Hi All, After a fun and productive morning birding out at Lindsay-Parson's Nature Preserve (Coleman Lake has some of the best shorebird habitat in the county right now), I stopped by Stewart Park around noon. Lots of people and hot, but some fun birds, too. The Blue-winged Teal reported a couple days ago by Jay McGowan was with the Mallards off-shore on the east side. While scoping through the ducks and gulls over there, I was slightly surprised to spy 2 Pied-billed Grebes. A couple of Spotted Sandpipers and a single Least Sandpiper were along the shoreline down closer to the Boat House. Among the willow branches at the waterline across Fall Creek from the Boat House, I found a gorgeous, immature Black-crowned Night-heron.
I saw 40 species at Lindsay-Parsons, and I missed probably 5-6 species seen by 3 other Cayuga Bird Club members who I ran into out there. August is a great month to go birding. Arguably, more birds now than at any other time of year because of all the successful breeding. Plus, lots of post-breeding movements of birds into places where they can find food. Fall migration is definitely underway for some species, especially shorebirds. I did not know that Coleman Lake had been partially drained to repair the dike at the outlet. Lots of good shorebird habitat there. I saw a pretty big number of Solitary Sandpipers, along with Spotted Sandpipers, Killdeer, and a couple flocks of Least Sandpipers. Go birding! Jody W. Enck, PhD Conservation Social Scientist, and Founder of the Sister Bird Club Network 607-379-5940 -- 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/ --
