I spotted an ANHINGA soaring over Onondaga Lake today around noon. I had just returned to my car to leave after scanning the lake from the Willow Bay area on the north end of the lake. I placed my scope in the trunk and had just closed my door after sitting down in the driver's seat when I spotted a black bird rising above the treetops. It had a long thin neck and tail, and the tail ended in a spatulate bulb. The bird would flap...flap...flap...then soar and circle around and then flap...flap...flap...and soar again. Each time it circled around I got a flash of white from each of its wings, and I believe I also saw a flash of white at the end of its tail. The bird seemed like it had just risen from the lake and was quickly gaining altitude.
Then I did something you should never do when you are looking at a "good" bird - I took my eyes off it. Ever so briefly. But it was enough for me to not be able to find it again against the blue sky. I foolishly tried to pop my trunk and retrieve my scope and camera to get a better look at it, and maybe even snap a quick photo or two, but ended up losing the bird altogether. I searched the sky frantically trying to relocate the Anhinga, but it was in vain. I did find a few birds in the sky - a Turkey Vulture, an Osprey, a distant buteo - but the Anhinga was no where to be found. I went back to the lake to scan the surface again, just in case it returned, but I could not find it. Not that I really expected to. My impression was that the bird was on its way out and possibly headed in a westerly direction. There were several Double-crested Cormorants flying up and down the lake all morning long while I was there. When I spotted the Anhinga, it was easily distinguishable from the cormorants. Both the neck and the tail appeared longer and thinner than the cormorant's - and the bird as a whole appeared to be much sleeker and thinner overall than its chunkier counterpart. Also on the lake were 2 COMMON LOONS in breeding plumage and 7 BUFFLEHEAD (4 m, 3 f) in the Willow Bay area. At the marina in Liverpool there were 7 CASPIAN TERNS hanging with the RING-BILLED GULLS on the rocks, 2 FISH CROWS around the docks,and group of about 10 or so HOODED MERGANSERS just to the north of the marina. Mickey Scilingo North Syracuse Onondaga County, NY [email protected] 315-679-6299 -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
