The newly-scoured fields and roadsides along the east end of Mt Pleasant Rd may be an eyesore until something grows, but they offered some good bird sightings this morning.
A couple of dozen American Pipits were feeding there, as were huge numbers of Killdeer which flew up in a large flock (50-80 I estimate) when an American Kestrel and a small accipiter were swooping around after each other overhead. There may be many more pipits. Earlier I watched a male Northern Harrier swooping over the fields, and a large accipiter, possible a Cooper's Hawk, flew past at one point. Below the observatory, I noticed a few Eastern Bluebirds in a tree swooping down repeatedly after prey, then as I watched 19 bluebirds took off from the tree heading east! A couple of Turkey Vultures soared overhead. A couple of days ago a flock of Rock Pigeons was fleeing ahead of a Merlin over the same fields. And along the roadside I picked up 17 Bud Light/Red Dog cans, newly tossed since yesterday. Oddly, they were neatly spaced about 50 yards apart all along Mt Pleasant Rd, implying that someone drove along tossing out a can every few seconds. What jerks some people are! But if you don't want your deposit, I DO! Gotta make a living somehow... ;-)))))) Marie Marie Read Wildlife Photography 452 Ringwood Road Freeville NY 13068 USA Phone 607-539-6608 e-mail m...@cornell.edu http://www.marieread.com Author of Sierra Wings: Birds of the Mono Lake Basin Available here: http://marieread.photoshelter.com/gallery/Sierra-Wings-Birds-of-the-Mono-Lake-Basin/G0000NlCxX37uTzE/C0000BPFGij6nLfE -- 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/ --
