After posting my SANDHILL CRANE find, I took a "last look", drove forward on McAllister Rd, and discovered that past the house with green door, and a small bunch of trees and bushes, the road made a 90 degree-angled left turn which brought me to a different view of the undulating corn field behind the house. The crane was closer to this part of the road and was foraging in the area of a temporary snow-melt pond (this small field could be called corrugated, it has so many ups and downs), so I got a nicer look. All of a sudden 8 WOOD DUCKS landed in the "pond" behind the crane. They swam around for awhile until a noisy tractor driving by scared 6 of them away. Even the crane took note of the tractor.
I left for home since it was near dusk. When I reached Algerine Rd., it was 8 PM and getting dark, so I stopped at appropriate habitat along the lower part of the road west of Ludlow Rd. intersection and listened for WOODCOCKS. I was soon rewarded with hearing the Peents of what seemed like 3 or 4 Woodcocks! I was standing on the large concrete pad that covers some of the municipal water main equip. and one bird was peenting right in front of me nearby. Then it flew up and zoomed right above my head! It was still light enough that I could watch it go high in the air until it finally disappeared from my view. Later another bird flew up quite close to me from near there and as it took off after peenting, it made the "aggressive cackle" sound that is in my Audubon bird app! At least 2 Woodcocks were on the north side of the road peenting, too. I think there were at least 2 on the south side of the road, where I saw the two birds fly at different times. These sounds and sights were made even more joyous when I realized there was a loud chorus of Spring Peepers further down the road, the first of those I have heard this "spring"! Birding along the RR above lake earlier in mid-afternoon was also rewarding. 5 HORNED GREBES, 2 in lovely breeding plumage, 2 PIED-BILL GREBES, 2 RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS, & at least 25-30 HOODED MERGANSERS & 8 BUFFLEHEADS were swimming and diving with several MALLARDS dabbling nearby. I could see many waterfowl well south of my beach but didn't have my scope with me, so couldn't tell which species they were. A KINGFISHER swooped by low over the water. An immature BALD EAGLE soared high in the air. The 2 E. PHOEBES I have seen for about a week now landed in the trees right in front of me as I rested on the little deck at the top of my beach stairs. Then there were all my feeder birds which include 3-4 PINE SISKINS. What a lovely day it was. I had to work inside a lot, but I am glad I made time to get outside later. Donna L. Scott Lansing Station Road Lansing, 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/ --
