[cayugabirds-l] Cowbird or grackle with pigment problems?

[Rick Lightbody]

Carol Johnson and I were on the East Trail boardwalk at Sapsucker Woods on 
Thursday morning, enjoying the sounds of several Northern Waterthrushes and a 
Great Crested Flycatcher, when we both spied a peculiar bird snooping around 
the base of a tree in the marsh not far from the boardwalk.  We had only a few 
seconds once we each got our binoculars on it before it flew off.  But we were 
left with the impression of a male BH Cowbird whose head was about the right 
color, but whose body was far too light (about, say, the color of a female BH 
Cowbird's breast).  We didn't really see--or "register"--the color of the eyes 
and the exact size/shape of the bill in the brief glimpse we had.  That's 
unfortunate, because in my later Googling for this color pattern, and for 
"leucistic" and "cowbird", I didn't find any images of cowbirds that looked 
like "our" bird, but I DID find a photo of a supposedly leucistic Common 
Grackle which looks quite a lot like our bird:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/birdoheadtanager55/5343946235/

But whether we were looking at an anomalously pigmented cowbird or grackle 
(bummer that we didn't get the eyes and bill!)...or even something else, I 
can't be sure.

Has anyone seen such a bird at Sapsucker Woods, or have any insights into 
pigment issues in those or similar species?  If so, TIA!

Rick


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[cayugabirds-l] Armitage Rd. Warblers

[Peter Saracino]

Both prothonatory (west side of one-way bridge) and cerulean (east side of
bridge) continue on Armitage Rd. north of the MNWR.
Sar

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[cayugabirds-l] sedge wren photo

[Tom Hoebbel]

I was able to get some good photos of the sedge wren Tuesday. I posted my
favorite on my instagram page:

https://www.instagram.com/tomhoebbel/

happy birding,
Tom


 Thomas Hoebbel Photo~Video
 www.TH-Photo.com 
  607-351-5154


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[cayugabirds-l] Indigo Bunting and Hummingbird

[W Larry Hymes]

Just had our FOY INDIGO BUNTING.  Also had our first RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD 
yesterday and had our  FOY CATBIRD today.  Things are really starting to pick 
up.  YIPPEE!

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


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[cayugabirds-l] Union Springs, NY 1st Hummer

[John and Fritzie Blizzard]

Thanks to previous posts, I put up my hummingbird feeder yesterday p.m.. 
Today, just after 1 p.m., outside my kit. window, I was thrilled to see 
the 1st hummer of the season.


The pr. of white-throated sparrows is still here. Visiting tree swallows 
& bluebirds haven't decided it's time to start nesting in the boxes but 
I suspect other BBs are nesting where they have before, in a dead box 
elder tree limb up on the hill out of sight.


Daughter, Becky, found a new osprey nest a mile from us on Davis Rd. 
last wk., built on a pole that doesn't have a transformer.


Fritzie


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[cayugabirds-l] Give breeding bird space

[Candace E. Cornell]

Friends,


I am compelled to remind all birders about the ethics that guide our noble
pursuit. The American Birding Associations’ code is listed below for a
reminder. We are knee deep in the breeding season, making Rule #2 critical:
"Avoid stressing birds or exposing them to danger during the breeding
season." Stress is the prime reason birds abandon their eggs and chicks.



A couple birding at Stewart park today stood directly *underneath* the
suspension bridge Osprey nest on the south side of Fall Creek for about 10
minutes while they scanned the nest for birds with their binoculars despite
the nesting female’s nonstop alarm calls. They also used their cell phones,
likely to enter data into eBird, while still beneath the nest, all the
while stressing the incubating female. If only her mate had been there, as
he would have driven these spectators away.



When you are out birding, please help instruct those who seem to be
clueless about how to act around wild animals. Give all breeding birds a
wide buffer and stay at least 100-300 feet away from most Osprey
nests—300-500 feet for eagle nests. Some Osprey breeding pairs, such as the
one at Salt Point, are used to visitors and need less buffer, but stay on
the path. The bottom line is, if you hear a bird cry out, step away as you
are too close.



Good birding to all!

Candace

*The ABA Ethics*

*1. Respect and promote birds and their environment. *

*(a)* Support the conservation of birds and their habitats. Engage in and
promote bird-friendly practices whenever possible, such as keeping cats and
other domestic animals indoors or controlled, acting to prevent window
strikes, maintaining safe feeding stations, landscaping with native plants,
drinking shade-grown coffee, and advocating for conservation policies. Be
mindful of any negative environmental impacts of your activities, including
contributing to climate change. Reduce or offset such impacts as much as
you are able.

*(b)* Avoid stressing birds or exposing them to danger. Be particularly
cautious around active nests and nesting colonies, roosts, display sites,
and feeding sites. Limit the use of recordings and other audio methods of
attracting birds, particularly in heavily birded areas, for species that
are rare in the area, and for species that are threatened or endangered.
Always exercise caution and restraint when photographing, recording, or
otherwise approaching birds.

*(c)* Always minimize habitat disturbance. Consider the benefits of staying
on trails, preserving snags, and similar practices.

*2. Respect and promote the birding community and its individual members.*

*(a)* Be an exemplary ethical role model by following this Code and leading
by example. Always bird and report with honesty and integrity.

*(b)* Respect the interests, rights, and skill levels of fellow birders, as
well as people participating in other outdoor activities. Freely share your
knowledge and experience and be especially helpful to beginning birders.

*(c)* Share bird observations freely, provided such reporting would not
violate other sections of this Code, as birders, ornithologists, and
conservationists derive considerable benefit from publicly available bird
sightings.

*(d)* Approach instances of perceived unethical birding behavior with
sensitivity and respect; try to resolve the matter in a positive manner,
keeping in mind that perspectives vary. Use the situation as an opportunity
to teach by example and to introduce more people to this Code.

*(e)* In group birding situations, promote knowledge by everyone in the
group of the practices in this Code and ensure that the group does not
unduly interfere with others using the same area.

*3. Respect and promote the law and the rights of others.*

*(a)* Never enter private property without the landowner’s permission.
Respect the interests of and interact positively with people living in the
area where you are birding.

*(b)* Familiarize yourself with and follow all laws, rules, and regulations
governing activities at your birding location. In particular, be aware of
regulations related to birds, such as disturbance of protected nesting
areas or sensitive habitats, and the use of audio or food lures.

*Birding should be fun and help build a better future for birds, *

*for birders, and for all people*

*Birds and birding opportunities are shared resources *

*that should be open and accessible to all*

*Birders should always give back more than they take*.

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[cayugabirds-l] Toads and Crows

[Geo Kloppel]

The toads’ annual breeding party has been running for days (and nights!) at my 
pond, and as usual the hapless toads are easy prey for a family of Crows that 
has a long tradition of exploiting this event. This year’s hunters have revised 
the time-honored practice of gutting the toads right on the dike, then 
extracting some choice organ (the liver, perhaps), and leaving the rest of the 
corpse, including the toxic skin, exposed in the grass. Instead, they’re flying 
off with the entire living toad, still kicking. They fly with it by a 
circuitous route to a secluded forest area some 500m distant, where, as I 
imagine, someone is sitting a nest. I observed the carrying flight three times 
this morning, and by stationing myself in a sort of blind I then watched an 
actual catch at the water’s edge. The toad was grabbed by one leg, and the Crow 
immediately took flight with it. Just at a guess, I’m thinking the advantage of 
doing it this way is that the toad will have no opportunity to jump back into 
the pond before it can be dispatched. Or perhaps the hunters are delivering the 
toads to an experienced elder who knows (better than they) how to separate the 
edible from the inedible parts?

-Geo


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