[cayugabirds-l] Fwd: [GDACC] Comment Today on Seneca Lake Industriaization
Hi Birders, I hope this isn't too off topic. I noticed in the paragraph about shoreline construction a note about bird habitat. I am not that knowledgeable about shorebirds. If anyone feels they can speak about how this project could affect shore birds, habitat or migrations, please submit your comment using the link. If you are not comfortable commenting directly and would like to share your insights, I can craft it into a comment. Thanks for your help, Maryfaith -- Forwarded message -- From: Mary Beilby mary.bei...@gmail.com Date: Mar 26, 2013 9:41 AM Subject: [GDACC] Comment Today on Seneca Lake Industriaization To: gd...@googlegroups.com Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browserhttp://us4.campaign-archive1.com/?u=9691e612c7b1b9a9a04bf1f41id=f4972cbc10e=435afd51a0 . http://nyagainstfracking.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9691e612c7b1b9a9a04bf1f41id=f18bbf48d0e=435afd51a0 “A word after a word after a word is power.” - Margaret Atwood Dear Thirty Day commentators, *Dust off your public commenting skills. They are needed right away—before 5 pm on Tuesday (tomorrow)*. In Watkins Glen, the oil and gas industry is seeking to turn two empty, underground salt mines on the tranquil shores of Seneca Lake into receptacles for the storage of natural gas that is fracked out of the ground in other states. With this project come a compressor station, pipeline, and debrining facility—along with the industrialization of New York’s largest and deepest lake: the one named Seneca, a source of drinking water for 100,000 people. Right in the heart of New York’s wine country. The company’s name is Inergy. It’s seeking a fast-track approval of its project from the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which would allow it to bypass federal environmental review. What do you think about that? Until the public comment period closes at 5 pm on Tuesday, March 26, you can submit your opinion on this idea directly to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, using FERC’s direct on-line form.http://nyagainstfracking.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9691e612c7b1b9a9a04bf1f41id=0fe4c87928e=435afd51a0 (The easiest way to make your comment is to compose it in Word and then copy and paste it into the comment field.) Make sure you data your comment and indicate the docket number You can submit as many individual comments as you like, but it’s important that they all be substantive and unique. Specifically, we are asking the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to deny the application of the Inergy subsidy called Arlington Storage Company, LLC, which seeks a Certificate of Public Necessity and Convenience to allow for expansion of its natural gas storage facilities on the shores of Seneca Lake. In other words, Inergy’s Arlington wants FERC to skip a pesky environmental review and just give its permission for a massive increase gas storage via salt cavern by July 1—less than four months from now—and we’re saying (all together now), “not so fast.” Then you should clearly identify yourself and describe your connection to this region. Be as personal as you like. (Have you ever vacationed in the Finger Lakes? Do you enjoy New York wines? Do you like to fish?) Next, explain why you believe FERC should deny this application. Here are a few reasons to choose from. You may have others: 1) Aids and abets fracking. The company’s claim that the project is needed to satisfy the Northeast’s growing demand for natural gas storage services will only encourage the natural gas industry to ramp up shale gas extraction further. 2) Economics. This project poses a significant threat to the economy of the local community, which is built around the climate, tranquility, and beauty of Seneca Lake. The financial viability of local wineries, hotels, and recreation facilities hinges on the ability to attract tourists to the area. Transforming a scenic and peaceful lakeside community into an industrial gas storage zone will drives away tourists (maybe you yourself?) and undermine the current local economy. 3) Public health. This project is a menace. Compressor stations, which exert high pressure to squeeze the vaporous gases into liquids, generate air pollution and 24/7 noise pollution. Arlington claims that it is not subject to new performance standards for air pollutants. 4) Public safety. Of the ten catastrophic accidents involving gas storage between 1972-2004, all involved salt caverns. In Hutchinson, Kansas, natural gas leaking from a salt cavern triggered a series of explosions, killed two people, and forced the evacuation of hundreds. 5) Migratory birds. Shoreline construction and industrialization will interfere with them. 6) Secrecy. The public cannot offer its informed consent because Arlington is keeping secret significant portions of its application by filing it as “Critical Energy Infrastructure Information or Privileged Information.” This includes basic geologic information about
[cayugabirds-l] Probable Pink-footed Goose
Now in Knox-Marsellus marsh. 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/ --
[cayugabirds-l] Pink footed Goose still present
At the south end of the close shore on east road, where a spur sticks out from the shoreline. -- 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] Snow Geese
Opposite and north of Milliken Station. moderate size flock on water, west side Cayuga Lake. Sent from my iPhone Donna Scott -- 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] Queen Catharine Marsh (Schuyler Cty) waterfowl
It was a warm morning on the eastern slope of Rock Cabin Rd as we canvassed the marsh. The Sandhill Crane pair is back and a third crane was sighted yesterday. Anyone sighting the cranes please relay reports to us as we will be attempting to document a nesting at QCM this year. Best viewing is from along Rock Cabin Road and there is an observation platform very close to the point where a gas pipeline crosses the marsh. It's a roomy but odd mesh sized platform so bring along some small pieces of lumber to hold your tripod's legs steady. The highlight was hundreds of Wood Duck spread throughout the marsh; we stopped counting at 150 and saw many more. Also present in good numbers were Canada Geese, gadwall,wigeon, blacks, mallards, shovelers, pintails, green-winged teal, ring-neckeds and common mergs. As the season progresses listen and look for rails and both bitterns. A Bald Eagle pair has been showing interest the last couple of years and will hopefully nest nearby, if they haven't done so already. An unoccupied as yet Osprey platform is directly across the marsh from the observation platform. Rock Cabin is a dirt track running along the marsh from the bottom of the Burdett hill and just off Rte 79 before it swings around the lake and into Watkins Glen. Access is also available off Skyline Drive in Montour Falls. It's wise to park well to the side of the road. A parking area is available at the Montour Falls end of RCR; look to the left just prior to leaving pavement. Walking the area is probably the most effective way of birding here. A trail of sorts circumnavigates the marsh. JS -- John and Sue Gregoire Field Ornithologists Kestrel Haven Avian Migration Observatory 5373 Fitzgerald Road Burdett,NY 14818-9626 Website: http://www.empacc.net/~kestrelhaven/ Conserve and Create Habitat -- 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] Pink-footed Goose
It was seen at 3:00-5:00 at Knox Marcellus on the dike across from Knox Marcellus. Most of us saw a buffy breast with a brown neck. It put it's head up every once in awhile. You could see the pink in the bill. It did stand up once while I was there and showed light colored legs. I hope a lot of folks IDed it. Cool bird! Good Birding, Ann -- 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/ --
Re: [cayugabirds-l] Pink-footed Goose
After Ann left, several people gathered up near the large rock with the K-M plaque. Finally, the PINK FOOTED GOOSE started moving around enough that we got good looks at its whole body, brown head and bright pink legs. It appeared to start foraging and sometimes when it got close to certain CANADA GEESE one of those would poke at the PF Goose and it would move away, so we got to see it walking around a bit. It flapped its wings a couple times, too. Finally, it went off into taller grass behind some milkweed plants on the side of the tire tracks away from the water and became more difficult to see again. When we first arrived at K-M on East Rd. to see a cluster of cars and a small forest of scopes, my sister and I remarked that we knew just where to go and that it resembled the Moose Jams we see in Algonquin Provincial Park in Ontario. When AP park visitors spot moose off Highway 60, they all pull off the road and hop out of cars with cameras and binocs to look at the moose. Sometimes there are 25 or more vehicles lining the highway in one spot, so as you approach you know a moose is there somewhere. So, today we joined a Goose Jam. Donna Scott - Original Message - From: Ann Mitchell To: cayugabirds-l Sent: Tuesday, March 26, 2013 9:35 PM Subject: [cayugabirds-l] Pink-footed Goose It was seen at 3:00-5:00 at Knox Marcellus on the dike across from Knox Marcellus. Most of us saw a buffy breast with a brown neck. It put it's head up every once in awhile. You could see the pink in the bill. It did stand up once while I was there and showed light colored legs. I hope a lot of folks IDed it. Cool bird! Good Birding, Ann -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: Welcome and Basics Rules and Information Subscribe, Configuration and Leave Archives: The Mail Archive Surfbirds BirdingOnThe.Net Please submit your observations to eBird! -- -- 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] Tuesday MNWR Cayuga Lake
Tuesday birding with Derby Hill Hawk Counter Steve Kolbe had many highlights. Our first stop was Knox-Marsellus Marsh where we met up with Joe Brin and Jim Tarolli. Not much was really happening until a group of Canada Geese flew in and Steve immediately picked out a Pink-footed Goose We never saw the legs (the bird was on the water) but there was nothing suspicious about it. Numerous other stops found a general lack of the recent dabbling ducks. The north end of Cayuga Lake continues to be super-loaded, as seen from Harris Park, Cayuga Lake State Park, and Lower Lake Rd. Glare, distance, and heat shimmer made it difficult to pick out anything unusual. Snow Geese numbers are down but there are still some left to go. We saw the goose fairly close in but others may have better photos. Here are mine and Jim's. http://www.flickr.com/photos/22183060@N08/8594323682/in/photostream http://www.flickr.com/photos/jtarolli9/ David Wheeler N. Syracuse, NY -- 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] Knox-Marsellus and Tschache Pool, Tues 3/26
My son Tilden and I decided spontaneously to chase the Pink-footed Goose on Tuesday evening. I was quite shocked to find only one other birder along East Road at 6:30 PM. We didn't find the rare goose; maybe we just missed it, or maybe it left with the hundreds of Canada Geese that flew north from the marsh before dusk. But we had more than our share of other redeeming sightings. * BALD EAGLES tending their nest in the woods at Mud Lock * AMERICAN KESTRELS and NORTHERN HARRIERS all along our route * One blue-morph SNOW GOOSE among a few white ones, plus a TUNDRA SWAN among expected duck species at Knox-Marsellus * Probably the greatest spectacle of birds I've ever seen in the Basin or maybe anywhere - hundreds of thousands of RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS and COMMON GRACKLES passing by the tower at Tschache Pool at sunset. Several hundred settled in the trees and marsh grasses right by the parking area, but most flew past May's Point toward the Wildlife Drive. We saw at least ten dense flocks of many hundreds of birds, stretching and folding like some genius animator's abstract inventions. But most impressive was a single line of blackbirds starting from the northwest to the southeast horizons, passing at a rate of at least 100 per second and sometimes bulging to maybe several hundred. This flock passed without pause for at least ten minutes -- we timed it with a watch. The line mostly flowed smoothly like a stream in its channel, but occasionally rose and fell in a resonant wave, as if whip-snapped by a giant hand miles away. I'll sit down and develop a more rigorous calculation before we enter data in eBird, but I am pretty sure that there were several hundred thousand birds, mostly Red-winged Blackbirds. Tilden would like to believe that there were at least a million, and I think even this could well be accurate. * A GREAT HORNED OWL that passed over Route 89 at dusk, making me look smart seconds after I told Tilden to look for one. We took note of the bird's very flat-headed and nearly concave-bellied profile, which seemed counterintuitive given our accustomed image of the perched bird, with its big face and hefty body. Mark Chao -- 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/ --
