Spent the day birding around Cayuga Lake and Montezuma. First stop though was Edwards Hill Road in Broome co. where I finally got the NORTHERN SHRIKE for 2012. I had this guy way back in November. >From my photos in November vs. today's, it could be the same bird, a first year bird....
See http://www.flickr.com/photos/davenicosia/sets/72157629172472684/ (Today) vs. http://www.flickr.com/photos/davenicosia/6408944587/in/photostream/ (Nov 26, 2011) Highlights for rest of trip- East Shore Park: 1 RED-THROATED LOON Stewart Park:1 CANVASBACK, 1 PIED-BILLED GREBE, 3 HOODED MERGANSER, 2 AMERICAN WIGEON Myer's Point- counted 160 RING-BILLED GULLS, 60 HERRING GULLS, 3 GREATER BLACK BACKED GULLS, BELTED KINGFISHER, 1 NORTHERN FLICKER, 1 RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER Long Point St. Park overlook from Lake Road- 31 COMMON GOLDENEYES Aurora Boathouse- no grebes, but counted 183 AMERICAN COOTS Twin Oaks Campground to north of Railroad Tracks crossing Rte 90- Huge aythya raft...maybe 20-25 thousand...all common species present. Both scaup, redhead, canvasback, ring-necked duck also american wigeon, black duck, mallards, ring-billed gulls, herring gulls, loads of canada geese and TUNDRA SWANS. Harris Park- another aythya raft...also 100-200 TUNDRA SWANS. Tschache Pool- CACKLING GOOSE among many Canadas. also lots of NORTHERN PINTAILS, and AMERICAN WIGEON. East Road Knox-Marcellus Marsh- about 20,000 SNOW GEESE. The whole flock took off into a swirling mass as an immature BALD EAGLE flew over. It was a spectacle. I got a poor quality video with my camera and several photos of the shear numbers. awesome. http://www.flickr.com/photos/davenicosia/sets/72157629172481404/ Lower Lake Road- another aythya raft, many more scaup sp in this one but REDHEADS and CANVASBACK still most common. also TUNDRA SWANS, AMERICAN WIGEON, and another decent size raft of SNOW GEESE. I probably forgot a few. But totaled 54 species for the day which is not bad for early March. A few more select photos... http://www.flickr.com/photos/davenicosia/sets/72157629172527778/ Dave Nicosia Johnson City, NY -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
