This morning before my walk at Stewart Park I biked north on East Shore Drive to the start of the hill. There is just enough room between the guardrail and the embankment to set up a tripod, and I scanned the lake in the hope of re-finding the RED-THROATED LOON which Tom Auer found yesterday from the car pull-off a short distance up the hill, according to eBird. Others have reported the bird somewhere in this vicinity as well. This morning, as Laura Stenzler mentioned, the lake was calmer than I expected and I was in luck. I first saw it very far to the NW in the direction of the Ithaca Yacht Club. The tall neck, and white foreneck & face were the best fieldmarks at that distance. Later it came farther south and afforded more detailed but briefer looks as it took a breath before repeatedly diving. Anyway I was able to see the thinner more upward-angled bill and the dark forecrown as well.
Also far to the northwest I saw, swimming close together, 2 RED-NECKED GREBES in breeding plumage, each with a big white triangle on the cheek and a tall reddish neck. There were over 20 COMMON LOONS, all but 1 in breeding plumage. The closest loons two traded calls, which I had never seen or heard so well before. As Laura mentioned elsewhere, there were displaying RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS. There was also a tight flock of 7 LONG-TAILED DUCKS swimming fairly close to shore. --Dave Nutter -- 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/ --
