This morning, I birded the Hawthorn Orchard (Northeast Ithaca, up on East Hill, just to the Southwest of the intersection of Pine Tree Rd., Ellis Hollow Rd. and Mitchell Street, behind the Reis Tennis Center) from about 7:30am to 8:30am, kind of hoping for something unusual or really interesting.
Nothing out-of-the-ordinary was found, but there were an notable six (6) FOX SPARROWS that were in the shrubs down the slope at the Northeast corner of the Hawthorn Orchard. Initially, they were quietly foraging in the undergrowth only giving soft "seeet" notes. Once they responded to pishing, they each flew up to near the tops of the bushes and hawthorns, then some began making their harsh "tshuck!" notes. Other birds in the area included two EASTERN TOWHEES (1 at Northeast corner down the slope, 1 at Southwest corner), only one RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET, a small flock of GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS (near White Pines on North ravine edge), two WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS, one DARK-EYED JUNCO, several SONG SPARROWS, a handful of BARN SWALLOWS, **many** BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES (in relatively sizable groups with individuals actively pursuing one another), a singing EASTERN MEADOWLARK (to the Southeast) and a single PILEATED WOODPECKER that flew in from the Northeast. Good birding! -- Christopher T. Tessaglia-Hymes Field Applications Engineer Bioacoustics Research Program, Cornell Lab of Ornithology 159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, New York 14850 W: 607-254-2418 M: 607-351-5740 F: 607-254-1132 http://www.birds.cornell.edu/brp -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
