[cayugabirds-l] Golden Eagle in Dryden

2013-11-27 Thread Kevin J. McGowan 
I did a quick birding run around Dryden this afternoon.  Dryden Lake is 
completely frozen, so nothing there.  The only waterfowl I saw were 100 Canada 
Geese and 6 Mallards in an unfrozen puddle on West Lake Road.  Also about 20 
SNOW BUNTINGS there.  Cornell Lane had 30 Horned Larks along the road near the 
cow barns, one of which had large white patches on the wings and back.  I 
didn't get a good look, but it could suggest Snow Bunting with only a glimpse.

As I hit the frozen-tundra-zone of Ferguson Rd coming out of Dryden toward 
Irish Settlement Rd, I was thinking Snowy Owl.  Instead I saw a large 
broad-winged raptor flying along the tree line up hill.  I figured it was a 
Red-tailed Hawk, but then noticed the upward dihedral of the wings and thought 
Turkey Vulture.  When the crows came up out of the trees to mob it I realized 
it wasn't a vulture, but a GOLDEN EAGLE.

After making sure I was off the road and not a tundra road hazard, I snapped a 
couple (hundred) photos.  They confirm the ID, showing the white at the base of 
the inner secondaries and the base of the tail feathers of a juvenile Golden 
Eagle.  It kept moving west toward Irish Settlement Rd, but disappeared into 
the clouds hanging below the tops of the hills.  I hoped it would hang along 
the treeline of the ridge and turn up at my house on Yellow Barn.  But, it 
never showed.  :^(

Kevin



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RE: [cayugabirds-l] Crow-chipmunk

2013-11-27 Thread Kevin J. McGowan 
Very cool observations.

Donna quoted me pretty well.  Wanna-be-predators is what crows are.  They 
definitely don’t have the tools to make it happen often.

Actually, eastern chipmunks are substantially larger than meadow voles.  I 
trapped hundreds of meadow voles, Microtus pennsylvanicus, for my master’s 
research (“Small mammal populations on Ohio strip‑mined lands reclaimed with 
herbaceous vegetation under old and new reclamation laws”).  Some big bulls and 
pregnant females would be over 50 grams, but I only had a few get over 60 g.  
Chipmunks, on the other hand, start at 80 g and can get to be 150 g.  I’ve 
handled both (and skinned both), and chipmunks are much tougher customers than 
meadow voles.  It would be one crafty crow that could kill a chipmunk.

Crows eat small mammals when they can, but by far the most common prey is the 
short-tailed shrew, Blarina brevicauda.  Blarina have short tails and short 
gray fur very much like meadow voles and can easily be mistaken for them.  The 
pointy shrew nose is the characteristic to watch for.

Best,

Kevin



From: bounce-111075079-3493...@list.cornell.edu 
[mailto:bounce-111075079-3493...@list.cornell.edu] On Behalf Of Donna Scott
Sent: Wednesday, November 27, 2013 2:34 PM
To: Susan Fast; CAYUGABIRDS-L
Subject: Re: [cayugabirds-l] Crow-chipmunk

As Kevin McGowan recently wrote, Crows are wanna-be predators and don't quite 
have all the equipment or know how to be a consistent bird of prey (I 
paraphrased here; sorry if I got it a bit wrong).
--Donna Scott
- Original Message -
From: Susan Fast
To: 'CAYUGABIRDS-L'
Sent: Wednesday, November 27, 2013 2:04 PM
Subject: [cayugabirds-l] Crow-chipmunk

I’ve spent much of this morning watching red squirrel interactions in our yard; 
stuff I haven’t seen before. Anyway, on to birds.  We also have still one 
CHIPMUNK which has daily been filling its cheeks with seeds (yesterday it had a 
tail; today no tail, but that is a rodent-rodent interaction most likely).  It 
was busy foraging when our 3 yard CROWS arrived and also started feeding on 
seeds.  2 of the crows soon flew off to the compost; the third remained and 
began sidling closer to the chipmunk.  It got within 6”, the chipmunk turned 
its back, and the crow reached down and grabbed it by the skin in the center of 
the back.  Chipmunk twisted away and shot under a bush, the crow jumped back, 
then flew off.  5 minutes later, they were both back to the same spot under the 
feeders, about a foot apart, but this time the chipmunk watched the crow like a 
hawk and no interaction occurred.  Several years ago, I watched a crow this 
close to a meadow vole (same size as chipmunk) and the crow hammered the vole 
twice with its beak and killed it.  Why the difference?


Steve Fast
Brooktondale
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Re: [cayugabirds-l] Crow-chipmunk

2013-11-27 Thread Donna Scott 
As Kevin McGowan recently wrote, Crows are wanna-be predators and don't quite 
have all the equipment or know how to be a consistent bird of prey (I 
paraphrased here; sorry if I got it a bit wrong).
--Donna Scott
  - Original Message - 
  From: Susan Fast 
  To: 'CAYUGABIRDS-L' 
  Sent: Wednesday, November 27, 2013 2:04 PM
  Subject: [cayugabirds-l] Crow-chipmunk


  I've spent much of this morning watching red squirrel interactions in our 
yard; stuff I haven't seen before. Anyway, on to birds.  We also have still one 
CHIPMUNK which has daily been filling its cheeks with seeds (yesterday it had a 
tail; today no tail, but that is a rodent-rodent interaction most likely).  It 
was busy foraging when our 3 yard CROWS arrived and also started feeding on 
seeds.  2 of the crows soon flew off to the compost; the third remained and 
began sidling closer to the chipmunk.  It got within 6", the chipmunk turned 
its back, and the crow reached down and grabbed it by the skin in the center of 
the back.  Chipmunk twisted away and shot under a bush, the crow jumped back, 
then flew off.  5 minutes later, they were both back to the same spot under the 
feeders, about a foot apart, but this time the chipmunk watched the crow like a 
hawk and no interaction occurred.  Several years ago, I watched a crow this 
close to a meadow vole (same size as chipmunk) and the crow hammered the vole 
twice with its beak and killed it.  Why the difference?

   

   

  Steve Fast

  Brooktondale

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[cayugabirds-l] Crow-chipmunk

2013-11-27 Thread Susan Fast 
I've spent much of this morning watching red squirrel interactions in our
yard; stuff I haven't seen before. Anyway, on to birds.  We also have still
one CHIPMUNK which has daily been filling its cheeks with seeds (yesterday
it had a tail; today no tail, but that is a rodent-rodent interaction most
likely).  It was busy foraging when our 3 yard CROWS arrived and also
started feeding on seeds.  2 of the crows soon flew off to the compost; the
third remained and began sidling closer to the chipmunk.  It got within 6",
the chipmunk turned its back, and the crow reached down and grabbed it by
the skin in the center of the back.  Chipmunk twisted away and shot under a
bush, the crow jumped back, then flew off.  5 minutes later, they were both
back to the same spot under the feeders, about a foot apart, but this time
the chipmunk watched the crow like a hawk and no interaction occurred.
Several years ago, I watched a crow this close to a meadow vole (same size
as chipmunk) and the crow hammered the vole twice with its beak and killed
it.  Why the difference?

 

 

Steve Fast

Brooktondale


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[cayugabirds-l] 2014 Midwinter Bald Eagle Survey

2013-11-27 Thread Thomas Salo 
NYSDEC is no longer organizing the Midwinter Bald Eagle Surveys. It is now 
being done by a federal biologist. If anyone is interested in setting up a 
Midwinter Bald Eagle Survey Route please contact Michael Vissichelli as per the 
conversation below.

Tom Salo

On 11/26/2013, Vissichelli, Michael wrote:

*We are always interested in more survey routes, feel free to have folks reach 
out to me and I can work with them to identify a survey route so they do not 
overlap with an existing one.*

Thanks,
Mike


-Original Message-
From: Thomas Salo [mailto:salotho...@gmail.com]
Sent: Tuesday, November 26, 2013 8:23 AM
To: Vissichelli, Michael G NAD
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Re: 2014 Midwinter Bald Eagle Survey Dates and Information 
(UNCLASSIFIED)

Michael -

I could forward your message to people who may be
interested in setting up a survey route if I knew the NYS contact.
There are growing numbers of wintering birds at water bodies that
may have not been covered regularly in upstate New York.

Tom Salo

On 11/25/2013 11:51 AM, Vissichelli, Michael G NAD wrote:

> The 2014 Midwinter Bald Eagle Survey will be held from WED, 1 JAN 2014 to 
> WED, 15 JAN 2014 with target dates 10-11 JAN 2014.
>
> If you do not plan to coordinate the 2014 count, I would appreciate if you 
> can contact me and provide the name and email address of someone who might be 
> willing to take over the job.
>
> Just as in past years, counts should be conducted on one of the two target 
> dates along non-overlapping, clearly defined, standard survey routes (SSR) 
> that have been consistently surveyed in previous years. SSR's that have been 
> surveyed consistently for at least 4-years and where at least 4 eagles have 
> been seen in at least 1 year should be a priority in the 2014 survey.  
> Previous analyses have shown that trend estimates are biased when observers 
> switch methods of transportation (air, ground, boat), even when they survey 
> the same area. So please try to have your observers use a consistent 
> transportation method on each route. Also, please ensure that your observers 
> note on the survey form whether the survey covered the same area as in past 
> years.
>
> In collaboration with USGS, we're in the process of mapping Golden Eagle 
> sightings recorded during the annual MWBES for landscape-level wind energy 
> planning and management, so please ensure your observers continue to record 
> all eagles (Bald and Golden) detected during their counts.
>
> Much of the information (instructions, coordinator contact information, blank 
> forms, etc.) you will need to coordinate the count in your state can be found 
> on the Corps of Engineers website at:
>
> http://corpslakes.usace.army.mil/employees/bird/midwinter.cfm
>
> Please make sure the form year says 2014.
>
> Completed forms should be returned to my attention at the address below or 
> you can scan and send them to me via e-mail.
>
>
> Thanks for your help in this important effort.  If you have any questions 
> please feel free to contact me.
>
> Mike Vissichelli
> Natural Resources Management Program Manager
> U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
> North Atlantic Division
> Fort Hamilton Military Community
> 301 General Lee Avenue
> Brooklyn, NY 11252-6700
>
> Desk - 347-370-4663
> Cell - 718-775-5571
>
>
>
> Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
> Caveats: NONE
>
>
>
-- Tom Salo 5145 State Highway 51 West Burlington, NY 13482 607-965-8232 
salotho...@gmail.com Classification: UNCLASSIFIED Caveats: NONE

-- 
Tom Salo
5145 State Highway 51
West Burlington, NY 13482
607-965-8232
salotho...@gmail.com


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[cayugabirds-l] Stewart Park and Newman Golf Course, Wed 11/27

2013-11-27 Thread Mark Chao 
On Wednesday morning (10:00-10:50 AM), Tilden and I saw four BALD EAGLES at
the south end of Cayuga Lake.  We had long scope views of a couple of these
eagles at rest.  Better still, we witnessed a spectacular show from these
birds in the air all over Stewart Park and the Newman Golf Course.  One
circled over the ducks on the lake.  One passed right overhead, holding a
small fish in talons balled and rolled back like piano casters.  And for
several stirring minutes, all four rose together over Fall Creek and the
Stewart Park woods, mostly arranged two by two, alternating between seeming
choreographed synchrony and bursts of aggression and tumbling aerobatic
evasion.  At one point the eagles - which included one adult, two third-year
birds, and one dark first-year or second-year bird - ranged far to the south
almost out of view, but then they returned for a while.  We did not see them
during the final 15 minutes of our visit, as we walked back from the golf
course to Stewart Park.  

 

Mark Chao


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