Martha Fischer and I participated in the DEC waterfowl survey this morning on the west side of Cayuga Lake from Taughannock Point up almost to Deans Cove. We didn't find anything particularly noteworthy, but diversity wasn't bad, and there were definitely more birds around (in that section anyway) than this time last year. Sheldrake was the center of activity as usual, with thousands of Canada Geese and moderate-sized scattered groups of Redhead and Ring-necked Ducks with Canvasback and scaup mixed in, as well as Bufflehead, goldeneye, and all three mergansers around the fringes, as well as two NORTHERN PINTAIL and a single GADWALL. We saw a couple of Mallard x black duck hybrids during the day, as well as an odd male-like Mallard with brown on the face and female-like patches on the sides, perhaps an intersex female. Photos here: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S16507246
The most noteworthy birds of the morning, however, were not waterfowl. Martha spotted two AMERICAN PIPITS foraging along the shoreline at Deans Cove after our survey: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S16503915 And as we drove along South Street in Ovid looking for Snowy Owls on our way back to Ithaca (no luck), we flushed a juvenile WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW off the side of the road: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S16503904 After heading back to Ithaca and finding the immature GLAUCOUS GULL sleeping on the ice (http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S16502642) (likely the same bird that Bob McGuire had at the compost this morning), I headed up the east side of the lake. Once again I found nothing noteworthy on the waterfowl front, but while checking access points south of Union Springs, I stumbled across a flock of tree sparrows and Dark-eyed Juncos on Great Gully Cove/Fire Lane 8 that contained a female OREGON DARK-EYED JUNCO. It stood out immediately as being much warmer and browner than the other birds, even a couple of fairly brown female Slate-colored. The gray hood was dark and very distinct, contrasting with the brown back and pinkish-brown sides. They didn't allow close approach and disappeared after a few minutes, but I managed a couple of mediocre pictures: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S16507845 -- Jay McGowan Macaulay Library Cornell Lab of Ornithology jw...@cornell.edu -- 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/ --
