As a follow up to Tim's post, I just thought I'd share some of the
other good birds we had in an awesome all-day trip (Tim, if you're
writing a similar follow-up, sorry to cut you off!).
As Tim noted, we started at dawn at Broadway Rd on Lake Ontario.
Highlight for me was the immature BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE. I missed
Tim's loon, because I was scoping from another section of the bluffs,
and my view was blocked by trees. I went running as soon as Tim
yelled, but I couldn't get on the bird fast enough. Other highlights
from the Broadway Rd bluffs:
hundreds or low thousands of RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS, and at least one
small flock of COMMON MERGANSER
COMMON GOLDENEYE - a small group of less than 10
LONG-TAILED DUCKS - a few scattered flybys, I don't think more than 10 total
WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS - small numbers
Tim had at least one RED-THROATED LOON and RED-NECKED GREBE
plenty of HORNED GREBE and COMMON LOON
BRANT - a flock, I didn't count but probably around 50, on the water
far to the NW
After the YB Loon disappeared, we searched in that direction for a
while in case it was on the water somewhere. With no luck, we decided
to scout further west. We scanned the lake at the end of Brown Road,
at the end of East Port Bay Rd, and from Chimney Bluffs State Park. No
YB Loon was refound and we saw far fewer numbers of birds than from
Broadway, but by then it was late morning. Highlights:
SURF SCOTER at Chimney Bluffs
BLACK WHITE-WINGED SCOTER at Port Bay
SNOW BUNTINGS - a flock of 30 on the jetty at Port Bay
After giving up on Lake Ontario, we turned our attention to Montezuma.
At East Road, we had four flyover AMERICAN PIPITS and one flyover SNOW
BUNTING. On Towpath Road, we had a good mixed flock with
WHITE-CROWNED, WHITE-THROATED, SWAMP, and one FIELD SPARROW,
YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER, BROWN CREEPER, and both KINGLETS. In
Knox-Marcellus and Puddler's Marshes, scanned from both roads, there
was the usual assortment of thousands of ducks and geese, plus:
ROSS'S GOOSE - one adult and one juvenile in with several hundred SNOW
GEESE in Puddler's. Many later flew, including at least one of the
Ross's, to the Mucklands to forage in the fields. A lifer for me, to
make up for the missed loon lifer!
SANDHILL CRANES - at least 6
PEREGRINE FALCON - 2
NO Avocet was seen
May's Point still has 6 DOWITCHERS and both YELLOWLEGS.
At the Refuge Visitor's Center, there were several thousand Canada
Geese crowding the pool. We did not find the godwit that has been
there, but we did see 20+ DUNLIN.
In the Lesser Yellowlegs Unit on the Wildlife Drive, there was a
single BRANT with the Canadas
Moving down the west side of the lake, we had large numbers of COMMON
LOONS, between 500 and 1000 total, at least, and thousands of gulls
roosting on the lake. We scanned these birds from many points heading
south until dark, hoping for a Pacific and thus a four loon day, but
we had no luck in finding that species.
From Dean's Cove, we had 3 (!) adult LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS and 3
RED-NECKED GREBES.
Somewhere south of Dean's Cove, a brief stop yielded a RED-THROATED
LOON flying back up the lake north.
A few RED-BREASTED MERGANSER and HORNED GREBES were around, plus at
least two BONAPARTE'S GULLS.
I think that covers it, but I hope I haven't forgotten any other
notables. It was a long, long day...
Good birding,
Nick
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