[cayugabirds-l] Short eared owls
Two short-eared owls were hunting on the west side of Townsendville Road near 9554–9558 Townsendville Rd. I think this is considered to be Trumansburg on the map. This was about 5:30 this evening. Michele -- www.bodyshopwellness.com -- -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[cayugabirds-l] Fox Sparrow musings - possible intergrade at Liddell?
To me, Fox Sparrows are a special challenge, even though they are big, boldly colored, and easy to ID for a sparrow. We typically only see them here during migration because they breed in the boreal forest across Canada and they winter in the southeastern US. That narrows the time frame to see them. Their prefered habitat is brushy woods where they hide pretty well, and I don’t get to those places enough during that window. The folks who have the best luck live next to such habitat and set up a bird feeder which spills seed on the ground. There a Fox Sparrow will scratch as it eats, sometimes becoming hidden in a small crater. I haven’t tried such a feeding station in my yard, as it would be awkward to watch from the house. Perhaps I should, because once I did see a Fox Sparrow in my yard. That was after a heavy April snowfall. The bird was resting in my weed-filled vineyard, but it was probably present because of my next-door neighbor’s feeding station, which is annoyingly difficult for me to monitor. This year the opportunity to see a Fox Sparrow was greatly expanded when Tom Schulenberg found one on New Year’s Day as part of the Christmas Bird Count. It was near Freese Road in brushy habitat by the pond at the Liddell Lab. Over the next few days several other people saw it, but I failed. That lab has many beehives around it, but it also has a bird feeder next ot brushy, damp habitat contiguous to woods. I have seen a Fox Sparrow at that feeding station - in the usual season - several times over the years. During the holiday break the feeder was empty, but afterward it was maintained again, and people started finding Tom’s Fox Sparrow below the feeder and in the immediately adjacent brush. This would make it much easier to see, I thought. I tried again and failed. Then the long holiday weekend came, the feeder was empty, and so was the adjacent brush. I went back on the following Tuesday but the conditions remained the same: no food, no birds. Perhaps the guy who works there and fills the feeder took the whole week off! I went back early on Saturday and found the feeders and bushes empty again. But this time I came equipped with a gallon jar full of black oil sunflower seeds. I filled the dang feeder myself, kicked enough snow off the ground that I’d be able to see the area from a distance, poured some extra seed on the ground, and left for the rest of the morning to let the local birds consider the situation. During the interval I went to the Lab of O feeder garden and had wonderful views of another bird we typically only see in migration, a Rusty Blackbird, among numerous other birds. That’s a multi-trophic-level bird feeder, with an adult Sharp-shinned Hawk who had eaten a male Northern Cardinal the day before, the same day the Rusty Blackbird was discovered, but the Sharp-shin was not successful (yet) when I saw it. I think it made at least 3 passes while I was present. There was also an adult Cooper’s Hawk perched over the Wilson Trail North. It not only tolerated the members of the Saturday morning bird walk viewing it through my scope, it stayed put while we walked below it and than scoped it from the other side as well. Perhaps it is a year-round resident of Sapsucker Woods, and recognizes that the people on the trails harmless, so it’s a waste of a bird's time and energy to keep fleeing the people. There’s a Red-tailed Hawk like that at the Lab also, which tends to sit on lampposts around the parking lot. But I digress. I returned to Liddell and had great looks at the Fox Sparrow. I understand that several other people saw it as well that afternoon and today too. I now recommend that a large mouse-proof container of birdseed be added to every birder’s car kit, along with the field guide and binoculars. Some folks have tried setting up feeders in places like Summerhill State Forest. I first heard about Nelson’s Sparrow (then called Sharp-tailed Sparrow) at Treman State Marine Park when Jeff Wells saw one by putting out seed. I know that back in the day Arthur Allen kept feeders in Renwick Wildwood. As I drive around I see many empty bird feeders at people’s houses and I am tempted to fill them. Or it might be a nice gesture to donate birdseed to the people who maintain especially productive feeders. But about this out-of-season Fox Sparrow at the Liddell Lab. I noticed in Gary Kohlenberg’s eBird report that it was not as red as he expected. I, too, found that to be the case. Sibley shows the Red Fox Sparrow, which inhabits eastern North America as well as Canada and Alaska north and east of the Rockies, to have all bright rusty red streaks and spots below, including the malar stripes and the big central breast spot. Not so on this bird, whose central spot is dark brown and whose other spots and streaks form an interesting gradation from small dark brown spots low on the sides, to more chestnut brown farther up the sides to
[cayugabirds-l] Jan 23 birding
Hi all, I spent Saturday afternoon birding west shore of Cayuga lake in the hopes of winter birds. Highlights are as follows:- A large flock of Horned Larks (about 150 or so) with 2 Snow Buntings on Seybolt road between Knutytown Rd and County road 121. Another large flock of mixed Snow Buntings and Horned Larks of about 150 birds on manure spread fields off of Rt 89 just at the south end of Canoga. A large flock of 1000+ Snow Geese on Rt 89 in Sheldrake near Wyers Point road. Some of them were feeding and others were heading south west. So I tried to follow the south west roads but did not find the additional flocks. Raptors included 2 Turkey Vultures, 6 or 7 Red-tailed Hawks, 2 Kestrels and a Northern Harrier. No Rough-legged Hawks anywhere along the route. Cheers Meena Meena Haribal Ithaca NY 14850 42.429007,-76.47111 http://www.haribal.org/ http://meenaharibal.blogspot.com/ Ithaca area moths: https://plus.google.com/118047473426099383469/posts Dragonfly book sample pages: http://www.haribal.org/dragonflies/samplebook.pdf -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[cayugabirds-l] "The Birds"
For the past 3 hours, a flock of STARLINGS has been building up in our neighborhood next to Rte 89. I would estimate that there are currently (almost noon) over 1000 birds, almost all Starlings with a robin or two and some cowbirds. It is awesome to be at or near the center of activity. It is just like the movie. I am expecting a panic-stricken call any moment from Tippi Hedrin. For the most part, the birds are in the grass in the field, poking around for bugs and seeds. Some are in the crabapples and some are in the buckthorns and many are just hanging out in the other (non-food) trees. Every so often, the flock rises up and moves en masse to drop their blessings on another part of the neighborhood. That's the time to get an idea of the total number in the flock. It could even be as many as 2000 birds. Awesome. And today is one of our FeederWatch days. We have already had a flyover Raven. Happy Bird-day. Bill and Shirley McAneny, TBurg, opposite the Boy Scout camp -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[cayugabirds-l] "The Birds" in NW Lansing
I don't have 1000s as with Bill Mcaneny's E. Starlings, but regularly now, since it has gotten winter cold, I have at my feeders and food on the ground 60-70 AMERICAN GOLDFINCHes and about 35 or more MOURNING DOVES, as well as the other usual suspects at feeders (in fewer numbers). Along with the lone Red Squirrel and at least 10 Gray Squirrels. I may have had a single RUSTY BLACKBIRD last week! Wish some of the neighbors would pitch in and buy some of the bird seed it takes to keep this zoo going! Donna Scott Lansing Station Road Lansing, NY -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[cayugabirds-l] Yellow-bellied sapsucker!
YBSS at our suet feeder just now! Salmon Creek Rd Lansing, NY -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[cayugabirds-l] Salt point Flicker, etc
A quiet walk around Salt Point at Myers today found the resident flock of a dozen or so E BLUEBIRDS at the north end of the meadow, along with a N FLICKER. Along with the usual gulls and Mallards there was a small flock of C GOLDENEYE off the north shore. John Greenly Ludlowville -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
