[cayugabirds-l] Cicada surprise
I wasn't expecting any cicadas this year, so I was surprised when an adult appeared on the deck railing at my shop on Tuesday. I remember seeing a Tufted Titmouse grab one at this very location many years ago, as fierce as a tiger pouncing on a deer! Tuesday's bug was luckier. It posed quietly for a picture. A few minutes later it was gone, and shrill singing came down from the treetops. Anyone know what this all-black species is? -Geo Kloppel -- 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] hawk-duck interaction
Yesterday evening on my drive home from work, I heard the unmistakable shrill cries of a raptor, and since I was passing the Ladoga Wetland area by Myers, I slowed to see if it was an Osprey. It turned out to be a vociferous Red-tailed Hawk shrieking incessantly from the railroad tracks. I've never seen one do that, so I slowed down and pulled off to see if something was wrong with it. It flew away, and I noticed a dead bird on the track which was about the same size as the hawk. Thinking it might be a dead raptor, I walked over to check it out. It was actually a dead mallardhttps://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=810160141426set=a.549564831516.2023935.100500325type=1theater, which had its mouth and head encircled by a ring of plastic (like a bridle). Either the bird had died from this entanglement and was scavenged by the hawk, or the hawk had picked it out as an easy target. Either way, I decided to remove the ring since I was already there, just in case the hawk or some other scavenger might get caught in it, too. It was very difficult to get it off...no way the mallard could have freed itself. I moved the carcass off the tracks but left it in plain sight in case the hawk came back. The hawk did fly around calling for about 15 minutes (crows were chasing it), but I didn't see it go back. The duck was gone this morning, so hopefully the hawk found it again. Anyway, I'm telling this story because it made me really sad to see our wildlife strangled on plastic garbage. And it inspired me to tell this story and hope that it might inspire you to join the Conservation Action Committeehttp://cayugabirdclub.blogspot.com/2012/10/conservation-action-committee.html of the Cayuga Bird Club, of which I am a member. We have a lot of good ideas for projects, but not enough members to realize them all. One thing we do is participate in the annual clean-up of the Stewart Park/Renwick Woods area, and we'd like to do more fishing line recycling, etc. The results are tangible and local. Please consider joining this important committee; we need you. If you have questions, you can email me or Candace Cornell to find out more. Thanks for reading, Robyn Bailey Lansing -- 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] Foot Traffic on the Wildlife Drive at the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge
Regarding the discussion about foot traffic along the Wildlife Drive, we would like to thank all of you for voicing your concerns and suggestions, particularly John Van Niel and others who contacted the Refuge directly. We feel honored to work at a place where so many of you reconnect with nature and where we can all find a sense of calm and solace in our hectic lives. Please know that you are always welcome to contact the Refuge with questions, concerns, or suggestions. Also, we have a number of public programs as well as volunteer opportunities for people to get involved and get “behind the scenes.” Volunteers help with just about every aspect of refuge management from environmental education and interpretation to heavy equipment operation to wildlife monitoring and habitat restoration. Some background information about the National Wildlife Refuge System and the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge may be helpful to understand the Refuge’s policies. The mission of the Refuge System is to administer a national network of lands and waters for the conservation, management, and where appropriate, restoration of the fish, wildlife, and plant resources and their habitats within the U.S. for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans. The Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge, specifically, was established as a refuge and breeding ground for migratory birds and other wildlife. Montezuma NWR also has acquired lands under the authority of the Migratory Bird Conservation Act for use as an inviolate sanctuary, or for any other management purpose, for migratory birds. The overarching goal of the National Wildlife Refuge System’s wildlife-dependent recreation policy is to enhance wildlife-dependent recreation opportunities, and to provide access to quality visitor experiences, while managing refuges to conserve fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats. The Refuge Improvement Act designated six priority public uses on national wildlife refuges. These are: hunting, fishing, wildlife observation, wildlife photography, environmental education, and interpretation. Currently all six priority public uses are supported to some degree on the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge. Wildlife observation and wildlife photography are two closely related priority wildlife-dependent uses of the Refuge System and currently draw most of the visitors here at Montezuma NWR. In addition to the 3.5-mile Wildlife Drive, the Refuge currently provides nearly 4 miles of walking trails, a photography blind, a floating boat dock, observation towers and overlook areas. The Refuge manages these activities to ensure that visitors have opportunities to observe wildlife in ways that do not disrupt wildlife or damage wildlife habitat and to minimize conflicts between users. Currently, the Wildlife Drive is open from spring through November 30 only to vehicular travel. People are not allowed out of their vehicles except at designated viewing areas. We are in the process of replacing signs for the entrance road and Wildlife Drive to clarify this policy. Visitor Center volunteers are trained to tell people to stay in their cars along the Wildlife Drive. We also occasionally have volunteer Roving Naturalists along the Wildlife Drive who point out wildlife, talk to people about what to watch for along the Drive, and explain why people should stay in their vehicles. Please contact the Refuge if you are interested in helping with this. As a result of an apparent increasing trend in people exiting their vehicles along the Wildlife Drive, staff will make a more concerted effort to inform visitors that they need to stay in their vehicles on the Drive. Montezuma NWR also has the intermittent presence of Refuge Law Enforcement officers who serve several National Wildlife Refuges, covering a wide geographic zone, who enforce our Wildlife Drive policy. We are in the process of increasing public use opportunities including for wildlife observation and photography. For example, as many of you know we have recently (in 2013) implemented a program to provide opportunities for guided shorebird viewing at Knox-Marsellus and Puddler Marshes from areas that are normally closed to the public. This is a good example of a program that balances public access with minimizing disturbance to wildlife as the programs are not offered during the waterfowl migration when these species would be flushed from the marsh. As per our recently approved comprehensive conservation plan (CCP, available at http://www.fws.gov/refuge/Montezuma/what_we_do/finalccp.html), if and when funding allows, we also plan to open the Wildlife Drive or portions of the Drive from June 1 to mid-August to bicycle travel and pedestrians, which will allow a larger audience to experience the Refuge. The decision to open the Wildlife Drive to pedestrians and bicycle travel will be made annually based upon wildlife use, nesting/breeding activity, and the amount of vegetative
Re: [cayugabirds-l] Foot Traffic on the Wildlife Drive at the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge
I have to respectively disagree with your conclusion and decision to curtail people getting out of their cars on the wildlife drive. First viewing is severely restricted by the vegetation that has been allowed to grow along the drive necessitating that one get out of the car to see anything that is not flying. Second the traffic of the personnel working on the terraforming causes much more disruption. I realize that this is necessary, but it does cause more disruption than foot traffic. This would be compounded by providing and maintaining additional stops along the drive. Third the complaints you have received have come from a very few people. If you were to conduct a survey you would find that most people have no problem with others getting out of the car and in fact end up seeing much more of the wildlife they come to see. If you want a pristine refuge with a severely restricted viewing public either close the gates or have everyone ride on buses to view wildlife. Fourth what you will create is a situation where your inforcement officers will have to spend much more of their limited time herding the viewing public back into their cars instead of their much more important jobs. Fifth in reality the problem is very much self regulating. Most people who get out of their cars do so for short periods and if they see someone going toff the road will say something. You would have a much better use of your limited funds by allowing people to be out of their cars on the drive and posting signs to stay on the drive. Sixth your proposal would severely limit the use of the wildlife drive to educational groups where there are several vehicles in a group. Those in the front will see something while those further back will not. Also this will curtail the use of using a spotting scope to view wildlife that is not close to the drive. In conclusion please rethink your decision to restrict the drive and make it more friendly to the viewing public who in reality own and pay for the refuge. I do believe that the intended purpose in allowing the viewing public is part of your mandate. Perhaps you should invite some of your users to meet with and comment to your policy makers. Thank you Carl Steckler 607 592 8798 -- 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] Foot Traffic on the Wildlife Drive at the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge
I applaud the extensive efforts the Refuge Staff has made in responding in detail to the comments that have appeared on Cayuga Birds with respect to the requirement that visitors to Wildlife Drive must remain in their vehicles. I speak as a birder who feels privileged to have such an exceptional birding venue nearby, and as a regular volunteer who also feels privileged to have the opportunity to help maintain and improve the facility for wildlife. I feel that the rule requiring visitors to remain in vehicles is reasonable and soundly based, and respectfully disagree with those who suggest otherwise. It is my conclusion that in recent years the Refuge has made many valuable improvements and expansions, with plans for many more that have, and will, benefit both wildlife and those who come to appreciate wildlife. Self serving criticism serves no useful purpose. I would encourage those who truly consider Montezuma a valuable asset to the region to volunteer their time to preserve and improve the facility for BOTH wildlife and visitors. Through volunteering, and there are numerous opportunities, one can expect to have the opportunity to make improvements and better understand how Montezuma executes its mission. David S. Marsh -Original Message- From: Carl Steckler Sent: Thursday, August 14, 2014 12:35 PM To: Ziemba, Linda ; CAYUGABIRDS-L Subject: Re: [cayugabirds-l] Foot Traffic on the Wildlife Drive at the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge I have to respectively disagree with your conclusion and decision to curtail people getting out of their cars on the wildlife drive. First viewing is severely restricted by the vegetation that has been allowed to grow along the drive necessitating that one get out of the car to see anything that is not flying. Second the traffic of the personnel working on the terraforming causes much more disruption. I realize that this is necessary, but it does cause more disruption than foot traffic. This would be compounded by providing and maintaining additional stops along the drive. Third the complaints you have received have come from a very few people. If you were to conduct a survey you would find that most people have no problem with others getting out of the car and in fact end up seeing much more of the wildlife they come to see. If you want a pristine refuge with a severely restricted viewing public either close the gates or have everyone ride on buses to view wildlife. Fourth what you will create is a situation where your inforcement officers will have to spend much more of their limited time herding the viewing public back into their cars instead of their much more important jobs. Fifth in reality the problem is very much self regulating. Most people who get out of their cars do so for short periods and if they see someone going toff the road will say something. You would have a much better use of your limited funds by allowing people to be out of their cars on the drive and posting signs to stay on the drive. Sixth your proposal would severely limit the use of the wildlife drive to educational groups where there are several vehicles in a group. Those in the front will see something while those further back will not. Also this will curtail the use of using a spotting scope to view wildlife that is not close to the drive. In conclusion please rethink your decision to restrict the drive and make it more friendly to the viewing public who in reality own and pay for the refuge. I do believe that the intended purpose in allowing the viewing public is part of your mandate. Perhaps you should invite some of your users to meet with and comment to your policy makers. Thank you Carl Steckler 607 592 8798 -- 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 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/ --
