornithology [email protected] -- 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/ --
