I went around the lake today and saw many of the same birds Dave Nutter just
posted. I have a few observations to add.
I had nothing at Myers Point, but had a GRASSHOPPER SPARROW on Long Point Rd,
and one RED-HEADED WOODPECKER just south of Aurora. At East Road/Towpath I had
75 Lesser Yellowlegs, and 3 peeps. One larger peep was a WHITE-RUMPED
SANDPIPER, and I think the other two were Semipalmated Sandpipers. At one
point one to two hundred ducks took to the air and circled around before
landing. Most were Mallards and Green-winged Teal, but I was a little
surprised to see a pair of Gadwall, a pair of American Wigeon, and two pairs of
Northern Shovelers in the flock.
At Armitage Road I had a singing CERULEAN WARBLER (one also around the
buildings at Montezuma). One PROTHONOTARY WARBLER sang on and off north of the
road. I finally got a look and saw a drab Prothonotary with food in its bill
just as another sang to my right and very close by. Both male and female in
view at once! Both birds went at separate times to the same spot near the
ground and behind a tree trunk, and I conclude they were feeding a fledgling.
I managed only poor photos of the Prothonotaries, but did get both male and
female carrying food. (See
http://picasaweb.google.com/KevinJ.McGowan/Birds2011# for the photos, along
with a number of other birds from today.)
A trip through the Empire Farm Days did not turn up the hoped-for Upland
Sandpiper, but did provide numbers of Horned Larks, Eastern Meadowlarks,
Savannah Sparrows, and lots and lots of European Starlings. I had been warned
when I phoned for permission that they were cutting hay and I was likely to be
disappointed. But, my first VESPER SPARROW of the year at the corner of
Cosad/Seybolt roads helped me over the disappointment.
Kevin
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