Joann and I dropped into the visitor center to join a great turnout for Raptor Day for a bit. Looking from the south end of the visitor center pool there were still 3 Long-billed Dowitchers and 1 killdeer. We arrived at Larue's Lagoon around 3:40 to find it totally empty. Our luck quickly changed as a VERY blue-winged teal flew from the main pool into the north end of the pool. The hybrid Cinnamon x Blue-winged Teal landed, gave us great views for a minute, then quickly swam behind the reeds out of sight. As reported before, the light face crescent and rump patch are more obvious now and the cinnamon color seems brighter even in dim light. The blue-wing patches really stand out against the dark body in flight.
A/the imm. Peregrine falcon buzzed the ducks along the main pool edge before sitting in a dead treetop across the canal. Several flocks of30+ Tundra swans flew in from the north. 3 Cackling geese were together at Eaton marsh. We arrived at east road very close to dark and, according to another observer just missed the sight or 46 Sandhill Cranes flying in from the NW and joining the family group of 3 for the night. About 400 Snow geese flew in from the north but we missed Jay's Ross's geese. The puddle ducks circling the north side of the route 31 muck lands as we left was impressive! Mike and Joann Tetlow -- 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/ --