Had a meeting between Syracuse and Utica this morning and then had to teach a weather class in Ithaca at 7 pm...so to kill time I spent from 130 to 630 pm today birding from Montezuma to Myer's. For just 5 hours of birding, I totaled 95 species!! I did no birding in any forested areas so my forest birds are way down. I missed easy woodpecker species, tufted titmouse etc. But like everyone else has reported, today there was a huge influx of migrants to upstate NY!
Highlights: Montezuma Visitors Center: WARBLING VIREO, BALTIMORE ORIOLE, many YELLOW WARBLERS, HOUSE WREN, GRAY CATBIRD all FOY for me, except HOUSE WREN. Swarms of swallows. I had all swallow species including PURPLE MARTIN except today I just could not get a CLIFF SWALLOW. In Broome County last Saturday, I had all except PURPLE MARTIN. Vistor's center was short on shorebirds...just GREATER and LESSER YELLOWLEGS. Larue's as I sent before had the best shorebird diversity. eventually I ended up with 5 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS, 3 DUNLIN, 2 LEAST SANDPIPER, SPOTTED and SOLITARY SANDPIPERS, KILLDEER and 1 WILSON'S SNIPE. There was also one AMERICAN PIPIT and SORA and VIRGINIA RAIL calling sporadically from the Marsh across the road. New shorebird area empty, water too high. Benning Marsh all DUNLIN 50+. Flyover CASPIAN TERN and 1 AMERICAN PIPIT. Also saw a huge flock of gulls, terns (I think) migrating overhead, fairly high up. Reminded me of an unorganized mass of geese or brant. But they were mainly gulls, noticed a couple BONAPARTE'S from the black heads, believe there were also a few CASPIAN TERNS but not sure. Birds very high up, estimated around 300-400. Tschache Pool was crazy. Too many birds, just one birder with 2 eyes. Very distant, there were many many gulls. Saw several BONAPARTE'S GULLS among the normal common ones. I also had 2 BLACK TERNS coarsing around back there. This is the earliest I have ever had them. There were also swarms of swallows again, many perched in the reeds, many in the air. Had BARN, TREE, BANK, ROUGH-WINGED and few PURPLE MARTIN. There were so many swallows I bet there were probably a few CLIFFs but I did not get on any. Also had 2 CASPIAN TERNS flyby. There were also still some lingering divers...RINGED NECKED DUCKS and REDHEADS. Many many GREEN-WINGED TEAL, GADWALL, AMERICAN WIGEON and also heard another SORA, again no playback. East road I added NORTHERN PINTAIL and RUDDY DUCKS. There was also a large flock of DOUBLED CRESTED CORMORANTS flying by and I counted 7 CASPIAN TERNS loafing with a few other RING-BILLED and HERRING GULLS. >From Lake Road, had several EASTERN MEADOWLARKS, SAVANNAH SPARROW and my FOY BOBOLINK. Myer's- LEAST SANDPIPER, GREATER and LESSER YELLOWLEGS, SPOTTED SANDPIPERS (many) and of course KILLDEER. Had 2 COMMON LOONS migrating up the lake and 2 COMMON MERGANSERS fly by low. Select photos can be found here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/davenicosia/sets/72157629945695133/ Dave Nicosia Johnson City, NY -- 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/ --
