Today (10/27/12) was the fifth day in a row that I've found White-winged Crossbills. (Mary Beth Warburton mentioned she found a flock of over 20 in Potsdam (St. Lawrence Co.) this past Tuesday.) All 5 locations are areas where White-winged Crossbills nested this past winter. I did continue to observe/hear White-winged Crossbills throughout the summer, but I have not heard any in a couple months. Crossbill movements are often a bit perplexing, and I don't know if the birds I've found during the past week are still the winter nesters hanging around or birds on the move.
12/27/12 Blueberry Mountain in Long Lake (Hamilton Co.) & the Hewitt Eddy Trail & Boreas River Bridge in Minerva (Essex Co.) Mid-afternoon, my husband and I did our annual bushwhack up Blueberry Mountain and we were joined by my sister's 9-old granddaughter (her first mountain climb). After boating for about 4 to 5 miles, the climb is a 2-mile round trip hike with a 1,000' elevation gain to open cliffs with spectacular views. Just before coming out of the trees to the open rocks near the summit, I found a female Black-backed Woodpecker. My 9-year old grand-niece is unusually coordinated with binocs - after only a sentence or two trying to describe the bird's location, I handed her the binocs. Just as I was going to explain how to location the bird with them, she said, "I'm looking at it!" And, "Wow, it has a black back!" On the summit rocks, I heard White-winged Crossbills the entire time - foraging all around us. When we got back to the boat at sunset, 19 Common Loons were grouped together across the lake! This is the largest gathering I've ever observed on Long Lake. We found two more on the ride home (bill touching, which was also observed in the large group), so a total of 21. The lake was a mirror and the rising moon over the mountains was gorgeous. In the morning, after a brief hike on the Hewitt Eddy Trail in Minerva (lots of Pine Siskins, which are still everywhere), I stopped at the Boreas River and found Boreal Chickadees vocalizing in a mixed flock. A Snowshoe Hare hopped along Route 28N - its legs had turned completely white, but its body was still brown! At our home, we continue to have Evening Grosbeaks visiting our feeders each day, in addition to hoards of Pine Siskins (going through a lot of seed). Two raccoons have also discovered the feeders. 10/26/12 Long Lake - home White-winged Crossbills flew over our house as I filled the feeders at dawn. 10/25/12 Shallow Lake Trail & Ferd's Bog (Town of Long Lake in Hamilton Co.) Late afternoon, at Beaver Brook on the trail to Shallow Lake, I found 2 Gray Jays, a Yellow-rumped Warbler (fly-catching insects in the 70 degree heat), White-winged Crossbills foraging in the trees across the brook, Pine Siskins, and 6 hunters (3 parties) - there is one less Ruffed Grouse on that trail now (they planned to eat it). At Ferd's Bog, now sunset, 3 Gray Jays came to the boardwalk and I shared my almonds. I put almond pieces a few feet from me so the birds wouldn't be nervous and I sat very still. One of the birds hopped up to me and it reached its bill under my pant-leg and came out with a piece of almond I must have dropped! Their powers of observation are remarkable! 10/24/12 Sabattis Circle Road in Long Lake (Hamilton Co.) While I was watching the first-of-the-season (for me) American Tree Sparrows at the outlet of Little Tupper Lake on Sabattis Circle Road, White-winged Crossbills flew over (around 4:30 p.m.) 10/23/12 Roosevelt Truck Trail in Minerva (Essex Co.) In a late afternoon hike of the Roosevelt Truck Trail, I found a calling White-winged Crossbill (around 4:30 p.m.). 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/ --
