[nysbirds-l] Invasive Species of the Montezuma Wetlands Complex (Finger Lakes)

[Johnson, Alyssa]

National Invasive Species Awareness Week (#NISAW) runs February 28-March 4, 
2022, and is a nationwide event to raise awareness about invasive species, the 
threat they pose, and what can be done to prevent their spread. Join 
environmental educator Alyssa Johnson for a virtual presentation on Friday 
3/4/22 to learn about some of the birds, bugs, and plants that plague not only 
the Montezuma Wetlands Complex, but the greater Finger Lakes region, and what 
is being done to manage them.

Friday, March 4
6 - 7:30 p.m.

* Fee: $10/person, $25/family
* After registering, the Zoom link will be included in your confirmation email. 
If you are unable to attend the program the day of, the presentation will be 
recorded and can be sent to you afterward.

To register, and for more information, please visit: 
https://act.audubon.org/a/invasivespeciesofthemwc-030422



To see all of our upcoming programming at the MAC visit 
here. And spring 2022 
dates will be added soon!


--
Alyssa Johnson
Environmental Educator
(m) 315.576.5754
(w) 315.365.3588

Montezuma Audubon Center
PO Box 187
2295 State Route 89
Savannah, NY 13146
Click here to see upcoming programs and 
events!
Pronouns: She, Her, Hers


--

NYSbirds-L List Info:
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME.htm
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES.htm
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm

ARCHIVES:
1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html
2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L
3) http://birding.aba.org/maillist/NY01

Please submit your observations to eBird:
http://ebird.org/content/ebird/

--

[nysbirds-l] Invasive Species of the Montezuma Wetlands Complex (Finger Lakes)

[Johnson, Alyssa]

National Invasive Species Awareness Week (#NISAW) runs February 28-March 4, 
2022, and is a nationwide event to raise awareness about invasive species, the 
threat they pose, and what can be done to prevent their spread. Join 
environmental educator Alyssa Johnson for a virtual presentation on Friday 
3/4/22 to learn about some of the birds, bugs, and plants that plague not only 
the Montezuma Wetlands Complex, but the greater Finger Lakes region, and what 
is being done to manage them.

Friday, March 4
6 - 7:30 p.m.

* Fee: $10/person, $25/family
* After registering, the Zoom link will be included in your confirmation email. 
If you are unable to attend the program the day of, the presentation will be 
recorded and can be sent to you afterward.

To register, and for more information, please visit: 
https://act.audubon.org/a/invasivespeciesofthemwc-030422



To see all of our upcoming programming at the MAC visit 
here. And spring 2022 
dates will be added soon!


--
Alyssa Johnson
Environmental Educator
(m) 315.576.5754
(w) 315.365.3588

Montezuma Audubon Center
PO Box 187
2295 State Route 89
Savannah, NY 13146
Click here to see upcoming programs and 
events!
Pronouns: She, Her, Hers


--

NYSbirds-L List Info:
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME.htm
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES.htm
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm

ARCHIVES:
1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html
2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L
3) http://birding.aba.org/maillist/NY01

Please submit your observations to eBird:
http://ebird.org/content/ebird/

--

RE:[nysbirds-l] A Long Island, New York Larus with Yellow Legs

[Shaibal Mitra]

Hi all,

We studied the yellow-legged Larus at Old Field Point again yesterday, 27 Feb 
2022. For convenience, here are links to some checklists with useful photos and 
descriptions of the bird:

https://ebird.org/atlasny/checklist/S103596988
https://ebird.org/atlasny/checklist/S103599196
https://ebird.org/checklist/S103599677
https://ebird.org/atlasny/checklist/S103711048
https://ebird.org/checklist/S103758350
https://ebird.org/checklist/S103798052
https://ebird.org/atlasny/checklist/S103770855
https://ebird.org/checklist/S103820434
https://ebird.org/checklist/S103880419

I’m increasingly convinced that this gull is a European L. a. argentatus. There 
are many serious obstacles to the alternative interpretations.

The extent of white on P10 and P9, the restricted amount of black on PP6-8, the 
absence of black on P5, and the large size of the apical spots on all these 
feathers strongly counter-indicate Lesser Black-backed Gull, its potential 
hybrids with various Herring-type taxa, Yellow-legged Gull, Caspian Gull, and 
also most “Herring Gulls” (e.g., western/interior North American L. a. 
smithsonianus and European L. a. argenteus). These features of the wingtip are 
most consistent with northeastern North American smithsonianus (which is 
locally abundant) and vagrant argentatus (not yet documented in New York, but 
with records from Newfoundland). Published resources and series of photographs 
from known sites and dates indicate that the wingtip pattern wherein these two 
taxa approach each other most closely is very similar to that of the Old Field 
Point bird. There are several very subtle distinctions in primary pattern 
between the two taxa, and the assessment of these in the Old Field Point bird 
seems to me to be the primary remaining task (see below). 

But even if this bird’s wingtip pattern is equivocal, it must be noted that it 
shows numerous other characters that closely match birds from the northern 
breeding areas of L. a. argentatus, and that specifically point away from L. a. 
smithsonianus:

1.  Mantle tone. The bird’s mantle is definitely slightly darker than in 
smithsonianus, the pale tone of which is extremely consistent and not prone to 
variation (one could examine a thousand breeding Herring Gulls on Long Island 
without finding a single bird approaching the mantle tone of the Old Field 
Point bird. Conversely, argentatus is darker than smithsonianus and argenteus, 
is furthermore described as being variable, and includes populations described 
as closely resembling Yellow-legged Gull in mantle tone (and other features, 
see next).
2.  Leg color. The bird’s legs and feet are yellow, which is atypical (but 
not unknown) for smithsonianus, but quite typical for populations of argentatus 
in the northern and eastern parts of its breeding range. Birds with varying 
amounts of yellow in the legs and feet occur among smithsonianus more 
frequently than do birds with noticeably dark mantles, but very rarely approach 
the condition shown by the Old Field Point bird. in contrast, this feature is 
common in the very populations of argentatus that match the Old Field Point 
bird most closely in terms of wingtip pattern and mantle color.
3.  Bill pattern. The bill is intensely orange, lacks black markings, and 
shows an elongated red gonys spot. The former point is probably equivocal, as 
it covaries with leg color in variant smithsonianus:

https://flic.kr/p/T15pGz

But the large gonys spot is possibly important, as it definitely points away 
from smithsonianus. On Long Island, we are accustomed to interpreting an 
elongated red gonys spot as indicative of Lesser Black-backed Gull, and this 
was a source of confusion in initial assessments of the present bird. 
Interestingly, this feature is apparently not unexpected among those argentatus 
that most resemble the OFP bird (dark-mantled, bright-billed, and restricted 
black in the wingtip):

http://www.gull-research.org/hg/hg5cy/adapr47.html

4.  Orbital ring. The orbital ring appears to be red based on photos and 
some descriptions, though I have not been able to confirm this fully to my own 
satisfaction. If so, this points strongly away from smithsonianus, but again, 
it is expected, in correlation with all the characters discussed above, among 
northern argentatus.

Before concluding with a brief description of our remaining work regarding the 
minutiae of the wingtip pattern, I feel the need to emphasize again that this 
bird’s resemblance to a hybrid LBBG x HERG in several ways (mantle tone, leg 
color, and gonys spot) is nevertheless superficial. For one thing, the bright 
yellow leg color is brighter than that observed in putative hybrids. But more 
importantly, its overall structure is Herring-like, and its wingtip pattern is 
at the extreme end of variation in smithsonianus, in the direction away from, 
not toward, the condition in Lesser Black-backed Gull. 

Here is what remains to be done:

5.  Nail down 

RE:[nysbirds-l] A Long Island, New York Larus with Yellow Legs

[Shaibal Mitra]

Hi all,

We studied the yellow-legged Larus at Old Field Point again yesterday, 27 Feb 
2022. For convenience, here are links to some checklists with useful photos and 
descriptions of the bird:

https://ebird.org/atlasny/checklist/S103596988
https://ebird.org/atlasny/checklist/S103599196
https://ebird.org/checklist/S103599677
https://ebird.org/atlasny/checklist/S103711048
https://ebird.org/checklist/S103758350
https://ebird.org/checklist/S103798052
https://ebird.org/atlasny/checklist/S103770855
https://ebird.org/checklist/S103820434
https://ebird.org/checklist/S103880419

I’m increasingly convinced that this gull is a European L. a. argentatus. There 
are many serious obstacles to the alternative interpretations.

The extent of white on P10 and P9, the restricted amount of black on PP6-8, the 
absence of black on P5, and the large size of the apical spots on all these 
feathers strongly counter-indicate Lesser Black-backed Gull, its potential 
hybrids with various Herring-type taxa, Yellow-legged Gull, Caspian Gull, and 
also most “Herring Gulls” (e.g., western/interior North American L. a. 
smithsonianus and European L. a. argenteus). These features of the wingtip are 
most consistent with northeastern North American smithsonianus (which is 
locally abundant) and vagrant argentatus (not yet documented in New York, but 
with records from Newfoundland). Published resources and series of photographs 
from known sites and dates indicate that the wingtip pattern wherein these two 
taxa approach each other most closely is very similar to that of the Old Field 
Point bird. There are several very subtle distinctions in primary pattern 
between the two taxa, and the assessment of these in the Old Field Point bird 
seems to me to be the primary remaining task (see below). 

But even if this bird’s wingtip pattern is equivocal, it must be noted that it 
shows numerous other characters that closely match birds from the northern 
breeding areas of L. a. argentatus, and that specifically point away from L. a. 
smithsonianus:

1.  Mantle tone. The bird’s mantle is definitely slightly darker than in 
smithsonianus, the pale tone of which is extremely consistent and not prone to 
variation (one could examine a thousand breeding Herring Gulls on Long Island 
without finding a single bird approaching the mantle tone of the Old Field 
Point bird. Conversely, argentatus is darker than smithsonianus and argenteus, 
is furthermore described as being variable, and includes populations described 
as closely resembling Yellow-legged Gull in mantle tone (and other features, 
see next).
2.  Leg color. The bird’s legs and feet are yellow, which is atypical (but 
not unknown) for smithsonianus, but quite typical for populations of argentatus 
in the northern and eastern parts of its breeding range. Birds with varying 
amounts of yellow in the legs and feet occur among smithsonianus more 
frequently than do birds with noticeably dark mantles, but very rarely approach 
the condition shown by the Old Field Point bird. in contrast, this feature is 
common in the very populations of argentatus that match the Old Field Point 
bird most closely in terms of wingtip pattern and mantle color.
3.  Bill pattern. The bill is intensely orange, lacks black markings, and 
shows an elongated red gonys spot. The former point is probably equivocal, as 
it covaries with leg color in variant smithsonianus:

https://flic.kr/p/T15pGz

But the large gonys spot is possibly important, as it definitely points away 
from smithsonianus. On Long Island, we are accustomed to interpreting an 
elongated red gonys spot as indicative of Lesser Black-backed Gull, and this 
was a source of confusion in initial assessments of the present bird. 
Interestingly, this feature is apparently not unexpected among those argentatus 
that most resemble the OFP bird (dark-mantled, bright-billed, and restricted 
black in the wingtip):

http://www.gull-research.org/hg/hg5cy/adapr47.html

4.  Orbital ring. The orbital ring appears to be red based on photos and 
some descriptions, though I have not been able to confirm this fully to my own 
satisfaction. If so, this points strongly away from smithsonianus, but again, 
it is expected, in correlation with all the characters discussed above, among 
northern argentatus.

Before concluding with a brief description of our remaining work regarding the 
minutiae of the wingtip pattern, I feel the need to emphasize again that this 
bird’s resemblance to a hybrid LBBG x HERG in several ways (mantle tone, leg 
color, and gonys spot) is nevertheless superficial. For one thing, the bright 
yellow leg color is brighter than that observed in putative hybrids. But more 
importantly, its overall structure is Herring-like, and its wingtip pattern is 
at the extreme end of variation in smithsonianus, in the direction away from, 
not toward, the condition in Lesser Black-backed Gull. 

Here is what remains to be done:

5.  Nail down 

[nysbirds-l] Syracuse area RBA

[Joseph Brin]

RBA

 

*  New York

*  Syracuse

* February 28, 2022

* NYSY  02. 28. 22

 

Hotline: Syracuse Rare bird Alert

Dates(s): February 21, 2022 to February 28, 2022

to report by e-mail: brinjoseph AT yahoo.com

covering upstate NY counties: Cayuga, Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge

and Montezuma Wetlands Complex (MWC) (just outside Cayuga County),

Onondaga, Oswego, Lewis, Jefferson, Oneida, Herkimer,  Madison & Cortland

compiled: February 28  AT 10:30 a.m. (DST)

compiler: Joseph Brin

Onondaga Audubon Homepage: www.onondagaaudubon.org


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#792: Monday February 28, 2022 

 

Greetings. This is the Syracuse Area Rare Bird Alert for the week of 

February 14, 2022

 

Highlights:

---




ROSS’S GOOSE

WHITE-WINGED SCOTER

BLACK VULTURE

KILLDEER

LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL

ICELAND GULL

GLAUCOUS GULL

NORTHERN SHRIKE

RUSTY BLACKBIRD

COMMON REDPOLL

RED CROSSBILL










Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge (MNWR) and Montezuma Wetlands Complex (MWC)






     2/23: A ROSS’S GOOSE was spotted with Snows in the mucklands along Rt. 31 
west of the Seneca River. 50 SNOW GEESE were see in the Morgan Road Marsh.







Cayuga County






     2/24: 15 WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS were seen at Fair Haven State Park.







Oswego County






     2/21: A lone SNOW GOOSE was seen from Constantia.

     2/22: A NORTHERN SHRIKE was seen on Tryon Road off of Rainbow Shores Road.

     2/24: A COMMON REDPOLL was seen on Hinman Road north of Pulaski. A 
KILLDEER was seen in Minetto.

     2/26: A RUSTY BLACKBIRD seen first in the 26th. is still at a feeder today 
on Hinman Road.







Onondaga County






     2/22: 250 SNOW GEESE were seen on Fischer Road south of Rt. 290.

     2/24: A NORTHERN SHRIKE continues at the Three Rivers WMA north of 
Baldwinsville.

     2/26: At least one RED CROSSBILL was seen on Shakham Road in the Morgan 
Hill State Forest. 4 COMMON REDPOLLS were seen Estey Road in Manlius. A 
GLAUCOUS GULL was seen at the Inner Harbor south of Onondaga Lake. It was 
relocated on the 27th.

     2/27: A LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL was spotted at the Inner Harbor. At least 
one BLACK VULTURE continues at the OCCRA site off of Rt. 91 south of Jamesville.

     2/28: An ICELAND GULL was spotted in the Inner Harbor.







Madison County






     2/21: A ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was seen at Chittenango Falls Park.







Oneida County






     2/24: A ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was seen at the old site of the Griffis Air Base 
in Rome.

     2/28: 2 RED CROSSBILLS were seen in Forestport.







Herkimer County






     2/21: A NORTHERN SHRIKE was seen in Salisbury Corners.

     2/24: 8 RED CROSSBILLS and 11 COMMON REDPOLLS were seen at the north end 
of the Gray-Wilmurt Road near the Hinkley Reservoir.

     2/28: 3 RED CROSSBILLS were seen on North Lake Road near Forestport.

 




       

                       

                 

---end report




Region 5







Joseph Brin

Baldwinsville, NY

13027




  


--

NYSbirds-L List Info:
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME.htm
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES.htm
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm

ARCHIVES:
1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html
2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L
3) http://birding.aba.org/maillist/NY01

Please submit your observations to eBird:
http://ebird.org/content/ebird/

--

[nysbirds-l] Syracuse area RBA

[Joseph Brin]

RBA

 

*  New York

*  Syracuse

* February 28, 2022

* NYSY  02. 28. 22

 

Hotline: Syracuse Rare bird Alert

Dates(s): February 21, 2022 to February 28, 2022

to report by e-mail: brinjoseph AT yahoo.com

covering upstate NY counties: Cayuga, Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge

and Montezuma Wetlands Complex (MWC) (just outside Cayuga County),

Onondaga, Oswego, Lewis, Jefferson, Oneida, Herkimer,  Madison & Cortland

compiled: February 28  AT 10:30 a.m. (DST)

compiler: Joseph Brin

Onondaga Audubon Homepage: www.onondagaaudubon.org


| 
| 
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|  |  |

 |

 |
| 
|  | 
(no title)

Visit the post for more.
 |

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 |






 

 

#792: Monday February 28, 2022 

 

Greetings. This is the Syracuse Area Rare Bird Alert for the week of 

February 14, 2022

 

Highlights:

---




ROSS’S GOOSE

WHITE-WINGED SCOTER

BLACK VULTURE

KILLDEER

LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL

ICELAND GULL

GLAUCOUS GULL

NORTHERN SHRIKE

RUSTY BLACKBIRD

COMMON REDPOLL

RED CROSSBILL










Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge (MNWR) and Montezuma Wetlands Complex (MWC)






     2/23: A ROSS’S GOOSE was spotted with Snows in the mucklands along Rt. 31 
west of the Seneca River. 50 SNOW GEESE were see in the Morgan Road Marsh.







Cayuga County






     2/24: 15 WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS were seen at Fair Haven State Park.







Oswego County






     2/21: A lone SNOW GOOSE was seen from Constantia.

     2/22: A NORTHERN SHRIKE was seen on Tryon Road off of Rainbow Shores Road.

     2/24: A COMMON REDPOLL was seen on Hinman Road north of Pulaski. A 
KILLDEER was seen in Minetto.

     2/26: A RUSTY BLACKBIRD seen first in the 26th. is still at a feeder today 
on Hinman Road.







Onondaga County






     2/22: 250 SNOW GEESE were seen on Fischer Road south of Rt. 290.

     2/24: A NORTHERN SHRIKE continues at the Three Rivers WMA north of 
Baldwinsville.

     2/26: At least one RED CROSSBILL was seen on Shakham Road in the Morgan 
Hill State Forest. 4 COMMON REDPOLLS were seen Estey Road in Manlius. A 
GLAUCOUS GULL was seen at the Inner Harbor south of Onondaga Lake. It was 
relocated on the 27th.

     2/27: A LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL was spotted at the Inner Harbor. At least 
one BLACK VULTURE continues at the OCCRA site off of Rt. 91 south of Jamesville.

     2/28: An ICELAND GULL was spotted in the Inner Harbor.







Madison County






     2/21: A ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was seen at Chittenango Falls Park.







Oneida County






     2/24: A ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was seen at the old site of the Griffis Air Base 
in Rome.

     2/28: 2 RED CROSSBILLS were seen in Forestport.







Herkimer County






     2/21: A NORTHERN SHRIKE was seen in Salisbury Corners.

     2/24: 8 RED CROSSBILLS and 11 COMMON REDPOLLS were seen at the north end 
of the Gray-Wilmurt Road near the Hinkley Reservoir.

     2/28: 3 RED CROSSBILLS were seen on North Lake Road near Forestport.

 




       

                       

                 

---end report




Region 5







Joseph Brin

Baldwinsville, NY

13027




  


--

NYSbirds-L List Info:
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME.htm
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES.htm
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm

ARCHIVES:
1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html
2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L
3) http://birding.aba.org/maillist/NY01

Please submit your observations to eBird:
http://ebird.org/content/ebird/

--