[nysbirds-l] Northern Saw-whet Owl/Red-shouldered Hawk/Crossbills etc.
3/12/12 Ferd's Bog (Hamilton Co.) 10:30 - 1:30 p.m. It was a bit scary driving Uncas Rd. today, and I suspect the town will close it soon given the snowy slush and mud (as they did last year). I almost turned around.but I kept going. I used snowshoes so I could leave the trail and circle the bog. The beaver dam crossing in snowshoes was also scary. With the rapid warm-up, I started to drop through the snow on my hike out even in snowshoes. I think I hit the last day to easily hike off trail. This has been the most unusual (bizarre) winter I can ever recall, and it seems like "normal" is disappearing. When I was across the bog, I heard a Northern Saw-whet Owl tooting! My first thought was that a birder must be playing a tape. But then I thought, no one in their right mind would have driven down Uncas Rd. today..yeah, I know. I continued on with my two Gray Jay companions. Then, I heard it again. I scanned for a birder and didn't see anyone or hear any snow crunching footsteps. Then, I heard it a 3rd time, and as I hiked out, it tooted a 4th time! There were no other footprints in the snow, no one else signed the register, and there were no other car tracks down the road! I've heard Northern Saw-whet Owls give the scary call note during the day, but I've never heard tooting midday. I immediately checked the BNA (Birds of North America) when I got home and the only reference to this behavior was a saw-whet responding midday to a tape. But I didn't play any tapes! The weather was sunny and calm (perfectly calm). So, I guess I now know that Northern Saw-whet Owls DO sing during the day! Here are some of the 18 species found at the bog: Snow Goose - flocks going overhead Canada Goose - flocks going overhead *Northern Saw-whet Owl Black-backed Woodpecker - 2; male and female at the edge of the bog not far from the boardwalk Gray Jay - 2; They were my constant companions today - so much so, that it felt like I was hiking with my dogs! I found myself talking to them the entire hike. I noticed something about their behavior today that I never noticed before. I was feeding them small walnut pieces, and they often picked up several pieces in their mouth before heading out to cache them. If the bird picked up 3 pieces, it cached them in 3 different trees, if it picked up 2 pieces, it cached them in 2 trees, etc. They are such remarkable birds. Boreal Chickadee - several flocks around the bog Brown Creeper - many singing Golden-crowned Kinglet - many singing Purple Finch - many singing White-winged Crossbill - many with lots of singing around the bog Pine Siskin - seemingly limitless numbers 3/11/12 Long Lake, Newcomb, Minerva (Hamilton & Essex Counties) I spent the morning birding with Mike Bryant and his wife Ray Slyper from NYC. Here are some of the 25 species we found: Ruffed Grouse Red-shouldered Hawk - beautiful views today of the bird on a dead snag in the sun (across the road from where we found it the day before in Long Lake) Barred Owl - sang twice late morning in Newcomb! Song Sparrow - singing in Long Lake *Common Grackle - 4; first of the season in Newcomb Purple Finch Red Crossbill - pair at a marsh along the road in Minerva (scope views) White-winged Crossbill - singing in Long Lake, Newcomb, and Minerva (scope views in Newcomb) Pine Siskin Evening Grosbeak - Long Lake, Newcomb, and Minerva (scope views in Long Lake) 3/10/12 Long Lake, Newcomb, Minerva (Hamilton & Essex Counties) 5 new inches of snow overnight I spent the day birding with Anna Hrycin and Josefa Benson of Rochester. Here are some of the 24 species found: *Red-shouldered Hawk - (Long Lake) first of the season and new early record for Hamilton Co. *Killdeer - 1! First of the season and new early record for Hamilton Co.; This bird was observed flying low over Long Lake at dawn to the town beach. It began to vocalize, so we walked over to see it and all you could see was the top of the bird with the rest buried in all the new snow! It was bobbing its head and it looked ridiculous! I felt very bad for this migrant that touched down into a world of snow and cold. Black-backed Woodpecker - 1 female in Minerva on the Roosevelt Truck Trail Boreal Chickadee - 6 (3 groups of 2) along the Roosevelt Truck Trail Purple Finch Red Crossbill - heard in Long Lake and along the Roosevelt Truck Trail in Minerva White-winged Crossbill - singing at Sabattis Bog and along the Roosevelt Truck Trail Evening Grosbeak - several locations A few other older observations: 3/7/12 Long Lake, Newcomb, Minerva Amer. Robin Bohemian Waxwing - ~20 in two berry bushes near the bridge on the west side of Long Lake. This is the first time I've found Bohemian Waxwings in Long Lake. *Song Sparrow - first of the season and new early record for Hamilton Co.; singing near the bridge over Long Lake Red Crossbill - pair gritting near the bridge over Long Lake Sabattis Bog:
[nysbirds-l] Northern Saw-whet Owl/Red-shouldered Hawk/Crossbills etc.
3/12/12 Ferd's Bog (Hamilton Co.) 10:30 - 1:30 p.m. It was a bit scary driving Uncas Rd. today, and I suspect the town will close it soon given the snowy slush and mud (as they did last year). I almost turned around.but I kept going. I used snowshoes so I could leave the trail and circle the bog. The beaver dam crossing in snowshoes was also scary. With the rapid warm-up, I started to drop through the snow on my hike out even in snowshoes. I think I hit the last day to easily hike off trail. This has been the most unusual (bizarre) winter I can ever recall, and it seems like normal is disappearing. When I was across the bog, I heard a Northern Saw-whet Owl tooting! My first thought was that a birder must be playing a tape. But then I thought, no one in their right mind would have driven down Uncas Rd. today..yeah, I know. I continued on with my two Gray Jay companions. Then, I heard it again. I scanned for a birder and didn't see anyone or hear any snow crunching footsteps. Then, I heard it a 3rd time, and as I hiked out, it tooted a 4th time! There were no other footprints in the snow, no one else signed the register, and there were no other car tracks down the road! I've heard Northern Saw-whet Owls give the scary call note during the day, but I've never heard tooting midday. I immediately checked the BNA (Birds of North America) when I got home and the only reference to this behavior was a saw-whet responding midday to a tape. But I didn't play any tapes! The weather was sunny and calm (perfectly calm). So, I guess I now know that Northern Saw-whet Owls DO sing during the day! Here are some of the 18 species found at the bog: Snow Goose - flocks going overhead Canada Goose - flocks going overhead *Northern Saw-whet Owl Black-backed Woodpecker - 2; male and female at the edge of the bog not far from the boardwalk Gray Jay - 2; They were my constant companions today - so much so, that it felt like I was hiking with my dogs! I found myself talking to them the entire hike. I noticed something about their behavior today that I never noticed before. I was feeding them small walnut pieces, and they often picked up several pieces in their mouth before heading out to cache them. If the bird picked up 3 pieces, it cached them in 3 different trees, if it picked up 2 pieces, it cached them in 2 trees, etc. They are such remarkable birds. Boreal Chickadee - several flocks around the bog Brown Creeper - many singing Golden-crowned Kinglet - many singing Purple Finch - many singing White-winged Crossbill - many with lots of singing around the bog Pine Siskin - seemingly limitless numbers 3/11/12 Long Lake, Newcomb, Minerva (Hamilton Essex Counties) I spent the morning birding with Mike Bryant and his wife Ray Slyper from NYC. Here are some of the 25 species we found: Ruffed Grouse Red-shouldered Hawk - beautiful views today of the bird on a dead snag in the sun (across the road from where we found it the day before in Long Lake) Barred Owl - sang twice late morning in Newcomb! Song Sparrow - singing in Long Lake *Common Grackle - 4; first of the season in Newcomb Purple Finch Red Crossbill - pair at a marsh along the road in Minerva (scope views) White-winged Crossbill - singing in Long Lake, Newcomb, and Minerva (scope views in Newcomb) Pine Siskin Evening Grosbeak - Long Lake, Newcomb, and Minerva (scope views in Long Lake) 3/10/12 Long Lake, Newcomb, Minerva (Hamilton Essex Counties) 5 new inches of snow overnight I spent the day birding with Anna Hrycin and Josefa Benson of Rochester. Here are some of the 24 species found: *Red-shouldered Hawk - (Long Lake) first of the season and new early record for Hamilton Co. *Killdeer - 1! First of the season and new early record for Hamilton Co.; This bird was observed flying low over Long Lake at dawn to the town beach. It began to vocalize, so we walked over to see it and all you could see was the top of the bird with the rest buried in all the new snow! It was bobbing its head and it looked ridiculous! I felt very bad for this migrant that touched down into a world of snow and cold. Black-backed Woodpecker - 1 female in Minerva on the Roosevelt Truck Trail Boreal Chickadee - 6 (3 groups of 2) along the Roosevelt Truck Trail Purple Finch Red Crossbill - heard in Long Lake and along the Roosevelt Truck Trail in Minerva White-winged Crossbill - singing at Sabattis Bog and along the Roosevelt Truck Trail Evening Grosbeak - several locations A few other older observations: 3/7/12 Long Lake, Newcomb, Minerva Amer. Robin Bohemian Waxwing - ~20 in two berry bushes near the bridge on the west side of Long Lake. This is the first time I've found Bohemian Waxwings in Long Lake. *Song Sparrow - first of the season and new early record for Hamilton Co.; singing near the bridge over Long Lake Red Crossbill - pair gritting near the bridge over Long Lake Sabattis Bog:
