[cayugabirds-l] Hammond Hill Crossbills
I just returned from a long walk at Hammond Hill. In addition to 2 Ravens, 14 Chickadees, 6 Blue Jays, 2 White-breasted Nuthatches, and a single Golden-crowned Kinglet, I encountered two WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS. The crossbills were first heard calling as they flew overhead, from north to south, along Trail #1 on the north side of Star Stanton Road. I played a tape of their call, and they came in briefly, sitting high up and calling. They soon took off again, headed south. Bob McGuire -- 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/ --
[cayugabirds-l] Cackling and Lesser Canada - Ithaca
While birding in the City of Ithaca today, I found a Cackling Goose and what I think is a Lesser Canada Goose (B. c. parvipes) in the Cayuga Lake Inlet. The parvipes was a very small, dark goose that I initially mistook for a second Cackling, until I looked closer and saw that its head and bill shape made it a small Canada. It was larger than the nearby Cackling (I couldn't get them in the same photo), but much smaller than surrounding Canadas. It stood out as the darkest goose present, with a darker breast and more dark flecking on the sides. I embedded some photos of both in my checklist: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S9406491 I would appreciate any comments for or against the ID of this bird. The geese were on the mowed grass embankments on the west side of the Inlet. About 100 Canadas were roosting just upstream of the small dam and fish gate, another 90+ Canada, plus the Cackling and Lesser were downstream of the dam and around the bend. I also birded the Larch Meadows Trail at Buttermilk State Park and Southwest Natural Area (aka Negundo Woods). I didn't see anything too unusual. Highlights include a good mixed flock at the very back of Larch Meadows, along the Inlet, with many Titmice and a Carolina Wren. In Negundo Woods I had a pair of Hooded Mergansers and a Great Blue Heron along the Inlet. Larch Meadows checklist: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S9406195 Negundo Woods checklist: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S9406259 Finally, on my way back home a flock of 74 Tundra Swans flew overhead, calling, as I passed the Ithaca Bus Station. Checklist with photo: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S9406273 Good birding, Nick -- 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/ --
[cayugabirds-l] Railroad/VanDyne Spoor roads - no shrike, no owls
Spent the morning around Knox-Marsellus, East Rd, VanDyne Spoor/Wright/Railroad roads and didn't see the shrike or any owls. I did have about a million snow geese (at least a couple thousand) take off from knox-marsellus and 14 sandhill cranes on the frozen puddlers marsh. Had a dozen or more common mergansers in the canal by the route 89 bridge, and a golden-crowned kinglet on the north bank, west of the lock. A pair of hairy woodpeckers, a pair of pileated, and a flicker were all together in the woods between VanDyne Spoor and Wright roads. Railroad road is in very bad condition (potholes) and only offered a few bluebirds and one Am. kestrel. Still a few tundra swans around with a lot of canada geese and assorted ducks (mostly mallards identified). Only saw a couple eagles (MWR auto route and towpath rd). -- 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/ --
[cayugabirds-l] Eastern Phoebe!
I know it's been a mild winter, but.there's an Eastern Phoebe foraging in my backyard as I write! (Wah??) Marie Marie Read Wildlife Photography 452 Ringwood Road Freeville NY 13068 USA Phone 607-539-6608 e-mail m...@cornell.edu http://www.marieread.com Now on FaceBook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Marie-Read-Wildlife-Photography/104356136271727 -- 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/ --
[cayugabirds-l] Sat Birding
Hi all, Ton and I spent today birding up the east side of Cayuga Lake, ending at the Potato Building around 4 pm before heading back toward Ithaca with a brief stop at Rafferty Rd. in search of Short-earred owls (we didn't find any but did see a KESTREL). We started around 11 am at Stewart Park where there were still hundreds of Canada Geese and one handsome blue phase SNOW GOOSE. In addition, there were around 30 REDHEADS, 5 RINGNECKED Ducks, 2 GADWALL, 2 male PINTAILS, ~15 COMMON GOLDENEYE, 2 RUDDY DUCKS, a few BUFFLEHEAD and many Mallards, Black ducks and Coots. There was also one CORMORANT near the red lighthouse and serveral COMMON MERGANSERS. We didn't count gulls but present were Great Black-backed, Herring and Ringbilled. From there we stopped briefly at Lake Shore Park where we found one female HOODED MERGANSER. From Rte 34, we turned onto Drake Rd. where we found one Redtailed Hawk, one TURKEY VULTURE, 2 MOCKINGBIRDS and 2 BLUEBIRDS. Next stop was Ladoga Park near Myers Park, which was empty, then Myers Park which had one HORNED GREBE, one COMMON LOON, many Mallards, a few more COMMON MERGANSERS and another female HOODED MERGANSER, along with lots of the same assortment of gulls found at Stewa.t Park. We checked out the marina in Myers Park where we found one female WOOD DUCK. The SCREECH OWL was peeking out of his box in the Factory Rd. pond in Union Springs. There were lots of REDHEAD DUCKS and GADWALL on the pond norht of the town. Aurora Bay had many Canada Geese and some Black Ducks and Mallards. Continuing north, we found TUNDRA SWANS in the lake just south of Mud Lock (no count). The wildlife drive at Montezuma was not too productive since most of the water is frozen, but at the north end there is some open water which had many TUNDRA SWANS and a few SNOW GEESE, along with many Canada Geese and assorted ducks and one mature BALD EAGLE. Continuing north, we drove East Rd. but found the marsh to be pretty empty. We found 5 TUNDRA SWANS, and only a few SNOW GEESE. More Canada Geese were visible from the Potato Building and one more BALD EAGLE, but not much else. One thing we noticed was that there were LOTS of Canada Geese in the air all day long. Large Vs of them flying inland from the lake. Most of the day was clouded over with snow squalls here and there. When we turned south around 4 pm, it started to clear and by the time we reached Rafferty Rd., the sky was completely cloudless. Was it sunny all day in Ithaca? A nice day out - and a good start to scouting for the Christmas Bird Count. Have a wonderful Holiday Celebration! Laura and Ton Laura Stenzler l...@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/ --
[cayugabirds-l] Tundra Swans at Stewart Park
In addition to the large numbers of waterfowl at Stewart Park already reported by Laura and Ton, there were 6 TUNDRA SWANS near the east end of the park late this afternoon. 500-600 gulls were loafing on the water offshore, but I couldn't find anything other than the usual 3 species. KEN Ken Rosenberg Conservation Science Program Cornell Lab of Ornithology 607-254-2412 607-342-4594 (cell) k...@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/ --