Thinking there might be an impressive roost flight on the NW corner of Cayuga Lake, Jim Tarolli and I started at Cayuga Lake State Park. The first bird Jim put bins on was a beautiful EURASIAN WIGEON. It flew around with Am Wigeons and we eventually lost sight of it. I was glad Gary and Ann relocated it. Looks like the text message system worked well.
Huge numbers of geese and ducks and gulls in the NW corner, and we found a close Cackling Goose. A strong roost flight developed into the ice edge along Lower Lake Rd near Noble Rd. About sunset, 1000 Herring Gulls were 100 yards away on the ice edge. 3 Iceland Gulls found each other, 1 adult and 2 first-winter. 2 Lesser Black-backed Gull adults didn't find each other. Careful observation of this large group saw some weird ones but nothing really unusual. Aside from Cackling we couldn't find any others among an estimated 5000 Canada Geese. Jim posted some photos of the Cackling Goose and Eurasian Wigeon at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/44545168@N06/ David Wheeler N Syracuse, NY Cayuga Lake SP, Seneca, US-NY Jan 30, 2012 2:30 PM - 5:30 PM Protocol: Traveling 5.0 mile(s) Comments: With Jim Tarolli; strong evening roost flight of Herring Gulls, Canada Geese, ducks into the ice edge south of Cayuga Lake State Park 29 species Cackling Goose 1 Canada Goose 5000 estimated Mute Swan 1 Trumpeter Swan 1 Wing-tagged immature Tundra Swan X Gadwall 50 or more American Wigeon 30 American Black Duck 100 Mallard 100 Northern Pintail 3 Redhead 1 Ring-necked Duck 1 Common Goldeneye 7 Hooded Merganser 6 Common Merganser X Great Blue Heron 2 Bald Eagle 1 Ring-billed Gull 100 Herring Gull 1000 on the ice edge at sunset Iceland Gull 3 two first-winter birds joined an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull 2 adults Great Black-backed Gull 25 Downy Woodpecker 1 Northern Flicker 1 American Crow X Strong roost flight over the lake going south, taking place at a higher altitude than the geese and gulls; presume the crows were traveling farther Black-capped Chickadee 1 Tufted Titmouse 1 European Starling 1 Northern Cardinal 1 -- 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/ --
