(We have been in the process of moving back to our Long Lake house full-time this summer, so I apologize for late reports.)
8/19 & 8/21/10 Long Lake (Hamilton Co.) At ~ 3 p.m. on Thursday, a juvenile Northern Goshawk was observed standing on Tarbell Hill Lane as I drove a group of teenagers to our house. It flew into the forest as we approached. This was a couple tenths of a mile from our driveway. Yesterday, again at ~ 3 p.m., I was picking blackberries with our two dogs, when a juvenile Northern Goshawk flew from a tree about 20 feet from me (it was very startling). It flew to a nearby tree for a few seconds and then disappeared into the forest - not far, but just out of sight. This is likely the same bird since the sightings were only a few tenths of a mile apart, but no way to know for sure. Northern Goshawks nest near our home, but this is the first juvenile I've observed on our property. Our dogs and I have been picking berries at least every other day (the berries were terrific this year) and we startle a family of Ruffed Grouse every time we are out (5 to 6 birds usually flush). I suspect that is what the Northern Goshawk was hunting near the berry patch. (Just a note about picking berries with dogs: I find it fascinating to watch my dogs pick berries from thorn-covered bushes! It gives me insight into how coyotes manage to pick them. They use their sense of smell to find the berries and of course, I use sight. Together, we make quite a team. (They pick low berries and I pick high when we find a bush.) Yesterday, I was having trouble spotting any new berries, so I followed the dogs and they found quite a few!) 8/20/10 Long Lake My husband, George Yellott, observed 2 Black-backed Woodpeckers (at least one male) feeding on a dead conifer along our driveway - he saw the yellow mark on the cap of one, but could not see the cap on the second woodpecker. Non-birder that he is, he "forgot" to tell me for 3 hours! He took me to the location and there has been a lot of activity on this tree, so I am keeping an eye out. ***** A note about Ruby-throated Hummingbirds: I have been using the same feeder for years at our Long Lake house and we usually have a male Ruby-throated Hummingbird each year. This year, my mother showed up with 2 additional feeders during a visit - that had perches at the feeding areas (mine does not have perches). We now have so many hummingbirds that it often feels like every hummingbird in Long Lake is at my house! I fill the "perch" feeders constantly and I've counted as many as 8 hummingbirds in sight at once (I suspect there is at least over a dozen regulars now). People that visit us have to duck the non-stop activity of hummingbirds all over our porch. It seems odd to me that hummingbirds would prefer "perch" feeders given that they normally feed at flowers and spider webs where they need to hover as they feed. Maybe I'm creating couch-potato hummingbirds?! Anyway, if you want to attract lots of hummingbirds to your house, buy feeders with perches! Broad-winged Hawks nest up the hill from our Long Lake house each year, and this year, they nested in our back yard. They vocalized NON-STOP throughout the breeding/nesting season. After awhile, I got used to the constant whistle sounds (which I miss now). On June 28, my husband got up in the middle of the night to catch a dawn flight out of the Albany airport. I wondered what wild sound he was making when I realized it was coming from outside. It took me a few seconds of waking fogginess to realize the Broad-winged Hawks were screaming. The sounds they made are not on any recordings I own. I am certain that they were fending off a nocturnal attack of some kind. I was glued to the window and the vocalizations went on for a several minutes. I wished I had recording equipment. The Shaw Pond Great Egret that I posted on 7/29/10, was around until 8/4/10 (7 days). Barred Owls have been heard throughout the summer at our house and our neighbor's house. Several nights I have "talked" back and forth with them. Warbler waves have been moving through since the 3rd week of July. In particular, Northern Parulas moved through in good numbers in the last week of July. July 26th was the last date I heard the local Mourning Warbler sing outside our home. Evening Grosbeaks were heard on 7/21/10 outside the house. A Ruby-crowned Kinglet nested along the Northville-Placid Trail (S) in Long Lake again this year. On 7/7/10 I had wonderful views of a Yellow-bellied Flycatcher along Route 28 in Newcomb and views of another Yellow-bellied Flycatcher along the Hewitt Eddy Trail in Minerva. I'll end this post with an adorable sighting that my husband and I had at our Potsdam home on July 25th: We observed 2 little spotted fawns venture onto our lawn. At the time, a group of Amer. Crows were feeding. The fawns stared at the crows and seemed really curious. One fawn approached a crow that kept moving away. The fawn then jumped up and down in a playful motion attempting to get the crow to interact (the crow just kept moving away from the fawn!). It was one of the cutest wildlife observations I've ever had. The fawn kept trying to get the crow to interact and the crow kept moving away! There was no sign of an adult deer nearby, but I assume an adult was not too far away. Wish I had caught this on our video camera. Joan Collins Long Lake & Potsdam -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/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/ --
