On my way biking over to the Swan Pond, I saw a Downy Woodpecker gleaning insects? off of a six foot flowering stalk of the Mullein. I started walking around the Swan Pond going clockwise where the west entrance would be 9:00 to the boat house.
noon: Cedar Waxwing. 1:00: Looking north, out to the lake, sitting on a log, were four female Common Mergansers (?). I did not have my notebook or camera phone with me. 1:00: Looking south toward the Cascadilla Boat House and the island: immature Green Heron (striped nape, orange bill, yellow near the bill, white stripes under the eye and another beneath that). Another heron flew by and into a tree (possibly the adult, but I only saw all grey back). As I watched the herons, out paddled six Wood Ducks (one female with her white eye ring and five immatures, the immatures are starting to differentiate in marking; and I could see one of the four was definitely going to be a male). 2:00 flycatcher (Eastern Phoebe?) perching high in the trees. I so love this trail, the bird sanctuary, and the park. Does anyone know the status of the boat house? i don't think having it be a historic center is the best use of that building. I would love to get a committee together to brainstorm ideas for an educational center located upstairs. Anyone interested? I'd love to see a school like New Roots based there in collaboration with the Lab of Ornithology and offering another great place to offer bird walks. The Cayuga Bird Club talked about sponsoring signage there, and I think that is great; but I envision a generous donor giving money to fully restore the building and installing an awesome scope for the public! Did anyone worry about how the birds in Stewart Park were doing during the 4th of July fireworks? * * * * * * * * * *"Don't ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come ALIVE, for what the world needs is people who have come ALIVE." - Dr. Howard Thurman, American Theologian, Clergyman and Activist (1900-1981) * Sandra (Sandy) Wold Cayuga Basin Bioregion Map, Author/Originator/Designer/Publisher, www.sites.google.com/site/cayugabioregionmap/ <https://sites.google.com/site/cayugabioregionmap/> Sustainability Educator/Artist, www.linkedin.com/pub/sandra-sandy-wold/a7/114/877 Math/Science Tutor, www.sites.google.com/site/fallcreektutoringservices/home -- 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/ --
