I had a very gratifying morning of birding and human fellowship on Saturday, mostly in connection with the Finger Lakes Land Trust Spring Bird Quest (SBQ). Here is a log of my stops with some highlights.
1. Campbell Meadow (owned by Town of Dryden, subject to simple covenant with Land Trust) Pinckney and Lower Creek Roads, Dryden 6:40-7:00 AM One GREEN HERON flying high above and attracting a fierce attack from an icterid; two WOOD DUCKS in the wetland in the middle of the grass. 2. Etna Nature Preserve Route 366, Etna 7:05-7:10 AM 3. Genung Nature Preserve (donated to Land Trust, then transferred to Village of Freeville, subject to continuing easement held by Land Trust) Route 38, Freeville 7:20-7:30 AM Singing CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER, VEERY, and ALDER FLYCATCHER 4. Dorothy McIlroy Bird Sanctuary Lake Como Road, Summerhill 7:55-10:40 AM Twenty people, including one of my daughter’s ninth-grade classmates, joined me for the morning’s group walk. In the woods, we missed some expected species such as Blue-headed Vireo, Hermit Thrush, and Canada Warbler, but we did find some mild surprises – a calling BROAD-WINGED HAWK, and singing WHITE-THROATED SPARROW and NASHVILLE WARBLER. It was my first White-throated Sparrow find on the SBQ in a few years. We also found several BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLERS, OVENBIRDS, VEERIES, ALDER FLYCATCHERS, and other breeding birds typical of the site. We had our best viewing along the edges of the parking lot and adjacent grassy area. Here we saw one adult BALD EAGLE, a soaring BROAD-WINGED HAWK, a CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER, an INDIGO BUNTING, a splendid BALTIMORE ORIOLE, copulating TREE SWALLOWS, and more. We repeatedly heard a BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO calling from various spots spanning 120 degrees around our vantage point. Paul Anderson saw this cuckoo and another cuckoo chasing each other across a gap, but despite much concerted effort, we didn’t see these birds again. 5. Summer Hill State Forest and vicinity Fillmore Road, Salt Road, and Hoag Avenue, Summerhill 10:50 AM-12 noon Then, not quite ready to quit for the morning, I proposed a non-SBQ bonus run to Summer Hill State Forest and nearby roads. I got eight takers. We found 14 warbler species, mostly along Hoag Avenue between Salt and Lick – MOURNING (singing near intersection of Hoag and Lick after our group broke up), BLACK-THROATED BLUE, BLACK-THROATED GREEN, BLACKBURNIAN, MAGNOLIA, CHESTNUT-SIDED (near the Mourning Warbler), YELLOW-RUMPED, YELLOW (found by Alicia Plotkin, not me), AMERICAN REDSTART, NASHVILLE, BLUE-WINGED, OVENBIRD, COMMON YELLOWTHROAT, and LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH. We also heard countersinging BLUE-HEADED VIREOS, a RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH, and other fine birds. Not bad for a mere 70 minutes close to midday. My thanks to all for your wonderful company and support! Mark Chao Running SBQ tally: 110 species Number of donors so far: 46+ Number of group walk participants so far: 70+ (including repeat customers) http://www.fllt.org/spring-bird-quest-blog-by-mark-chao/ -- 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/ --
