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> On May 1, 2018, at 11:00 AM, Mark Chao <markc...@imt.org> wrote: > > I had a lot of gratifying bird encounters around Ithaca on Tuesday morning. > Here are some highlights. > > * The GREAT HORNED OWL mother and her two chicks still at their nest in the > center of the Newman Municipal Golf Course (5:50 AM). The chicks are now > about 4/5 the size of the mother, but are still covered with down. As far as > I can tell, one owlet has essentially fully mature flight feathers, while the > other’s secondaries are still encased in their long sheaths, at least on one > wing. > > Even aside from their outward physical development, it’s clear that the > owlets are very close to leaving the nest. Maybe especially in the early > morning, they stand at the lip of the nest like little kids at the edge of a > pool, half-petrified and half-eager to take the plunge. They stretch and > flap their new wings. They bob their heads restlessly, side to side and back > to front to back, like Pernell Whitaker slipping punches. They gaze around, > often straight up to the sky, evidently absorbing and mentally mapping all > the new sights and sounds around them. It doesn’t take a lot of imagination > to see child-like wonder in their eyes at these times. > > On Sunday evening, I saw the mother for the first time this spring away from > the nest, about 30 meters away in a separate patch of trees. I don’t know if > she was encouraging the babies to branch out, or just giving everyone a bit > more space, or preparing to forage. (I have seen the adult male nearby a few > times this spring, but not for a couple of weeks now.) > > * A pair of EASTERN BLUEBIRDS building a nest in a box on the berm that > crosses the main pond in Sapsucker Woods. > > * A pair of COMMON RAVENS flying in wide circles around the main pond, > sometimes chased by crows and once by a COOPER’S HAWK. Prior to this year, I > had seen ravens only as solitary flyby birds, but this year many birders have > been seeing one or two every day over the past couple of weeks. I heard a > mind-boggling rumor this morning that people have seen at least one of these > ravens taking Canada Goose eggs. Has anyone confirmed other behavior that > would indicate or confirm breeding here? > > * Two NORTHERN WATERTHRUSHES countersinging across the Woodleton Boardwalk, > and another Northern Waterthrush singing at the edge of the green pond across > the trail from the Sherwood Platform. The latter waterthrush sang a very > distinctive song that ended with a high squeak. > > * One BROWN THRASHER also across the trail from the Sherwood Platform. At > one point I had both the thrasher and the waterthrush in the same field of > view, which I think must have been a first for me. The thrasher eventually > sang a little too. > > * A dazzling BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER singing and working his way south > from near the thrasher/waterthrush area to the Charley Harper bench. > > * A western PALM WARBLER also along the western pond edge. > > * One BROAD-WINGED HAWK perched near the Wilson/West intersection, then > flying through the treetops to the west. Later, I saw another Broad-winged > Hawk flying west over the Woodleton Boardwalk. (I am looking forward to > seeing how many people count over the next few days…) > > Mark Chao > > > > > > > -- > 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/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/ --
