from:"Magnus Fiskesjo"

RE: [cayugabirds-l] arrogant dogowner going viral

2020-05-26 Thread Magnus Fiskesjo

hat Christian Cooper was given exactly this treatment in Central Park. 
I take the woman's racist reaction to him as clear evidence - trying to frame 
him to the police as a Black assailant, was clearly her means of countering his 
voice of reason - in his case trying to speak for the birds, not for himself! 
Because Christian Cooper was Black, the Lady saw him as having No Right to 
speak, whatever his reason. She obviously thinks that *She* Owns Central Park 
/this Beach/ this Country - and she lets her dog loose to show it, and indulge 
in this feeling of "I own this, so I can ruin it, who's a Black dude to stop 
me." That's why she tried to use his "race" to deflect from her flaunting of 
the rules. 

That's my interpretation anyway: In sum, my argument is, both at Hog Hole and 
in Central Park, we're looking at the weaponization of dogs for the owner's 
psychological satisfaction in flaunting the rules and impose on others. And, 
that the roots of this go back to the Might-is-Right behavior of the conquest 
and slavery of the recent past. 

You can disagree, but then I'd like to hear an alternative theory as to, just 
why are those people so nasty? 

-- Finally, I would love if someone can point me to a history of dog-keeping in 
the US, from the time of slavery to the current preoccupation with dogs, which 
perhaps could support me, in my interpretation (and perhaps it would even show 
that the dog-owning itself started out as a psychological substitute for 
slavery).

ps. Don't take me to mean to say that the bad guys win: It's a struggle. 
Slavery was indeed abolished, for one thing.  

And of course many people do follow the rules of the park and put their dog on 
a leash when the signs ask them to. These are good people who have understood 
that we need shared rules to coexist and survive, especially now that there is 
no Wild West anymore, and no more Great Outdoors, and the planet is under 
threat. Globally, countries like China ravage the ocean and fill it with 
plastic, just because they can - never mind it's coming to an end. But, same 
there: can we please have shared rules of decency in ocean fishing and 
polluting, before it's too late? Such big questions are of course much more 
important than whatever dog-owner ruins our birdwatching visits to Hog Hole, 
Ithaca, or Central Park, NYC, or causes damage to the last few birds that try 
to live there. 

But they are the same, and perhaps there is symbolic value in New York's 
Central Park, like in Ithaca, if some of that subset of nasty dogowners can be 
shamed or forced into complying with the rules, and to show some decency.

Not all the birds are dead (only a third). 

yrs,

Magnus Fiskesjö, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology, Cornell University
McGraw Hall, Room 201. Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
E-mail: magnus.fiske...@cornell.edu, or: n...@cornell.edu

Affiliations at Cornell University, WWW:
Anthropology Department, https://anthropology.cornell.edu/anthropology-faculty
Southeast Asia Program (SEAP), https://seap.einaudi.cornell.edu/people/faculty
East Asia Program (EAP), http://eap.einaudi.cornell.edu/people/core-faculty
CIAMS (Archaeology), https://archaeology.cornell.edu/faculty
Cornell Institute for Public Affairs (CIPA), 
cipa.cornell.edu/academics/fieldfaculty.cfm
Judith Reppy Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies (PACS), 
http://pacs.einaudi.cornell.edu/people/steering-committee

From: Robin Cisne [rfci...@gmail.com]
Sent: Tuesday, May 26, 2020 8:29 PM
To: Magnus Fiskesjo
Cc: CAYUGABIRDS-L
Subject: Re: [cayugabirds-l] arrogant dogowner going viral

Magnus, your last paragraph linking unleashed dog-walking to the depravities of 
colonialism is an ambitious overreach, and an outrageous conjecture unsupported 
by fact.  I assume you meant to type "setting their dogs on birds and people."  
No evidence has been offered, either in this forum or by Christian Cooper, that 
any owners of unleashed dogs have deliberately sicced 'em on innocent bird 
watchers.  You are not a victim.

I am a birder and the responsible, unarrogant owner of a frequently unleashed 
dog who is not permitted to bother people (and generally ignores them anyway).  
The great outdoors is big enough for all of us, even for people eager to police 
others.




On Tue, May 26, 2020 at 7:40 PM Magnus Fiskesjo 
mailto:magnus.fiske...@cornell.edu>> wrote:

Connecting to the recent discussion here, about arrogant dog-owners, this case 
in Central Park, NYC is relevant.

The sister of the birdwatcher in the incident sent around his original film, 
which is going viral and reaching millions now:
https://twitter.com/melodyMcooper/status/1264965252866641920

The BBC reports: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52759502

But, because the birdwatcher who reminded the woman she is required to have her 
dog leashed in the park, was a Black man, Christian Cooper, most attention has 
und

[cayugabirds-l] arrogant dogowner going viral

2020-05-26 Thread Magnus Fiskesjo



Connecting to the recent discussion here, about arrogant dog-owners, this case 
in Central Park, NYC is relevant. 

The sister of the birdwatcher in the incident sent around his original film, 
which is going viral and reaching millions now:  
https://twitter.com/melodyMcooper/status/1264965252866641920

The BBC reports: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52759502

But, because the birdwatcher who reminded the woman she is required to have her 
dog leashed in the park, was a Black man, Christian Cooper, most attention has 
understandably turned to her astounding attempt to call in the police on 
account him being a Black person -- and less attention seems to be paid to her 
arrogance against our feathered friends ... which is why he told her. 

Some people online have tried to highlight the guy's identity as a birdwatcher 
also. 

Here is Christian Cooper the man talking about the excitement of birdwatching: 
https://twitter.com/JoshuaPotash/status/1265338098256424973

Also his friend said this - turns out he's a TV host, “Birds of North America”: 
 
https://twitter.com/JasonWardNY/status/1265353355150450690

All in all, I think this incident actually brought out how the arrogance of the 
dogowners setting their down on birds and people, is actually intimately 
related to the deeper history of colonialist appropriation (the "I, me, mine" 
selfishness of grabbing, owning, excluding others), and the racism that goes 
with it ... and apraently lurks right under the surface, consciously or not. 

(ps. I live in both Ithaca and NYC and often birded in Central Park, and I 
often have chatted with fellow birdwatchers while waiting for birds in the 
Ravine and other places. I think I may have run into Cooper a few years ago)

--Sincerely,
Magnus Fiskesjö, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology, Cornell University
McGraw Hall, Room 201. Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
E-mail: magnus.fiske...@cornell.edu, or: n...@cornell.edu
--

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] Loon kills eagle (in Maine)

2020-05-23 Thread Magnus Fiskesjo



https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52779727


--
Magnus Fiskesjö, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology, Cornell University
McGraw Hall, Room 201. Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
E-mail: magnus.fiske...@cornell.edu, or: n...@cornell.edu

Affiliations at Cornell University, WWW:
Anthropology Department, https://anthropology.cornell.edu/anthropology-faculty
Southeast Asia Program (SEAP), https://seap.einaudi.cornell.edu/people/faculty
East Asia Program (EAP), http://eap.einaudi.cornell.edu/people/core-faculty
CIAMS (Archaeology), https://archaeology.cornell.edu/faculty
Cornell Institute for Public Affairs (CIPA), 
cipa.cornell.edu/academics/fieldfaculty.cfm
Judith Reppy Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies (PACS), 
http://pacs.einaudi.cornell.edu/people/steering-committee
_
--

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/

--

RE:[cayugabirds-l] Thanks for Oriole/Painting Conflict Suggestions

2020-05-21 Thread Magnus Fiskesjo



ps. Today saw for the first time, other than orioles, a Gray catbird also 
nibbling on an orange.

--
Magnus Fiskesjö, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology, Cornell University
McGraw Hall, Room 201. Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
E-mail: magnus.fiske...@cornell.edu, or: n...@cornell.edu

From: bounce-124646085-84019...@list.cornell.edu 
[bounce-124646085-84019...@list.cornell.edu] on behalf of Kathleen P Kramer 
[k...@cornell.edu]
Sent: Thursday, May 21, 2020 10:56 AM
To: CAYUGABIRDS-L
Subject: [cayugabirds-l] Thanks for Oriole/Painting Conflict Suggestions

Just a note to those who took the time to offer ideas and encouragement 
concerning how to handle the very welcome presence of Baltimore Orioles during 
some upcoming painting of our deck. We’ve placed additional oranges in a 
different spot and think they may have already visited them. The new location 
isn’t as visible to us but the oranges seem to have been nibbled on. We’ll keep 
watching!

Thanks, again,
Kathy


--

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 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/

--

RE:[cayugabirds-l] Howland Island question

2020-05-20 Thread Magnus Fiskesjo



Howland Island once had farms, and there is an old network of dirt roads, now 
crisscrossing between recently created dams. 

So, mostly one can just walk along those dirt roads, starting from either of 
the 2 access points, which is as far that one's car can go, and see the woods, 
the fields, and the dams. 

I would go online, find a detailed map, print, and bring while walking. F ex:
https://friendsofmontezuma.org/visit-the-mwc/northern-montezuma/
https://friendsofmontezuma.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Northern-Montezuma-North-Public-Access-2016.jpg

Another good map here, halfway down the page: 
https://cnyhiking.com/HowlandIsland.htm

For a truly exhilarating experience, bring your mountain bike, as I did once. 
Then you can bike around everywhere. 

Or, your kayak, as I have heard people also do -- the "island" is surrounded by 
a river/canal, that becomes impassable in late summer. 

In late summer it also becomes mosquito hell. August is best avoided, if you 
don't have a head net, full gloves, and thick clothes -- I doubt there are 
sprays that can deal with the onslaught. Other than mosquito storms, there are 
also nasty flies that bite you quite painfully (in August, that is). 

So now is the time. 

ps. Alyssa Johnson at the Montezuma Audobon [alyssa.john...@audubon.org] 
recently did a brilliant session on Howland Island's history, online, with a 
Powerpoint. Very rewarding. But she later said the recording of the session on 
Zoom failed (as Zoom often does, apparently, routed through China and all), and 
she was going to re-record her presentation and upload it. But I can't find it 
on their webpage. 

--yrs.
Magnus Fiskesjö, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology, Cornell University
McGraw Hall, Room 201. Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
E-mail: magnus.fiske...@cornell.edu, or: n...@cornell.edu

Affiliations at Cornell University, WWW:
Anthropology Department, https://anthropology.cornell.edu/anthropology-faculty
Southeast Asia Program (SEAP), https://seap.einaudi.cornell.edu/people/faculty
East Asia Program (EAP), http://eap.einaudi.cornell.edu/people/core-faculty
CIAMS (Archaeology), https://archaeology.cornell.edu/faculty
Cornell Institute for Public Affairs (CIPA), 
cipa.cornell.edu/academics/fieldfaculty.cfm
Judith Reppy Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies (PACS), 
http://pacs.einaudi.cornell.edu/people/steering-committee
_

From: bounce-124644828-84019...@list.cornell.edu 
[bounce-124644828-84019...@list.cornell.edu] on behalf of Sandra Lynn Babcock 
[slb...@cornell.edu]
Sent: Wednesday, May 20, 2020 6:01 PM
To: CAYUGABIRDS-L
Subject: [cayugabirds-l] Howland Island question

I’m contemplating a trip to Howland Island tomorrow, but have never been before 
and am wondering if anyone has any tips.  Are there specific routes that are 
better for birders?  Do you recommend a driving loop or walking?

Thanks for any insights you can offer.

Best,

Sandra Babcock
Ithaca

--
Cayugabirds-L List Info:
Welcome and Basics
Rules and Information
Subscribe, Configuration and 
Leave
Archives:
The Mail 
Archive
Surfbirds
BirdingOnThe.Net
Please submit your observations to eBird!
--

--

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/

--

RE: [cayugabirds-l] ebird reporting question re: motion activated photos

2020-05-13 Thread Magnus Fiskesjo


Applause! 

Well said!

I too would love to see those “camera trap” photos and would support their 
inclusion in eBird.

Magnus Fiskesjö, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology, Cornell University
McGraw Hall, Room 201. Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
E-mail: magnus.fiske...@cornell.edu, or: n...@cornell.edu
 

From: bounce-124628501-84019...@list.cornell.edu 
[bounce-124628501-84019...@list.cornell.edu] on behalf of Dave Nutter 
[nutter.d...@mac.com]
Sent: Wednesday, May 13, 2020 10:23 AM
To: CAYUGABIRDS-L
Subject: Re: [cayugabirds-l] ebird reporting question re: motion activated 
photos

Some thoughts about eBird & non-standard reports: EBird has more than one 
purpose.

Certainly ornithologists want usable data, and that means lots of reports made 
in the same way. That’s why eBird promotes “complete” checklists of a certain 
length and time, which can be thrown in the same pile for statistical purposes. 
Reports which don’t meet those standards must be easily separated by how they 
are labeled. But that doesn’t mean they should not be in eBird at all. Perhaps 
the query about reports long after they were submitted was to find out whether 
they were usable for a particular study.

The reason eBird can collect enough data to use for statistical purposes is 
because birders find the program useful and fun. Promoting awareness of birds 
and conservation issues, which I hope includes birding, are functions the Lab 
of O and eBird program. To me as a birder, eBird is great for a couple of 
reasons.

First, I can keep track of what I’ve observed and include all my obscure and 
excruciating notes and terrible photos (See if you can make use of *that*, 
Merlin!). And my lists are not all statistically usable data for many 
ornithological purposes. I have modified my birding to try to help the 
ornithologists with standard complete lists, but when I find an interesting 
bird even though I wasn’t doing a formal timed birding session, I try to do an 
“incidental” eBird report.

Second, I can find out what other people have found, including their notes, 
photos, & audio. To me this is interesting and satisfying whether or not I want 
to chase it. Especially for species which I have seen before, I can enjoy 
someone else’s photo instead of burning gasoline and destroying the climate by 
chasing it. When Dave Kennedy makes a local trip to Montezuma and puts his 
fantastic photos in eBird, I have *less* need to drive 100miles. I would love 
to see “camera trap” photos and would support their inclusion in eBird. That’s 
how we learned that a Crested Caracara showed up to feed on carrion in Wayne 
County in 2018. I enjoy the audio from night flight calls (NFCs), even though 
my hearing isn’t good enough to detect them. I use eBird to find out what has 
been found in the Cayuga Lake Basin. I use eBird to learn about the ranges of 
“our” species when they are not here. I use eBird to learn about species I will 
never personally see because I expect never to fly again, and even trips more 
than a couple counties away (let alone south Texas!) have huge questions now. 
My birding this spring has been almost exclusively where I walk and bike, but 
eBird and CayugaBirds-L keep me connected.

- - Dave Nutter

--
Cayugabirds-L List Info:
Welcome and Basics
Rules and Information
Subscribe, Configuration and 
Leave
Archives:
The Mail 
Archive
Surfbirds
BirdingOnThe.Net
Please submit your observations to eBird!
--

--

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/

--

RE: [cayugabirds-l] Least Bittern

2020-05-03 Thread Magnus Fiskesjo



Congratulations on the birds, and the access to that place. Not sure how to get 
there safely? I went once to Michigan hollow (or was it Spencer lake), but the 
locals hounded me out of there, menacing me with their hunting crossbows 
wielded from their ATV. So, due to safety concerns, I never go in that 
direction any more. There isn't any everyman's right to walk in the woods in 
this country, only the (very colonialist) idea that private property gives 
owners the right to exclude and even shoot 'trespassers', so birdwatching can 
be deadly dangerous ... Handle with care. 

Magnus Fiskesjö
n...@cornell.edu
 

From: bounce-124601451-84019...@list.cornell.edu 
[bounce-124601451-84019...@list.cornell.edu] on behalf of Geo Kloppel 
[geoklop...@gmail.com]
Sent: Sunday, May 3, 2020 10:06 AM
To: CAYUGABIRDS-L
Subject: [cayugabirds-l] Least Bittern

Michigan Hollow Marsh (Danby). Least Bittern gave just one good chuckle, well 
heard. Virginia Rails grunting, Pied-billed Grebe singing, Northern Harrier 
female keeping watch from her favorite spot.

-Geo
--

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 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/

--

RE: [cayugabirds-l] Of Unleashed Dogs and Waterthrushes

2020-04-26 Thread Magnus Fiskesjo



Nice poem! 

One of your dog men at least said sorry. At Hog hole the other day, ignoring 
all the signs that say dogs-on-leash-only, a man unleashed his oversized filthy 
dog, and it rushed at and jumped at my wife, who was quite scared, as she tried 
to defend herself and fend it off. The man did not say one word of apology, 
evidently could not care less. I wanted to bash his head in, or that of his 
dog, but did neither. The stupid dogs aren't guilty of course, it's the dogs' 
masters. There is something profoundly unseemly and deeply intolerant in how 
these people wield their dog slaves to insult and impose on others, both on 
other people, and on wildlife. 

--yrs.
Magnus Fiskesjö
n...@cornell.edu
_
From: bounce-124583580-84019...@list.cornell.edu 
[bounce-124583580-84019...@list.cornell.edu] on behalf of Suan Hsi Yong 
[suan.y...@gmail.com]
Sent: Sunday, April 26, 2020 7:58 PM
To: CAYUGABIRDS-L
Subject: [cayugabirds-l] Of Unleashed Dogs and Waterthrushes

Despite the drenching rain today, I did my daily jog.
Around the trails of six-mile creek I passed two groups with dogs.
The first dog came a-leapin' at my thigh, against my wish.
The owners said their sorries as they feigned to tend its leash.

The second dog, also unleashed, was sniffing as it roamed,
an area where a Waterthrush had surveyed for a home.
Meanwhile from way up in the tree the Waterthrush did sing,
O'er heavy rain and rushing creek the melody did ring.
The song seemed more insistent, although I can't be sure,
As if announcing to the world, "hey dog, get outta here!"
Both dog and man soon left the scene, no harm it seems inflicted.
As spring rolls on I hope to see if nesting was affected.

Suan
--
Cayugabirds-L List Info:
Welcome and Basics
Rules and Information
Subscribe, Configuration and 
Leave
Archives:
The Mail 
Archive
Surfbirds
BirdingOnThe.Net
Please submit your observations to eBird!
--

--

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/

--

RE: [cayugabirds-l] Eastern towhee

2020-04-12 Thread Magnus Fiskesjo



One sang in my yard in Forest Home, Ithaca -- but after singing for 2 days, it 
stopped and was gone. Migrating, just passing through perhaps? 

--
Magnus Fiskesjö
n...@cornell.edu


From: bounce-124541908-84019...@list.cornell.edu 
[bounce-124541908-84019...@list.cornell.edu] on behalf of Karen Edelstein 
[k...@cornell.edu]
Sent: Sunday, April 12, 2020 4:37 PM
To: CAYUGABIRDS-L
Subject: [cayugabirds-l] Eastern towhee

We had a beautiful Eastern Towhee foraging and singing in the yard this
afternoon. I think this is the first time that I've had one as a yardbird here 
in 30 years.

Salmon Creek valley
Lansing, NY
--
Cayugabirds-L List Info:
Welcome and Basics
Rules and Information
Subscribe, Configuration and 
Leave
Archives:
The Mail 
Archive
Surfbirds
BirdingOnThe.Net
Please submit your observations to eBird!
--

--

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/

--

RE: "Juvenile cowbirds sneak out at night" - RE: [cayugabirds-l] Cowbirds

2020-04-12 Thread Magnus Fiskesjo



Thanks! Yes Indeed it seems that in the 2015 study, cowbird youngsters 
(*fledglings*) were *spending the night away* from their slave parents and then 
return *not* to the *nest* but to the foster parents' location -- for more 
slave feeding. This scenario does make more sense, yes, so it may well be I 
misremembered about the *nest* part. The *fledglings* going out on their own 
would also resolve, perhaps, John Confer's points of doubt about body 
temperature. 

But note, that we are not up to date, yet -- the 2015 publication was 
apparently superseded by new research which expanded, to discover the "teenager 
party" as reported in Living Bird, I believe some time in 2017-2019 -- that is, 
about young cowbirds *not* sitting in the dark (which makes little or no sense, 
to me, at least! why would they do that?), but hanging out with young cowbird 
peers which would enable them to build cowbirdness. To me it looks like this 
additional discovery was not yet made in 2015 -- so in that study they 
mistakenly concluded that the young cowbird was sitting alone in the dark, 
instead of going to his peer party. 

If I do find it again, I'll forward it. 

--If anyone on this list has a digital copy already, please post a copy. 

Many thanks again, over and out for now, 
Magnus
--
Magnus Fiskesjö, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology, Cornell University
McGraw Hall, Room 201. Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
E-mail: magnus.fiske...@cornell.edu, or: n...@cornell.edu

From: AB Clark [anneb.cl...@gmail.com]
Sent: Sunday, April 12, 2020 10:14 AM
To: Magnus Fiskesjo
Cc: John Confer; CAYUGABIRDS-L
Subject: Re: "Juvenile cowbirds sneak out at night" - RE: [cayugabirds-l] 
Cowbirds

At the risk of making this a longer-than-wanted discussion, I will briefly 
answer—and then retreat!

 I just read Magnus’  report on Louder et al’s study from U Illinois and 
downloaded the actual paper and here is the story.  No one is leaving at 3 am!  
Or flying out of a nest as a nestling.  Too much fine grained terminology is 
leading to misunderstandings, but it is a fascinating paper.

SO—the question that the researchers were interested in was whether actual 
biological mothers of young cowbirds were somehow leading their own fledglings 
away from the Host-parents territory.  The answer is NO.  But the FLEDGLINGS 
(juveniles that have left the nest and are flying, at about 10-20 days old) are 
often leaving on their own, at dusk, to ROOST (sit in the dark) away from their 
foster-parents territories, but still returning to those territories in daytime.

The confusions come in because they put the little radios on the cowbird young 
on about the last day when they were still in their host-nests as NESTLINGS, 
but the observations they report were all on FLEDGLINGS, young that had left 
their nests, never to return.  In Icterids, nestlings do not leave flighted, 
but they can flutter and can cling and climb with strong well developed legs.  
From what I remember, young cowbirds develop a little faster than some.  So 
maybe they fly as early as 5-6 days after fledging—I have to check.

 But it is during the later FLEDGLING stage, out of the nests and mobile, that 
they start to disappear off foster-territory in the evening.  Sunset isn’t 
dark, so they can still move easily;  apparently motivated by whatever gets a 
cowbird to become a cowbird, they often left to roost alone, during the next 3 
weeks of still being associated with foster-parents during the day.  And their 
non-doting cowbird mothers don’t have anything to do with it, because they were 
also being tracked by radios and triangulating receiver towers, and 
mom-cowbirds were not present during these movements.

Did it bring juvenile cowbirds into contact with other cowbirds?  Apparently 
not, at that stage.  But the “go away, young man/cowbird” urge was already 
present.


So thanks, Magnus, for bringing our attention to this really interesting 
report!  (I can send it to anyone who wants to read it!)

Anne

Anne B Clark
147 Hile School Rd
Freeville, NY 13068
607-222-0905
anneb.cl...@gmail.com<mailto:anneb.cl...@gmail.com>



On Apr 11, 2020, at 10:02 PM, Magnus Fiskesjo 
mailto:magnus.fiske...@cornell.edu>> wrote:


Thanks. Yes it's curious and hard-to-believe and I think that's why I remember 
so clearly reading about this in the Lab of O's Living Bird member's magazine, 
but as I said, can't find that article online--perhaps it is only in their 
printed version which I must have read 2017 or later. AllAboutBird account is 
much earlier, 2009, and does not bring up what must be some NEW research ( 
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/if-brown-headed-cowbirds-are-reared-by-other-species-how-do-they-know-they-are-cowbirds-when-they-grow-up/
 ).

Regardless, just now a friend sent me this 2015 report below, which mentions 
the SAME strange observations that I believe I read in Living Bird -- with

"Juvenile cowbirds sneak out at night" - RE: [cayugabirds-l] Cowbirds

2020-04-11 Thread Magnus Fiskesjo

directional coverage. All three towers track one individual cowbird at a time 
and then move to the next individual."

With this system, Louder could track the location of each study bird every 
one-to-two minutes.

"We were able to watch the juveniles and see if they left the forest at the 
same time as a female and, if so, whether that female was their mom," he said.

"Strangely enough, the juveniles did not follow the females out of the forest," 
Louder said. Instead, they left on their own, after dark, returning only the 
following morning, he said.

"I started seeing this in the data and I thought it was wrong," Louder said. So 
he went to the forest and followed a single juvenile cowbird for one night. The 
bird left the forest in the evening, moving to a rosebush on the adjacent 
prairie. It was out there all night, alone.

"As soon as the sun came up, the juvenile flew back into the forest and to the 
warbler's territory," Louder said. "Without the automated radio telemetry, I 
would have assumed that it had stayed in the forest all night."

The discovery doesn't explain how cowbirds find their way into a cowbird flock, 
where they learn most of their social and survival skills and eventually find a 
mate. But it does offer some insight into the processes that allow young 
cowbirds to avoid imprinting on their hosts, the researchers said.

"Clearly, there's a lot more to these birds than people would have thought," 
Hoover said. "We still have more layers to peel away from this onion that is 
the cowbird."


Story Source:
Materials provided by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Original 
written by Diana Yates. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference:
Matthew I.M. Louder, Michael P. Ward, Wendy M. Schelsky, Mark E. Hauber, 
Jeffrey P. Hoover. Out on their own: a test of adult-assisted dispersal in 
fledgling brood parasites reveals solitary departures from hosts. Animal 
Behaviour, 2015; 110: 29 DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2015.09.009
[= 
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0003347215003401?via%3Dihub
  ]

Cite This Page:
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. "Juvenile cowbirds sneak out at 
night." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 2 November 2015. 
.


-End quote. 

--sincerely, 
Magnus Fiskesjö, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology, Cornell University
McGraw Hall, Room 201. Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
E-mail: magnus.fiske...@cornell.edu, or: n...@cornell.edu

Affiliations at Cornell University, WWW:
Anthropology Department, https://anthropology.cornell.edu/anthropology-faculty
Southeast Asia Program (SEAP), https://seap.einaudi.cornell.edu/people/faculty
East Asia Program (EAP), http://eap.einaudi.cornell.edu/people/core-faculty
CIAMS (Archaeology), https://archaeology.cornell.edu/faculty
Cornell Institute for Public Affairs (CIPA), 
cipa.cornell.edu/academics/fieldfaculty.cfm
Judith Reppy Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies (PACS), 
http://pacs.einaudi.cornell.edu/people/steering-committee
_____
____
From: John Confer [con...@ithaca.edu]
Sent: Saturday, April 11, 2020 7:47 PM
To: Magnus Fiskesjo; CAYUGABIRDS-L
Subject: Re: [cayugabirds-l] Cowbirds

I, also, wonder about this report. I've had to handle nestlings for research 
purposes, always with fear and the most care possible. Nestlings don't stay in 
nests any longer than absolutely necessary because nests are depredated by 
raccoon, cat, weasel, skunk, raptors, etc. Nestlings generally can't leave any 
earlier because they don't have sufficient feathers for insulation nor muscle 
strength to move around. Further, since they don't thermoregulate until just 
about the day they leave, they would have a hard time surviving in the lower 
temperatures of night. 3 to 4 to 5 AM is usually the coldest time of the 24 hr 
cycle, often 20-30-40 degrees colder than mid-day. This doesn't makes sense to 
me.

It is a pretty image.

John



From: bounce-124540618-25065...@list.cornell.edu 
 on behalf of Magnus Fiskesjo 

Sent: Saturday, April 11, 2020 10:10 AM
To: AB Clark 
Cc: Michael H. Goldstein ; CAYUGABIRDS-L 

Subject: RE: [cayugabirds-l] Cowbirds

This message originated from outside the Ithaca College email system.


Hi, I would love to know, and I sure wish I could find that article. I 
definitely recall that it said the cowbird chicks that were studied left their 
nest like 3am to go to the field ("party"), and then came back to the nest 
before dawn, to continue to pretend to be their slave parent's child!

Of course later they'll not sit in the nest any more, and wander around while 
being fed, I've seen that. And yes I am sure you are right about most of the 
other things you noted! I maybe should not have said "teenager", -- that was my 
word choice, not that of the scholars whose resear

RE: [cayugabirds-l] Cowbirds

2020-04-11 Thread Magnus Fiskesjo



Hi, I would love to know, and I sure wish I could find that article. I 
definitely recall that it said the cowbird chicks that were studied left their 
nest like 3am to go to the field ("party"), and then came back to the nest 
before dawn, to continue to pretend to be their slave parent's child!  

Of course later they'll not sit in the nest any more, and wander around while 
being fed, I've seen that. And yes I am sure you are right about most of the 
other things you noted! I maybe should not have said "teenager", -- that was my 
word choice, not that of the scholars whose research was reported in that 
Living Bird magazine article.  I used "teenager" because the cowbird nightly 
field party seemed to be a ... teenager's dance party. 

Maybe someone else knows the URL for the actual article. I can't find it, I 
must have read it in print only.  

This rather memorable article also talked about other astounding discoveries 
such as that the catbird is the only bird that can resist the cowbird's 
trickery. Unlike other birds, it said, the catbird will expel every egg that 
looks different from its first egg. So, the cowbirds can only outsmart it by 
laying their egg in the catbirds' new nest before even mama catbird has laid 
her first egg there. If it can, then the catbird will expel her own eggs, one 
after the other. And if the cowbird scheme fails, it might rip up the nest (as 
revenge). 

--yrs.,
Magnus Fiskesjö
n...@cornell.edu

From: AB Clark [anneb.cl...@gmail.com]
Sent: Saturday, April 11, 2020 9:30 AM
To: Magnus Fiskesjo
Cc: Michael H. Goldstein; CAYUGABIRDS-L
Subject: Re: [cayugabirds-l] Cowbirds

I wonder if there has been some mis-intepretation either in the article or by 
subsequent readers.  Cowbird young, like other passerines, leave the nest in 
the care of parents (foster or otherwise) and live outside the nest from then 
on.  (OK individuals may hop outside during the day and return at night for the 
day or two over which they fledge.)  Care for cowbirds in the fledgling stage 
lasts a similar time to their relatives, red-winged blackbirds and other 
smallish icterids.  They should be fed and be following or calling to parents 
over the next 12-14 days, not joining older cowbirds.  Teenagers would be 
perhaps yearling cowbirds?  It is later, in summer and fall, when young 
cowbirds are independent of parents, that they flock up with other cowbirds and 
blackbirds.

I haven’t heard anything about 3 am gatherings from Meredith or her students.  
Seems pretty dark for any such passerine to be moving.  West and King studied 
them in aviaries and it could be that researchers got up at 3 am to set up and 
be there when singing started to happen.  But in any case, cowbird song 
learning is a fascinating situation where the basic songs are clearly not 
learned from parents during late nestling or early fledgling periods, i.e. 
develop “innately”, but  are socially modified in a number of ways, feedback 
from female cowbirds and from competing male cowbirds both.  West and King 
published several really nice overviews in accessible papers, Scientific 
American or American Scientist, I believe.

By the way, there is at least one video-documented report of a hatchling 
cowbird behaving like cuckoos and butting host eggs out of the nest.


Anne B Clark
147 Hile School Rd
Freeville, NY 13068
607-222-0905
anneb.cl...@gmail.com<mailto:anneb.cl...@gmail.com>



On Apr 11, 2020, at 9:11 AM, Magnus Fiskesjo 
mailto:magnus.fiske...@cornell.edu>> wrote:

This morning, a male cowbird singing, at Salt Point. Never heard that before. A 
very low volume series of thin crispy notes. No clucking, as in some recordings 
of its song.

The bird sat very close, on top of the little pine/fur tree at the lakeside 
fork of the path to the Bluebird Path.

It refused to leave its perch and continued singing even as I stood right under 
the tree.

Ps. the weirdest cowbird research for me was the Living Bird piece reporting on 
how a cowbird knows it is a cowbird, and not a whatever other bird, despite 
being raised by them as slave parents. It was discovered that the grown chick 
gets up at 3am and leaves the slaving foster parents' nest, to go hang out with 
other teenager cowbirds in a nearby field. Next question is, how do hey know 
that they should get out of bed at 3am and go to the field party and get to 
know their cowbirdness?
ps. I could not find the reference to the Living Bird magazine article where I 
read this. I only find this partial account, also interesting but no mention of 
the teenager party:
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/if-brown-headed-cowbirds-are-reared-by-other-species-how-do-they-know-they-are-cowbirds-when-they-grow-up/

--
Magnus Fiskesjö
n...@cornell.edu
_
From: bounce-124539965-84019...@list.cornell.edu 
[bounce-124539965-84019...@list.cornell.edu] on behalf of Michael H.

RE: [cayugabirds-l] Cowbirds

2020-04-11 Thread Magnus Fiskesjo

This morning, a male cowbird singing, at Salt Point. Never heard that before. A 
very low volume series of thin crispy notes. No clucking, as in some recordings 
of its song.

The bird sat very close, on top of the little pine/fur tree at the lakeside 
fork of the path to the Bluebird Path. 

It refused to leave its perch and continued singing even as I stood right under 
the tree. 

Ps. the weirdest cowbird research for me was the Living Bird piece reporting on 
how a cowbird knows it is a cowbird, and not a whatever other bird, despite 
being raised by them as slave parents. It was discovered that the grown chick 
gets up at 3am and leaves the slaving foster parents' nest, to go hang out with 
other teenager cowbirds in a nearby field. Next question is, how do hey know 
that they should get out of bed at 3am and go to the field party and get to 
know their cowbirdness?  
ps. I could not find the reference to the Living Bird magazine article where I 
read this. I only find this partial account, also interesting but no mention of 
the teenager party: 
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/if-brown-headed-cowbirds-are-reared-by-other-species-how-do-they-know-they-are-cowbirds-when-they-grow-up/

--
Magnus Fiskesjö
n...@cornell.edu 
_
From: bounce-124539965-84019...@list.cornell.edu 
[bounce-124539965-84019...@list.cornell.edu] on behalf of Michael H. Goldstein 
[michael.goldst...@cornell.edu]
Sent: Friday, April 10, 2020 8:05 PM
To: CAYUGABIRDS-L
Subject: Re: [cayugabirds-l] Cowbirds

Cowbirds are crazier than you think…check out the research by Meredith West and 
Andrew King on the role of female cowbirds (who don’t sing) in shaping the 
development of juvenile males' song by using rapid wing gestures:  
http://www.indiana.edu/~aviary/Research/female%20visual%20displays.pdf and more 
generally, http://www.indiana.edu/~aviary/Publications.htm

Cheers,
Mike



On Apr 10, 2020, at 7:49 PM, Peter Saracino 
mailto:petersarac...@gmail.com>> wrote:

I was having a cup of coffee looking out the window at 3 male and 3 female 
cowbirds going at the sunflower seeds. As I watched them it dawned on me that 
all of them were raised by foster parents!!!
According to the Lab of O:
"the cowbird does not depend exclusively on a single host species; it has been 
known to parasitize over 220 different species of North American birds".
Crazy, wild stuff.
Pete Sar
--
Cayugabirds-L List Info:
Welcome and Basics
Rules and Information
Subscribe, Configuration and 
Leave
Archives:
The Mail 
Archive
Surfbirds
BirdingOnThe.Net
Please submit your observations to eBird!
--

___
Michael H. Goldstein
Associate Professor
Director, Eleanor J. Gibson Laboratory of Developmental Psychology
Director, College Scholar Program
Department of Psychology, Cornell University
270 Uris Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853

Office 607-793-0537;  Lab 607-254-BABY;  Fax 607-255-8433
https://psychology.cornell.edu/michael-h-goldstein

Cornell B.A.B.Y. Lab:  http://babylab.cornell.edu/
___

--
Cayugabirds-L List Info:
Welcome and Basics
Rules and Information
Subscribe, Configuration and 
Leave
Archives:
The Mail 
Archive
Surfbirds
BirdingOnThe.Net
Please submit your observations to eBird!
--

--

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/

--

RE:[cayugabirds-l] Bald eagle, Dryden Lake

2020-04-08 Thread Magnus Fiskesjo



I too saw one of these eagles at Dryden lake on April 5, it came in late and 
settled (for the night perhaps), on the manmade wooden perch in the water. It 
might have been the "she". 
--Magnus Fiskesjö
n...@cornell.edu
 

From: bounce-124532542-84019...@list.cornell.edu 
[bounce-124532542-84019...@list.cornell.edu] on behalf of Kevin J. McGowan 
[k...@cornell.edu]
Sent: Wednesday, April 8, 2020 12:22 PM
To: Eveline V. Ferretti; CAYUGABIRDS-L
Subject: RE:[cayugabirds-l] Bald eagle, Dryden Lake

There is an eagle sitting on a nest at the southeastern corner of the lake. 
It’s mate caught a very small fish right in front of me this morning.

Kevin

From: bounce-124532185-3493...@list.cornell.edu 
 On Behalf Of Eveline V. Ferretti
Sent: Wednesday, April 8, 2020 10:53 AM
To: CAYUGABIRDS-L 
Subject: [cayugabirds-l] Bald eagle, Dryden Lake

I had the great good fortune of seeing a bald eagle swoop in to land on a tree 
right by the Dryden Lake trail yesterday evening. It’s the closest view I’ve 
ever gotten of this regal-looking bird. He (she? I’m going with “he” as he was 
not so very large) remained perched there for a long time—still there when I 
passed by again 20 minutes after first seeing him--taking in the evening view 
of the lake, where the fish were, in fact, jumping.   And where quite a few 
common mergansers were enjoying the evening quiet too (may not have been aware 
who was watching them).

Eveline Ferretti
Public Programs and Communication Administrator
Albert R. Mann Library
Cornell University
237 Mann Drive
Ithaca, NY 14853
(607) 254-4993
e...@cornell.edu


--
Cayugabirds-L List Info:
Welcome and Basics
Rules and Information
Subscribe, Configuration and 
Leave
Archives:
The Mail 
Archive
Surfbirds
BirdingOnThe.Net
Please submit your observations to eBird!
--
--
Cayugabirds-L List Info:
Welcome and Basics
Rules and Information
Subscribe, Configuration and 
Leave
Archives:
The Mail 
Archive
Surfbirds
BirdingOnThe.Net
Please submit your observations to eBird!
--

--

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/

--

RE: [cayugabirds-l] Eared Grebe

2020-03-23 Thread Magnus Fiskesjo

It's here: https://ebird.org/hotspot/L140301

--
Magnus Fiskesjö
n...@cornell.edu 

From: bounce-124486653-84019...@list.cornell.edu 
[bounce-124486653-84019...@list.cornell.edu] on behalf of Lanie Wilmarth 
[lwilmarth...@gmail.com]
Sent: Monday, March 23, 2020 2:06 PM
To: Robin Cisne
Cc: CAYUGABIRDS-L
Subject: Re: [cayugabirds-l] Eared Grebe

Which one is east shore park?

On Mon, Mar 23, 2020 at 2:01 PM Robin Cisne 
mailto:rfci...@gmail.com>> wrote:
The good news is that there is an Eared Grebe close to shore right now at East 
Shore Park (1:55 pm).  The bad news is that the roads are pretty slippery.









--
Cayugabirds-L List Info:
Welcome and Basics
Rules and Information
Subscribe, Configuration and 
Leave
Archives:
The Mail 
Archive
Surfbirds
BirdingOnThe.Net
Please submit your observations to eBird!
--
--
Cayugabirds-L List Info:
Welcome and Basics
Rules and Information
Subscribe, Configuration and 
Leave
Archives:
The Mail 
Archive
Surfbirds
BirdingOnThe.Net
Please submit your observations to eBird!
--

--

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] cat collar resistance

2020-03-21 Thread Magnus Fiskesjo



I sent the cat collar advert to a professor of Ancient Middle Eastern History 
(Eleanor Robson, @Eleanor_Robson) who posted pictures of her cat on the hunt, 
but was dismissed as mansplaining. Hmm. It may be a tough sell for some 
cat-owners. 

https://twitter.com/Magnus_Fiskesjo/status/1241365835144409092
https://twitter.com/Eleanor_Robson/status/1241371327694544896

Magnus Fiskesjö
n...@cornell.edu
_
--

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/

--

RE:[cayugabirds-l] Ithaca airport Meadowlarks / with a warning

2020-03-19 Thread Magnus Fiskesjo



I should add that they weren't so bad. Sure, it was annoying, but maybe I can 
see them sitting in their office --with *nothing* to do?!-- and then seeing 
four people getting out and walking up to their fence on the other side! Also, 
the lead agent gave me his card and said we could call him: 

Josh Nalley, Airport deputy director of operations/Fire chief
Ithaca-Tompkins Regional Airport, 72 Brown Road, Ithaca NY 14850
607 266 2641
Email: jnal...@tompkins-co.org

But maybe the more important thing we can do, as the Cauyga Bird Club perhaps, 
is to regularly ask the airport to delay the cutting of the grass until the 
meadowlark chicks have fledged? Someone mentioned this request has been made to 
them in the past? Do they listen??

--Magnus
Magnus Fiskesjö
n...@cornell.edu

From: Donna Lee Scott
Sent: Thursday, March 19, 2020 5:51 PM
To: Magnus Fiskesjo; CAYUGABIRDS-L
Subject: RE: Ithaca airport Meadowlarks / with a warning

What is their phone number?
I go to the airport a lot and have never been accosted in this way.
But then, we old white-haired (& white) women can get away with more than the 
rest of you!

When I was over at Lick Street, Moravia/Locke on Sunday, stopped by the road 
counting my 115 Robins, a NY State Trooper stopped to "see if I was OK".
When I told him what I was up to, he actually asked a couple questions about 
bird migration!
This "helpful car stopping" happens to me a lot out in the boonies, but usually 
it is just a kindly person  (not a cop) stopping to see if I and my car are all 
right.
Most do not ask bird questions.

I have been thinking of getting magnetic removable signs for my car's sides and 
back that say "BIRD WATCHER".
Hey, maybe this could be another Cayuga Bird Club fundraiser: signs for our 
cars!

Donna

Donna L. Scott
Lansing

-Original Message-
From: bounce-124477508-15001...@list.cornell.edu 
[mailto:bounce-124477508-15001...@list.cornell.edu] On Behalf Of Magnus Fiskesjo
Sent: Thursday, March 19, 2020 5:36 PM
To: CAYUGABIRDS-L 
Subject: [cayugabirds-l] Ithaca airport Meadowlarks / with a warning


This afternoon, Thursday 19 March 2020, traveling along Snyder Rd. at Ithaca 
Tompkins Airport to listen for meadowlarks singing.

We did hear two different singing birds, and saw one singing from the airport 
fence.

Then, the airport police caught up with us and wanted to know what we were 
doing! I told them we were out to listen for the beautiful song of the 
meadowlark. In the end, 6 police cars showed up (airport and county sheriff), 
writing down all my details and asking the same questions.

What a story.

In the end, the airport police said, if you give them a call beforehand and 
tell them you are coming, you are allowed to birdwatch.

But NO cameras!

I suggested to them to add that, to the NO TRESPASSING signs.

--sincerely,

Magnus Fiskesjö, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology, Cornell University McGraw 
Hall, Room 201. Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
E-mail: magnus.fiske...@cornell.edu, or: n...@cornell.edu

Affiliations at Cornell University, WWW:
Anthropology Department, https://anthropology.cornell.edu/anthropology-faculty
Southeast Asia Program (SEAP), https://seap.einaudi.cornell.edu/people/faculty
East Asia Program (EAP), http://eap.einaudi.cornell.edu/people/core-faculty
CIAMS (Archaeology), https://archaeology.cornell.edu/faculty
Cornell Institute for Public Affairs (CIPA), 
cipa.cornell.edu/academics/fieldfaculty.cfm
Judith Reppy Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies (PACS), 
http://pacs.einaudi.cornell.edu/people/steering-committee
_
--

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 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/

--

RE:[cayugabirds-l] Ithaca airport Meadowlarks / with a warning

2020-03-19 Thread Magnus Fiskesjo



ps. For undisturbed views of meadowlarks, I have a suggestion. 

There is a beautiful area along West Covert rd on the other side of the lake, 
part of the Finger Lakes NF, with plenty of meadowlarks (and later in Spring, 
bobolinks). Some of the best sightings I had of singing meadowlarks were in the 
fields north of W Covert, close to the intersection with "Lodi Covert Townline" 
rd. 

"West Covert Rd" is a dirt road with many potholes, 4 wheel drive is best. 
Clark and Lodi Covert Townline rd. are better paved. 

You can find it on the map here, 
https://ebird.org/checklist/S45339734 

Both meadowlarks and bobolinks are plentiful around this area, though some 
fields get cut early so they're killed off.  
Not along W Covert, though, I don't think they do that there. 

Yrs.
Magnus Fiskesjö
n...@cornell.edu


From: Marie P. Read
Sent: Thursday, March 19, 2020 5:39 PM
To: Magnus Fiskesjo; CAYUGABIRDS-L
Subject: RE: Ithaca airport Meadowlarks / with a warning

WH! Things are getting seriously weird.

Marie

Marie Read Wildlife Photography
452 Ringwood Road
Freeville NY  13068 USA

e-mail   m...@cornell.edu
Website: http://www.marieread.com

AUTHOR of:
Mastering Bird Photography: The Art, Craft, and Technique of Photographing 
Birds and Their Behavior

https://rockynook.com/shop/photography/mastering-bird-photography/?REF=101/

From: bounce-124477508-5851...@list.cornell.edu 
[bounce-124477508-5851...@list.cornell.edu] on behalf of Magnus Fiskesjo 
[magnus.fiske...@cornell.edu]
Sent: Thursday, March 19, 2020 5:36 PM
To: CAYUGABIRDS-L
Subject: [cayugabirds-l] Ithaca airport Meadowlarks / with a warning

This afternoon, Thursday 19 March 2020, traveling along Snyder Rd. at Ithaca 
Tompkins Airport to listen for meadowlarks singing.

We did hear two different singing birds, and saw one singing from the airport 
fence.

Then, the airport police caught up with us and wanted to know what we were 
doing! I told them we were out to listen for the beautiful song of the 
meadowlark. In the end, 6 police cars showed up (airport and county sheriff), 
writing down all my details and asking the same questions.

What a story.

In the end, the airport police said, if you give them a call beforehand and 
tell them you are coming, you are allowed to birdwatch.

But NO cameras!

I suggested to them to add that, to the NO TRESPASSING signs.

--sincerely,

Magnus Fiskesjö, PhD

--

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] Ithaca airport Meadowlarks / with a warning

2020-03-19 Thread Magnus Fiskesjo



This afternoon, Thursday 19 March 2020, traveling along Snyder Rd. at Ithaca 
Tompkins Airport to listen for meadowlarks singing. 

We did hear two different singing birds, and saw one singing from the airport 
fence. 

Then, the airport police caught up with us and wanted to know what we were 
doing! I told them we were out to listen for the beautiful song of the 
meadowlark. In the end, 6 police cars showed up (airport and county sheriff), 
writing down all my details and asking the same questions.

What a story. 

In the end, the airport police said, if you give them a call beforehand and 
tell them you are coming, you are allowed to birdwatch. 

But NO cameras! 

I suggested to them to add that, to the NO TRESPASSING signs. 

--sincerely,

Magnus Fiskesjö, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology, Cornell University
McGraw Hall, Room 201. Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
E-mail: magnus.fiske...@cornell.edu, or: n...@cornell.edu

Affiliations at Cornell University, WWW:
Anthropology Department, https://anthropology.cornell.edu/anthropology-faculty
Southeast Asia Program (SEAP), https://seap.einaudi.cornell.edu/people/faculty
East Asia Program (EAP), http://eap.einaudi.cornell.edu/people/core-faculty
CIAMS (Archaeology), https://archaeology.cornell.edu/faculty
Cornell Institute for Public Affairs (CIPA), 
cipa.cornell.edu/academics/fieldfaculty.cfm
Judith Reppy Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies (PACS), 
http://pacs.einaudi.cornell.edu/people/steering-committee
_
--

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/

--

RE: [cayugabirds-l] Rough-legged downtown!

2020-02-24 Thread Magnus Fiskesjo

Is it possible they have a memory of when this land was theirs? 

I've seen them in the corresponding areas in Watkins Glen: marshlands and 
inlet, which in Ithaca now belongs to Walmart et al. 

(It's how I imagine the -now extinct?- Clay-colored sparrow at Cornell's 
Goldwin Smith hall: They came back until recently, nesting there because they 
were remembering this place as their place since olden times. Then finally, 
they failed all the way, died and disappeared). 

--yrs.
Magnus Fiskesjö
 n...@cornell.edu 

From: bounce-124400349-84019...@list.cornell.edu 
[bounce-124400349-84019...@list.cornell.edu] on behalf of Suan Yong 
[suan.y...@gmail.com]
Sent: Monday, February 24, 2020 12:18 PM
To: CAYUGABIRDS-L
Subject: [cayugabirds-l] Rough-legged downtown!

Walking along busy Meadow St by the Mobil (State St), I just saw two buteos 
circling and moving slowly towards NE. Without binoculars one was too high to 
ID but the other was low and showed the dark wrist of a rough legged, and was 
soaring with a slight dihedral. Looked smaller than a redtail, no obvious red 
tail.

Certainly not the expected habitat!

Suan

_
Composed by thumb and autocorrect.
--
Cayugabirds-L List Info:
Welcome and Basics
Rules and Information
Subscribe, Configuration and 
Leave
Archives:
The Mail 
Archive
Surfbirds
BirdingOnThe.Net
Please submit your observations to eBird!
--

--

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] snowboarding crow

2020-02-23 Thread Magnus Fiskesjo



Yesterday saw a live and very skillful skateboarding dog.

But, I have never seen a snowboarding crow before: 

https://twitter.com/SteveStuWill/status/1231579693129723906

--The video explanation says it's actually years old ... but still fun: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kEpxDe6dxo

"A resident in Russia's Urals city of Yekaterinburg has recorded a video of a 
crow snowboarding on a roof using a mayonnaise lid."

Magnus Fiskesjö
n...@cornell.edu

--

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/

--

RE: [cayugabirds-l] singing House Finches

2020-02-20 Thread Magnus Fiskesjo

A few weeks ago I saw one member of a White-Throated Sparrow flock in Central 
Park, NYC, sing quite persistently. 

--
Magnus Fiskesjö, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology, Cornell University
McGraw Hall, Room 201. Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
E-mail: magnus.fiske...@cornell.edu, or: n...@cornell.edu

Affiliations at Cornell University, WWW:
Anthropology Department, https://anthropology.cornell.edu/anthropology-faculty
Southeast Asia Program (SEAP), https://seap.einaudi.cornell.edu/people/faculty
East Asia Program (EAP), http://eap.einaudi.cornell.edu/people/core-faculty
CIAMS (Archaeology), https://archaeology.cornell.edu/faculty
Cornell Institute for Public Affairs (CIPA), 
cipa.cornell.edu/academics/fieldfaculty.cfm
Judith Reppy Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies (PACS), 
http://pacs.einaudi.cornell.edu/people/steering-committee
_

From: bounce-124392985-84019...@list.cornell.edu 
[bounce-124392985-84019...@list.cornell.edu] on behalf of AB Clark 
[anneb.cl...@gmail.com]
Sent: Thursday, February 20, 2020 3:16 PM
To: CAYUGABIRDS-L
Subject: [cayugabirds-l] singing House Finches

Not very organized song but trying out the old syringeal muscles after some 
down time.

anne

Anne B Clark
147 Hile School Rd
Freeville, NY 13068
607-222-0905
anneb.cl...@gmail.com



--
Cayugabirds-L List Info:
Welcome and Basics
Rules and Information
Subscribe, Configuration and 
Leave
Archives:
The Mail 
Archive
Surfbirds
BirdingOnThe.Net
Please submit your observations to eBird!
--

--

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/

--

RE: [cayugabirds-l] Black-headed Gull - credit where credit is duets

2020-02-10 Thread Magnus Fiskesjo


In my country (Sweden) the name for Black-headed gull is 'laughing gull', a 
name I understand has been used here in the US as the colloquial for yet 
another species instead (Leucophaeus atricilla)--even though the Latin name of 
the 'Black-headed gull' does say it's the laughing one: Chroicocephalus 
ridibundus. Confusing! 

It's true they are still common, but I think they also fluctuate strangely, f 
ex at one of Sweden's foremost bird locales (Krankesjön, a Montezuma of sorts) 
when I was a kid it used to be there in massive breeding colonies, super-noisy. 
Now it's almost extinct locally. 
 
--sincerely,
Magnus Fiskesjö, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology, Cornell University
McGraw Hall, Room 201. Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
E-mail: magnus.fiske...@cornell.edu, or: n...@cornell.edu

Affiliations at Cornell University, WWW:
Anthropology Department, anthropology.cornell.edu/faculty/
Southeast Asia Program (SEAP), seap.einaudi.cornell.edu/faculty_directory
East Asia Program (EAP), eap.einaudi.cornell.edu/faculty_directory
CIAMS (Archaeology), ciams.cornell.edu/people/
Cornell Institute for Public Affairs (CIPA), 
cipa.cornell.edu/academics/fieldfaculty.cfm

From: bounce-124361409-84019...@list.cornell.edu 
[bounce-124361409-84019...@list.cornell.edu] on behalf of Gary Kohlenberg 
[jg...@cornell.edu]
Sent: Monday, February 10, 2020 8:15 AM
To: Kenneth V. Rosenberg
Cc: CAYUGABIRDS-L; David Nicosia
Subject: Re: [cayugabirds-l] Black-headed Gull - credit where credit is duets

Thanks Ken. I spoke with Ann Mitchell yesterday, she is in France with Linda, 
and she told me B-H Gulls are everywhere :) It’s always funny to think of one 
person’s rarity as another’s Wegmans bird.

Thanks to Bob’s field trip for spicing up the day.
Gary

On Feb 9, 2020, at 8:12 PM, Kenneth V. Rosenberg  wrote:

 Thank you folks for finding this great bird, and Dave for getting the word 
out. I just want to suggest that since the BHGU was hanging with Ring-billed 
Gulls, and since this is an abundant gull in urban areas throughout Europe, I 
would keep an eye out for it at Wegmans or other parking lots where Ring-bills 
gather during the day.

Ken

Sent from my iPhone

On Feb 9, 2020, at 4:13 PM, David Nicosia  wrote:


I have noticed a few ebird reports that state I found the BHGU. It was Ken 
Kemphues who originally found what he thought was a Bonaparte's gull. There 
were 5 of us, Ken, Diane Morton, Suzanne Giffin, myself and of course Bob 
McGuire who was leading the field trip. After looking at bird we collectively 
began thinking BHGU given the larger red bill, very red legs and lighter gray 
mantle. Ken actually started this conversation.  Since the bird would be such a 
mega rarity we wanted to be 100 percent sure. I sent a photo to Jay McGowan who 
confirmed it for us. Since I had a decent photo I sent the RBA out.  A great 
bird no doubt. A lifer for me!

Glad a lot of folks enjoyed it.  Hope it sticks around. Good birding to all!!

Best,
Dave Nicosia
--
Cayugabirds-L List Info:
Welcome and Basics
Rules and Information
Subscribe, Configuration and 
Leave
Archives:
The Mail 
Archive
Surfbirds
BirdingOnThe.Net
Please submit your observations to eBird!
--
--
Cayugabirds-L List Info:
Welcome and Basics
Rules and Information
Subscribe, Configuration and 
Leave
Archives:
The Mail 
Archive
Surfbirds
BirdingOnThe.Net
Please submit your observations to eBird!
--
--
Cayugabirds-L List Info:
Welcome and Basics
Rules and Information
Subscribe, Configuration and 
Leave
Archives:
The Mail 
Archive
Surfbirds
BirdingOnThe.Net
Please submit your observations to eBird!
--

--

Cayugabirds-L List Info:
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES

[cayugabirds-l] massive duck flock on SW of Cayuga lake

2019-12-20 Thread Magnus Fiskesjo



There's a large mass of ducks on the SW of Cayuga lake. 
https://ebird.org/checklist/S62465727

I don't think I have never seen such a massive group, and can't count it. Is it 
more than five thousand Redheads? 

It's visible by scope and bins, from the "Overlook, Rte. 89 N of Hog Hole" 
along house numbers like 830-840. 

Number 841 has a big parking lot with good views, but trees always block part 
of the MASSIVE flock. 

Redheads are 95%+, interspersed with a few other ducks and one lone Cormorant. 

Now back to grading exams

--yrs.
Magnus Fiskesjö, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology, Cornell University
McGraw Hall, Room 201. Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
E-mail: magnus.fiske...@cornell.edu, or: n...@cornell.edu

Affiliations at Cornell University, WWW:
Anthropology Department, anthropology.cornell.edu/faculty/
Southeast Asia Program (SEAP), seap.einaudi.cornell.edu/faculty_directory
East Asia Program (EAP), eap.einaudi.cornell.edu/faculty_directory
CIAMS (Archaeology), ciams.cornell.edu/people/
Cornell Institute for Public Affairs (CIPA), 
cipa.cornell.edu/academics/fieldfaculty.cfm

From: bounce-124189267-84019...@list.cornell.edu 
[bounce-124189267-84019...@list.cornell.edu] on behalf of Jody Enck 
[jodye...@gmail.com]
Sent: Saturday, December 7, 2019 8:24 AM
To: Colleen Richards
Cc: CAYUGABIRDS-L
Subject: Re: [cayugabirds-l] Cayuga Bird Club December meeting

Hi All,
Piggy-backing on Colleen's message about the Cayuga Bird Club meeting on Monday.
Read below about an opportunity to donate binoculars.

First, I promise that the talk will be fun and interesting even though it is 
based on real social science data.

Second, if you have a pair of binoculars sitting around your house in good 
working order, but otherwise not being used much, please consider donating them 
to our cause.  We've had high school students working here in Ithaca on our 
habitat restoration project, and we are going to be connecting them to students 
in Honduras working on conservation projects there.  These projects benefit the 
exact same bird species at different times and places in their annual life 
cycle.  In January, MPS student Mary McKean, who is working on the project with 
us, will be traveling to Honduras to meet with Bird Clubs and some school kids 
with whom they work.  She is willing to deliver any binoculars we donate for 
the kids in Honduras to use.  She will gladly collect any binoculars you want 
to donate Monday night.

Thanks
See you Monday!
Jody Enck



Jody W. Enck, PhD
Conservation Social Scientist, and
Founder of the Sister Bird Club Network
607-379-5940


On Thu, Dec 5, 2019 at 3:12 PM Colleen Richards 
mailto:cl...@juno.com>> wrote:
Next Monday, December 9, will be the next monthly meeting of the Cayuga Bird 
Club.

 Our speaker, Jody Enck, will be presenting -- "What Makes a Birder a Birder?".

Ever wonder why you seem to fit in with some birders but scratch your head at 
the actions of others? Turns out that birders are as diverse in their 
identities as the birds are. But it's more about 'who you are' rather than 
'what you do' that separates the different birder identities. Jody will share 
fascinating facts about some of the 14 types of birders he uncovered while 
conducting research on birders a few years ago. Which type are you? Come listen 
and find out.

About the Speaker: Jody Enck started birding as a small boy growing up on a 
farm in Pennsylvania. Since then, he has continued to learn more and more about 
birds and the people who enjoy them. Jody especially loves bird-watching in his 
back yard to find out what the local residents are up to. He is also a closet 
lister, with more than 500 species seen in the U.S. and more than 1,150 seen 
worldwide. He has a background in wildlife biology and social science. In 2016, 
he founded the Sister Bird Club Network to link birders and bird clubs 
throughout the Western Hemisphere by raising awareness of the conservation 
needs of the neotropical migratory birds we all love. He is a past president 
and current chair of the conservation action committee for the Cayuga Bird 
Club. In 2020, he'll be leading trips for the Club to Costa Rica and Colombia.

 Members are invited to join Jody Enck for dinner at the Taste of Thai Express 
(Rt. 13N downtown) just before the meeting at 5:30 p.m. Please RSVP to Colleen 
Richards at 
cl...@juno.com
  by noon Monday so reservations can be made.
The meeting will be held at the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology. Doors open 
at 7:00 pm and there will be cookies and conversation starting at 7:15. Bird 
club business begins at 7:30 pm followed by the presentation. All are welcome.

See you all on Monday.
Colleen Richards
Corresponding Secretary
Cayuga Bird Club
--
Cayugabirds-L List Info:
Welcome and

RE:[cayugabirds-l] Red-winged blackbird

2019-12-07 Thread Magnus Fiskesjo

Hi,

It's confusing, but try this:

In ebird.org, go to Explore, then click Species Maps, enter the name of 
species, then under Date, alter the search parameter to Current Year, and 
specify Dec-Feb, while leaving the Location blank, and you get: 

https://ebird.org/map/rewbla?neg=true=-92.18373095229242=46.82355476736932=-80.96668993666742=51.81625450816151=true=false=Z=12-2=12=2=cur=2019=2019

Then, zoom in to upstate NY on the North American map. 

Then you see a few fresh hits around upstate New York, for Red-Winged 
Blackbird, during the first few days of december: A few around Rochester, 
around Ithaca, and so on.

It's fun to play with this toy... 

--yrs.
Magnus Fiskesjö, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology, Cornell University
McGraw Hall, Room 201. Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
E-mail: magnus.fiske...@cornell.edu, or: n...@cornell.edu

Affiliations at Cornell University, WWW:
Anthropology Department, anthropology.cornell.edu/faculty/
Southeast Asia Program (SEAP), seap.einaudi.cornell.edu/faculty_directory
East Asia Program (EAP), eap.einaudi.cornell.edu/faculty_directory
CIAMS (Archaeology), ciams.cornell.edu/people/
Cornell Institute for Public Affairs (CIPA), 
cipa.cornell.edu/academics/fieldfaculty.cfm

From: bounce-124189488-84019...@list.cornell.edu 
[bounce-124189488-84019...@list.cornell.edu] on behalf of Johnson, Alyssa 
[alyssa.john...@audubon.org]
Sent: Saturday, December 7, 2019 1:26 PM
To: CAYUGABIRDS-L
Subject: [cayugabirds-l] Red-winged blackbird

This morning I watched the feeders at the Montezuma Audubon Center for about 5 
minutes. The usual crew was there, including a RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD. I tried to 
manipulate eBird to tell me the most recent sightings in this area, and I 
couldn’t figure it out. I know it’s not unusual to see RWBBs at Montezuma but I 
was surprised to see one now. I thought that had all left us for warmer climes!

I also saw one of “our” resident adult bald eagles soaring high over the 
grassland to our north.

eBird checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S6252

--
Alyssa Johnson
Environmental Educator
315.365.3588

Montezuma Audubon Center
2295 State Route 89
P.O. Box 187
Savannah, New York 13146
montezuma.audubon.org
Montezuma Audubon Center on 
Facebook

--
Cayugabirds-L List Info:
Welcome and Basics
Rules and Information
Subscribe, Configuration and 
Leave
Archives:
The Mail 
Archive
Surfbirds
BirdingOnThe.Net
Please submit your observations to eBird!
--
--

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/

--

RE: [cayugabirds-l] U.S. Plan on Killing Birds in New York - CounterPunch.org

2019-12-03 Thread Magnus Fiskesjo



I've seen other articles on US government agency-organized mass killing all 
sorts of wildlife as disturbances to farming, etc., but don't know the long and 
short of it. 

--Some examples found just now: 

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2016/02/160212-Wildlife-Services-predator-control-livestock-trapping-hunting/

It says: "Wildlife Services is a federal agency under the U.S. Department of 
Agriculture, ... Since 2000, the agency has killed at least two million mammals 
and 15 million birds. Although it’s main focus is predator control in the West, 
Wildlife Services also does things like bird control nationwide at airports to 
prevent crashes and feral pig control in the South. Reporter Christopher 
Ketcham’s investigation, out this month in Harper’s Magazine, doesn’t mince 
words. The article is called “The Rogue Agency: A USDA program that tortures 
dogs and kills endangered species.”

This seems to be about the same agency you are talking about? 

Here is a historical view of government agencies killing sometimes protected 
species, supposedly to prevent crop damage etc.:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK208754/

+ some others from out West where these issues seem to have been under debate 
for a long time: 

https://www.sacbee.com/news/investigations/wildlife-investigation/article2574599.html
https://psmag.com/environment/the-government-agency-in-charge-of-killing-wild-animals-is-finally-facing-backlash

--yrs.
Magnus Fiskesjö, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology, Cornell University
McGraw Hall, Room 201. Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
E-mail: magnus.fiske...@cornell.edu, or: n...@cornell.edu

Affiliations at Cornell University, WWW:
Anthropology Department, anthropology.cornell.edu/faculty/
Southeast Asia Program (SEAP), seap.einaudi.cornell.edu/faculty_directory
East Asia Program (EAP), eap.einaudi.cornell.edu/faculty_directory
CIAMS (Archaeology), ciams.cornell.edu/people/
Cornell Institute for Public Affairs (CIPA), 
cipa.cornell.edu/academics/fieldfaculty.cfm

From: bounce-124177758-84019...@list.cornell.edu 
[bounce-124177758-84019...@list.cornell.edu] on behalf of Whitings 
[whiti...@roadrunner.com]
Sent: Tuesday, December 3, 2019 6:25 PM
To: CAYUGABIRDS-L
Subject: [cayugabirds-l] U.S. Plan on Killing Birds in New York - 
CounterPunch.org

Does anyone know about this? It seems insane.

Diana
https://www.counterpunch.org/2019/12/02/u-s-plan-on-killing-birds-in-new-york/


dianawhitingphotography.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 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/

--

RE: [cayugabirds-l] Native plant habitat flash mob

2019-10-27 Thread Magnus Fiskesjo

I can go, too. Is it where you put the Protonothary boxes?? 

--
Magnus Fiskesjö, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology, Cornell University
McGraw Hall, Room 201. Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
E-mail: magnus.fiske...@cornell.edu, or: n...@cornell.edu

Affiliations at Cornell University, WWW:
Anthropology Department, anthropology.cornell.edu/faculty/
Southeast Asia Program (SEAP), seap.einaudi.cornell.edu/faculty_directory
East Asia Program (EAP), eap.einaudi.cornell.edu/faculty_directory
CIAMS (Archaeology), ciams.cornell.edu/people/
Cornell Institute for Public Affairs (CIPA), 
cipa.cornell.edu/academics/fieldfaculty.cfm

From: bounce-124056854-84019...@list.cornell.edu 
[bounce-124056854-84019...@list.cornell.edu] on behalf of Jody Enck 
[jodye...@gmail.com]
Sent: Sunday, October 27, 2019 11:34 AM
To: CAYUGABIRDS-L; Jody W Enck
Subject: [cayugabirds-l] Native plant habitat flash mob

Hi All,

We still have potted plants to put in the ground down at Lighthouse Point 
Woods.  I will be heading down there around noon today for more work.  Sending 
this spur-of-the-moment message out to try to get a habitat flash mob to come 
help out.

Text me at the number below if you need directions.

Jody Enck


Jody W. Enck, PhD
Conservation Social Scientist, and
Founder of the Sister Bird Club Network
607-379-5940
--
Cayugabirds-L List Info:
Welcome and Basics
Rules and Information
Subscribe, Configuration and 
Leave
Archives:
The Mail 
Archive
Surfbirds
BirdingOnThe.Net
Please submit your observations to eBird!
--

--

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/

--

RE: [cayugabirds-l] Angry birds (Am robins!)

2019-10-27 Thread Magnus Fiskesjo


Looking up a picture of American pokeweed, I am surprised to see on Wikipedia 
it is the same as poke sallet, a k a poke salad, which is a food, that has even 
been described as a "Long-Standing Staple" food for humans, esp. in the US 
South, https://www.saveur.com/poke-sallet
... and Tony Joe White's song “Polk Salad Annie,” covered by Elvis, turns on 
the gathering, cooking, eating, and sucking on leftovers, of this same "poke 
salad." (The song seems to suggest it grows in places where alligators thrive). 

--
Magnus Fiskesjö, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology, Cornell University
McGraw Hall, Room 201. Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
E-mail: magnus.fiske...@cornell.edu, or: n...@cornell.edu

Affiliations at Cornell University, WWW:
Anthropology Department, anthropology.cornell.edu/faculty/
Southeast Asia Program (SEAP), seap.einaudi.cornell.edu/faculty_directory
East Asia Program (EAP), eap.einaudi.cornell.edu/faculty_directory
CIAMS (Archaeology), ciams.cornell.edu/people/
Cornell Institute for Public Affairs (CIPA), 
cipa.cornell.edu/academics/fieldfaculty.cfm

From: bounce-124056725-84019...@list.cornell.edu 
[bounce-124056725-84019...@list.cornell.edu] on behalf of Stanley Scharf 
[stanley.sch...@gmail.com]
Sent: Sunday, October 27, 2019 9:09 AM
To: Regi Teasley
Cc: darlingtonbets; Maryfaith Miller; anneb.cl...@gmail.com; 
bluewing-gr...@googlegroups.com; CAYUGABIRDS-L
Subject: Re: [cayugabirds-l] Angry birds (Am robins!)

The most notable act occurred in Burlington, New Jersey, at the 1738
Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of Quakers. Dressed as a soldier, he
concluded a diatribe against slavery, quoting the Bible saying that
all men should be equal under God, by plunging a sword into a Bible
containing a bladder of blood-red  'Pokeberry juice', which spattered
over those nearby.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Lay


On 10/26/19, Regi Teasley  wrote:
> Thank you for this information.
>
> Regi
>
>
> What good is a house if you don’t have a tolerable planet to put it in?
> Henry David Thoreau
>
>> On Oct 26, 2019, at 12:53 PM, darlingtonbets 
>> wrote:
>>
>> 
>> A number of years ago, I asked poisonous plant expert, John Kingsbury,
>> about pokeweed. He's a retired professor of botany from Cornell and was
>> lecturer in phytotoxicology at Cornell's Vet. College. And author of
>> "Deadly Harvest," an excellent book on poisonous plants.
>>
>> He told me that a group of medical researchers who were studying pokeweed,
>> and handling the plant, all developed leukemia-like symptoms. (I don't
>> know what happened after that. Did they recover, once they stopped
>> handling it?)
>>
>> He recommended wearing gloves, if handling the plant. I think he said that
>> the berries were the least toxic part of the plant.
>>
>> Just because a plant is toxic to humans, of course, doesn't mean it should
>> be destroyed, just that people should be cautious in using, handling or
>> eating it.  And many plants that are toxic to humans are fine for birds
>> and other animals.  Pokeweed is a beautiful, interesting plant. Just don't
>> eat it or handle it without gloves.
>> Betsy
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone
>>
>>  Original message 
>> From: Maryfaith Miller 
>> Date: 10/26/19 12:08 PM (GMT-05:00)
>> To: anneb.cl...@gmail.com
>> Cc: Regi Teasley , bluewing-gr...@googlegroups.com,
>> CAYUGABIRDS-L 
>> Subject: Re: [cayugabirds-l] Angry birds (Am robins!)
>>
>> I have used pokeweed berries in my forest kindergarten class to dye wool
>> an intensely beautiful shade of purple. 5-6-7 year olds, harvested,
>> crushed, boiled over a campfire and stirred the pot full of wool roving
>> and pokeweed berries. My students love knowing which plants are deadly
>> poisonous. I have taught them a lot about mushrooms, and all of them can
>> identify a destroying angel, jack o'lanterns, etc. Knowledge is power, and
>> children love having this knowledge. They know where all the pokeweed
>> plants are at Lime Hollow and love to inform people about them.
>>
>>  But this is a bird list, and the question is about bird behavior...I'd
>> love to hear about the OP's question re American Robin aggression if
>> anyone knows more about that.
>> Maryfaith Decker Miller
>>
>> On Sat, Oct 26, 2019 at 11:38 AM  wrote:
>>> And I am living proof that eating young pokeweed is not deadly. We didn’t
>>> use 3 waters either, although drained it.
>>> But I am NOT suggesting everyone try it. Young spinach causes less panic.
>>> Or try lambs quarters.
>>> Anne
>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>>
>>> On Oct 26, 2019, at 9:56 AM, Regi Teasley  wrote:
>>>
 I understand Pokeweed is poisonous to humans.  Your thoughts on keeping
 these plants?

 Regi


 What good is a house if you don’t have a tolerable planet to put it in?
 Henry David Thoreau

> On Oct 26, 2019, at 9:01 AM, anneb.cl...@gmail.com wrote:
>
> 
> This morning I

RE: [cayugabirds-l] US population trends; time frame for bird study

2019-09-26 Thread Magnus Fiskesjo



As an anthropologist I'd advise to be careful, in public campaigns at least, 
with arguments about overpopulation. 

It can easily backfire, because let's face it, most people on the planet care 
more about people than birds or animals or nature. And this is probably one big 
reason why populists like Bolsonaro, etc., who are in favor of careless 
exploitation, can gain so much popular support, and go on to burn down the 
Amazon. Most people have never been to the Amazon, and most of them care more 
about shortterm profits or even basic livelihoods, and they often don't know 
about the global importance of biodiversity. 

So, I think it is more strategic to emphasize that we need the birds for a 
healthy planet, going into the future together. When Fitzpatrick wrote in the 
NYT https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/19/opinion/crisis-birds-north-america.html 
, that "Natural habitat must not be viewed as an expendable luxury but as a 
crucial system that fosters human health and supports all life on the planet."  
that's more powerful. If they had said, let's work to cut world population, 
then you can be sure that their argument would have failed, in today's bleak 
world. 

They were right also to raise up positive examples of wetlands restored for our 
benefit and for the wetland birds. And similarly one can argue for good 
measures on a bigger scale, such as those raised in this thread, such as also a 
smarter agriculture that can accomodate spaces for birds, airports timing their 
lawn-cutting better, and so on, all of which would fly better than suggesting 
that people are the problem as such, which I think risks needlessly making 
enemies.  It might even bring about a nasty backlash, from the kind of people 
who don't care about the environment, but are eager to exploit these issues 
(witness the ongoing ultra-vicious backlash against Greta Thunberg). 

I also agree the arguments about overpopulation aren't fully convincing, since 
the same trends towards smaller families are in effect around the world (even 
China now, after the end of the 1 child policy, to the point that the 
government is scrambling to persuade or force women to have more babies now 
lest the country starts shrinking like Japan and many other countries already 
is). 

And these trends are for the same basic reason everywhere: Education, 
healthcare and less poverty make people have less children. They have many kids 
as an insurance policy: If they know many kids will die, they naturally think 
that you better get ten, and hope that a few survive. So overpopulation, as a 
problem because it is a strain of resources, is probably best dealth with by 
means of good shared world governance and good economics. I am not hopeful -- 
but, I don't think there are any other ways.

There was a very nice children's book by Sven Wernström, "Resa på okänd planet" 
(Journey to an unknown planet, published in Swedish in 1967), which I read as a 
kid, in which the unknown planet is planet Earth. Two Swedish middle school 
kids accidentally come upon the spaceship of two teenager aliens, who are 
visiting earth. They get to go with them, on their secret mission around Earth, 
which turns out to be about capturing two of every kind of wildlife, as a 
Noah's ark expedition ... to take back to their own alien planet which had 
become barren, no longer lush and rich like Earth still is. I think that 
unfortunately the book was never translated into English or any other 
language... but it was a beautiful message.  
 
--Sincerely,
Magnus Fiskesjö
n...@cornell.edu


From: bounce-123961137-84019...@list.cornell.edu 
[bounce-123961137-84019...@list.cornell.edu] on behalf of Kevin J. McGowan 
[k...@cornell.edu]
Sent: Thursday, September 26, 2019 2:12 PM
To: Alicia; CAYUGABIRDS-L
Subject: RE: [cayugabirds-l] US population trends; time frame for bird study

1970 is used as the starting point because that was when the Breeding Bird 
Survey started taking data. Data on bird populations simply didn’t exist before 
that, with the exception of the Christmas Bird Count. The BBS was started 
partly in response to the perceived decline in birds already occurring.

Kevin

Kevin McGowan

From: bounce-123961049-3493...@list.cornell.edu 
 On Behalf Of Alicia
Sent: Thursday, September 26, 2019 1:54 PM
To: CAYUGABIRDS-L 
Subject: Re: [cayugabirds-l] US population trends; time frame for bird study

Decrease in children per family: In the 1970's, there were an average of 2.12 
children per family, while from 2009-2018, the number had decreased to an 
average of 1.88 and is holding steady there - a decrease of over 11% . (For 
more info, check 
here.)
  The percentage of single child families doubled from 11% of all families in 
1975 to 22% in 2016.  At this point, the birth rate alone is considerably less 
than replacement rate and even with the

[cayugabirds-l] "The mass disappearance of North American birds"

2019-09-19 Thread Magnus Fiskesjo

Woa, these may be what you anticipated ...!? Shocking, sad ... / Magnus


The Crisis for Birds Is a Crisis for Us All: The mass disappearance of North 
American birds is a dire warning about the planet’s well-being.
By John W. Fitzpatrick and Peter P. Marra 
Dr. Fitzpatrick is the director of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Dr. Marra is 
the director of the Georgetown Environment Initiative.
New York Times, Sept. 19, 2019
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/19/opinion/crisis-birds-north-america.html

Birds Are Vanishing From North America: The number of birds in the United 
States and Canada has declined by 3 billion, or 29 percent, over the past 
half-century, scientists find. By Carl Zimmer. New York Times, Sept. 19, 2019. 
Updated 3:27 p.m. ET
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/19/science/bird-populations-america-canada.html?action=click=RelatedLinks=Article


--
Re: Migrants
From: Kevin J. McGowan
Sent: Saturday, September 14, 2019 9:26 PM
To: Laura Stenzler; CAYUGABIRDS-L; Magnus Fiskesjo

"Watch this space!"

Look for some fascinating, and depressing information about this topic in the 
next couple of weeks!

Kevin

Kevin J. McGowan, Ph.D.
Project Manager
Distance Learning in Bird Biology
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
159 Sapsucker Woods Road
Ithaca, NY 14850
k...@cornell.edu
607-254-2452

From: bounce-123920973-3493...@list.cornell.edu 
 on behalf of Magnus Fiskesjo 

Sent: Saturday, September 14, 2019 9:10 PM
To: Laura Stenzler ; CAYUGABIRDS-L 

Subject: RE:[cayugabirds-l] Migrants
 

What a lucky occasion! 

Such flocks seem rare. I have not seen any of these birds migrating this fall, 
no warblers, despite a number of excursions. I think I have seen just one 
Yellow-rumped warbler. In Lindsay Parsons the other day, the only migrants were 
2-3 warbling vireos (also, a couple catbirds and goldfinches, but those would 
be local residents, I think?). Otherwise silent and rather empty, and most 
places seem pretty empty of birds ... is my admittedly unscientific overall 
sense. In birdbooks and online, one often sees notes on drastic declines in 
various birds, because of farming, poisons, etc. There was a discussion here 
earlier, involving experts on numbers of breeeding birds, and it was 
interesting to read, but also inconclusive, and I still wonder if there are 
things to read that sum up what we know of the overall big-picture decline of 
bird numbers, if that is what is happening? 

--yrs.
Magnus Fiskesjö, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology, Cornell University
McGraw Hall, Room 201. Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
E-mail: magnus.fiske...@cornell.edu, or: n...@cornell.edu  

From: bounce-123920880-84019...@list.cornell.edu 
[bounce-123920880-84019...@list.cornell.edu] on behalf of Laura Stenzler 
[l...@cornell.edu]
Sent: Saturday, September 14, 2019 7:56 PM
To: CAYUGABIRDS-L
Subject: [cayugabirds-l] Migrants

Hi all,
This evening between 5:30 and 7 pm there was a large migrant flock moving 
around our yard on Hunt Hill Rd, east of Ithaca. They went back and forth and 
generally stayed in the vicinity, which I found unusual and wonderful. As 
always, they were moving fast from spot to spot, hiding behind leaves and 
generally being a pain to identify. But I did see the following:
Swainson's Thrush
Robin
Parula Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Baybreasted Warbler
Tennessee Warbler
Black and White Warbler
Chestnut sided Warbler
Common Yellow Throat
Red-eyed Vireo
Catbird
Chipping Sparrow
Phoebe
Eastern Wood pewee
Titmouse
Goldfinch
Chickadee
Hummingbird

Plus a couple of warblers I was unsure about.  Possible Pine Warbler and 
Blackpoll Warbler. But I am not confident about either.
It was a fun and amazing 1 1/2 hours!

Cheers!
Laura

Laura Stenzler
l...@cornell.edu
--
Cayugabirds-L List Info:
Welcome and Basics<http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME>
Rules and Information<http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES>
Subscribe, Configuration and 
Leave<http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm>
Archives:
The Mail 
Archive<http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html>
Surfbirds<http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds>
BirdingOnThe.Net<http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html>
Please submit your observations to eBird<http://ebird.org/content/ebird/>!
--
--

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 List Info:
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME
http://www.NortheastBirding.

RE:[cayugabirds-l] Migrants

2019-09-14 Thread Magnus Fiskesjo



What a lucky occasion! 

Such flocks seem rare. I have not seen any of these birds migrating this fall, 
no warblers, despite a number of excursions. I think I have seen just one 
Yellow-rumped warbler. In Lindsay Parsons the other day, the only migrants were 
2-3 warbling vireos (also, a couple catbirds and goldfinches, but those would 
be local residents, I think?). Otherwise silent and rather empty, and most 
places seem pretty empty of birds ... is my admittedly unscientific overall 
sense. In birdbooks and online, one often sees notes on drastic declines in 
various birds, because of farming, poisons, etc. There was a discussion here 
earlier, involving experts on numbers of breeeding birds, and it was 
interesting to read, but also inconclusive, and I still wonder if there are 
things to read that sum up what we know of the overall big-picture decline of 
bird numbers, if that is what is happening? 

--yrs.
Magnus Fiskesjö, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology, Cornell University
McGraw Hall, Room 201. Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
E-mail: magnus.fiske...@cornell.edu, or: n...@cornell.edu  

From: bounce-123920880-84019...@list.cornell.edu 
[bounce-123920880-84019...@list.cornell.edu] on behalf of Laura Stenzler 
[l...@cornell.edu]
Sent: Saturday, September 14, 2019 7:56 PM
To: CAYUGABIRDS-L
Subject: [cayugabirds-l] Migrants

Hi all,
This evening between 5:30 and 7 pm there was a large migrant flock moving 
around our yard on Hunt Hill Rd, east of Ithaca. They went back and forth and 
generally stayed in the vicinity, which I found unusual and wonderful. As 
always, they were moving fast from spot to spot, hiding behind leaves and 
generally being a pain to identify. But I did see the following:
Swainson's Thrush
Robin
Parula Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Baybreasted Warbler
Tennessee Warbler
Black and White Warbler
Chestnut sided Warbler
Common Yellow Throat
Red-eyed Vireo
Catbird
Chipping Sparrow
Phoebe
Eastern Wood pewee
Titmouse
Goldfinch
Chickadee
Hummingbird

Plus a couple of warblers I was unsure about.  Possible Pine Warbler and 
Blackpoll Warbler. But I am not confident about either.
It was a fun and amazing 1 1/2 hours!

Cheers!
Laura

Laura Stenzler
l...@cornell.edu
--
Cayugabirds-L List Info:
Welcome and Basics
Rules and Information
Subscribe, Configuration and 
Leave
Archives:
The Mail 
Archive
Surfbirds
BirdingOnThe.Net
Please submit your observations to eBird!
--
--

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/

--

RE: [cayugabirds-l] Salt Pt Baltimore and Orchard Orioles

2019-07-25 Thread Magnus Fiskesjo

Wonderful. 

I wonder if orioles are around but wandering more widely, after their chicks 
are out, and we don't see them because they're not staying put singing any more 
but ranging widely wherever there is food? I recently saw several orchard 
orioles flying around Hog Hole, and several more of them at Salt point, about 2 
weeks ago.

One surprised me by fiercely divebombing-attacking an Osprey which really 
didn't seem to have done anything to the oriole (Orchard, male) other than 
sitting down on a branch in a tree (a very tall tree across from the railroad, 
inland). Maybe the tree was oriole territory.
 
--yrs.
Magnus Fiskesjö, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology, Cornell University
McGraw Hall, Room 201. Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
E-mail: magnus.fiske...@cornell.edu, or: n...@cornell.edu

Affiliations at Cornell University, WWW:
Anthropology Department, anthropology.cornell.edu/faculty/
Southeast Asia Program (SEAP), seap.einaudi.cornell.edu/faculty_directory
East Asia Program (EAP), eap.einaudi.cornell.edu/faculty_directory
CIAMS (Archaeology), ciams.cornell.edu/people/
Cornell Institute for Public Affairs (CIPA), 
cipa.cornell.edu/academics/fieldfaculty.cfm

From: bounce-123772662-84019...@list.cornell.edu 
[bounce-123772662-84019...@list.cornell.edu] on behalf of Judith Thurber 
[jathur...@yahoo.com]
Sent: Thursday, July 25, 2019 6:10 PM
To: Donna Lee Scott
Cc: Marie P. Read; CAYUGABIRDS-L
Subject: Re: [cayugabirds-l] Salt Pt Baltimore and Orchard Orioles

The Baltimore Orioles frequently coming faithfully for grape jelly end of May, 
in June and earlier in July have not been seen in at least a week.  The catbird 
stills comes.  Think Orioles must have started moving around—away.   I miss 
them.  They are so beautiful!

Judy Thurber
Liverpool

Sent from my iPhone

On Jul 25, 2019, at 6:04 PM, Donna Lee Scott 
mailto:d...@cornell.edu>> wrote:

Tuesday at my east shore beach, I saw a Caspian Tern fly over.

Donna Scott
Lansing
Sent from my iPhone

On Jul 25, 2019, at 5:48 PM, Marie P. Read 
mailto:m...@cornell.edu>> wrote:

Hi all,

I took a short walk around Salt Pt this morning (9-10 am) with the goal of 
checking out Myers Pt spit for Caspian Terns. None of those yet but I did see 
some cool birds, the best of which was multiple Baltimore Orioles (adult male 
and female, plus at least 4 juveniles all foraging in the same tree). Later a 
male Orchard Oriole that flew with a more olive/brown companion possibly a 
female or juvenile.
And
Yellow Warbler
(Willow) Flycatcher
Group of drab vireos that I presume were Warbling (some checking out 
honeysuckle fruits)
2 Eastern Kingbirds
And the usual cast of geese, Mallards, gulls.

Marie




Marie Read Wildlife Photography
452 Ringwood Road
Freeville NY  13068 USA

e-mail   m...@cornell.edu
Website: http://www.marieread.com

AUTHOR of:
Mastering Bird Photography: The Art, Craft, and Technique of Photographing 
Birds and Their Behavior

https://rockynook.com/shop/photography/mastering-bird-photography/?REF=101/
--

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 List Info:
Welcome and Basics
Rules and Information
Subscribe, Configuration and 
Leave
Archives:
The Mail 
Archive
Surfbirds
BirdingOnThe.Net
Please submit your observations to eBird!
--
--
Cayugabirds-L List Info:
Welcome and Basics
Rules and Information
Subscribe, Configuration and 
Leave
Archives:
The Mail 
Archive
Surfbirds
BirdingOnThe.Net
Please submit your observations to eBird!
--

--

Cayugabirds-L List Info:
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm

ARCHIVES:
1)

RE:[cayugabirds-l] Merlin nest GIAC

2019-07-11 Thread Magnus Fiskesjo

Thanks for this intriguing report.
 
It reminds me of a bald eagle nest I saw in the middle of Hamilton, NY, a town 
about 1 1/2 hrs east of Ithaca. 
This July 3, I saw three grown bald eagle chicks getting ready to fly, sitting 
on branches around the nest, one even tried a short round flying around the 
tree. 
One parent came back with food, then sat in another tree across the street, 
vocalizing back to the chicks. 
The eagle nest is in a large pine in Madison cemetery on Madison street, right 
next to people's houses, in a regular street area. 
Lots of people going back and forth in cars and on foot, including to see the 
eagles. People were sitting outside their house, right below the nest. 
Local people seemed to love the eagles, some stopping to look at the eagles in 
my scope. 
One person did say that at another nest nearby, someone flew a drone over it, 
and the eagles left and did not come back after that. 

Magnus
--
Magnus Fiskesjö, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology, Cornell University
McGraw Hall, Room 201. Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
E-mail: magnus.fiske...@cornell.edu, or: n...@cornell.edu

Affiliations at Cornell University, WWW:
Anthropology Department, anthropology.cornell.edu/faculty/
Southeast Asia Program (SEAP), seap.einaudi.cornell.edu/faculty_directory
East Asia Program (EAP), eap.einaudi.cornell.edu/faculty_directory
CIAMS (Archaeology), ciams.cornell.edu/people/
Cornell Institute for Public Affairs (CIPA), 
cipa.cornell.edu/academics/fieldfaculty.cfm

From: bounce-123738728-84019...@list.cornell.edu 
[bounce-123738728-84019...@list.cornell.edu] on behalf of John Confer 
[con...@ithaca.edu]
Sent: Thursday, July 11, 2019 10:16 AM
To: CAYUGABIRDS-L
Subject: [cayugabirds-l] Merlin nest GIAC

THANKS!!  This is my fifth year of monitoring Merlin nest success.  THANKS!! to 
the directions and assistance provided by many, I have been able to monitor 
over 30 nests, including 7 this year. Most of the nests I have monitored were 
originally discovered by others. I am so very grateful for so many reports.

This year two nests have been predated (so far), three have fledged, and two 
still have nestlings. This is, so far, a good year for nesting success

I never share the location of a nest that is early in the nesting cycle. I 
never share the location of a nest that can only be seen from private property, 
or a nest where the parents seem upset by human activity. There is one nest 
this year that I feel I can share without any danger of birding visitors 
jeopardizing the nest.

There is a nest in a tall spruce between GIAC and the public swimming pool. In 
fact the spruce tree is inside the chain link fence surrounding the pool area. 
During the school year and now that the pool is open (after 12:00) there is an 
extremely high level of noisy human activity around the nest site. The addition 
of any quiet birders outsider the chain link fence, in comparison to kids 
leaving the school or playing in the pool, would make no difference to the 
Merlins. The male and female seem virtually oblivious to extreme activity. If 
the nest continues successfully, the young should fledge around the weekend of 
the 20th. For a few days before fledging, the young hop out limbs, exercise 
their wings, and generally look very comical. The nest can best be seen from 
outside the northwest corner of the chain link fence around the swimming pool. 
I have spoken to the lifeguards and some of them know that people with optical 
equipment are likely birders. But you may enjoy watching the birds before all 
hell breaks loose in the swimming pool at 12:00.

John Confer

--
Cayugabirds-L List Info:
Welcome and Basics
Rules and Information
Subscribe, Configuration and 
Leave
Archives:
The Mail 
Archive
Surfbirds
BirdingOnThe.Net
Please submit your observations to eBird!
--
--

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/

--

RE: [cayugabirds-l] Help with bird song?

2019-06-08 Thread Magnus Fiskesjo

Hi!

I am no expert but if a junco, it should be possible to spot? I've stalked 
quite a few, to try and see if I can notice a difference between them and 
Chipping sparrows. And in my experience at least, both species tend to sit at 
the outer end of a branch when singing, often "2 o'clock", less often "12 noon" 
like you saw. I've discovered that mobilizing some patience, to scan possible 
locations around the trees in the direction of the sound, especially outer ends 
of branches midway up, one can often find the singing bird at last. It can be 
maddening because they tend to be in "visible yet hard-to-spot" locations and 
I'll often say, how come I did not see if before. I guess to see it one has to 
enter that special yoga trance state of bird watching which is hard to achieve. 

My 5 cents! 

If it's a junco it's an unusual voice for it! 
Magnus Fiskesjö
n...@cornell.edu

From: bounce-123668894-84019...@list.cornell.edu 
[bounce-123668894-84019...@list.cornell.edu] on behalf of Ken Haas 
[waxw...@htva.net]
Sent: Saturday, June 8, 2019 5:48 PM
To: Barbara Bauer Sadovnic
Cc: CAYUGABIRDS-L
Subject: Re: [cayugabirds-l] Help with bird song?

Hi Barbara,

In the newest version (V2) of the Sibley app for iPhone/iPad, under the 
Dark-eyed Junco species account, there are several recordings of songs and 
calls. But there is one, which was recorded by our own Bob Mcguire in NY, that 
sounds the closest to your bird. The second trill on the bird in his recording 
is a bit truncated from your bird's song. So, I agree with the others that a 
Dark-eyed Junco, Slate-colored, is my best guess, too.

Ken Haas



On Jun 8, 2019, at 4:49 PM, Barbara Bauer Sadovnic wrote:

Thank you all for the replies.

Asher, Sandy, Laura, and Meena suggest dark-eyed junco.  Laurie suggests 
bluegrass gnatcatcher, or one of the little flycatchers,willow or alder.  My 
one glimpse could have been a junco, but it really was just a glimpse.

The song has been very consistent all three days I heard it - a high trill, 
then a trill about a major third higher.  That’s what it does!

It’s in a smallish grove/hedgerow between two fields, with a larger grove 
acrosss the road.  It sings from a place I can’t spot, except for the one time 
I saw it, when it was singing from the top of a dead tree at the side of the 
road.  Some of the time it was in walnut trees.

On Jun 8, 2019, at 3:44 PM, Sandy Podulka 
mailto:s...@cornell.edu>> wrote:

A bit puzzling. The song trill seems to have two parts?  A lower part and then 
a higher part?  It is not a typical song of any birds around here. But, perhaps 
it is an odd Junco song. Could it be a Dark-eyed Junco?  What is the habitat 
like and where is the bird singing from?  Another option might be Chipping 
Sparrow.

Sandy

At 02:14 PM 6/8/2019, you wrote:
This bird has been on Tucker Rd. in Enfield since Friday May 31, at least.  I 
only got a brief look at it, on Tuesday - small and backlit - grayish, clear 
pale breast, shortish tail.  But the song is distinctive.  It was singing again 
today, but I couldnâ€™t see it!  What is it?

https://www.dropbox.com/s/f6ejwayrd1x8sva/Tucker%20Rd%20bird%206-4-2019.m4a?dl=0
--

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 List Info:
Welcome and Basics
Rules and Information
Subscribe, Configuration and 
Leave
Archives:
The Mail 
Archive
Surfbirds
BirdingOnThe.Net
Please submit your observations to eBird!
--

--
Cayugabirds-L List Info:
Welcome and Basics
Rules and Information
Subscribe, Configuration and 
Leave
Archives:
The Mail 
Archive
Surfbirds
BirdingOnThe.Net
Please submit your observations

RE: [cayugabirds-l] arrogant dogowner going viral

[cayugabirds-l] arrogant dogowner going viral

[cayugabirds-l] Loon kills eagle (in Maine)

RE:[cayugabirds-l] Thanks for Oriole/Painting Conflict Suggestions

RE:[cayugabirds-l] Howland Island question

RE: [cayugabirds-l] ebird reporting question re: motion activated photos

RE: [cayugabirds-l] Least Bittern

RE: [cayugabirds-l] Of Unleashed Dogs and Waterthrushes

RE: [cayugabirds-l] Eastern towhee

RE: "Juvenile cowbirds sneak out at night" - RE: [cayugabirds-l] Cowbirds

"Juvenile cowbirds sneak out at night" - RE: [cayugabirds-l] Cowbirds

RE: [cayugabirds-l] Cowbirds

RE: [cayugabirds-l] Cowbirds

RE:[cayugabirds-l] Bald eagle, Dryden Lake

RE: [cayugabirds-l] Eared Grebe

[cayugabirds-l] cat collar resistance

RE:[cayugabirds-l] Ithaca airport Meadowlarks / with a warning

RE:[cayugabirds-l] Ithaca airport Meadowlarks / with a warning

[cayugabirds-l] Ithaca airport Meadowlarks / with a warning

RE: [cayugabirds-l] Rough-legged downtown!

[cayugabirds-l] snowboarding crow

RE: [cayugabirds-l] singing House Finches

RE: [cayugabirds-l] Black-headed Gull - credit where credit is duets

[cayugabirds-l] massive duck flock on SW of Cayuga lake

RE:[cayugabirds-l] Red-winged blackbird

RE: [cayugabirds-l] U.S. Plan on Killing Birds in New York - CounterPunch.org

RE: [cayugabirds-l] Native plant habitat flash mob

RE: [cayugabirds-l] Angry birds (Am robins!)

RE: [cayugabirds-l] US population trends; time frame for bird study

[cayugabirds-l] "The mass disappearance of North American birds"

RE:[cayugabirds-l] Migrants

RE: [cayugabirds-l] Salt Pt Baltimore and Orchard Orioles

RE:[cayugabirds-l] Merlin nest GIAC

RE: [cayugabirds-l] Help with bird song?

34 matches

Site Navigation

Mail list logo

Footer information