---- Upstate NY Birding digest <cayugabird...@list.cornell.edu> wrote: > CAYUGABIRDS-L Digest for Wednesday, February 16, 2011. > > 1. snow buntings > 2. merlin yesterday near Cornell compost > 3. picking out longspurs > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Subject: snow buntings > From: Linda Post Van Buskirk <l...@cornell.edu> > Date: Wed, 16 Feb 2011 09:55:00 -0500 > X-Message-Number: 1 >
Could you please change my email address to jas...@gmail.com Thank you Judy Abrams > Nice large flock on Lake Ridge Road, just north of the county line, near the > machine shed. About 8:15 am. I would appreciate advice on how to pick out > longspurs. > > Linda P. Van Buskirk, Ph.D. > Sr. Lecturer in Communication > Cornell University > Ithaca, New York > 607-255-2161; fax 607-254-1322 > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Subject: merlin yesterday near Cornell compost > From: Andrew Myers <atmy...@syr.edu> > Date: Wed, 16 Feb 2011 20:18:31 -0500 > X-Message-Number: 2 > > Hi all, > > Sorry this is a little late. I saw a merlin on a telephone pole yesterday > on the north side of Stevenson Rd just west of the intersection with Turkey > Hill. It turned its head 180 degrees to check me out and then flew north > along the hedgerow. > > Cheers! > > Andrew Myers > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Subject: picking out longspurs > From: Dave Nutter <nutter.d...@me.com> > Date: Thu, 17 Feb 2011 01:42:51 +0000 > X-Message-Number: 3 > > Linda raised a really good question: How to pick out Longspurs? > I've done this a few times, and I'll share my ideas, but I think > others' insights might be helpful, too. > > First of all, forget the name. You'll hardly see the feet, let alone > the hind toe, and the chances of seeing the long claw on it seem > remote to me. At least I haven't yet. Lapland Longspurs tend to > crouch, keep low to the ground and favor low spots as they forage, > so although they may be with Snow Buntings and Horned Larks, > it's a good idea to watch them a long time if there's any terrain > at all for a longspur to hide in or behind - clumps of dirt, tractor ruts, > etc Check out every bird and movement. > Lapland Longspurs are smaller and shorter tailed than Snow Buntings > and Horned Larks which is useful in flight as well as on the ground. > Another clue in flight is they lack the white wing patches of the Snow > Buntings. Among foraging birds, Lapland Longspurs are stripier above > than Horned Larks. Longspurs have a short thick bill like Snow Buntings, > but are browner and more sparrow-like. Their color is sparrow-like stripes > above (gray/black, brownish, & whitish), but I wouldn't worry too much about > the chestnut wingpatch or nape - I haven't found them to be prominent. The > tan side of the face with darkish gray line or spots surrounging the earpatch > seems useful, as are the streaked flanks which are expanded into a smudge > of dark gray at the side of the top of the breast. I've only once seen them > in > breeding plumage, and that was in May, so expect winter plumage. > I've seen them the same places as and among Snow Buntings & Horned > Larks: low winter fields of weeds or corn stubble, usually with snow, often > with manure or sometimes on a bare roadside getting salt or grit or seeds. > In Tompkins County we're fortunate to find an individual or two in a minority > of the flocks. From what I've read on Geneseebirds-L they get larger numbers > and sometimes pure flocks farther north and west in NYS. > The mucklands south of NYS 31 west of the village of Montezuma can be a > good spot for Lapland Longspurs, along with Snow Buntings, Horned Larks, > Savannah Sparrows, and American Pipits. > The last time I saw Lapland Longspurs there were 2 in a relatively small flock > of probably fewer than 20 total of Snow Buntings and Horned Larks. I first > saw the flock crowded on the road edge, and I wasn't sure whether I was > seeing each bird clearly enough through binoculars, so when they flew 30 > yards off into the adjacent field I got the scope out and looked carefully. > It was only in the scope that I saw the Lapland Longspurs. So they can be > easy to overlook. It's really good if you enjoy looking at Horned Larks and > Snow Buntings. > --Dave Nutter > > On Feb 16, 2011, at 06:55 AM, Linda Post Van Buskirk <l...@cornell.edu> wrote: > > > Nice large flock on Lake Ridge Road, just north of the county line, near > > the machine shed. About 8:15 am. I would appreciate advice on how to > > pick out longspurs. > > > > > > > > Linda P. Van Buskirk, Ph.D. > > > > Sr. Lecturer in Communication > > > > Cornell University > > > > Ithaca, New York > > > > 607-255-2161; fax 607-254-1322 > > > > > > > > --- > > END OF DIGEST > -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
