[nysbirds-l] Tufted Duck - yes Western Grebe - yes Nobel Laureate - Yes
I arrived in Cold Spring around 8:15 and found the Tufted Duck in the company of the 17 Ring-necked Ducks and the Redhead on the pond behind St John's Church. The Cold Spring Harbor Bald Eagle flew in, perched in a tree by the lake, and stayed a few minutes before flying off in the direction of the harbor. I then went to look for the previously reported Eurasian Wigeon in the harbor as there were no wigeons on the St John's pond. A birder was already on the wall on the lower end west side of the harbor where most of the waterfowl were. He was leaving as I arrived but when I got out with my scope and binoculars he stopped and approached me. He introduced himself though I didn't catch the name. An elderly man, he referred to the American Wigeon as the "Bald Pate", a name I haven't heard but once or twice. He said that he was interested in birds before he was interested in science which I though a common enough pattern though my jaw dropped when he said he was one of the people who discovered the double helix. "What was your name again?" I asked - "James Watson" he said and added with a smile, "I didn't think you heard it the first time." It made my day, as a science fan it was a thrill to meet one of the stars of science. Thank you Mr. Watson. BTW, I did find the Eurasian Wigeon in the harbor, dull red head but definitely red. After this I made straight for the Ponquogue Bridge area for the Western Grebe. getting there around 9:45 and I got lucky. The grebe was in the gereral area west of the bridge on the northern half of the bay. I parked in the boat launch lot off Dune Rd and walked all the way out onto the elevated portion of the old bridge remains and scanned the bay from there looking under the bridge to the northwest. The grebe was feeding actively so I had to work to relocate it when it dove. A number of other birders including Arie Gilbert and Eric Miller were looking for the bird a little later but we couldn't refind it from that location; I hope they got it from their next location. On my return trip I birded Belmont Lake and St Charles Cemetery where I found the continuing Barnacle Goose but no Cackling or Greater White-fronted Geese. Rob Bate Brooklyn -- 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] Tufted Duck - yes Western Grebe - yes Nobel Laureate - Yes
I arrived in Cold Spring around 8:15 and found the Tufted Duck in the company of the 17 Ring-necked Ducks and the Redhead on the pond behind St John's Church. The Cold Spring Harbor Bald Eagle flew in, perched in a tree by the lake, and stayed a few minutes before flying off in the direction of the harbor. I then went to look for the previously reported Eurasian Wigeon in the harbor as there were no wigeons on the St John's pond. A birder was already on the wall on the lower end west side of the harbor where most of the waterfowl were. He was leaving as I arrived but when I got out with my scope and binoculars he stopped and approached me. He introduced himself though I didn't catch the name. An elderly man, he referred to the American Wigeon as the Bald Pate, a name I haven't heard but once or twice. He said that he was interested in birds before he was interested in science which I though a common enough pattern though my jaw dropped when he said he was one of the people who discovered the double helix. What was your name again? I asked - James Watson he said and added with a smile, I didn't think you heard it the first time. It made my day, as a science fan it was a thrill to meet one of the stars of science. Thank you Mr. Watson. BTW, I did find the Eurasian Wigeon in the harbor, dull red head but definitely red. After this I made straight for the Ponquogue Bridge area for the Western Grebe. getting there around 9:45 and I got lucky. The grebe was in the gereral area west of the bridge on the northern half of the bay. I parked in the boat launch lot off Dune Rd and walked all the way out onto the elevated portion of the old bridge remains and scanned the bay from there looking under the bridge to the northwest. The grebe was feeding actively so I had to work to relocate it when it dove. A number of other birders including Arie Gilbert and Eric Miller were looking for the bird a little later but we couldn't refind it from that location; I hope they got it from their next location. On my return trip I birded Belmont Lake and St Charles Cemetery where I found the continuing Barnacle Goose but no Cackling or Greater White-fronted Geese. Rob Bate Brooklyn -- 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/ --
