[nysbirds-l] Barnacle Goose at Iroquois NWR, Orleans Co.
Congrats to Peter Yoerg for finding and then quickly getting the word out on the BARNACLE GOOSE present this afternoon (Wed. 3/17--luck of de' Irish noh?) at the "Forestall Flats" within Iroquois NWR. The bird was present during the late afternoon/early evening from 5 to 6 pm where it was viewed by a small group of people as it mostly slept, and then briefly stretched, foraged, and swam amongst roughly 800 Canada Geese (+ a white Snow Goose) at the west end of the partially flooded hayfield north of Oak Orchard Ridge Rd. and east of Route 63. Despite being reasonably close to Route 63, the bird was not visible from the roadside due to a rise in the field, but was well visible looking north from the highest point along Oak Orchard Ridge Rd. west of Ring-neck Marsh overlook. Around 6 pm the bird took off with about a dozen Canada Geese after which they headed NE towards Fletcher Chapel Rd. before disappearing over the distant woodlot at the E end of the field. Kurt Fox and I later searched through a few of the cornfields along Fletcher Chapel, but did not turn up the bird--2 Cackling Geese heading north with separate flocks of Canadas were notable though. As for the Barnacle Goose, no bands were present on either of its legs while interestingly there were at least 2 Canadas within the flock that did sport shiny metal bands of unknown origin (presumably USFWS or CWS). Obviously it cannot be said for certain whether the bird is of captive origin, but regardless the settings in my opinion arguably bode well for wild origin (no bands, at known location for migratory geese during migration amongst a migratory flock of Canada Geese... ). If you have not already, a good read on the NYS Avian Records Committee's updated take on the status of Barnacle Geese in the state can be found under the Barnacle Goose reports in the 2006 NYSARC report here: _http://www.nybirds.org/NYSARC/Reports/NYSARC2006.html_ (http://www.nybirds.org/NYSARC/Reports/NYSARC2006.html) Jim Pawlicki Amherst, NY -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[nysbirds-l] Tundra Swans over Hamburg, Erie Co.
With east winds and fair weather, Dave Wheeler and I witnessed a large movement of Tundra Swans today over the NE end of Lake Erie from the William D. Williams little league fields (Hamburg Hawkwatch alternate site) on Rogers Rd. in the town of Hamburg, Erie Co. The final tally from 12 to 4 pm was 2408 TUNDRA SWANS in 29 flocks, all of which were heading west at low to moderate heights over the solid ice cube of Lake Erie towards Long Point, Ontario. We also saw over 800 Canada Geese heading the same directions (with some in Swan flocks and vice versa), including one flock that also held 2 CACKLING GEESE. The hawk migration was rather slow with most of the activity occurring between 2 and 3 when the sun came out the temp. ran up to nearly 60 degrees. Two ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS (dark, and ad. m. light), and a juv. BALD EAGLE amongst a few Red-tails and TVs were the highlights. Small flocks of Blackbirds were also moving north throughout the morning and early afternoon, mostly Red-wings and Grackles, along with a MEADOWLARK, and at least 30 KILLDEER. After the flight ended around 4, we checked out Buffalo Harbor, and inside the breakwalls just south of Times Beach NP was a flock of about 250 mixed Athyha (Redhead, Canvasback, and Scaup), along with 8 Hooded Mergansers, 4 RING-NECKED DUCKS, 6 WIGEON, and 2 more Tundra Swans. Jim Pawlicki Amherst, NY -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[nysbirds-l] Eared Grebe, Glaucous Gull, Killdeer - Chautauqua Co.
The EARED GREBE and the "Blonde Gull" (1st-cycle GLAUCOUS GULL) originally found mid-week by Dave Neveu were both present today at Dunkirk Harbor in Chautauqua Co. with the Grebe frequenting the area in close just off the Main Pier between the docked Margaret Ann (boat) and the east inner breakwall. The Glaucous was making its rounds through the docks on both sides of the pier as well as the inner breakwalls, mostly mooching fish scraps from the Great Black-backed Gulls, but also readily took some bread which I threw out I threw out in hopes of drawing it in for photos (the local RB Gulls appreciated this too). A Horned Grebe was also present, along with a Ruddy Duck (seen by Bill Watson), and at least 9 BALD EAGLES that were sitting either out on the ice edge or in the tall oaks at the point just south of the harbor. At one point it was interesting to watch as two immature Eagles tirelessly pursued and then eventually captured a Ring-billed Gull out over the ice. Bill Watson and I then continued south into the towns of Clymer and French Creek in the very SW part of the state and near the French Creek preserve on Route 4 had a nice sooty black adult m. ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK and at Clymer Pond in the hamlet of Clymer, a pair of KILLDEER that were working the limited patches of grass and shoreline along the pond, and most probably were recent arrivals on last night's clear skies and SW winds. Jim Pawlicki Amherst, NY -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[nysbirds-l] Fwd: Ivory Gull in Toronto, Ontario
Haven't seen anything forwarded yet, so just an FYI. Please see two photos of the adult Ivory Gull this afternoon in Toronto. There is more information in the photo captions. http://www.jeaniron.ca/Gulls/2010/ivorygull.htm Good birding, Jean Iron Toronto ON This posting has been a little delayed since I was temporarily unsubscribed - sorry about that. As it is, Jean Iron may already have posted the sighting. If so, apologies for the repetition. Jean Iron and I were scanning the thousands of gulls off Cherry Beach at about 3.45pm this afternoon when an adult Ivory Gull flew in from the east. The bird landed for about three minutes and then took off when ring-bills and herring gulls got spooked by something (perhaps just all the dog activity at Cherry Beach ...). Fortunately, the bird circled with the mass of gulls and then landed at the extreme eastern tip of the flock but only rested for about another minute before taking off - this time alone - and flying steadily west, out towards and beyond the tip of the Leslie St. Spit. Jean speculated that it may perhaps call in at Humber Bay (as happened a few years ago) or perhaps might be headed for Hamilton Harbour. So, although, checking Cherry Beach seems a little late now, it is certainly worth bearing Ivory Gull in mind when visiting points west in the next little while. Good luck - it's a cracker!! Cherry Beach is reached by driving south along Cherry Street until you hit Lake Ontario. To get to Cherry St, drive south off Lake Shore Blvd. on Carlaw, then turn west on Commisioners and drive west to Cherry St. (then turn south). ___ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list ontbi...@hwcn.org For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/ -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[nysbirds-l] Hybrid Aythya (Redhead x L. Scaup/RN Duck) - Buffalo
Yesterday morning (1/30), Dave Wheeler and I checked out the large flock of ducks on the Lake Erie side of Bird Island Pier in Buffalo as viewable from the West Side Rowing Club parking lot accessed from Porter Ave. Several thousand mixed Scaup, Redhead, Canvasback, and Goldeneye were crammed into the "rips" just off the end of the pier, and while scanning through these birds, we spotted an unusual drake Aythya that appeared to be a hybrid REDHEAD x LESSER SCAUP/RING-NECKED DUCK. Most obvious was the L. Scaup/RN Duck-like size and shape (with peaked rear crown) combined with a Redhead-like gray mantle and flanks, blue bill with a fairly wide white subterminal band, and rufous-tinged maroon head color. There also appeared to be a small hint of white "spurs" at the sides of the breast, perhaps favoring Ring-necked Duck influence. In-flight, the remiges were pale grayish and paler than typical for Redhead. A very striking individual and a nice bird to see. There was also a juv. BALD EAGLE in close that put on a bit of a show going after the ducks as well as a 1st-cycle ICELAND GULL that was floating by in the current. At least 3 times the Eagle tried to pluck the Iceland Gull out of the water, but would back out at the last minute. It appeared as if the Iceland Gull was injured as every time the Eagle came close, the gull went into a flapping frenzy but for some reason couldn't lift up out of the water. Eventually the Eagle gave up and sat down on the ice before flying off to the south, while I eventually lost view of the Iceland as it continued to float downriver. Jim Pawlicki Amherst, NY -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[nysbirds-l] King Eiders - Buffalo Harbor, Lake Erie
Thanks to Jerry L. for posting the sighting earlier to Geneseebirds. As previously stated, both KING EIDERS were mostly hanging out together and loosely amongst Common Mergansers and Scaup in the area of open water between ice flows and the 2nd and 3rd breakwalls looking WSW from the concrete tower at Erie Basin Marina. A scope is definitely needed as is a walk up the tower as the birds were roughly 3/4 mile away and likely would not have been visible from ground level, although still identifiable from the tower in the early morning E light. A few times they got up and flew around, and at one point landed much closer between the 1st and 2nd breakwalls, allowing us to see that they were actually a hen and 1st-winter drake as opposed to the initial ID as both hens. Lots of other ducks around including thousands of Goldeneye, Bufflehead, and at least 15,000 Scaup, the latter of which put on a spectacular show at one point as they all got up and circled around en masse before half the group flew out over the mostly unfrozen lake. Also notable was a flock of 5 DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS that flew in high overhead off the lake before circling the harbor several times and then continuing off to the north. To reach the Erie Basin Marina in the city of Buffalo from the 190 N or S, take exit 6 Elm St. about 0.1 mile to Swan St. Left on Swan past the Bison's field, which after 0.4 mile will "T" at Franklin St. Instead of an immediate left on Franklin, continue straight-left onto Erie St. (this turn can be confusing and is more easily seen on map) which will eventually take you under the 190 overpass past the Hatch Restaurant and to the marina and tower. Jim Pawlicki Amherst, NY -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[nysbirds-l] Fwd: (Niagara) Mew (Common) Gull - photos and discussion
There are at least two Mew Gulls on the Niagara River. One is the North American subspecies Canus canus brachyrhynchus and a second bird is a Common Gull, which is the name given to two very similar European subspecies in the group C.c. canus/heinei. Yesterday, Kevin McLaughlin, Dean DiTommaso and I tentatively identified a Common Gull where we had previously seen a Mew Gull. This seemed almost impossible. Dean and I photographed it and the three of us noted its field marks. The Ontario Bird Records Committee will be sent written documentation and photos. I've posted several photos on my website. http://www.jeaniron.ca/2010/CommonGull.htm Caveat: All field marks strongly indicate a Common Gull, however, I am seeking confirmation from gull experts who are thoroughly familiar with Common Gulls. Directions: The Common Gull was seen on the river, flying and perched, between the overlook at Adam Beck and the Butterfly Conservatory. To view the roosting rocks along the river, which are on the American side, park at the north end of the Butterfly Conservatory parking lot and walk north towards Adam Beck about 200 metres to two light coloured horizontal wooden bars in the brown fence. Jean Iron Toronto ON ___ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list ontbi...@hwcn.org For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/ -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES Archives: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[nysbirds-l] Niagara River Mew Gull details; poss. Barrow's Goldeneye
Just a few details on the adult "North American" MEW GULL (L.c.
brachyrynchus) seen by Jay Powell, Mike Klimeczko, and myself at the whirlpool
on the
lower Niagara River from Whirlpool State Park (US) this afternoon.
We saw the bird from roughly 12:55 to 1:20 pm feeding amongst a couple
dozen Herring and Ring-billed Gulls at the eastern end of the whirlpool--it
was relatively easy to pick out amongst the few birds present based on the
small body size, darker gray mantle, and large white mirrors on P9 and P10.
After getting the bird in the scope, the white subterminal spots ("string
of pearls") on P6-P8 were visible, clearly indicating a "North American" Mew
Gull over a "European" Common Gull. Everything else about the bird,
including mantle darkness, extent of tertial crescent, head streaking, eye
color, and bill size, color, and shape was consistent with "North American"
Mew
Gull and matched the features of the Mew Gull found by Willie D'Anna and
Betsy Potter on the roosting rocks off of Devil's Hole State Park last
Sunday. While watching the bird, I called Bill Watson and he told me about
suspected "European" Common Gull that was seen about an hour earlier at the
roosting rocks further downstream by Dean DiTomasso and Jean Iron. I don't
have any other details on that bird and suspect that more details will be
provided. After observing the Mew Gull off and on for about 20 minutes we last
saw the bird feeding in the vicinity of the whirlpool outflow and suspected
that it either sat down on the rocks or water out of view or continued
further downstream. We then headed downstream to check the roosting rocks
from Devil's Hole State Park and did not see the suspected Common Gull or the
Mew Gull, nor did others on the Canadian side to our knowledge.
After checking Lewiston, we headed back to Whirlpool State Park in the late
afternoon, and spotted a distant "darker-mantled" Gull on the water that
was initially taken to be the Mew Gull, but once we got the bird in the
scope and it started flying around, it was quickly apparent that it was a
"darker-mantled"-type Herring Gull or perhaps a Herring x L. Black-backed Gull
hybrid although I could not see anything else on the bird other than mantle
darkness that suggested possible LBB Gull influence.
I also thought it would be worth mentioning that while scoping the area
above the falls from the 3 Sisters Islands on Goat Island earlier in the
morning, we saw a hen Goldeneye that sported what appeared to be a completely
yellow bill, in the rapids about mid-river and in the vicinity of the shelf
that have often been frequented by Purple Sandpipers. More specifically
the location is the pool just downstream from the set of rocks with the large
shrubby tree--the Goldeneye was there amongst a hen Common and 2-3 Common
Mergansers. At that distance it was hard to precisely determine head
shape, but I personally felt that it was "acceptable" for Barrow's (but my no
means definitive to say the least). In recent years though many of these
yellow-billed Goldeneyes on the Niagara River have turned out to be
yellow-billed Commons, although this bird is certainly worth a second look for
those
interested.
Jim Pawlicki
Amherst, NY
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[nysbirds-l] Gull Concentration at Dunkirk Harbor, Chautauqua Co.
I headed down to Dunkirk Harbor in Chautauqua Co. this afternoon and the highlight alone was the sheer number of large gulls. I counted 1345 Great Black-backed Gulls between the inner harbor and the area just outside near Pt. Gratiot--this is apparently the 2nd highest inland maxima in the state with the high being 2500 at the Moses-Saunders Dam along the St. Lawrence River on 21 November 1989. There were at least twice as many Herring Gulls present along with 300 Ring-bills, 3 GLAUCOUS (1st, 2nd, and 3rd-basic), a nice 2nd-basic NELSON'S (Herring x Glaucous), and what appeared to be a backcross-type ad. HERRING x L. BLACK-BACKED GULL (Herring-like, but showing apparent LBB Gull influence). About 80% of the GBB Gulls were resting on ice inside the harbor, while the rest (plus most of the Herring Gulls) were feeding/resting at the beach on the west side of the NRG power plant viewable from Point Drive N. At first I wasn't sure what was attracting all the gulls to the heavily iced-in area at the north end of the beach, and upon walking closer I found hundreds of gulls piled into two ice-free ditches that were filled with loads of dead fish. Even more amazing was that as I walked closer, they were so heavily involved in feeding, calling, and displaying that they didn't even notice my presence until I was nearly 15 yards away from the closest birds! I settled down into a spot and eventually more just started piling in--it was definitely the closest experience I've had in WNY to "Canadian dump gulling." Photos will eventually be posted here: _http://picasaweb.google.com/jmpawli88_ (http://picasaweb.google.com/jmpawli88) On another note, the long-staying American Avocet was not present at the warm-water outflow near the west end of the harbor, and optimistically speaking it moved on to better environs. A few other highlights included: 40+ Double-crested Cormorants 5 Great Blue Herons 2 Ruddy Ducks 2 Ring-necked Ducks Lesser Scaup Redhead Canvasback 4 Pied-billed Grebes Song Sparrow on the mud at the warm-water outflow Jim Pawlicki Amherst, NY -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES Archives: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[nysbirds-l] Bohemian Waxwings correction; Trumpeter Swan
Just a quick update and a correction for the Bohemian Waxwings in Carlton, Orleans Co. I talked with Jerry Lazarczyk today (Thurs., 12/17) and he notified me that the correct address of the house where the Waxwings and Starlings have been frequenting is 1250 Waterport Rd. (Rt. 279) which is about a 1/3 mile south of Rt. 18 between Rt. 18 and Kendrick Rd. in the town of Carlton. I apologize for any mix-ups. He and a few others thus far today (as of about noon) have not seen the Bohemian Waxwings amongst reduced numbers of Cedar Waxwings and Starlings as compared to yesterday. Additionally, he and Bill Watson found a TRUMPETER SWAN on the south shore of Oak Orchard Creek just east of the Rt. 279 bridge over the creek and viewable from Waterport-Carlton Rd. Jim Pawlicki Amherst, NY -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES Archives: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[nysbirds-l] Bohemian Waxwings, Barrow's Goldeneye - Orleans Co.
A trip to Orleans Co. in the western portion of the state today (12/16/09) turned up the continuing drake BARROW'S GOLDENEYE at its traditional spot on Lake Ontario at the mouth of Oak Orchard Creek in Pt. Breeze, and giving excellent views as it actively fed with Commons and Long-tailed Ducks out of the wind within the channel and breakwall. To and from Pt. Breeze I zig-zagged a few roads in Orleans Co., and in the late afternoon on the way back was fortunate to come across 2 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS amongst a mixed flock of about 105 Cedar Waxwings and 300+ Starlings along Fuller Rd. between Kendrick and Stillwater Rds. (and about a mile south of Rt. 18) in the town of Carlton. The birds were alternating between the trees (and focusing on the tall cottonwood) in front of 2015 Fuller Rd. and the apple orchard interspersed with crabapple trees on the east side of the road, the latter of which the birds were feeding heavily on. Several times the Bohemians were giving with their plaintive, beady-like trill, which was surprisingly easy to hear amongst the heavy Starling chatter. Photos: _http://picasaweb.google.com/jmpawli88_ (http://picasaweb.google.com/jmpawli88) Jim Pawlicki Amherst, NY -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES Archives: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[nysbirds-l] King Eider - Sturgeon Pt., Lake Erie
As relayed on geneseebirds by Bill Watson, the immature male KING EIDER was still present straight out and looking west into Lake Erie from the Sturgeon Pt. marina in the town of Derby, southern Erie Co. this morning till as least 11:15 a.m. The bird spent most of its time on its own, actively preening and diving, and occasionally sleeping for a few minutes at a time. Also present in the morning were several Common Goldeneye, Bufflehead, and Red-breasted Mergnsers, 4 Horned Grebes, 4 Common Loons, fly-by Red-throated Loon, and a few dozen Bonaparte's Gulls. Dave Wheeler and I then continued south along the Lake Erie shore to Barcelona Harbor in Chautauqua Co., and turned up a few highlights including: Bennett Beach dunes just south of Sturgeon Pt., Derby: Carolina Wren Brown Creeper Tufted Titmice Route 5 just N. of Evangola State Park, Irving: Northern Shrike Mouth of Silver Creek: Red-throated Loon juv. Bald Eagle St. Columbans, Route 5, Sheridan: juv. Bald Eagle 40+ Great Black-backed Gulls Dunkirk Harbor: 2 Canvasback 150+ Bonaparte's Gulls ad. Bald Eagle Barcelona Harbor: Redhead 400+ Bonaparte's Gulls Also 100+ Horned Grebes and several Common Loons at various locations on the lakeshore. Jim Pawlicki Amherst, NY -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES Archives: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[nysbirds-l] Chautauqua Co. - 11/29
Decided to check out Chautauqua Lake in the SW corner of the state today given the nice weather. Lots of waterfowl still on the lake with the highlights being a hybrid ad. ROSS'S x "LESSER" SNOW GOOSE (photo here: http://picasaweb.google.com/jmpawli88/2009#) amongst Canadas in Sherman's Bay and keeping up with the hybrid theme, a hybrid drake COMMON GOLDENEYE x HOODED MERGANSER amongst Goldeneyes just west of Burtis Bay. The goose was visible looking east from the trailer park parking lot just east of the boat marina near the intersection of routes 394 and 474 in the town of Shermans Bay, while the hybrid Merganser x Goldeneye was visible between cottages along Front St. between Burtis Bay and Sherman's Bay. Waterbird totals along the south shore from Mayville to Jamestown: Red-throated Loon - 1 (NW of Ashville Bay) Pied-billed Grebe - 12 Tundra Swan - 131 Common Merganser - 14 Red-breasted Merganser - 4 Hooded Merganser - 116 American Black Duck - 3 Gadwall - 4 Ruddy Duck - 941 (all in one large raft just NW of Ashville Bay) Redhead - 1 (w/Ruddies) Lesser Scaup - 3 Ring-necked Duck - 6 Bufflehead - 574 Common Goldeneye - 76 American Coot - 574 (nearly all in a large raft in Burtis Bay) Bonaparte's Gull - 40 (est.) While scanning the lake from a small dock in Lakewood, it was interesting to see a juvenile White-tailed Deer out in the middle of the lake swimming in towards the shore. It eventually reached the rocky/pebbly shoreline where I was standing, and made several attempts to stand, but fell over at least a dozen times, extremely exhausted after swimming for over a mile. Being as exhausted as it was, it paid no attention to me whatsoever, and after about 10 minutes appeared to get some of its bearings back and was able to pull itself back up onto shore. The resilience it displayed upon recovering from probably the most difficult hour of its life was truly impressive. I also stopped at Barcelona Harbor on the Lake Erie shore on the way home, and it was very active with at least 850 Bonaparte's Gulls and an ad. LITTLE GULL feeding on a school of baitfish at the west end of the harbor. Additionally, 2 Common Loons were in close skulking around and taking advantage of the cornered fish, while a Horned Grebe was just outside the breakwall; 3 Great Blue Herons also flew in just as it was getting dark. Jim Pawlicki Amherst, NY -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES Archives: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[nysbirds-l] Niagara River - Sat. 11/28
Several groups of birders were out on the Niagara River today (Saturday 11/28), and turned up 10 species (as of late afternoon) from the Falls area down towards the power plants. >From the Adam Beck overlook, ad. LESSER BLACK-BACKED, 4-5 ICELAND, 1-2 ad.THAYER'S, and the continuing ad. NELSON'S GULL (Herring Gull x Glaucous Gull hybrid) were seen in the early morning. The adult Black-headed Gull that has sporadically been observed from this location was not seen throughout the day to my knowledge. One group also had an interesting "GLAUCOUS-WINGED-type" bird here that had a wing-tip pattern and dark eye of GWGU, but apparently the structure and lack of head-streaking was off, and at the very least the bird thought to be an impure Larus somethinorother???. Large numbers (several thousand) Bonaparte's Gulls were seen just upstream of the power plants in the vicinity of the "roosting rocks" and at the Whirlpool with an ad. LITTLE GULL, ad. ICELAND GULL, ad. LBB GULL, and juv./1st-basic GLAUCOUS with them at the Whirlpool. Jean Iron put everybody on a MERLIN which was perched in a large dead tree across from the cable car viewing platform on the south side of the Whirlpool. Large numbers of gulls were above the falls with 2 GLAUCOUS, 2-3 ICELAND, juv./1st-basic THAYER'S, 6-8 LESSER BLACK-BACKEDS, and an ad. HERRING GULL x LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL hybrid being seen from the overlook at the control gates. Dean DiTomasso picked up the 3rd-basic CALIFORNIA GULL across the river on the shelf just upstream from the 3 Sisters Islands near Goat Island. It turns out that this is the same bird that has been on the river since early October and has recently been frequenting the area around the power plants and roosting rocks on the Lower River, but also seems to irregularly turn up on the shelf just out from Goat Island. Large numbers of SCAUP along with about a dozen RING-NECKED DUCKS and 16 TUNDRA SWANS were also visible from the control gates looking upriver on the east (opposite) side of the control structure. Further downriver towards the Engineerium were close to a thousand Bonaparte's Gulls including a LEUCISTIC (nearly full white) BONAPARTE'S GULL, along with an ad. LITTLE GULL, and 2nd-basic LESSER BLACK-BACKED and ICELAND GULLS. An ad. PEREGRINE FALCON put on a nice show here as well, making several attempts at the swirling mass of Bonaparte's before diving into the gorge. Also a WINTER WREN was briefly heard chipping from the sparse vegetation near the concrete stairs/overlook around the gatehouse. Jim Pawlicki Amherst, NY -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES Archives: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[nysbirds-l] California Gull, NRW Swallows at Niagara Falls
Thanks to D. Wheeler for posting (to GeneseeBirds) the 3rd-basic CALIFORNIA GULL above Niagara Falls at Goat Island. The bird spent from about 3:50 to 4:20 p.m. amongst a small flock of Ring-bills on the shelf just upstream from the third sister island near the large stranded log. It was very active chasing leaves in the water and defending them from any interested Ring-bills--perhaps it was fascinated by the leaves due to their scarcity in the mid-west...Anyways at one point all the birds flushed and flew downriver after which it did not return to the shelf, although a short time later Bill Watson arrived and after standing around for about 10 minutes talking to a nice girl from Germany the bird made one more appearance flying downstream with a group of 2 Ring-bills in pursuit of a small stick floating in the water. Also on the shelf nearby was an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull. Feeding in the rapids in litterally a "mat" from the upstream end of Goat Island downstream to the island mid-river, were 1290 Swallows, all of which appeared to be Northern Rough-wingeds. Even after scanning through the flock several times I could not find any other species with them. Large numbers (3000+) of Ring-bills and smaller numbers (800+) of Bonaparte's were all through the falls area, both above and below. Earlier in the day in the strong WSW winds at Buffalo Harbor, Bill Watson and I had 3 Black-bellied Plovers at the edge of the large gravel parking lot in the small boat harbor across from Tifft NP (the same spot as nearly a week earlier), along with 2 Common Terns. Also some photos from today can be viewed in the 09 album here: _http://picasaweb.google.com/jmpawli88_ (http://picasaweb.google.com/jmpawli88) Jim Pawlicki Amherst, NY -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES Archives: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
Re:[nysbirds-l] ***WHITE IBIS*** - Tonawanda WMA, Niagara County (small correction)
Fourth sentence down should actually read: >From there walk the dike separating "Wood Marsh East" and "Hunt Club Marsh" north about 3/4 mile to the first intersection and then continue EAST (right) about 1/4 mile--the actual roost location is on the south side of the dike (actually named Wagoner Rd. on Google Maps) near the Heron rookery, and should be obvious. Apologies. JP In a message dated 9/24/2009 10:26:18 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, jmpawl...@aol.com writes: After listening to Dave Sugg's message on the BOS one-call around 6 pm this evening (Thurs, Sept. 24), I met up with Dave Wheeler and we were able to make it to the Tonawanda WMA in time to watch the juvenile WHITE IBIS roosting amongst the 80-100 Great Egrets. As noted in the WNY Dial-A-Bird, the bird was originally found and well photographed back on September 20 by Mark Pearce. The location is best accessed by heading east on Owen-Bartel Rd. from Ditch Rd. and then parking on the north side of the road just opposite the second firing range. From there walk the dike separating "Wood Marsh East" and "Hunt Club Marsh" north about 3/4 mile to the first intersection and then continue west (right) about 1/4 mile--the actual roost location is on the south side of the dike (actually named Wagoner Rd. on Google Maps) near the Heron rookery, and should be obvious. Timing-wise, anywhere from 6-7 pm should be best, as the Egrets probably start flying in sometime around 6:30. Also earlier today, 4 ad. LITTLE GULLS amongst 300+ Bonaparte's were in the gorge below Niagara Falls looking from Terrapin Point on Goat Island. Good luck. Jim Pawlicki Amherst, NY ___ GeneseeBirds-L mailing list - geneseebird...@geneseo.edu http://mail.geneseo.edu/mailman/listinfo/geneseebirds-l -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES Archives: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[nysbirds-l] ***WHITE IBIS*** - Tonawanda WMA, Niagara County
After listening to Dave Sugg's message on the BOS one-call around 6 pm this evening (Thurs, Sept. 24), I met up with Dave Wheeler and we were able to make it to the Tonawanda WMA in time to watch the juvenile WHITE IBIS roosting amongst the 80-100 Great Egrets. As noted in the WNY Dial-A-Bird, the bird was originally found and well photographed back on September 20 by Mark Pearce. The location is best accessed by heading east on Owen-Bartel Rd. from Ditch Rd. and then parking on the north side of the road just opposite the second firing range. From there walk the dike separating "Wood Marsh East" and "Hunt Club Marsh" north about 3/4 mile to the first intersection and then continue west (right) about 1/4 mile--the actual roost location is on the south side of the dike (actually named Wagoner Rd. on Google Maps) near the Heron rookery, and should be obvious. Timing-wise, anywhere from 6-7 pm should be best, as the Egrets probably start flying in sometime around 6:30. Also earlier today, 4 ad. LITTLE GULLS amongst 300+ Bonaparte's were in the gorge below Niagara Falls looking from Terrapin Point on Goat Island. Good luck. Jim Pawlicki Amherst, NY -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES Archives: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
Re: [GeneseeBirds-L] RE: [nysbirds-l] "Tarrocks" @ Fort Niagara
Rich et al-- A google search for "definition: tarrock" will bring up the following from dictionary.com: Tarrock: Tar"rock\, n. [Greenland tattarock.] (Zo["o]l.) (a) The young of the kittiwake gull before the first molt. (b) The common guillemot. [Prov. Eng.] (c) The common tern. And Wikipedia states: At fledging, the juveniles differ from the adults in having a black 'W' band across the length of the wings and whiter secondary and primary feathers behind the black 'W', a black hind-neck collar and a black terminal band on the tail. The old fisherman's name of "tarrock" for juvenile Kittiwakes is still occasionally used. Also for those familiar with Bob Curry's great book Birds of Hamilton (Ontario), the word was recently used in the Black-legged Kittiwake account where it is mentioned as: "Most birds are juveniles in what is sometimes called the "Tarrock" plumage, so named by fishermen." If you go back in time through the literature, you should be able to find further references from the mid-1800's stating that the dark W-backed "Tarrocks" were thought to be a separate species from the gray-backed adults, which were called "Kittiwakes" (from their "kittiweik" call). Jim Pawlicki In a message dated 9/7/2009 8:42:45 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, gael...@capital.net writes: What is a “TARROCK”? I did a search for that word and came up with a couple of photos of what looked like Common Terns taken at St. Petersburg, Russia. But, looking at the text, I assume this reference was to Black-legged Kittiwakes. I recall problem with off-beat names for birds in the UK where the use of alternate/local names confused the issues a lot for me. One vexing example for me was “Moxie”. It took me a while to figure out what the posters were reporting. Rich Guthrie New Baltimore, _gael...@capital.net_ (mailto:gael...@capital.net) -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES Temporary archive: http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[nysbirds-l] "Tarrocks" @ Fort Niagara
Just a heads up that one of the two juv. Kittiwakes was foraging reasonably close to shore (40-50 yards) just north of the USCG station for at least a half hour this afternoon giving great scope views and several decent photo opps. as viewed from within the Fort itself. After going into the old fort, walk to the NW towards point 15 (marked on map) where you can walk up the stairs to the platform w/the cannons and view the river mouth. Also, two photos can be found here: _http://picasaweb.google.com/jmpawli88/2009_ (http://picasaweb.google.com/jmpawli88/2009) # Jim Pawlicki Amherst, NY -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES Temporary archive: http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[nysbirds-l] Phalarope species at JBWR East Pond
Jerry Lazarczyk just called (about 8:15 a.m. 8/3) to report a Phalarope species spinning in the water "bumper-car" style at the north end of the East Pond at Jamaica Bay NWR. He also reports 3 Gull-billed Terns near the middle of the pond and thousands of shorebirds. Jim Pawlicki Amherst, NY -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES Temporary archive: http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
