I spent a couple of hours this morning walking the Park Preserve and then the community gardens on Freese Road, trying to get some birding in before the full weight of the heat wave descended.
The Park Preserve was cool and a bit foggy and not especially birdy. I ran into one chickadee "feeding flock" that contained a Magnolia Warbler, three Red-eyed Vireos, and a single PHILADELPHIA VIREO (first of year for me). All together I found 2 Magnolias, 4 Common Yellowthroats, and assorted WB Nuthatches, goldfinches, Blue Jays, robins, and Song Sparrows. At the Freese Road gardens I found at least two dozen Song Sparrows, about half as many Savannah Sparrows, 5 Common Yellowthroats and a flock of some 40 Bobolinks. I was startled by how bright yellow-orange many of the Bobolinks were. Used to seeing the tuxedoed males during the breeding season and only hearing their "bink-bink" calls during migration, I was just not prepared for such a brilliant display. As I was finishing up , I noticed a kettle of 16 Turkey Vultures rising up in the direction of the Game Farm. Bob McGuire -- 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/ --
