Kevin & I spent a couple hours at Shindagin Hollow State Forest today starting around 10:45 A.M.
The best sighting was spotting along the edge of the road a RUFFED GROUSE. As it walked up hill from the ditch to the forest it started ruffling it's ruff (displaying the feathers on the side of it's upper neck) and had it's crest feathers lifted high and separated. As it got further up we realized there was two, no, THREE Ruffed Grouse! More displaying starting going on and Kevin's Canon shutter was happily clicking away. "Get some video!" I exclaimed. As he captured this amazing sight we realized there was another, yes a FOURTH RUFFED GROUSE. Wow, what a lucky find. They stuck around about ten minutes and one by one flew away with a lag time of about 30 seconds between each grouse. This was my best view ever of grouse and Kevin didn't recall a view of 4 together in quite that manner before. This took place on Bush/Braley Hill Road. The Grouse covey obliterated the previous highlight of the day: a small flock of PINE SISKINS had arrived late to the party of BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES, 10 PURPLE FINCHES, an excited WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH, DOWNY & HAIRY WOODPECKERS. Other birds seen or heard: COMMON RAVEN, COOPER's HAWK, EUROPEAN STARLINGS, RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES, AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES, DARK-EYED JUNCOS & last but never least AMERICAN CROWS. Earlier at George Rd pond we saw one pair on NORTHERN PINTAILS as well as RING-NECKED DUCKS & MALLARDS. Later, at night, we turned a scope on the night sky in Danby to look at Jupiter and saw 4 of it's moons. Sunday was a nice clear & crisp day for bird watching and night for star & planet gazing. We haven't looked at the grouse pix yet but I'd guess any good ones might end up on Kevin's Picasa page at some point. Good Night to all. =) -Lee Ann Sent from my iPhone -- 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/ --
