[cayugabirds-l] Summary of CBC Finger Lakes NF field trip

[Joshua Snodgrass]

Today I led my first ever birding field trip for the Cayuga Bird Club to
the Finger Lakes National Forest in (mostly) Schuyler County. Ten
courageous birders met me at Teeter Pond at 7:30am for an all day trip
through the National Forest to battle mud, mosquitoes, and multiflora rose
in the search for birds. We started at the parking lot and birded a bit in
Horton Pasture (technically Seneca County), just across the street to the
north. This first leg yielded some very cooperative BALTIMORE ORIOLES,
singing BROWN THRASHER and NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD for good auditory
comparisons, distant BOBOLINKS, very loud FIELD SPARROWS and scope views of
a perched RED-TAILED HAWK. At Teeter Pond itself, we had several exuberant
YELLOW WARBLERS, freshly arrived from migration and arguing for territory,
drumming and foraging YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKERS (this species would be
present in good numbers throughout the day), red-winged blackbirds and
grackles, and some singing LEAST FLYCATCHERS-another species that would
reappear at several locations throughout the day, singing enthusiastic
Chi-BECK songs and perching for great views.
  From Teeter Pond, we carpooled south to Ballard Pond, where we had
exceptionally cooperative EASTERN MEADOWLARKS, perched Singing BOBOLINK, a
scopable AMERICAN KESTRAL, and a surprising six(!) WILSON'S SNIPE foraging,
flying and being super cooperative in the marshy spot across the street
from Ballard Pond parking lot. The Snipe were one of the highlights of the
day for me, a county bird, and the most I've seen at one time. We also
picked up singing SAVANNAH SPARROWS, one of the few birds we would fail to
get a look at on the trip.
  From Ballard we traveled south to the Potomac Wildlife Ponds (and a
fortuitous Port-a-John). We walked the loop trail, catching a glimpse of
OSPREY above the trees, multiple least flycatchers, double digit numbers of
EASTERN TOWHEE, a flyover pair of WOOD DUCK, singing WOOD THRUSH, many
singing OVENBIRDS, and briefly vocal VEERY, drumming RUFFED GROUSE, a
ROSE_BREASTED GROSBEAK, both resident NUTHATCHES and several species of
warbler. We had good views of CHESTNUT-SIDED, heard a few COMMON
YELLOWTHROAT, and were blown the raspberry by two BLUE_WINGED WARBLERS from
deep brush, offering only fleeting glimpses to some of us. As a consolation
for the poor views of Blue-winged, a BLUE-HEADED VIREO popped out and
presented himself in a nearly leafless tree for good study. We slogged back
through the mud to be surprised by a GREAT-BLUE HERON flying into and
perching in a pine tree, which was still hard to discern, despite being
100x bigger than a warbler.
  Here we parted ways with about half of the party and broke for lunch at
Dandy Mart in Hector. From there, we headed back to the Southwest part of
the forest and birded several spots along Burnt Hill Rd. We stopped by
Gorge Trail, South Burnt Hill Pond, and South Slope Trail. At Gorge Trail
we finally got good views of AMERICAN REDSTART, and brief look at a
BROAD-WINGED HAWK as it flew away. Some of the best birding of the day was
at South Burnt Hill Pond, where we encountered quite a few YELLOW-RUMPED
WARBLERS, and in one tree had two NASHVILLE WARBLERS, four PURPLE FINCHES,
two Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, and a yellow-rumped. We also had our only
MAGNOLIA WARBLER here, as well as calling PILEATED WOODPECKERS,
red-breasted nuthatch, and a singing BROWN CREEPER. Our final stop added
only a single calling COMMON RAVEN, and several species we'd encountered
earlier.
 I had a fantastic time today. Our final tally was about 67 species, and it
is still early in the season. It was great reconnecting with some warblers
I got to see on their wintering grounds in January and with the very people
who I'd seen them there with. Thank you to everyone who came out, you made
the trip so much fun! And thank you to the Cayuga Bird Club for inviting me
to lead my first field trip- I can't wait to do another one! See you all
soon!
Good Birding,
Josh

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[cayugabirds-l] Why I'm Voting NO on the ICSD Budget: Urgent Need for Climate Focus

[Sandy Wold]

I am sharing my thoughts in communities I am a part of because
​1.  Our planet is in crisis and quickly approaching 2020; and we are at
1.5 degrees Celsius.  We can't go to 2.0 Celsius, or the planet will be
unlivable by 2050.  We need to mitigate both CO2 and CH4!  Eating less meat
and more veggies = cooler planet. Divest from natural gas.  Eat less rice.
...go solar!
2. ​

​Greenhouse gas mitigation
 has everything to do with bird
​ conservation​

​3.  ​M
any of the birders are
​ tax paying​
parents who want their children to enjoy the birds we all love!
​4.  ​M
arshland birds are threatened because of rising tides.  Seabirds are
further threatened because fish they need to feed their young are going
deeper or farther north to seek cooler waters.
5.  Endemic birds in the Caribbean are threatened by decreasing habitat due
to people, and bigger hurricanes make this problem worse than it already
is.
​
​Please, everyone who cares about the planet, don't get annoyed that I am
"off topic."  Instead, step into your power and write a letter to the
school board to support my letter and to city council to not sell off the
Green Street parking garage to another luxury apartment developer
ASAPthese issues are all connected!!!  We need green affordable housing
to address the poverty and reduce Carbon emissions.




*---**CLIMATE CHANGE ACTION YOU CAN TAKE: Divesting from animal agriculture
by switching to a plant-based diet can help our planet transform.  A vegan
diet is heart-healthy, non-violent, anti-colonial, and sustainable! **Pledge
the **Ithaca *
*10 or 30-day (Plant-based) Vegan
Challenge!**www.facebook.com/groups/IthacaVeganChallenge/
*
Instagram* #VeganPlanet2020*

*---**Sandy Wold, **sustainability educator/artist*
B.S. Chemistry/Biochemistry, University of Florida
M.S. Science Education​, UC Santa Cruz/SUNY Cortland
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandy-wold-877114a7/
https://sandy-wold.squarespace.com/

On Sun, May 6, 2018 at 7:31 PM, Alyce Anderson 
wrote:

> Why is this on the ebird list? It has nothing to do with birds. This is
> the most inappropriate item to appear on our list in all of my years of
> being on the list. Shame on you for using it.
>
> Alyce Anderson
>
>

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[cayugabirds-l] Why I'm Voting NO on the ICSD Budget: Urgent Need for Climate Focus

[Sandy Wold]

Opinion Submission to Ithaca Times: Why I'm Voting NO on the ICSD Budget:
the Need for a Climate-Appropriate Budget and Why We Need to Talk About The
3 Elephants in the Room (936 words)

Dear Members of the ICSD School Board:

I expect to attend and comment at the ICSD Budget Hearing meeting tomorrow
evening, and want you to have my thoughts about why I oppose the budget
ahead of time. I will also name and speak of the three elephants in the
room: the urgent need for Carbon mitigation and sustainability and social
justice education, the equally urgent and important need for methane
mitigation and plant-based nutrition education, and Cornell's ongoing
underpayment of taxes and the impact that has on the lack of affordable
housing for working families, child poverty, the trauma eviction causes
children, and child homelessness.

First Elephant: ICSD needs a CARBON-NEUTRAL PLAN and needs to integrate
SUSTAINABILITY and SOCIAL JUSTICE into all aspects of classes and school
culture. Given there is less than 1.5 years to meet the Paris Accord
Agreement, that we are nearing 1.5 degree Celsius, that 1.9 degrees Celsius
is not going to be that much different than 2.0, that scientists predict
2.0 will leave our children with an unlivable planet by 2050, and that we
need a new mindset to solve problems stemming from the old paradigm, I vote
NO on any budget that lacks a Carbon-neutral plan in the budget.  In short,
I propose we shorten the 5-day school week by at least one day to divert
money that would otherwise be spent on salaries ($11,000,000+) and water/sewer,
electricity, and transportation fuel, to finance and promptly begin to
install solar panels, efficient lighting, ground or air-source heating
systems, and zero-emission buses.  All ICSD staff (including
administration) would necessarily take a 1/5 pay reduction in order to
finance our transition to carbon-neutral schools. This is not just for the
common good, but for *all* ICSD long-term job security.

I further propose that the mayor and superintendent declare a state of
emergency for our city, county, and state and call on the governor to
ensure state funding will not be interrupted due to lack of student
attendance.  Students staying home would have online reading assignments on
the topics of climate science, sustainability, plant-based nutrition, and
engage in moderated online discussions on race relations.  Moderation would
be done by scholars and community leaders who would take live questions by
Tweet, such as the one held at the Brooklyn Historical Society in response
to Ferguson (CSPAN, 2014). In addition, students could also opt to spend
the day shadowing adults who work in sustainability and report back to
their school or class via podcast or Youtube channel.  Food security for
students who do not have enough to eat at home shall be addressed.  Lastly,
when back in school, the learning that happened on the day off would be
documented and connected to all subjects.

In addition to carbon-neutral and energy conservation planning, I recommend
we not buy the proposed 8 full-size gasoline buses ($500k each).  Rather,
let us lessen the demand on the ones we have and/or buy 5 zero-emission
buses ($800k). I also recommend we begin to replace all ICSD fountains with
Elkay wall-mounted fountains ($961 each), which filter out lead and other
harmful contaminants.  It would be even more climate-friendly if we could
find a filter fountain without refrigeration.

The second elephant in the room is METHANE MITIGATION.  With or without
NYS, ICSD should promote and embrace Meatless Mondays to educate ICSD
staff, students, and families (K-12) about the health and environmental
benefits of eating less animal products. ICSD should offer plant-based
nutrition education to counter the racial and ethnic bias in the US Dietary
Guidelines and educate about how racism, racial bias, and government
policies resulted in cultural destruction and the loss of
community-specific food production methods.  They should also educate how
the US Dietary Guideline programs promote excess chronic disease in
minority communities and perpetuate poverty.  Finally, ICSD should educate
ICSD how to ameliorate the negative impact of federal guidelines and food
support programs on the health of minority communities.  To not do this is
to be complicit with animal agriculture industry and pharmaceutical greed.

The third elephant in the room is CORNELL'S UNDERPAYMENT OF TAXES and
"voluntary contribution." Many towns complain that universities and big
businesses like Amazon contribute to gentrification, loss of affordable
housing, poverty, and homelessness due to evictions for non-payment of
rent.  See Seattle/Amazon clash (Slate, May 2018). The Green Street Parking
Garage Project may be our last strong-hold on this topic.  While most of
the wealth in Ithaca is held by white academics and white real estate
developers, our poverty rate is the third highest in the state, and that is
not acceptable. T

[cayugabirds-l] Lots of great egrets

[Laura Stenzler]

23 great egrets along the far side (west) side of Tschache pool. 1:30 Sunday. 

Laura

Laura Stenzler
l...@cornell.edu
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[cayugabirds-l] Indigo Bunting

[Anne Hobbs]

I have resisted “me too” messages for all my spring arrivals but just now, for 
the first time ever, an Indigo Bunting showed up at the feeder in front of my 
house. It was promptly chased away by the many goldfinches but it remained in 
our bushes waiting its turn. I should add that I live in the woods which is 
probably why I’ve never seen the bunting here. 

Anne
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[cayugabirds-l] Mt Pleasant Horned Lark song-flight

[Marie P. Read]

At the end of my morning walk, I was happy to hear, and eventually, see a 
Horned Lark performing its flight display high in the sky. Usually I have seen 
them doing this much earlier in the year, even in early March if it's mild. 
They are known to start nesting very early, so maybe this year I have missed 
the displays. But my inner pessimist wonders whether the display is happening 
now because last year's corn field at the crest of the hill was just plowed. 
This would have destroyed an early nest and stimulated the male to get 
territorial again. He DID land in the plowed field at the end of the flight 
display.
Did the group up there yesterday see/hear any Horned Larks singing?

A number of Bobolink males are also putting on a show in several of the fields, 
but no females yet.

Enjoy the spring!

Marie





Marie Read Wildlife Photography
452 Ringwood Road
Freeville NY  13068 USA

Phone  607-539-6608
e-mail   m...@cornell.edu

Website: http://www.marieread.com
Follow me on Facebook:  
https://www.facebook.com/Marie-Read-Wildlife-Photography-104356136271727/
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[cayugabirds-l] Oriole Feeders

[W. Larry Hymes]

A couple days ago Sara Jane put out an Oriole feeder with jelly.  We 
just had a pair of BALTIMORE ORIOLES partake of the jelly -- 
raspberry!!  I'm assuming the flavor of jelly doesn't matter.  But those 
of you who have a long history with using jelly to attract Orioles, have 
you found any significant preferences?


Larry

--


W. Larry Hymes
120 Vine Street, Ithaca, NY 14850
(H) 607-277-0759, w...@cornell.edu



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[cayugabirds-l] Jetty Woods on Saturday afternoon

[Paul Anderson]

I visited the Great Horned Owls at the golf course yesterday (thanks 
Mark) and continued on to Jetty Woods with two others.


The entrance was buzzing with activity with Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, 
Redstarts, a Warbling Vireo, a Yellow Warbler, an Oriole, and a 
Blackburnian.


We walked to the end and back; most remarkable was a faint but clear 
call of a Black-billed Cuckoo.


Full ebird list is below:

Canada Goose  X
Hooded Merganser  1
Double-crested Cormorant  X
Great Blue Heron  1
Ring-billed Gull  X
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  X
Mourning Dove  X
Black-billed Cuckoo  1 Heard calling once only but unmistakable.
Great Horned Owl  3
Red-bellied Woodpecker  1
Hairy Woodpecker  1
Warbling Vireo  1
Blue Jay  4
American Crow  X
Barn Swallow  X
Black-capped Chickadee  6
White-breasted Nuthatch  2
House Wren  1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher  3
American Robin  X
Gray Catbird  2
European Starling  X
American Redstart  6
Blackburnian Warbler  1
Yellow Warbler  1
Chipping Sparrow  6
Dark-eyed Junco  X
Northern Cardinal  4
Baltimore Oriole  1
Red-winged Blackbird  X
Common Grackle  X
House Sparrow  X

--
Paul Anderson, VP of Engineering, GrammaTech, Inc.
531 Esty St., Ithaca, NY 14850
Tel: +1 607 273-7340 x118; http://www.grammatech.com


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