Matt Brown found a SNOWY PLOVER on the beach at Sandy Pond in Oswego County this morning. The bird was still present this evening, on the lake side of the south spit. At about 6:04PM, it took off to join a passing flock of Sanderlings and they headed south out of sight down the beach. It's possible they stopped farther down, but they were definitely gone from the pond outlet area before dusk. Access to this area is best by boat, but you can reportedly also walk north from Sandy Island Beach State Park.
Then just before dusk I found a juvenile COMMON RINGED PLOVER on the sandy shoal on the west side of Carl's Island in the bay. I was checking out some of the array of shorebirds there, which included Red Knot, American Golden-Plover, and Long-billed Dowitcher. As it was getting dark, I got on a small plover giving melancholy calls in flight, quite unlike Semipalmated, and I immediately suspected it was a ringed. Once it landed I was able to get closer and call Drew Weber and Larry Chen who I had been birding with back over to the island, and we were able to get some documentation shots in the fading light. Plumage seemed consistent with a juvenile Common Ringed: overall noticeably larger and plumper than nearby Semipalmated. Dark breast band distinctly broken in center and bulging down on both sides. Lores dark and no white wedge at gape. Closeups on photos show no sign of paler orbital ring around eye. It continued to call occasionally when other shorebirds would vocalize. It was still present on the south side of the shoal when we left well after sunset. This flock would be visible by scope from the south spit of the pond outlet, but ID would be challenging at that distance. Otherwise access is by boat, putting in either at Greene Point marina (paddlecraft launch fee $7) or the public launch on Doreen Dr. at the far east side of the bay. Checklist with photos and a recording of the ringed plover here: https://ebird.org/atlasny/checklist/S94634252 -- Jay McGowan jw...@cornell.edu -- 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/ --
