I spent mid-afternoon until sunset in the Montezuma area today (19 Sept 2009).
In the mucklands south of NYS 31 and toward the west (near where NYS 89 joins)
in the second row of harvested field south of NYS 89 I found:
NORTHERN HARRIER - 2
KILLDEER - several
AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER - 6 with no signs of breeding plumage unless the yellow
glitter on the back of some counts. I spent considerable time dealing with
backlighting, distance heat shimmer, then waiting for the single bird I'd
been staring at to spread its wings. When it did fly, the other 5 appeared out
of nowhere, and they circled around and landed in good light.
AMEICAN CROW - several
AMERICAN PIPIT - several
SAVANNAH SPARROW - 1
AMERICAN GOLDFINCH - several
At the Muckrace Flats on Savannah-Spring Lake Road near Bixby Woods Road the
water is way down, mainly confined to a central strip and a few puddles, and
much is dried out:
KILLDEER
LESSER YELLOWLEGS
WILSON'S SNIPE - 4
NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOWS
At the pond by the parking area at Martens Tract:
GREEN-WINGED TEAL
WOOD DUCK
RING-NECKED DUCK - 1 male in near breeding plumage (Over several visits the
individual differ. Maybe they hide.)
PIED-BILLED GREBE - 1
GREAT BLUE HERON - 1
COMMON MOORHEN - several
At Montezuma Audubon Center I circumambulated the south mostly drained pond,
also noting birds across the north pond:
CANADA GOOSE - several flying in the distance
BLUE-WINGED TEAL - 2 on north pool
WOOD DUCK - 2 flyby
GREEN HERON - 1
BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER - 1 non-breeding, sat preening for a long time and finally
flew revealing white rump and dark wingpits. The plumage otherwise was very
like the American Golden-Plovers. The main difference seems to be that the
Golden-Plovers are cute, something to do with a more bulbous head on a thin
neck.
SEMIPALMATED PLOVER - several
KILLDEER - several
GREATER YELLOWLEGSS - 3+
LESSER YELLOWLEGSS - several
SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER - several
LEAST SANDPIPER - 10+
PECTORAL SANDPIPER - 3
RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER - heard
NORTHERN FLICKER - heard
NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW - several
BARN SWALLOW - several
EUROPEAN STARLING - several on distant dead trees
SONG SPARROW - 1
SWAMP SPARROW - 2
RUSTY BLACKBIRD - 1 on distant dead trees
May's Point Pool, the big mud area straight out from viewing area was sterile;
birds were far to left right (mud) along channel.
WOOD DUCK
AMERICAN BLACK DUCK
MALLARD
GREEN-WINGED TEAL
DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT - several flyby
GREAT BLUE HERON
GREAT EGRET - 1
LESSER YELLOWLEGS - a few
RING-BILLED GULL - 1 flyby
East Road at sunset I got cold and my interest in IDing every species waned:
CANADA GOOSE
WOOD DUCK
AMERICAN WIGEON
MALLARD
NORTHERN SHOVELER
GREEN-WINGED TEAL
PIED-BILLED GREBE
DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT
GREAT BLUE HERON - lots
GREAT EGRET - many
BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON - 1 adult seen flying
NORTHERN HARRIER - 1 juvenile
KILLDEER
GREATER YELLOWLEGSS
LESSER YELLOWLEGSS
RING-BILLED GULL - several resting
HERRING GULL - at least 1 resting among Ring-bills
lots of stuff hiding in marsh stubble
Tschache Pool as it got dark:
TRUMPETER SWAN - family of 4
CANADA GEESE
MALLARDS
DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS
BALD EAGLES - 2 immature
EUROPEAN STARLINGS
lots of waterfowl I did not see well
Odds ends various places included
RED-TAILED HAWK
ROCK PIGEON
MOURNING DOVE
EASTERN BLUEBIRD
CEDAR WAXWING
RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD
HOUSE SPARROW
--Dave Nutter
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