Yesterday afternoon (Friday 21 April), Ann Mitchell & I went to Montezuma. Here are some highlights: At the Visitor Center pool, in the corner nearest the entrance road and NYS-5/US-20 we foundation Killdeer, 2 Pectoral Sandpipers, few each of Greater & Lesser Yellowlegs, and 1 Solitary Sandpiper. There were also lots of Green-winged Teal, several Northern Shovelers, and a pair of Blue-winged Teal.
In the Seneca Flats Pool, which is the second pool on the right along the Wildlife Drive, we saw the breeding plumage Glossy Ibis, which has been reported there. When we arrived, it was at the north end (the farther end as one proceeds along the drive), but while we watched, it took a brief flight and resettled at the south end of the Seneca Flats Pool. We also had fine looks at a Wilson’s Snipe on the north dike and a Sandhill Crane walking on the east dike. Another good spot for shorebirds was the flooded field south of Carncross Road east of Savannah-Spring Lake Rd in the Town of Savannah. The west end of this marsh had a couple dozen Dunlin, as well as plenty of mainly Greater Yellowlegs and we were told, some Pectoral Sandpipers as well. We did not check the whole area thoroughly because it was getting late and a rainstorm hit, but we did note that in addition to 8 Caspian Terns in the air, there were several times that many resting on the ground partially hidden by vegetation. There were also lots of ducks, mainly Northern Shovelers, but others as well, including Northern Pintail. One could spend a long time birding here. - - 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/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/ --
