[cayugabirds-l] Little Blue Heron - Van Dyne Spoor Rd. MNWR

[tigger64]

A Great Egret roost has formed in the bushes out in the marsh at Van Dyne Spoor 
Rd.  Watching this roost, a juv. Little Blue Heron flew in. Plenty of 
highlights I can post later.

-Dave Wheeler birding with Jim Tarolli and Drew Weber.

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[cayugabirds-l] Wilson's Phalarope, Baird's and more at Montezuma

[Kenneth V. Rosenberg]

I decided to head up to Montezuma in the late afternoon, and although the 
Pelican had long departed, I was able to enjoy the perfect evening lighting 
(for a change!) as I scanned Knox Marcellus Marsh from East Road. It was a 
spectacular evening, cool, no mosquitos, beautiful light, tons of birds, and a 
rising full moon.

I pulled up next to 3 birders from Syracuse (Drew Weber, Jim Tarolli, and 
???(sorry)), and within a minute or so they spotted a WILSON'S PHALAROPE -- it 
was a juvenile bird feeding jerkily on the strip of mud and grass about halfway 
across the impoundment. A bit later, I picked out an adult BAIRD's SANDPIPER 
feeding in shallow water with many SEMIPALMATEDs -- not their usual behavior, 
but the excellent light with no heat shimmer allowed us to see the 
sandy-colored back and head, long pointy wings, black bill and dark legs. A 
couple of PECTORAL SANDPIPERS were nearby for comparison as well.

Other highlights included 16 adult STILT SANDPIPERS, and 16 SHORT-BILLED 
DOWITCHERS, as well as excellent counts of LESSER (320) and GREATER (60) 
YELLOWLEGS, and SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER (285), plus the same mix of other 
shorebirds and ducks, herons, terns, and gulls reported by Dave Nicosia 
earlier. Altogether roughly 750 shorebirds of 13 species, and 400 ducks of 8 
species.

Two SANDHILL CRANES were very reddish in the evening light, and I watched them 
bowing their necks and raising their bills skyward as they trumpeted in duet, 
answered by another more distant, unseen, trumpeting pair. At least 8 
BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS came out to the edge of the marsh as it got late.

Another highlight was watching the thousands of swallows gathering and feeding 
over the impoundments at dusk, then heading over towards the west to roost (at 
Tsatche?). These were roughly half BANK SWALLOWS and half TREE SWALLOWS, with a 
few BARN and PURPLE MARTINs.

KEN


Ken Rosenberg
Conservation Science Program
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
607-254-2412
607-342-4594 (cell)
k...@cornell.edu


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[cayugabirds-l] Montezuma July 21, 2013 Am. White Pelican, Red-Headed Woodpecker, shorebirds

[david nicosia]

Planned a trip to Montezuma days ago for today given that it would be the best
weather day and got lucky with the late report of the AMERICAN WHITE
PELICAN last night.

So got up early and made it to East Road overlooking K-M Marsh Montezuma
before 9 am. I was literally seconds behind Jay and Livia!! 

The pelican was an easy find in the marsh reeds and bushes in the center of K-M
marsh. It was distant enough and during the morning you are looking into
the sun so lighting was poor. Got some poor digi-scoped images as a result 
that basically documents the specie for me. 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/davenicosia/9339214154/in/photostream/


http://www.flickr.com/photos/davenicosia/9339214494/in/photostream/


http://www.flickr.com/photos/davenicosia/9339215188/in/photostream/


Dave Nutter also arrived soon after and there were other birders too.
I was birding towpath rd when the bird apparently took off and flew south
at 10 am. I missed that...it would have been neat to see such a massive
bird in flight. Maybe it will show up on Cayuga Lake or better yet
down here in Broome County...Whitney Point Dam!!!  

Some other birds of note...there were quite a few BLACK TERNS coarsing
around the marsh (mainly adults) and many young ones on the lower reed stalks.
It was nice to see so many young birds. There were also tons of GREAT BLUE
HERONS, I counted at least 19 GREAT EGRETS as well. There were also
many AMERICAN WIGEON, GREEN-WINGED TEAL, WOOD DUCKS
and MALLARDS. There were also at least 51 RING-BILLED GULLS and
38 CASPIAN TERN loafing. 

Then I turned my attention to shorebirds and there were many. The lighting
was very poor at this time looking into the sun from east rd. There were many 
peeps. I heard both LEAST and SEMIPALMATED at times. I also
heard a SOLITARY as well. I got a decent look at a few PECTORAL
SANDPIPERS which were close enough and dwarfed the peeps. You
could easily make out the distinct breast pattern on these birds.
There were also tons of YELLOWLEGS sp as you would expect. It looked
like more LESSER than GREATER YELLOWLEGS to me but I did not
really count or try to ratio them.  Then Jay got me on a couple STILT 
SANDPIPERS amid SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS and
LESSER/GREATER YELLOWLEGS. These birds showed the classic 
tipped over feeding behavior...more so than the dowitchers, smaller bill 
than the dowitchers and slightly curved. Also very different than the 
yellowlegs nearby.  

I then went over to Towpath Road and it is muddy and full of big
puddles. Lighting was much better but the birds were distant. 
I got distant but much better looks at both the dowitchers and
STILT SANDPIPERS. I counted 7 STILT SANDPIPERS from towpath rd
and 15 SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS amid many yellowlegs of
both species. 

Closer to towpath road I was treated to close up views of both
SEMIPALMATED and LEAST SANDPIPERS. I also heard
another SOLITARY SANDPIPER and saw a SPOTTED. 

There were several of both semi and least sandpipers. I got
a few comparison photos. When the birds are next to each
other, the size difference is apparent, the semipalmated
sandpiper is much grayer, with the least being more brownish.
The least's bill is slightly curved and smaller too. I also was able
to see the yellowish legs of the least vs the darker legs of
the semi. But this is not always apparent. I took a couple photos. 
 
http://www.flickr.com/photos/davenicosia/9336303645/


http://www.flickr.com/photos/davenicosia/9339092480/in/photostream/


>From May's Point got great views of the RED-HEADED WOODPECKER.
It was an easy find in the dead elms next the road before the bridge. 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/davenicosia/9339092258/


Tschache Pool had both COMMON GALLINULE, AMERICAN COOT
and PIED BILLED GREBES. There were also lots of BLACK TERNS
as well both young and adults. A few OSPREY and TVs were soaring
around and there was one adult BALD EAGLE at the back of the marsh,
Additionally there were several CASPIAN TERNs floating around.
I also got a nice close up view of a GREEN HERON on a log by the
shore from the viewing tower.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/davenicosia/9336302281/in/photostream/


I totaled 72 species just in the Montezuma wetlands complex alone.

Great day of birds and nice weather!

Dave Nicosia 
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[cayugabirds-l] Red headed woodpecker continues Mays point

[david nicosia]

Easy get. close at times in dead trees before bridge. Great views. 

Dave Nicosia

Sent from Yahoo! Mail on Android


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[cayugabirds-l] CayugaRBA AM WH PELICAN just left K-M , circled hi...

[6072292158]

CayugaRBA AM WH PELICAN just left K-M , circled high & flew south.
--Dave Nutter

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[cayugabirds-l] American White Pelican still present

[david nicosia]

>From east road montezuma now

Dave Nicosia


Sent from Yahoo! Mail on Android


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