[nysbirds-l] White-winged Crossbills, Pine Siskins, Evening Grosbeaks, etc.
11-9-11 (Submitted most locations to eBird, but I'll do a quick summary) Pine Siskins continue to be remarkably abundant in the Adirondacks. There are so many, that it feels like the entire population must currently be in the Adirondacks! Everywhere you stop, you hear them. This morning, the trees outside our house were once again filled with siskins (none yet at the feeders). Purple Finches and Amer. Goldfinches are also currently widespread, but in far fewer numbers than siskins. Blue Jays also continue to be abundant. Most exciting this morning, I found 4 flocks of White-winged Crossbills! (Total of 35) I was able to view 2 flocks with my scope. Here are some of the species found: (Birded from 7:45 a.m. to noon, clear skies, 37 to 64 degree range) Our house (Long Lake, Hamilton Co.): Purple Finch - 5 Pine Siskin - 40 Amer. Goldfinch - 3 Route 28N .7 miles southeast of the intersection with the Blue Ridge Rd. in Newcomb, Essex Co.: Black-backed Woodpecker - 1 (I find them here about 50% of the time I stop) Boreal Chickadee - 5 (3 on one side of the road and 2 on the other) Purple Finch - 6 White-winged Crossbill - 25 (two flocks: one 19 and one 6. The flock of 19 was feeding on tamarack cones - nice scope views!) Pine Siskin - 60 Amer. Goldfinch - 7 Railroad Bed south off Route 28N in Minerva, Essex Co.: (This is one of the locations where Red Crossbills nested this past summer, but I didn't find any today.) Pileated Woodpecker - 3 Purple Finch - 6 White-winged Crossbill - 8 (One flock feeding on black spruce cones - nice scope views!) Pine Siskin - 100 (Feeding on black spruce cones, balsam fir cones, and tamarack cones. It was very hard to count the number of siskins and 100 is a very conservative estimate. You could see them all the way down the railroad bed in the trees.) Evening Grosbeak - 12 (In a large white pine. I was able to see 5 before the flock of 12 flew off (4 males, 1 female)). As I was hiking back to my car on the railroad bed, I was thinking it would really make my day if I could also find Evening Grosbeaks. Just a few seconds later, I found the flock of 12! They were in a large white pine right along Route 28N across from my car. Hewitt Eddy Trail in Minerva, Essex Co.: Purple Finch - 6 White-winged Crossbill - 2 (They were flying over as I got out of my car. It is possible I was seeing the end of a larger flock.) Pine Siskin - 40 Amer. Goldfinch - 6 Blue Jays are abundant everywhere also. One of the Blue Jays gave a perfect Broad-winged Hawk vocalization! I also found a few flocks of Dark-eyed Juncos. I had hoped to also visit the Boreas River bridge area and hike the Roosevelt Truck Trail, but both locations had hunters. It appears we have an exciting finch winter ahead! There is certainly an abundance of food for them this year. 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] White-winged Crossbills, Pine Siskins, Evening Grosbeaks, etc.
11-9-11 (Submitted most locations to eBird, but I'll do a quick summary) Pine Siskins continue to be remarkably abundant in the Adirondacks. There are so many, that it feels like the entire population must currently be in the Adirondacks! Everywhere you stop, you hear them. This morning, the trees outside our house were once again filled with siskins (none yet at the feeders). Purple Finches and Amer. Goldfinches are also currently widespread, but in far fewer numbers than siskins. Blue Jays also continue to be abundant. Most exciting this morning, I found 4 flocks of White-winged Crossbills! (Total of 35) I was able to view 2 flocks with my scope. Here are some of the species found: (Birded from 7:45 a.m. to noon, clear skies, 37 to 64 degree range) Our house (Long Lake, Hamilton Co.): Purple Finch - 5 Pine Siskin - 40 Amer. Goldfinch - 3 Route 28N .7 miles southeast of the intersection with the Blue Ridge Rd. in Newcomb, Essex Co.: Black-backed Woodpecker - 1 (I find them here about 50% of the time I stop) Boreal Chickadee - 5 (3 on one side of the road and 2 on the other) Purple Finch - 6 White-winged Crossbill - 25 (two flocks: one 19 and one 6. The flock of 19 was feeding on tamarack cones - nice scope views!) Pine Siskin - 60 Amer. Goldfinch - 7 Railroad Bed south off Route 28N in Minerva, Essex Co.: (This is one of the locations where Red Crossbills nested this past summer, but I didn't find any today.) Pileated Woodpecker - 3 Purple Finch - 6 White-winged Crossbill - 8 (One flock feeding on black spruce cones - nice scope views!) Pine Siskin - 100 (Feeding on black spruce cones, balsam fir cones, and tamarack cones. It was very hard to count the number of siskins and 100 is a very conservative estimate. You could see them all the way down the railroad bed in the trees.) Evening Grosbeak - 12 (In a large white pine. I was able to see 5 before the flock of 12 flew off (4 males, 1 female)). As I was hiking back to my car on the railroad bed, I was thinking it would really make my day if I could also find Evening Grosbeaks. Just a few seconds later, I found the flock of 12! They were in a large white pine right along Route 28N across from my car. Hewitt Eddy Trail in Minerva, Essex Co.: Purple Finch - 6 White-winged Crossbill - 2 (They were flying over as I got out of my car. It is possible I was seeing the end of a larger flock.) Pine Siskin - 40 Amer. Goldfinch - 6 Blue Jays are abundant everywhere also. One of the Blue Jays gave a perfect Broad-winged Hawk vocalization! I also found a few flocks of Dark-eyed Juncos. I had hoped to also visit the Boreas River bridge area and hike the Roosevelt Truck Trail, but both locations had hunters. It appears we have an exciting finch winter ahead! There is certainly an abundance of food for them this year. 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/ --
