[cayugabirds-l] Union Springs & south to Great Gully
There were THOUSANDS of geese gliding in over the lake and into Mill Pond, mingling with more thousands of assorted ducks. For those seeking a good place to see lots of waterfowl, the comparatively warm water of Mill Pond is drawing a great concentration of many different types - bring good binocs and scopes, and stay in your cars, preferably on the far side of the street so as not to spook the birds away from the shore. I've no way of knowing or even guessing how many there were, but on 12/30/17 between 3:15 and 4:30 p.m. I know I saw: *Canada geese* - /thousands/ on Cayuga Lake and Mill Pond. *Snow geese* - on Cayuga Lake near Canoga, big flock on open water, smaller birds than the Swans below. *Swan *- whichever kind makes the loud "hooting" calls, tundra? - LOTS, on the ice and water, both shores of Cayuga as far north and south as I could see. *Mallard *- LOTS on Cayuga Lake and Mill Pond, some on Factory Pond. *Redhead *- LOTS - an enormous raft probably numbering 10,000+ in midlake between Union Springs and Canoga, visible from the east end of Carr's Cove Rd. or Farley Pt. (I was on Carr's Cove Rd. w/landowner permission). Another flock on Mill Pond's NW corner suddenly began splashing, then raced en masse across the pond, spooking everything else toward the east side, leaving that corner vacant except for 2 or 3 ducks swimming serenely in the wide-open space left by the rest! *A. Wigeon *- several, Mill & Factory Ponds *Hooded merganser* - males, at least two, Mill Pond *Bufflehead *- male & female, several, Mill & Factory Ponds *Greenwing teal* - possible male, one? on Mill Pond *Gadwall *- dozens on Lake and both Ponds. If there were any scaup or canvasback, I didn't recognize them. *Great black-backed gull *- 1, probably more on the distant ice, gathered around dead or dying birds. *Gulls *- MANY in a gathering midlake, landing & quickly rising, as if grabbing small fish. Could not tell what kinds they were, but probably the usual culprits. *Bald eagle* - at least 6-8 at and around the Great Gully Farm eagle nest #2, nearest Gully Creek, most perching in the nest tree. Saw one confirmed adult, several juveniles. Saw others on the ice, midlake, and one juv. flying out over the lake south of Gully Creek. *Northern Harrier *- female, one, flying back & forth over the bay south of Gully Creek. At my home on Ridge Rd., 3.5 miles east of Union Springs: *Snow buntings* - 20-30 in a field along Spring St.* * *Junco at least 4* *Northern Cardinal* - 1 male, 1 female *Downy woodpecker* - 3 *Redbellied woodpecker* - 1 male *Hairy woodpecker* - 1 *Nuthatch *- several *Chickadee *- several *Tree sparrow* - 1 *English sparrow* - 30+/- *Mourning dove* - 2+? *Goldfinch *- 25+? *House finch* - 5+? *Blue jay*- several (probably a family group) . -- 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] Red-headed Woodpecker present, Sun 12/31
On Sunday morning at around 10:40, I saw the continuing adult RED-HEADED WOODPECKER in Cornell’s Palmer Woods. It was in the same location as often reported since mid-November, in the woods along the red-blazed trail that extends west from the large grassy clearing at the top of the slope (approximately 42.4617N, 76.4812W). But it wasn’t as easy to find as on my past visits, as it mostly stayed still. I got a nice bonus sighting as I was waiting out the woodpecker – a PEREGRINE FALCON flying eastbound overhead, low enough that I could see its facial pattern as well as its distinctive shape. Also, the EASTERN SCREECH-OWL along Siena Drive has continued to appear every day in the ~90 minutes before sunset every day I’ve looked since early November, including today. Mark Chao -- 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] Snow Buntings Dryden
Meg just reported that a large flock of Snow Buntings are in the fields at the bottom of Simms Hill Rd. in Dryden. Which is great for me, I can watch them from my living room window with out risking frostbite. Carl -- 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] Northern Flicker in Newfield
I just had a Norther Flicker at my backyard suet feeder. This is a first ever winter sighting of one for me here, as well as a first known feeder visit. Laura Heisey Newfield -- 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] winter weather safety while counting birds!
Time to remember these safety tips while participating in the Christmas Bird Count tomorrow http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/winter/index.shtml We Say GoodBye To Sally Fields iflperfecttouch.com http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL3141/5a48f8974177a78964577st02duc -- 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/ --
