Some days half of the people get out of their cars regardless of signs. Glenn Wilson Endicott, NY www.WilsonsWarbler.com
On Oct 18, 2015, at 12:53 PM, Peter <[email protected]> wrote: Greetings folks. Just to shed light on Dave's note about being allowed to get out of one's car to get a "better view". One of the ways a person can volunteer at the Refuge is by being a "Roving Naturalist". The Naturalist is given a refuge vehicle and spotting scope and is allowed to visit various locations on the refuge (only those locations that members of the public are normally allowed to go on) (unless permission is given as when Dave and others do the shorebird walks in the late summer and fall). Usually the volunteer visits various locations around the refuge and if s/he sees something of note (a perched eagle or falcon; a good collection of various species of shorebirds; a good collection of various species of waterfowl) s/he is allowed to get out of the vehicle and set up the scope and invite members of the public to "have a view". Often the volunteer is simply set up on the deck at the Visitor's Center where many visitors tend to congregate. Very often these folks are people who are NOT expert birders and need a hand with identification or just have general questions about the refuge. The refuge grants this privilege - this break from the norm - because it considers it an educational opportunity/event for the visiting public - one in which they can learn more about the refuge and the life it encourages. As previously indicated, the position is of a volunteer nature and usually occurs on times of peak usage - Friday thru Sundays during Fall and Spring migration. All this being said, if one is interested in helping out in this fashion, it is necessary to contact Andrea at the Refuge for further information. I hope this helps clarify a bit. Pete Saracino PS: I see that Andrea has been c.c.'d on this email so she can certainly add to (or correct) anything I have said. > On 10/17/2015 10:30 PM, Dave Nutter wrote: > Although I did not see Sandy, and have not yet seen her full report, I agree, > it was a fine day at Montezuma NWR. I went there today with Ann Mitchell and > met up with Matt Medler hosting a small international group of birders. Later > we also met Gary Kohlenberg, David Fitch, Doug Green, and video-streamer > Ferris Akel at East Road. > > Ann & I went north on the east side of Cayuga Lake pausing briefly at Myers > Point and Long Point State Park for scans of the shore and lake, but the > waves were so high and the heat shimmer so dense that I saw no birds out on > the lake, and only the usual gulls, geese, and cormorants on & near shore > plus 1 Greater Yellowlegs hunched in Salmon Creek. Admittedly, I didn't put > much time & effort into searching for scoters, Brant, or jaegers. Although I > was dressed for the weather, I was not psychologically prepared to stand for > long in a strong, damp, 30-something degree wind. If Ann had at least gotten > out of the car it might have seemed less of a dumb thing to do. > > At the Montezuma NWR Visitor Center, however, we both got out and enjoyed > views of a flock of 13 flighty Dunlin, a flock of 23 flighty dowitchers, most > if not all appearing to be Long-billed, although at this late date I did not > scan them carefully before they moved to a harder-to-see part of the > pond, at least one Pectoral Sandpiper foraging among clumps of mud, at least > one each of Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, and a good variety of Anas genus > ducks - Gadwall, Mallard, Northern Shoveler, Northern Pintail, and > Green-winged Teal. The males of Mallard & Gadwall were in breeding plumage > already, but other dabbler males were not all so brightly colored yet. There > were also Canada Geese overhead and brief views of Great Blue Heron, Northern > Harrier, and Bald Eagle. > > The Main Pool has benefitted from the drawdown earlier this year > allowing a lush growth of smartweed, whose seeds will feed many waterfowl, > but now that the pool is refilled the weeds can hide many ducks. And there > are many ducks. Thousands of ducks briefly take flight when a Bald Eagle > flies over. In addition to the above-mentioned species, in various openings > we saw lots of American Wigeon (Eurasian Wigeon has been reported, but we > missed it) and Ring-necked Ducks, a few Wood Ducks, Blue-winged Teal, Lesser > Scaup, and Ruddy Ducks, and at least one Redhead. There were also American > Coots and a few Pied-billed Grebes. > > We heard reports that someone saw and photographed what they and people at > the refuge who saw the photos believe was an unprecedentedly rare > White-cheeked Pintail at the Main Pool this morning. Please, anyone who > thinks they may have seen this bird, publicize the photos and description. > > We also learned of an interesting new policy at Montezuma NWR from volunteer > Pete Saracino. On weekends when a volunteer is present to show birds to the > public, people may get out of their cars to join said volunteer. I jumped at > the chance. This is great for people on weekends who want help. For those of > us who don't need such help or are present other days of the week, > this positive development is tantalizing. Given that it's okay for a random > bunch of people to get out of their cars, it seems reasonable that other > people at other times should be allowed to respectfully step outside their > vehicles to similarly view the same birds. I'd be happy to share what I see > with passersby for the privelege, as I did on the shorebird walks into > otherwise off-limits areas at Knox-Marsellus and Puddler Marshes > earlier this and previous late summers, if that's the price of an > unobstructed view, rather than looking across the car past the driver > or through a distorted windshield. > > Tschache Pool was relatively empty when we stopped there shortly > after noon, although many ducks were overhead when we drove past about 4pm. > We saw 3 American Black Ducks, several Double-crested Cormorants, and lots of > distant Ruddy Ducks and Pied-billed Grebes, plus some close American Coots, > Gadwall, and American Wigeon. This is reportedly another good place to see > Eurasian Wigeon (although we did not). > > At East Road overlooking Knox-Marsellus Marsh and (distantly) Puddler Marsh, > we had scope views of a pair of Greater White-fronted Geese who rested, > preened, and displayed together among the Canada Geese. The heat shimmer > varied, being bad when the sun was out, but not so bad when clouds came by or > later when the sun was lower. Unfortunately, the birds' distance did not > change. There were several of the same species of dabbling ducks there, and > Gary Kohlenberg reported a Eurasian Wigeon. There were also 30+ Sandhill > Cranes along the far side of K-M. Puddler hosted all 3 usual species of gulls > and about 20 swans which were either Tundra or Trumpeter or both. I couldn't > tell with my limited scope, eyesight, and hearing, but Ann saw the rather > separated-eye-from-bill pattern of Tundras on some, and Gary heard Trumpeter. > There were also at least 2 Greater Yellowlegs in K-M, and a small flock of > shorebirds flying over Puddler which I suspect were Dunlin. Despite the > chill and late date. there were still some swallows over K-M, both Tree and > Barn among those I was able to ID, and surprisingly (to eBird), I saw at > least 5 Barn Swallows flying in tandem. > > On our way south along the west side of Cayuga Lake we traveled Lower Lake > Road in the Town of Seneca Falls. Along its southern stretch we saw several > small flocks of Pied-billed Grebes where aquatic vegetation appeared thick, > plus an interesting mixed flock of Lesser Scaup, American Wigeon, Mallard, > Ring-necked Duck, American Coot, and Pied-billed Grebe. > So, I recommend going north for a lovely scenic ride with fall colors at > their peak, a lake covered with whitecaps, clouds pouring across the sky with > any sort of precipitation a brief possibility, and a wonderful variety of > waterfowl at Montezuma NWR. Also keep an eye out for waterspouts, the > tornado-like aquatic equivalent of dust devils, forming as heat from the > relatively warm lake rises into the cold air. > > --Dave Nutter > > On Oct 17, 2015, at 11:17 AM, Sandy <[email protected]> wrote: > >> So many birds!!! Greater and lesser dowitchers and yellow legs at >> Visitor center. Am seeing shoveler, g w teal, American wigeon, pintails, >> hearing many peepers on wildlife drive!!! Cold and blustery! Will write >> report later. >> >> Sent from my iPhone >> -- >> >> 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/ >> >> -- > > -- > Cayugabirds-L List Info: > Welcome and Basics > Rules and Information > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > Archives: > The Mail Archive > Surfbirds > BirdingOnThe.Net > Please submit your observations to eBird! > -- > No virus found in this message. > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com > Version: 2015.0.6172 / Virus Database: 4447/10844 - Release Date: 10/18/15 > -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: Welcome and Basics Rules and Information Subscribe, Configuration and Leave Archives: The Mail Archive Surfbirds BirdingOnThe.Net Please submit your observations to eBird! -- -- 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/ --
