Mark French and I hit the Pine Island/Goshen area (Orange Co.), for open-country species, from 6:04-10:22AM. In order, we covered Pumpkin Swamp, Indiana Road, Mount Eve Road, Skinner's Lane, Sidoti Lane, Jados Lane, Glenwood Road, & Oil City Road.
The previously reported Snowy Owls (3) were not observed. It does not appear that the species overwinters in this area anymore, merely a stopover site. I suspect that the lack of large concentrations of prey (waterfowl, pheasants, rats, rabbits, etc.) is to blame. During the best Roughleg years...wintering birds start filing in here around Nov. 7-8. During lean years, they do not arrive until around Dec. 12-13. Overall however, fallow habitat is in much lower proportion than other years. Pumpkin and Glenwood are in the best (fallow) state. Totals: 15 Northern Harrier (three gray ghosts) 5 Rough-legged Hawk (two @ Pumpkin, two @ Glenwood, one @ Oil City) Short-eared Owl (hunting Pumpkin before daybreak) 3 American Kestrel 30+ Horned Lark 600 Snow Bunting Mike Britt Bayonne -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
