[nysbirds-l] More Pine Grosbeaks & other finches
11/17/12 - Charlotte Demers (the person with the Harris's Sparrow in her yard) just emailed to say a Pine Grosbeak just showed up outside her Newcomb house! (She also has Bohemian Waxwings and Evening Grosbeaks.) Yesterday, 11/16/12, I found 2 Pine Grosbeaks while driving to the Long Lake Post Office (northern Hamilton Co.). They were in a bush with small red berries - not many berries left and I didn't find re-find them later in the afternoon. I should have mentioned in my post from Thursday that while I have yet to find an adult male Pine Grosbeak, several of the birds I saw on Thursday and one of the two yesterday were young males - if you get a good look with binoculars, you can see some color in the breast feathers of young males. Larry Master of Lake Placid has heard reports of Pine Grosbeaks in Lake Placid, Ray Brook, Bloomingdale, and Wilmington (all Essex Co.). It looks like we have a nice irruption underway for this species! Also yesterday, I drove Sabattis Circle Road in the afternoon (Long Lake). I stopped at the outlet of Little Tupper Lake (one of my favorite birding stops - it always seems like unexpected things happen at this spot!) and while I was observing a Common Loon, I spotted 3 River Otters. They were actively diving - almost always in perfect synch. They appeared as huge, cork-like periscopes when they popped up! I came back an hour later after birding around Sabattis Bog, and found a single Snow Bunting with two Amer. Tree Sparrows by the outlet. One sparrow kept sideling up to the bunting. The bunting would only take it for so long and then very aggressively lunge at the sparrow. I was surprised to see the otters still in the same location out on the lake. A small flock of 4 vocalizing redpolls flew through the birch trees. After awhile, I heard loud sounds of ice breaking (with calm winds). The otters made it over to the outlet and were popping their heads up through the ice! One swam under the bridge and got up on the ice on the outlet and was making red-squirrel type barking sounds! I watched the group of 3 fishing, eating, running around the ice, interacting, and vocalizing (a whole range of fascinating vocalizations). After watching the otters for a long time, I was about to get back in the car, when 3 Red Crossbills (I suspect type 3) flew right over me. I am fascinated by the finch movements this fall, and wondering how far south the irruption ranges will end up. I heard from Matt Orsie of West Virginia on Wednesday - he had a Common Redpoll at his feeder! He said that in addition to an above average influx of Pine Siskins and Purple Finches in WV, they also have reports of Evening Grosbeaks and Common Redpolls - plus both crossbill species in Virginia! 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] More Pine Grosbeaks other finches
11/17/12 - Charlotte Demers (the person with the Harris's Sparrow in her yard) just emailed to say a Pine Grosbeak just showed up outside her Newcomb house! (She also has Bohemian Waxwings and Evening Grosbeaks.) Yesterday, 11/16/12, I found 2 Pine Grosbeaks while driving to the Long Lake Post Office (northern Hamilton Co.). They were in a bush with small red berries - not many berries left and I didn't find re-find them later in the afternoon. I should have mentioned in my post from Thursday that while I have yet to find an adult male Pine Grosbeak, several of the birds I saw on Thursday and one of the two yesterday were young males - if you get a good look with binoculars, you can see some color in the breast feathers of young males. Larry Master of Lake Placid has heard reports of Pine Grosbeaks in Lake Placid, Ray Brook, Bloomingdale, and Wilmington (all Essex Co.). It looks like we have a nice irruption underway for this species! Also yesterday, I drove Sabattis Circle Road in the afternoon (Long Lake). I stopped at the outlet of Little Tupper Lake (one of my favorite birding stops - it always seems like unexpected things happen at this spot!) and while I was observing a Common Loon, I spotted 3 River Otters. They were actively diving - almost always in perfect synch. They appeared as huge, cork-like periscopes when they popped up! I came back an hour later after birding around Sabattis Bog, and found a single Snow Bunting with two Amer. Tree Sparrows by the outlet. One sparrow kept sideling up to the bunting. The bunting would only take it for so long and then very aggressively lunge at the sparrow. I was surprised to see the otters still in the same location out on the lake. A small flock of 4 vocalizing redpolls flew through the birch trees. After awhile, I heard loud sounds of ice breaking (with calm winds). The otters made it over to the outlet and were popping their heads up through the ice! One swam under the bridge and got up on the ice on the outlet and was making red-squirrel type barking sounds! I watched the group of 3 fishing, eating, running around the ice, interacting, and vocalizing (a whole range of fascinating vocalizations). After watching the otters for a long time, I was about to get back in the car, when 3 Red Crossbills (I suspect type 3) flew right over me. I am fascinated by the finch movements this fall, and wondering how far south the irruption ranges will end up. I heard from Matt Orsie of West Virginia on Wednesday - he had a Common Redpoll at his feeder! He said that in addition to an above average influx of Pine Siskins and Purple Finches in WV, they also have reports of Evening Grosbeaks and Common Redpolls - plus both crossbill species in Virginia! 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/ --
