[cayugabirds-l] Ruddy Turnstone Eagle platform

[Dave K]

A Ruddy Turnstone, White-rumped SP, and others in front of the Eagle 
platform,MNWR wildlife drive  8:00 this AM
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[cayugabirds-l] AW Pelican Knox Marcellus

[Dave K]

Wading mid-pool 8:10this AM

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[cayugabirds-l] Report: 17 August Knox-Marsellus shorebird walk

[Dave Nutter]

First, thank-you to the Montezuma NWR, particularly Visitor Services Manager 
Andrea Van Beusichem and Biologist Linda Ziemba, for allowing this series of 
walks onto the dikes at Knox-Marsellus Marsh, where the public is usually 
prohibited. 

Second, a big thank-you for the great work of co-leader Bob McGuire, without 
whom I would not have agreed to lead. Similar thanks to Josh Snodgrass and also 
to the several other experienced, scope-wielding birders whose help we 
requested, including Dominic Sherony, Mahlon Hurst, and Reuben Stoltzfus, to 
help find, point-out, show, and explain the ID of the shorebirds. 

Third, thanks to the approximately seventy people who joined us. Clearly there 
is great interest in seeing and learning about the many birds which Montezuma 
NWR in general and Knox-Marsellus Marsh in particular harbors in summer. I am 
really glad we could offer a couple of Saturday trips which can accommodate 
members of the strong Amish and Mennonite birding communities in our area.  

The weather was good: there were some clouds to reduce glare, but the rain held 
off, and the temperature was comfortable even though humidity was high. 
Creating and maintaining freshwater shorebird habitat is a challenge, and the 
previous night’s rainstorm reportedly reduced the mudflats significantly. The 
birds, though often distant, were numerous, varied, and active, and they 
provided pleasure, excitement, and challenge. Participants seemed happy. Below 
is a bird list I have compiled based on several reports. There may be 
omissions, as it was impossible to be with, to stay in communication with, or 
to interview everyone, so please let me know if you were on the trip and found 
additional species.

There are still 3 shorebird walks scheduled of which I am aware, all officially 
starting at 7am at the Montezuma NWR Visitor Center:

Sunday 25 August, principal leader Dave Nicosia
Saturday 31 August, principal leader Josh Snodgrass
Sunday 8 September, principal leader Dave Nicosia

These guided walks are free and open to the public, and I am certain that 
people willing to share expertise and scope views will be especially helpful to 
the official leaders. There are still a few more species of shorebirds whose 
arrival we await.

- - Dave Nutter

Species observed on K-M walk 17 Aug 2019 - composite list
Ducks were all in eclipse, female, or immature plumage

Canada Goose - 100+ flew in from E 
Trumpeter Swan - adult pair  
Wood Duck - several  
Blue-winged Teal
Gadwall
American Wigeon  
Mallard - many   
American Black Duck 
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal

CANVASBACK - rare, 1 male, continuing from last week and before  
Ruddy Duck - 1 male  
Pied-billed Grebe - many, mostly striped-faced immatures, minus 1   
Mourning Dove   
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Common Gallinule - several, mostly immatures 
American Coot   
Sandhill Crane - adult pair + fly-in adult pair with large juvenile 

BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER - transition plumage   
SEMIPALMATED PLOVER - several, mainly on distant mud in vegetation 
KILLDEER - flocks of 8 & 20 flew W as we arrived, several remained 
RUDDY TURNSTONE - 1 K-M flyby, 1 later in Eaton pond 
STILT SANDPIPER - 1 juvenile later at Mays Pt Pool, seen by at least 9 people 
who had been on the K-M walk   
LEAST SANDPIPER - often on distant mud in vegetation  
WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER - 2 or more on distant mud in vegetation, found by 
Reuben Stoltzfus, seen by several others  
PECTORAL SANDPIPER   
SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER - greatly outnumbered by Leasts 
SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER - 15 juveniles. Distant, difficult to discern plumage 
details. When feeding, only flat backs were seen. Several showed orange in 
tertials and some of those showed barring. Color, shape, & size of grouped 
birds seemed uniform. Some singles & small groups were not identified to 
species. Although Tim Lenz, viewing from East Road before our walk, reported 
several LONG-BILLED Dowitchers, I am unaware of any positive ID of that species 
by our group from the road or the dikes.
WILSON’S SNIPE  
WILSON’S PHALAROPE - 1 pale juvenile near NE corners, swimming and pecking at 
surface algae 
SPOTTED SANDPIPER
SOLITARY SANDPIPER - near SPOTTED SANDPIPER and both YELLOWLEGS
GREATER YELLOWLEGS - several 
LESSER YELLOWLEGS - several  

Ring-billed Gull - many adults, some juveniles 
Herring Gull - 1 uniformly dark juvenile, larger than Ring-billed Gulls and 
Caspian Terns. We did not see the juvenile Laughing Gull which was reported the 
previous evening and the following morning.
Caspian Tern - many adults, some juveniles   

BLACK TERN - 2 non-breeding plumage adults flying and perched

Double-crested Cormorant

AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN - 1 summer adult continuing from last evening

American Bittern - 1
Great Blue Heron - many  

GREAT EGRET - 100+   

Green Heron  
Black-crowned Night-Heron - 

[cayugabirds-l] MZ Pelican, Turnstone, Stilt Sandpiper

[metetlow]

Dave K’s Ruddy Turnstone is still right in front of the Eagle sculpture, Dave 
N’s Stilt Sandpiper is still at Mays Point with many Yellowlegs. Thanks to 
Jeremy we are looking at the Pelican at the end of VanDyne spoor Road instead 
of thinking we’re blind at Knox Marcellus. Brief look at Knox before torrential 
rain has a dozen Sandhill Cranes. Beware a very dark brown juvenile Herring 
Gull when looking for the laughing Gull. Mike and a Joann Tetlow

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