I was scouting out my Christmas bird count area yesterday, and did a little birding today. I managed to see a good number of things that are often missed on the Ithaca CBC, so at least they will be count week. Here is an incomplete list.
Snow Goose - a single bird flying past Myers Point yesterday Cackling Goose - a single bird in with a massive number of Canada Geese flying over Stewart Park going out to the lake this afternoon; possibly disturbed off the Newman golf course. I could not refind it on the water. Mute Swan - 8 individuals flying in from the north and landing off Stewart Park this afternoon Tundra Swan - 11 individuals in the water off Stewart Park this afternoon American Wigeon - two south of Myers Point yesterday, and one or two in the big Redhead flock Canvasback - not usually uncommon, but I saw fewer than a dozen in the Redhead flock yesterday, which I estimated (twice) to be 10,000 ducks Ring-necked Duck - many in Redhead flock Greater Scaup - several south of Myers Lesser Scaup - some in with Redhead flock (Possible) Surf Scoter - far NW of East Shore Park this afternoon; too far for positive ID, but head shape looked good, and I never saw white in the wings, even when it was preening White-winged Scoter - At least 11 in flock just off East Shore this afternoon; included 3 adult males; foraging for zebra mussels Long-tailed Duck - 3 off East Shore this afternoon, 3 off Myers yesterday (but out of count area) Common Goldeneye - a few off East Shore Red-breasted Merganser - at least one female south of Myers, and a group of 4 females off East Shore yesterday Ruddy Duck - 3 in Redhead flock off East Shore yesterday Horned Grebe - 2 far NW of East Shore this afternoon. I only found them because they swam past my scoter "sp." that I was intently staring at in the scope for what seemed like an hour. They were so small and pale, and the shimmer was so intense that I am pretty sure I would not have picked them up on a normal scan. Great Blue Heron - flying over Aldi's parking lot this afternoon Black Vulture - 4 at the Game Farm today. New to count!!! American Coot - never missed, I don't think, but I only had 7 at Myers and 3 in the Redhead flock Iceland Gull - 3 on the ice north of Stewart Park at dusk this evening. Gulls are short this year. I've seen very few individuals of Ring-billed Gull, and after having 5 in one day a month ago, I haven't seen a Lesser Black-backed Gull for weeks Fish Crow - Not rare, but could be missed. They seem to have stopped coming to the Cornell compost facility as of this week, which is their normal pattern. They want dorm waste, not stuff from greenhouses, so they often take a break until school starts up again at the end of January. I did encounter a few of them quietly foraging with the noisy American Crow group in Ithaca near Beverly J. Martin school this afternoon. We have more than half of the local population banded and tagged right now, so if you read the letters on a tag of a bird you suspect of being a Fish Crow, let me know and I'll check out who it is. (outside the count area) American Pipit - One or two on the point at Myers and the gravel spit off Salt Point. Outside the CBC zone, but still present for people who want to get a jump on the 2018 David Cup. Okay, we know these birds are in the area, so let's get them officially on the count! Also, I heard that a couple of Northern Pintail were seen yesterday in the big Redhead flock when it was along the east shore. Anyone else have notable birds for count week so far? Kevin -- 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/ --
