[nysbirds-l] Bohemian Waxwings & other sightings
1/22/12 Afternoon trip to St. Lawrence Co. I found 2 different flocks of Bohemian Waxwings in St. Lawrence Co. today. One flock of 22 was observed along Route 56 just north of the village of South Colton at noon (Town of Colton). Another flock of 20 birds was found along Route 11 just southwest of the intersection with Stockholm Rd. (Town of Stockholm). As I've mentioned in other years, the rectangular area of Regan Rd. - May Rd. - Pleasant Valley Road - Stockholm Rd. - Route 11 - back to Regan Rd. in the towns of Potsdam and Stockholm, is a terrific place to look for this species in winter. After finding the first flock on Route 56, I decided to visit the second area to see if I'd find more. Sean O'Brien and Ted Mack also found Bohemian Waxwings today. (They were heading east toward the Lake Champlain Valley, while I headed northwest to the St. Lawrence Valley.) Sean asked me to post: They found a mixed waxwing flock of 44 birds, roughly half Bohemian and half Cedar, just north of the village of Saranac Lake (Essex Co. near the border with Franklin Co.) along Route 3 (past the brick pump house). The Bohemian flocks we found today were first-of-the-season for all of us. Also along Route 56, between South Colton and Colton, I found a flock of 25 Cedar Waxwings. American Robins were encountered throughout the afternoon. A light phase Rough-legged Hawk was found along Regan Rd. (Potsdam). A Northern Shrike was observed along Route 310 northwest of Rutherford Rd. in Madrid. Waterfowl at Hawkins Point in Massena: Canada Goose Gadwall Amer. Black Duck Mallard Bufflehead Common Goldeneye - males were doing their interesting behavior (as a group) of sticking out their head, then snapping it backwards! Hooded Merganser Common Merganser I thought about counting the waterfowl for eBird, but I was so cold that tears were running down my face and I couldn't feel my hands (with 2 layers of gloves/mittens)! I stayed long enough to scan the Common Goldeneyes for any Barrow's, and then I headed for the heated car! The Pine Siskin irruption continues to be huge in the Adirondacks and I encountered flocks throughout the early part of the drive - many gritting in the roads. Along Bancroft Rd. (off Route 3 in Piercefield), I found a Gray Jay. This road is a short half circle with interesting boreal habitat. (I drove this road on 1/16/12 and found 2 Gray Jays, 20 Pine Siskins, 2 Purple Finches and 2 Common Ravens.) Also on my drive, I stopped at the Leonard Pond Trailhead (Route 56 in the Town of Colton); I heard Purple Finches, White-winged Crossbills, and Pine Siskins. (Also heard on 1/16/12 at this location.) On a recent bitter cold day, 1/15/12, I drove to several Newcomb-Minerva locations in Essex Co. There were many Pine Siskins, and White-winged Crossbills were singing at several locations. I turned around at the Hewitt Eddy Trailhead (in Minerva on Route 28N), where I heard Pine Siskins and singing White-winged Crossbills. After I turned the car around, I spotted a dead male Red Crossbill on top of the snow bank at the side of the road. It was on top of newly plowed snow, so it probably had died that morning. As I was looking at the bird, another Red Crossbill flew over calling, and I sadly wondered if it was the dead bird's mate. It appears the Red Crossbills are continuing to stay in areas where they nested late last summer. Joan Collins Long Lake, NY -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES 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://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[nysbirds-l] Bohemian Waxwings other sightings
1/22/12 Afternoon trip to St. Lawrence Co. I found 2 different flocks of Bohemian Waxwings in St. Lawrence Co. today. One flock of 22 was observed along Route 56 just north of the village of South Colton at noon (Town of Colton). Another flock of 20 birds was found along Route 11 just southwest of the intersection with Stockholm Rd. (Town of Stockholm). As I've mentioned in other years, the rectangular area of Regan Rd. - May Rd. - Pleasant Valley Road - Stockholm Rd. - Route 11 - back to Regan Rd. in the towns of Potsdam and Stockholm, is a terrific place to look for this species in winter. After finding the first flock on Route 56, I decided to visit the second area to see if I'd find more. Sean O'Brien and Ted Mack also found Bohemian Waxwings today. (They were heading east toward the Lake Champlain Valley, while I headed northwest to the St. Lawrence Valley.) Sean asked me to post: They found a mixed waxwing flock of 44 birds, roughly half Bohemian and half Cedar, just north of the village of Saranac Lake (Essex Co. near the border with Franklin Co.) along Route 3 (past the brick pump house). The Bohemian flocks we found today were first-of-the-season for all of us. Also along Route 56, between South Colton and Colton, I found a flock of 25 Cedar Waxwings. American Robins were encountered throughout the afternoon. A light phase Rough-legged Hawk was found along Regan Rd. (Potsdam). A Northern Shrike was observed along Route 310 northwest of Rutherford Rd. in Madrid. Waterfowl at Hawkins Point in Massena: Canada Goose Gadwall Amer. Black Duck Mallard Bufflehead Common Goldeneye - males were doing their interesting behavior (as a group) of sticking out their head, then snapping it backwards! Hooded Merganser Common Merganser I thought about counting the waterfowl for eBird, but I was so cold that tears were running down my face and I couldn't feel my hands (with 2 layers of gloves/mittens)! I stayed long enough to scan the Common Goldeneyes for any Barrow's, and then I headed for the heated car! The Pine Siskin irruption continues to be huge in the Adirondacks and I encountered flocks throughout the early part of the drive - many gritting in the roads. Along Bancroft Rd. (off Route 3 in Piercefield), I found a Gray Jay. This road is a short half circle with interesting boreal habitat. (I drove this road on 1/16/12 and found 2 Gray Jays, 20 Pine Siskins, 2 Purple Finches and 2 Common Ravens.) Also on my drive, I stopped at the Leonard Pond Trailhead (Route 56 in the Town of Colton); I heard Purple Finches, White-winged Crossbills, and Pine Siskins. (Also heard on 1/16/12 at this location.) On a recent bitter cold day, 1/15/12, I drove to several Newcomb-Minerva locations in Essex Co. There were many Pine Siskins, and White-winged Crossbills were singing at several locations. I turned around at the Hewitt Eddy Trailhead (in Minerva on Route 28N), where I heard Pine Siskins and singing White-winged Crossbills. After I turned the car around, I spotted a dead male Red Crossbill on top of the snow bank at the side of the road. It was on top of newly plowed snow, so it probably had died that morning. As I was looking at the bird, another Red Crossbill flew over calling, and I sadly wondered if it was the dead bird's mate. It appears the Red Crossbills are continuing to stay in areas where they nested late last summer. Joan Collins Long Lake, NY -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES 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://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
