[cayugabirds-l] Minor local Ithaca phenomena: Ospreys, Chickadees, Gull
>From Allan H Treman State Marine Park I was watching Ospreys on 6 April. >Looking east I saw an Osprey doing a display flight carrying a fish. The bird >appeared to be beyond Jetty Woods, probably over Fall Creek by Stewart Park. >Meanwhile a second Osprey perched high the narrow northern part of Jetty >Woods. The 2 Ospreys then met and appeared to use a Cormorant nest as a handy >place to share a picnic. Today (10 April) I saw 2 Ospreys there, but one of >them was bringing a stick. This looks like the Ospreys are intending to nest >on the NW edge of the Cormorant colony using what I assume was previously a >Cormorant nest as the base of their own. (At the same time there were 2 >Ospreys by the nest in the NW corner of Newman Golf Course, across Cayuga >Inlet from the boat ramp, so it wasn’t them.) I wonder what the Cormorants >think of the Ospreys joining them. I also think it’s neat that the Ospreys are >not depending on a human-built structure. A few weeks back someone wrote about flocks of Chickadees. I’m accustomed to winter flocks with just a few Chickadees joined by an assortment of woodpeckers, titmice, and nuthatches. But this is different. For the past few days at Allan H Treman State Park I have been seeing flocks of just Chickadees: ten, twenty, thirty, or more in the tree crowns and flying across openings or fields to reach other trees. The Chickadees have been mostly moving east, sometimes stopping along Cayuga Inlet. They like the bare Tamaracks near the Park Police office. They seem to especially like the large Cottonwoods with swollen buds along the north side of the marina near Cayuga Inlet. (This is also an area where a Merlin has been spending time when it isn’t perched in the treetops of Jetty Woods. It tried to grab a small bird over Cayuga Inlet but failed.) I have only seen one Great Black-backed Gull lately around Allan H Treman State Marine Park lately, even as I scope across toward Stewart Park. The adults seem to have migrated back to their breeding grounds, but this is an immature with no need travel and compete with breeding adults. Maybe it will spend the summer here. I feel like this bird is becoming familiar. It is banded, and I have seen it several times before. On its left leg is a black plastic band with white writing: 4JF. I first noticed it in the winter of last year, and when I reported it I learned that it was banded before it was old enough to fly in July of 2019 on Appledore Island off the coast of Maine. If you have had the good fortune to go to Cornell programs at the Shoals Marine Lab there in Spring or Summer you will doubtless recall certain parts of the island where you needed to protect yourself from being pecked or shat upon by nesting Herring Gulls or Great Black-backed Gulls. That’s where this bird is from. Maybe someday it will return there to breed. If you scope this gull well enough to read the band, you too can help keep track of it by going to this website: reportband.gov I think this bird flew past my house yesterday, but I haven’t yet been able to see the band on the bird in flight. There was a second banded Great Black-backed Gull with this bird when I first saw it last year, but I haven’t seen that bird since. - - Dave Nutter -- 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] BROWN THRASHER
Ken, Yours may be the first migrant Brown Thrasher this year in the Basin, but two were found overwintering in February. The first was on Ferguson Road west of Dryden, showing up at a feeder when a big snowstorm hit, then staying for over a month. The second was noted by Jay McGowan on NYS-89 in Covert. - - Dave Nutter > On Apr 5, 2021, at 11:15 AM, Ken Haas wrote: > > This morning I had a Brown Thrasher in my yard foraging in the leaf litter > and along the back edge of the lawn. Ebird listed it as rare so I though I > better get some pictures. Link below. > > I guess this might be an FOY for the basin. Sure is for my property. > > > > Ken Haas > Mecklenberg > > > https://ebird.org/checklist/S84842924 > -- > > 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/ --
[cayugabirds-l] First Pine Warbler & Barn Swallow
The Pine Warbler which Barbara Chase reported at her feeder yesterday appears to be the first record for 2021 in the Cayuga Lake Basin. Also, I got a call late this morning from Reuben Stoltzfus at the Montezuma NWR Visitor Center where had just heard then seen a Barn Swallow coming from the direction of the Main Pool. This also appears to be a first 2021 Basin record. - - Dave Nutter -- 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] Ithaca Osprey
14:47pm: I had a second sighting of a northbound Osprey over the Flood Control Channel past my place. The first bird went straight and steady about treetop level, but this time the bird was lower and more erratic, and it gave 4 loud chirps just before it came into view. Behaviorally it seemed different, but I suppose it could be the same bird passing by again but for some reason more excited. I was, too. - - Dave Nutter > On Mar 27, 2021, at 1:26 PM, Dave Nutter wrote: > > 12:05pm: I just saw my First-Of-Year Osprey flying slowly north past my house > while it stared down at the Flood Control Channel, clearly ready to take a > meal while traveling, whether the trip was local or long-distance. > -- 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] Ithaca Osprey
12:05pm: I just saw my First-Of-Year Osprey flying slowly north past my house while it stared down at the Flood Control Channel, clearly ready to take a meal while traveling, whether the trip was local or long-distance. This is not the first 2021 record for the Basin, just my personal thrill. But I’d like to take the occasion to explain some stuff. I also see Bald Eagles regularly, and I know their immatures can have some confusing plumages. I could tell this was an Osprey by plumage because it had a clean white underside of the body (Bald Eagles with white bellies generally also have murky gray markings below, especially on the breast). This bird had a dark brown mask which was well-defined & distinct from the clean white lower part of the head (Bald Eagles with a dark mask have murky edges to the mask, with the mask not as pure dark brown and the rest of the head not as pure white, something which may not be easy to tell at a glance or at a great distance). I could also distinguish this Osprey by shape: This bird had longer narrower wings than a Bald Eagle, which also made the few “fingers” of the outer primaries more prominent. This bird when seen from behind showed the distinct angled wing shape of the wrists being the high points of a long shallow M. Other distinguishing features of Osprey v immature Bald Eagle which I did not observe today would include: the evenly barred tail of the Osprey; the large-scale checkerboard pattern of lighter and darker areas below each of the Osprey’s wings with dark secondaries, wrists, and wingtips contrasting with pale base of primaries and white inner wing linings (Bald Eagle immatures tend to have most white throughout the wing linings and more scattered on the flight feathers); the M shape of the wings seen from below with the wrists held forward; a very slim shape when perched (Bald Eagles are hulks); and a very small hooked bill (Bald Eagles have a huge bill). Bald Eagles in winter regularly get mistaken for Ospreys, so when I asked for distinguishing features for out-of-season or early reports, the above field marks would be examples. They are not hard to see or describe, but they do require a bit of knowledge and discipline in observation and communication. I think it’s okay to point to a picture in a field guide if you can point to the particular features in the picture which you noticed. Like any rare bird report, a description of the observed features of the bird which support the ID should be included. I think that knowing what you have seen does a much better job of letting other people know what you have seen if you can say what it is that you saw that enabled you to know what it was. By the same token, a description (even a partial description) or a photo (even an unappealing photo) can help ID a bird whether or not the photographer knew the ID. So I encourage everyone to savor views of birds, and take in details of plumage, shape, and behavior. For me, this helps every observation to enrich my knowledge of each species as well as helping with IDs. Thanks for bearing with me. Happy Spring! Another Osprey is back! - - Dave Nutter -- 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] Merlin reports
Yesterday evening (Thursday 25 March) I heard (several times) and saw (once) a Merlin calling and flying near my yard. It may have been in one or more of several mature conifers near the very bottom of Cliff Street in Ithaca. When I finally saw it, it was flying in a big clockwise arc around those trees then straightened and flew NW climbing over Hector Street. My guess is it was talking to an unseen partner about potential nest sites. I don’t know what the selection is of old or new crow nests in those trees. - - Dave Nutter > On Mar 25, 2021, at 11:19 PM, anneb.cl...@gmail.com wrote: > > Interesting. They have more 2020 crow nests to rent in the Birchwood area > than near that sycamore. But it will be interesting to see if one pair is > searching the whole area. The nest used last year was either a recently > depredated American crow nest or a takeover, the reason for the crow nest > failure. > Anne > > Sent from my iPhone > >> On Mar 25, 2021, at 6:41 PM, Kenneth V. Rosenberg wrote: >> >> Hi John >> >> At least one Merlin has returned to the Northeast Ithaca neighborhood. I >> say “at least” one because there is a male perching regularly on the large >> sycamore at the north end of Muriel St. (and calling in that area) and one >> seen regularly (by Brad) flying around and calling on Birchwood Dr. I live >> about halfway between these areas on Tareyton and also see/hear one >> regularly flying over— so we don’t know if this represents 1 or 2 birds. >> >> Interestingly there was a pair of Merlins (one noticeably larger) perched >> and calling in the Muriel sycamore on a warm day in February— so they may >> have been winteri g locally. >> >> KEN >> >> Sent from my iPhone >> >>> On Mar 25, 2021, at 6:18 PM, Karen wrote: >>> >>> >>> I love Merlins and Merlin reports and people who send in Merlin reports. I >>> check them all out. . Thanks to such reports, I have observed an increasing >>> number of incubated nests in Tompkins County as follows: 2 (2014), 6 >>> (2015), 6 (2016), 5 (2017), 3 (2018), 6 (2019), 9 (2020). These include >>> pairs in Trumansburg, Lansing, Dryden, Freeville, Etna, and Ithaca (plus >>> hints of a pair in Groton). Local observers provided guidance to almost all >>> of these. I have written one paper on this, and am trying to write a more >>> complete paper including habitat choice. Interestingly, all nests have been >>> in urban/suburban areas. None in forests nor edge of forest nor edge of >>> lake. >>> >>> Merlins start egg-laying in early May. Observations in late March are >>> helpful by providing a hint about where they may finally nest. For >>> instance, the pair observed by so many at Myer's Pint never nested there. >>> Weeks after being seen at Myer's Point, there was a pair about 800 m east >>> closer to the Catholic church. >>> >>> I would love to have individuals provide me with their observations at >>> confergoldw...@aol.com >>> >>> Thanks, >>> >>> John >>> -- >>> Cayugabirds-L List Info: >>> Welcome and Basics >>> Rules and Information >>> Subscribe, Configuration and Leave >>> Archives: >>> The Mail Archive >>> Surfbirds >>> BirdingOnThe.Net >>> Please submit your observations to eBird! >>> -- >> >> -- >> Cayugabirds-L List Info: >> Welcome and Basics >> Rules and Information >> Subscribe, Configuration and Leave >> Archives: >> The Mail Archive >> Surfbirds >> BirdingOnThe.Net >> Please submit your observations to eBird! >> -- > > -- > Cayugabirds-L List Info: > Welcome and Basics > Rules and Information > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > Archives: > The Mail Archive > Surfbirds > BirdingOnThe.Net > Please submit your observations to 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/ --
Re: [cayugabirds-l] Merlin
On Inlet Island there’s a tall flat-topped metal pole for electric wires. I have seen at least ten different species of birds choose to perch on top of that pole. Twice in the past few days I have seen a Merlin there. The more recent time the Merlin appeared to be urged off by a Rock Pigeon, perhaps (the) one who likes to display there. - - Dave Nutter > On Mar 23, 2021, at 6:00 PM, Carol Cedarholm wrote: > > Just had a Merlin in my black walnut tonight in downtown Ithaca. Anybody else > seeing them? > -- > Cayugabirds-L List Info: > Welcome and Basics > Rules and Information > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > Archives: > The Mail Archive > Surfbirds > BirdingOnThe.Net > Please submit your observations to 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/ --
Re: [cayugabirds-l] Bad news for Osprey along 5 & 20
It’s still early for Ospreys to come back. I think the questions are what the birds will do when they return, and whether people will continue to knock down nests if Ospreys choose to build other than on discs. Ospreys and we who love them have been incredibly fortunate that NYSEG’s policy changed a number of years ago from tearing down Osprey nests to boosting the nests away from wires on platforms. I think this change was a major reason their population has increased in our area. I think it was largely the work of their forester, Paul Paradine (sp?). Platforms of the same design have also been placed on poles that don’t have wires. Other institutions and tower owners are not so enlightened. Maybe those folks could use a letter or call to wake them up. As for the discs, where NYS-90 crosses over the Clyde River you could see where Ospreys made their choice. They shunned the disc, but nested nearby. I’m not optimistic, but my pessimism has been proven wrong before (The martin box at Stewart Park for instance, has succeeded where I thought it would not). We shall see. - - Dave Nutter > On Mar 23, 2021, at 3:46 PM, Marty Schlabach wrote: > > This afternoon we drove by the cell phone tower in the hamlet of Covert, on > Rt 96 just north of Trumansburg, that Alicia mentioned. We too had noticed > several weeks ago that last year’s nest was gone. Today there is still no > sign of an osprey. > > Marty > > From: bounce-125487631-3494...@list.cornell.edu > On Behalf Of Alicia Plotkin > Sent: Tuesday, March 23, 2021 3:29 PM > To: John Gregoire ; CAYUGABIRDS-L > > Subject: Re: [cayugabirds-l] Bad news for Osprey along 5 & 20 > > The osprey nest on the cell phone tower just north of Trumansburg went > missing at the end of last winter, was rebuilt and used successfully again > last spring/summer, and went missing again about a month ago, I assume torn > down but didn't see it being done. > > > On 3/23/2021 3:07 PM, John Gregoire wrote: > The sole Osprey nest in Schuyler was atop the microwave comm tower behind the > Tops Market. It had been there for 5 years with great success. Someone tore > it down in the last few days. > > On Tue, Mar 23, 2021 at 1:07 PM Ann Mitchell wrote: > The nests are being torn down and replaced with the discs. No sign of Osprey. > > Ann > > Sent from my iPhone > -- > > 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: > Welcome and Basics > Rules and Information > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > Archives: > The Mail Archive > Surfbirds > BirdingOnThe.Net > Please submit your observations to eBird! > -- > > -- > Cayugabirds-L List Info: > Welcome and Basics > Rules and Information > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > Archives: > The Mail Archive > Surfbirds > BirdingOnThe.Net > Please submit your observations to eBird! > -- > -- > Cayugabirds-L List Info: > Welcome and Basics > Rules and Information > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > Archives: > The Mail Archive > Surfbirds > BirdingOnThe.Net > Please submit your observations to 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/ --
[cayugabirds-l] local bird photo worth seeing, IMO
Hi all, I’d like to tell you about a photo that I think is subtly wonderful. It’s of the male Eurasian Wigeon which showed up at Stewart Park around mid-day Friday and was present at least through mid-day Sunday, quite a show for a rarity, and seen by many. The place is famous for birds, with shallow lake water which ducks favor, and a north view so they are lit well, although not so sunny at the recorded moment. The work is by photographer Barbara Clise, and it is the picture on the right in her eBird report found here: https://ebird.org/checklist/S83399339 Please have a look at that photo, tap on it to see it full-screen, and appreciate it for yourself before being distracted by my comments about it below. - - Dave Nutter - - - - This photo by Barbara Clise of a male Eurasian Wigeon in breeding plumage is, to me, gorgeous, the one where it is not quite in profile, swimming, and turned slightly toward us... ... the low angle; we are at the level of the bird in the cold lake ... ... the waves in the background, the line across the bottom of that rough water passing through the Wigeon’s eye ... ... the foreground of calmer water ending at another line connecting the Wigeon’s chin and the tip of its bill ... ... the snow flakes falling ... ... with its head and eye centered, the Wigeon moves forward within our view ... ... its body is balanced by a pair of anonymous Mallards, the female’s white-edged tail pointing to the Wigeon’s eye, while the pattern of gray, black, and white on the male Mallard balances and points to the Wigeon’s head ... ... even the black of the Wigeon’s bill tip and its rear end have similar background markings to balance and highlight them, yet draw the eye toward the subject ... ... the hues of the drake Eurasian Wigeon, the soft gray of the back and sides - so similar to the waters - transitioning to his pink breast, then a crescendo of color in the cinnamon head, the creamy white forecrown, and the pale blue bill, which is somehow the same color as the band of water behind it ... ... and always the eye gazing at us. -- 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] Goose migration this morning
Since 12:40pm I’ve been seeing some flocks of all Snow Geese. - - Dave Nutter > On Mar 9, 2021, at 12:01 PM, Dave Nutter wrote: > > At noon I’m finally seeing Snow Geese in mixed flocks northbound over Ithaca. > > - - Dave Nutter > >> On Mar 9, 2021, at 8:51 AM, Dave Nutter wrote: >> >> Several strings & Vs of northbound Canadas, but no Snows seen from my place >> yet. >> >> - - Dave Nutter -- 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] Goose migration this morning
At noon I’m finally seeing Snow Geese in mixed flocks northbound over Ithaca. - - Dave Nutter > On Mar 9, 2021, at 8:51 AM, Dave Nutter wrote: > > Several strings & Vs of northbound Canadas, but no Snows seen from my place > yet. > > - - Dave Nutter -- 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] Goose migration this morning
Several strings & Vs of northbound Canadas, but no Snows seen from my place yet. - - Dave Nutter -- 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] Redwings
I think Joe was teasing about using the term “Redwing,” which many Americans use as shorthand for “Red-winged Blackbird,” because Redwing is actually the proper name for a European thrush, Turdus iliacus, which bears some resemblance to an immature American Robin. The true Redwing is an extremely rare winter visitor to the northeastern US, so rare that eBird lists only a single record in NYS, from 1959 at Jamaica Bay National Wildlife Refuge. However, the real die-hard rarity chasers have already seen a Redwing this winter in Portland, Maine, where eBird lists 347 sightings of the bird, so it would probably only be birders who want it for their NYS list racing to your feeders, not from the whole country. You can relax. - - Dave Nutter > On Mar 4, 2021, at 8:53 PM, Marty Schlabach wrote: > > We had four male redwings show up at our feeders in Interlaken today. > --Marty > > From: bounce-125437516-3494...@list.cornell.edu > On Behalf Of Peter Saracino > Sent: Thursday, March 4, 2021 8:51 PM > To: Joe DeVito > Cc: CAYUGABIRDS-L ; CAYUGABIRDS-L > > Subject: Re: [cayugabirds-l] Redwings > > With all due respect Joe, I think not. I anticipate the usual late winter > invasion any day now - for ALL to see. > Be well. > Pete Sar > > > > On Thu, Mar 4, 2021, 7:33 PM Joe DeVito wrote: > Red winged blackbirds? If you have red wings at your feeder, every birder in > the country will be there tomorrow > > Sent from my iPhone > > > On Mar 4, 2021, at 10:45 AM, Peter Saracino wrote: > > > Flock of redwings just showed at my feeders! > Pete Sar > -- > Cayugabirds-L List Info: > Welcome and Basics > Rules and Information > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > Archives: > The Mail Archive > Surfbirds > BirdingOnThe.Net > Please submit your observations to eBird! > -- > -- > Cayugabirds-L List Info: > Welcome and Basics > Rules and Information > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > Archives: > The Mail Archive > Surfbirds > BirdingOnThe.Net > Please submit your observations to eBird! > -- > -- > Cayugabirds-L List Info: > Welcome and Basics > Rules and Information > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > Archives: > The Mail Archive > Surfbirds > BirdingOnThe.Net > Please submit your observations to 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/ --
Re: [cayugabirds-l] Osprey
Hi Diana, Osprey would be new for the Cayuga Lake Basin 2021 list. This is early though. It’s so early that there is only one eBird record ever for Osprey in February in NYS north of Long Island, and that was several years ago south of Kingston in Ulster County. This year the northernmost eBird report of Osprey in the past month was on the 27th in Maryland. It’s certainly possible. Birds fly. There have been plenty of south winds lately. Ospreys nest along 5&20 by the refuge. I am as interested as anyone in finding out if birds are migrating sooner, and Ospreys have surprised me with early returns to Myers in the recent past. But a report of Osprey even at the very end of February suggests some care be taken, particularly since there are plenty of immature Bald Eagles around, and in some plumages they share some of the color pattern of Ospreys. Bald Eagles also nest earlier than Ospreys and have even been known to take over Osprey nests before the Ospreys return, so Bald Eagles or Red-tailed Hawks or other raptors might be near those nests. So, I’m wondering if you would mind asking your sister what about the bird said “Osprey” to her instead of some other large raptor - shape, behavior, pattern, etc. Thanks so much. And thanks for your photos and reports. It’s a joy to hear what is happening all around us. - - Dave Nutter > On Feb 28, 2021, at 8:53 PM, Whitings wrote: > > Hi All, > My sister saw an osprey flying on Rt. 20 near the entrance to the refuge > yesterday. Also, a Sandhill crane was seen at Mercer Park in B’ville. Spring > is in the air! > > Diana Whiting > > dianawhitingphotography.com > > > > -- > > 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/ --
[cayugabirds-l] possible Vega Gull at SW corner of Cayuga Lake yesterday
Hi All, Yesterday (28 Feb) I went to Allan H Treman State Park to check on the progress of migration (big news: the Northern Pintails - at least 10 - from the day before had all departed, and the Lesser Scaups were the #2 Aythya species in the raft, Canvasback numbers being a tenth of what they had been). At about 12:25 I noticed a gull standing on the ice in the very corner of the lake, a gull which I thought might be a juvenile Glaucous Gull because it looked very pale, and it had a long pink bill with a small black tip. It had to be bigger than a Herring Gull which was in the foreground, although given the variation in size among Herring Gulls, and that their distance away from each other was small compared to their distance to me, their difference in size may not have been significant. I took a photo of it through my scope then continued viewing it while I waited for a view of its wingtips. When the birds shifted I was disappointed to see its wingtips were not white but light brown, darker than the body generally, which I figured ruled out Glaucous Gull. I also noticed that the darkest and most distinct feature of its plumage was on the row of overlapping feathers on the folded wing which would be the upper inner trailing edge of the wing. Each of these feathers had a long oval of light brown surrounded by white along the length of the feather, and their effect should produce a relatively dark bar next to the trailing edge of the inner wing. I figured this must be an example of the tremendous variation in Herring Gulls - I’ve seen some immatures which are extremely faded in Summer - and I didn’t pay more attention at the time. But late last night as I was writing up details of my list for eBird, I got to wondering if this might be a Glaucous hybrid. I double-checked my Sibley for the Glaucous-like bill on Herring Gulls, and a picture jumped out at me. The first summer Vega (Siberian) Herring Gull most resembled my bird, although the bird I saw was even faded compared to that Sibley plate. I have no experience with Vega Gull, but I’m putting it out there as a possibility, for gull experts to consider. I’m hoping someone has seen this bird or will see it, or can form an opinion from my photo & notes. I never saw the bird’s tail, nor did I see it with spread wings, nor did I see it directly next to another gull, so I apologize for the limited information. Reference to my updated eBird list is below, which also shows up in the Tompkins County rare birds list with less detailed notes. Meanwhile I saw again a banded immature Great Black-backed Gull with a black plastic band on its left leg with white lettering saying “4JF”. This bird was hatched on Appledore Island, home of the Shoals Marine Lab, off the coast of the Maine - New Hampshire border, and this is the second winter I have seen it in Ithaca. Another observer this winter had remarked on how small this bird looked and unlike a Great Black-backed. My photos show that while it may be smaller than another Great Black-backed Gull, it is larger than a couple of Herring Gulls, and it is much larger than a Ring-billed Gull. - - Dave Nutter > From: ebird-checkl...@cornell.edu > Date: March 1, 2021 at 11:00:05 AM EST > To: nutter.d...@mac.com > Subject: eBird Report - NY:TOM:Ithaca: home to Cayuga L: Cass Pk - AHTreman > SMP, Feb 28, 2021 > > NY:TOM:Ithaca: home to Cayuga L: Cass Pk - AHTreman SMP, Tompkins, New York, > US > Feb 28, 2021 9:57 AM - 2:20 PM > Protocol: Traveling > 3.0 mile(s) > Checklist Comments: Walked N on CWT W, BDT, driveway, NYS-89; E on AHTSMP > entrance road; N on walkway to Hangar; N, E, N, & E on Hangar parking lots, > sidewalk, & driveway; N on maintenance building driveway, paved trail, > trampled snow shortcut, & snow/ ice covered gravel path; CW around N Field; S > on ice-covered paved path through & snow-covered grass path E/ N Woods; SW on > trampled snow path across grass field; S on mostly ice-covered paved path; W > along cleared S edge of marina; CW on cleared lane in boat ramp parking lot; > S on CWT E; W across NYS-89 & Turtle Ln S; S on spur & CWT W home. Totally > cloudy, low 40sF, light but increasing S breeze/ wind, liquid FCC except near > marina & bay by college boathouses; Williams Glen Estuary has cut a stream > through the ice in the SW corner of lake; Treman lakeshore generally > ice-free; considerable but deteriorating ice shelf off Stewart Park (Fall > Creek not seen but presumed eroded through ice). Lake calm, low shimmer. > 39 species (+3 other taxa) > > Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 80 ~30 grazing on limited snow-free > part of Union Field; 6 & 10 flying seen from BDT. 3 flying over AHTSMP > marina. Very few & uncounted on lake (sorry, eBird). ~30 flying near golf > course (doubtless more grazing t
Re: [cayugabirds-l] Large Crow flight
About that time, I was walking toward the lakeshore at Treman to survey the waterfowl in the SW part of the lake. As I passed between the frozen marina and the woods of the Hog Hole swamp, I saw an estimated 450 crows commuting east overhead. It sounded like there were more on the way but not yet visible. The light was starting to dim, and I chose to look at the birds on the lake, so it’s possible that hundreds more crows commuted behind my back. There were hundreds of ducks of at least a dozen species stretching north into the distance, nothing new, but lots of fun if you don’t stress about numbers. (Clarification: hundreds of Redheads, Canvasbacks and Common Mergansers, and much smaller numbers of the other 9 species I saw). I didn’t count the geese on the lake, mostly along the west shore, but did note that about 80 Canada Geese flew low both north and south from the middle of Allan Treman State Marine Park just south of the knoll. My guess is that they had been trying to graze where the land was windswept, but it looked like tough going. An immature Iceland Gull continues in the SW corner of the lake. Lots of Great Black-backs dominating the ice-covered Red Lighthouse Breakwater. Many of the Herring Gulls are now in sleek breeding plumage. No Ring-billeds that I saw. 4 Double-crested Cormorants rested atop the piling cluster. - - Dave Nutter > On Feb 22, 2021, at 5:39 PM, Elaina M. McCartney > wrote: > > Approximately 5:20 pm today I noticed a steady flight of Crows from my > vantage just north of Hog Hole, heading approximately toward Cayuga > Heights/Cornell Campus, moving in the approximately the opposite direction of > the large morning flight of 2/17. I don’t know the extent of today’s flight, > I assume it had been going on for a while before I looked up and > noticed—pretty gray out there. I don’t have complete numbers, but did a quick > count of maybe 100+ birds in less than a minute. Looked like an evening > “return” flight. > Elaina > > From: on behalf of Elaina > McCartney > Reply-To: Elaina McCartney > Date: Wednesday, February 17, 2021 at 9:27 AM > To: CAYUGABIRDS-L > Subject: [cayugabirds-l] Large Crow flight > > Shortly before sunrise this morning I noticed out the window a stream > (actually a river) of Crows flying north following the west shore of Cayuga > Lake. To attempt to count them I recorded a 20 sec video, and was able to > count 270 by examining it slowly. The steady flight, which seemed to > originate somewhere southish of Hog Hole, lasted at least 15 minutes at a > rate of approximately 800 per minute. I don’t know how long it had been > going on when I first noticed it, but there were upwards of 12,000 > individuals while I watched them pass at a steady rate. Some stragglers in > groups of 8-10 followed up until about 7 am. > > During the GBBC I observed three immature Bald Eagles simultaneously from my > window, making passes over a large raft of aythya and Canada Geese, just > north of Hog Hole. It was the first time I’d seen more than two at a time. > Yesterday I observed a mature Bald Eagle land in a nearby tree during a brief > snow flurry. Last fall a neighbor had limbs removed from a large, dying red > oak tree for safety, and constructed an osprey platform on what’s left of the > tree. Hoping there will be some nesting interest. > > Elaina > -- > Cayugabirds-L List Info: > Welcome and Basics > Rules and Information > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > Archives: > The Mail Archive > Surfbirds > BirdingOnThe.Net > Please submit your observations to eBird! > -- > -- > Cayugabirds-L List Info: > Welcome and Basics > Rules and Information > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > Archives: > The Mail Archive > Surfbirds > BirdingOnThe.Net > Please submit your observations to 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/ --
Re: [cayugabirds-l] 50 Robins
My first 2021 American Robin was on the Count on New Year’s Day, a single bird in the suburban neighborhood above my home on Ithaca’s West Hill. It was over a month before I saw another Robin: On February 6th, around the time that other folks began writing on CayugaBirds-L about flocks of them, I happened to be staring out a window with my scope aimed toward the Collegetown skyline when a few distant passerines crossed my view. They were substantial and dark but didn’t have fast and regular wingbeats of Starlings. Fortunately, they were tracking toward me, and I stayed on one until it surprised me with a telltale white lower belly and undertail coverts contrasting with brick red elsewhere below. Closer, and the fuller wings and longer tail supported the ID as well. How novel to see a Robin shape! Scanning nearby, I confirmed 4 of them before they went out of view. Neat, but a bit weak as a contribution to discussions of flocks. Sorry. Yesterday, while trying to write, I kept being distracted by individual birds flying past the window, too far away for an easy naked-eye ID, but too fast for me to get binoculars on them. Eventually I gave up and went to the window as they became more organized. They were Robins, and at least 40 of them went past toward the bit of woods nearby, but they didn’t seem to be feeding. Today we were expecting a delivery, so I set up closer to the window. I didn’t get much of my writing project done. The Robins came back. Many settled into a Hawthorn tree whose numerous fruits I had assumed nobody liked. But they were tasty enough today. Another little tree that I hadn’t thought much about also had fruit, and the Robins covered that tree, too, and brought a few Cedar Waxwings along. Birds were busy emerging from the woods, eating, and resting in nearby trees. I tried to count them and got to at least 60 Robins. A few other birds tagged along - a Starling, a male and a female Red-bellied Woodpecker, a male Hairy, and also a gorgeous Flicker. I showed Laurie, who declared the array well worth looking at. She’s getting a bit tired of the small dull-colored birds. Then a Red-tailed Hawk, who had spent the morning next door quietly sitting atop a large tree, tried to join the party. Awkward! That so-called raptor was really bad at hunting songbirds in the woods, and after a few short flights and asymmetrical landings, it gave up and left. I hope it finds a nice, fat, slow squirrel crossing the snow. Within a minute the birds were back at the berries. A dozen Robins were thirsty enough that they came down to the pavement to sip at wet spots. I kept scanning through all the birds, hoping for a Hermit Thrush. No luck there, but I did notice something atop a tree about a quarter mile away: a young Cooper’s Hawk who has graced my yard many times this season without catching anything that I saw. How could it not notice the activity here? When my attention wandered I suddenly saw several Robins start a rush straight for the woods. Yup, the Cooper’s Hawk came ripping past, but veering off, again unlucky, I think. Still, everyone took this predator seriously, and the feeding session seemed to be over. A little while later I noticed Robins leaving the woods to fly away over downtown. There were 2 groups totaling about 75. The maximum number of Cedar Waxwings I saw at once was only 5. There is still some fruit, so I hope they come back. I still need to go out and try to ID that mystery tree. And get back to the other writing project. - - Dave Nutter -- 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] RFI Historical Ithaca Lark Sparrow report
Hi all, I just noticed that last year an historical report of a LARK SPARROW in Ithaca was added to eBird, referencing the 1979 New York State Avian Records Committee (NYSARC )Annual Report, published in the Kingbird Volume 30, Number 4. Looking at that online, as far as I can tell, all it says is that there was a singing adult on 5 September 1979 in Ithaca, and that it was “about the 8th” record in NYS. Does anyone know (or know how to find out) more specifically where it was or who observed it? Thanks! - - Dave Nutter -- 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] Goldfinches molting in mid-January?
On a recommendation I looked at Macaulay’s winter photos and saw plenty of variety but no sense of whether the sample is biased for or against molting birds. Then I recalled I own a reference, a bander’s ID guide. For American Goldfinch it says: “Continuous, limited molting occurs throughout the winter.” Wild. Learn something new... Still, is this generally known among feeder watchers? So much to learn. It’s fun being able to recognize individual birds. Spock was back today. - - Dave Nutter > On Jan 15, 2021, at 2:21 PM, Dave Nutter wrote: > > For the last 10 months I have sharply curtailed my travel, both on account of > the pandemic and to eliminate my birding carbon footprint. Meanwhile I have > been paying closer attention to feeder birds than ever before. Maybe other > folks who have longer experience carefully noting who comes to their feeders > can answer me this: > > Is it unusual to have male American Goldfinches already beginning to molt > into breeding plumage in the middle of January? Yesterday I noticed at least > 2 with black speckles appearing on their foreheads, and one of those even has > a single bright yellow arched eyebrow, like a tiny quizzical Mr. Spock. I > noticed these birds at a time when I also had a new maximum number of > American Goldfinches, so I guess it’s possible that it’s these individual > birds’ presence rather than their plumage that has changed. So, my > alternative question is: Have other feeder watchers seen male American > Goldfinches retaining black speckles on the forehead or asymmetrical bright > yellow patches beyond the typical autumn molt time and into the winter? > > Thanks. > > - - Dave Nutter -- 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] Goldfinches molting in mid-January?
For the last 10 months I have sharply curtailed my travel, both on account of the pandemic and to eliminate my birding carbon footprint. Meanwhile I have been paying closer attention to feeder birds than ever before. Maybe other folks who have longer experience carefully noting who comes to their feeders can answer me this: Is it unusual to have male American Goldfinches already beginning to molt into breeding plumage in the middle of January? Yesterday I noticed at least 2 with black speckles appearing on their foreheads, and one of those even has a single bright yellow arched eyebrow, like a tiny quizzical Mr. Spock. I noticed these birds at a time when I also had a new maximum number of American Goldfinches, so I guess it’s possible that it’s these individual birds’ presence rather than their plumage that has changed. So, my alternative question is: Have other feeder watchers seen male American Goldfinches retaining black speckles on the forehead or asymmetrical bright yellow patches beyond the typical autumn molt time and into the winter? Thanks. - - Dave Nutter -- 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] What to make of 1000 Swans
Suppose all the swans of a typical winter were for some reason concentrated on the Main Pool instead of on flooded mucklands along the Clyde & Seneca rivers (Armitage, NYS-31 to Carncross Rd) and on Cayuga Lake from Mud Lock to the RR bridge plus farther south along the shores of Cayuga Lake to Union Springs and Red Jacket, I wonder if that would total 1000 Tundra Swans. What is the ice situation on the lake and the refuge? What’s the flooding situation in the mucklands? Did the earlier waterfowl shooting season affect where the swans concentrate? I’d like to hear what the DEC Cayuga Lake waterfowl count shows, and I hope the refuge gets counted at the same time. I wonder what their typical Tundra Swan count is. Also I wonder what the number of Trumpeter Swans and Mute Swans is, although I know that’s harder to count if they are sleeping. I wonder if the attractiveness of Montezuma this year for swans is in any way related to the attractiveness for cranes - weather patterns for nesting success, bringing them here during migration, mild weather other than that one big snow storm keeping them here? - - Dave Nutter > On Jan 12, 2021, at 7:10 PM, Peter Saracino wrote: > > Today we conducted a brief survey at the Montezuma Refuge (Wildlife Drive > only) while also looking for the locations of some possible new eagle nests. > In addition to a good number of ducks (mostly mallards, blacks, ring necks, a > few geese and one redhead), we encounterd over 1000 swans - mostly tundra > with some trumpeters as well. Most were simply sitting on the ice and many > appeared to be sleeping. A number of young were among the larger group. So > I'm wondering if their presence in mid-January is simply a testament to the > mild winter we've had thus far? Will more severe weather send them packing? > Have they given up the thought of Migration this year? > Thoughts, opinions, musings all appreciated. > Thank you. > Pete Sar > -- > Cayugabirds-L List Info: > Welcome and Basics > Rules and Information > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > Archives: > The Mail Archive > Surfbirds > BirdingOnThe.Net > Please submit your observations to 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/ --
[cayugabirds-l] 2021 Basin First Records list is up
Hi All, The 2021 Cayuga Basin First Records list is now on the Cayuga Bird Club website for viewing: > http://www.cayugabirdclub.org/Resources/cayuga-lake-basin-first-records It’s easier to read with fully spelt-out Common Names. In addition to the list in chronological order there’s also a complete checklist in taxonomic order to see which species have or haven’t yet been found. Alongside that checklist are notes about what years rare species have been found in the Basin or if they have yet to be found here at all, what years they have been found in nearby counties. This feature also can show some trends, such as when Sandhill Cranes, Black Vultures, Fish Crows, or Common Ravens first started to show up in the Basin. Again, please let me know of possible errors or additions. Thanks. - - Dave Nutter -- 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] Future of Lott Farm & Basin Upland Sandpipers?
I don’t think I am the best person to organize or make contact. I think there are people who can speak well about conservation and agriculture and programs as well as what birders or bird clubs or other organizations might offer. What I think would be good to cover would include: * How very grateful we are that the Lotts have for years managed the land in a way that let grassland birds, particularly Upland Sandpipers breed there, the only remaining place in our area. * How very grateful we are that the Lotts have allowed birders onto their property to see and hear and observe the many kinds of birds including the Upland Sandpipers, but also Snowy Owls, Horned Larks, Eastern Meadowlarks, Bobolinks, Savannah Sparrows, and even sometimes Grasshopper Sparrows, American Kestrels... * If there is any way we can help the Lotts to continue to keep grassland habitat and the birds that use it, despite the loss of the Empire State Farm Days, we would like to try. The land is theirs and I assume that, unless they already have some conservation easement or funding, they could dig it up tomorrow and we must respect that. It’s literally their business, not ours, and even asking about their plans, let alone trying to influence them, might be offensive, so I’m not sure how to even broach the subject, but I feel there are people among us who could do this well. I don’t know what we can offer financially, either as organizations or as individuals, such as a small entrance fee or membership, but I think birders should consider this. Of course what also would have to happen is an assessment of what the shared sentiments of birders are. Maybe I’m making assumptions that are not valid. Thank you, everyone who has contributed to this. - - Dave Nutter > On Jan 10, 2021, at 8:52 PM, Suan Hsi Yong wrote: > > As Cayuga Bird Club president, I'll bring this up for discussion at > our next executive committee meeting. It sounds like engaging with the > Lotts might be a good first step. Meanwhile, if anyone wants to play > an active role in pursuing this further, perhaps with the backing of > the bird club, let me know. > > Suan > > >> On Sun, Jan 10, 2021 at 7:38 AM Robert Horn wrote: >> >> I agree that contacting the Finger Lakes Land Trust could be beneficial. >> They certainly are experts in land conservation. Bob Horn >> >> On Jan 10, 2021, at 6:26 AM, John Gregoire >> wrote: >> >> Dave, >> The state has a strong farmland trust which greatly benefit the owner in >> cash which is in exchange for keeping it farmland. I have no further detail/ >> John >> >>> On Sat, Jan 9, 2021 at 8:17 PM Dave Nutter wrote: >>> >>> As many of you know, the private Lott Farm, located on the NE corner of >>> NYS-414 and Martin Rd on the south border of the Town of Seneca Falls, has >>> long been the site for the August farm equipment fair called Empire Farm >>> Days. Therefore it has fortuitously been managed as an extensive grassland. >>> It is the only remaining breeding site in the Cayuga Lake Basin for Upland >>> Sandpipers (They bred between Wood Rd & Caswell Rd in Dryden years ago, >>> before a few houses went in there.) as well as a great place for many other >>> breeding grassland birds, the occasional rare Dickcissel, plus fairly >>> regular Snowy Owls in winter. Furthermore, the owner has been gracious in >>> granting access, without charging any fee, to birders who simply request >>> permission, describe their vehicle, and agree to remain on the gravel roads. >>> >>> In talking to Reuben Stoltzfus this evening I learned that we cannot take >>> for granted the situation which had simply been the result of good luck and >>> generosity. This past year, the Empire State Farm Days event did not take >>> place due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But also the event is now under new >>> management who have chosen a different site for the future. This means that >>> whatever profit and benefit which the Lott Farm gained from that event is >>> gone. And they never got any benefit except good will from us birders. >>> >>> While Reuben has not talked to the farm owner and did not know of any plans >>> for this land which had been managed as grassland, I think it’s safe to >>> assume that there is a strong incentive for the owner to find some use >>> which will pay the taxes or turn a profit, and that grassland bird habitat >>> may not be in the picture unless action is taken quickly to encourage >>> future management to allow these birds to continue, before decisions are >>> made - if they have not been finalized
Re: [cayugabirds-l] Dryden Conservation Board Resolution Recommending Preservation of Dryden Lake Dam
Is this DRAFT resolution the thing which we need to write to the board about our support right away, or has it already been passed, such that we can relax or take some next step? - - Dave Nutter > On Jan 9, 2021, at 5:28 PM, Mary Ann Lutz wrote: > > I would be able to donate to a fund for preservation of the lake. > > > > From: bounce-125276679-24840...@list.cornell.edu > on behalf of Poppy Singer > > Sent: Saturday, January 9, 2021 3:31 PM > To: Regi Teasley > Cc: Bard Prentiss ; CAYUGABIRDS-L > ; Marie P. Read > Subject: Re: [cayugabirds-l] Dryden Conservation Board Resolution > Recommending Preservation of Dryden Lake Dam > > Great letter! > > On Sat, Jan 9, 2021 at 3:05 PM Regi Teasley wrote: > I would love to see birders, as birders, taking an active role in supporting > local environmental protection. > Regi > > > “The future of the world is nuts.” Philip Rutter, founder of the American > Chestnut Foundation > > >> On Jan 9, 2021, at 2:32 PM, Marie P. Read wrote: >> >> > >> ...or maybe I should have said “...help support financially.” >> >> >> Get Outlook for iOS >> From: bounce-125276647-5851...@list.cornell.edu >> on behalf of Marie P. Read >> >> Sent: Saturday, January 9, 2021 2:30:01 PM >> To: Bard Prentiss ; CAYUGABIRDS-L >> ; NATURAL-HISTORY-L >> >> Subject: Re: [cayugabirds-l] Dryden Conservation Board Resolution >> Recommending Preservation of Dryden Lake Dam >> >> Good news...losing Dryden Lake would be a tragedy for wildlife and humans >> alike. If/when the expected grumbling about finding the needed funds and how >> that would affect local taxes comes up, this should be a project that the >> local birding community could support financially? >> >> Marie >> >> Get Outlook for iOS >> From: bounce-125276602-5851...@list.cornell.edu >> on behalf of Bard Prentiss >> >> Sent: Saturday, January 9, 2021 1:12:35 PM >> To: CAYUGABIRDS-L ; NATURAL-HISTORY-L >> >> Subject: [cayugabirds-l] Dryden Conservation Board Resolution Recommending >> Preservation of Dryden Lake Dam >> >> v >> DRAFT 12/29/2020 >> >> Dryden Conservation Board Resolution Recommending Preservation of Dryden >> Lake Dam >> >> Whereas there has been a dam at Dryden Lake Dryden, NY since circa 1801; and >> >> Whereas the body of water known as Dryden Lake, created by the building of >> the dam, has provided numerous benefits to the citizens of the Town of >> Dryden and surrounding areas for over two hundred years, with its benefits >> changing and expanding over two plus centuries; and >> >> Whereas the lake originally provided power for a sawmill and ice harvesting, >> it created additional waterfowl and wildlife habitat that has made the lake >> today a birding “hot spot” with 228 species observed, providing migratory >> bird rest areas and nesting and foraging habitat (Canada geese, ducks, >> loons, herons, Bald Eagles) as well as habitat for numerous mammals, >> amphibians, turtles, etc; and >> >> Whereas Dryden Lake and its surrounding areas provides many forms of year >> round recreation for town and surrounding area residents, such as fishing, >> ice fishing, hiking, jogging, dog walking, biking, cross country skiing, >> snow shoeing (on the Jim Schug trail), kayaking, canoeing, ice skating, >> hunting, trapping, bird watching, picnicking, etc; and >> >> Whereas Dryden Lake and its surrounding natural areas are an important >> educational resource, being used both for formal classes in ecology and >> natural resources (Cornell University) and informal education of everyone >> from young children to lifelong education participants; and >> >> Whereas the Town of Dryden currently provides a community park at the Lake >> under an agreement with the New York State Department of Environmental >> Conservation; and >> >> Whereas the Dryden Lake park is a popular location for many community events >> with the lake being the center piece for those events; and >> >> Whereas the lake has a rich historical and cultural value to the citizens of >> the town; and >> >> Whereas the NYS DEC is considering the removal of the dam and the >> elimination of Dryden Lake in the form it has existed for over two hundred >> years; and >> >> Whereas the Dryden Town Board has requested a recommendation from the >> Conservation Board on the future of the Dryden Lake dam and
[cayugabirds-l] Future of Lott Farm & Basin Upland Sandpipers?
As many of you know, the private Lott Farm, located on the NE corner of NYS-414 and Martin Rd on the south border of the Town of Seneca Falls, has long been the site for the August farm equipment fair called Empire Farm Days. Therefore it has fortuitously been managed as an extensive grassland. It is the only remaining breeding site in the Cayuga Lake Basin for Upland Sandpipers (They bred between Wood Rd & Caswell Rd in Dryden years ago, before a few houses went in there.) as well as a great place for many other breeding grassland birds, the occasional rare Dickcissel, plus fairly regular Snowy Owls in winter. Furthermore, the owner has been gracious in granting access, without charging any fee, to birders who simply request permission, describe their vehicle, and agree to remain on the gravel roads. In talking to Reuben Stoltzfus this evening I learned that we cannot take for granted the situation which had simply been the result of good luck and generosity. This past year, the Empire State Farm Days event did not take place due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But also the event is now under new management who have chosen a different site for the future. This means that whatever profit and benefit which the Lott Farm gained from that event is gone. And they never got any benefit except good will from us birders. While Reuben has not talked to the farm owner and did not know of any plans for this land which had been managed as grassland, I think it’s safe to assume that there is a strong incentive for the owner to find some use which will pay the taxes or turn a profit, and that grassland bird habitat may not be in the picture unless action is taken quickly to encourage future management to allow these birds to continue, before decisions are made - if they have not been finalized already - for the plowing or construction season this spring. Is this something about which local bird clubs would want to work with the owner of Lott farm? Are there DEC programs which can reimburse landowners for maintaining such habitat? Would bird clubs want to help more directly? Would birders be willing to pay a small fee for the privilege of birding there or to become members of some organization for the pride of knowing they are helping some regionally rare birds survive where we can sometimes see them? These are just some ideas based on very limited information. I know there are people reading this who are far better than I am at organizing, networking, researching, and promoting these things. Please think about it, discuss it, and help ensure that come mid-April the Upland Sandpipers have a home to return to. Thanks. - - Dave Nutter -- 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] Draft 2021 Basin First Records for review
Hi All, I’ve been working on the 2021 Cayuga Basin First Records List. Below my signature is a draft of my notes for review. When Paul Anderson has time to make a new spreadsheet, I’ll fill it out, and he’ll put it on the Cayuga Bird Club website here: http://www.cayugabirdclub.org/Resources/cayuga-lake-basin-first-records where it will remain, accumulating species throughout 2021 as I learn about them and update it. But this initial large list is easier to edit before it’s put up, so please have a look, and if you see things that appear wrong or missing, please let me know. Explanations: The six-letter code for bird species, used in Bird Population Studies when I worked there, has this format according to the number of words in the common name: BUFFLEhead, GREater SCAup, Eastern Whip-Poor-WILl. To avoid ambiguity some words may be abbreviated differently: GRaY, GraY, graY; GReeN, GreeN, greeN; GReaT, GreaT, Great; BLacK, BlacK, blacK; BLUe, BlUe, blUe. Have fun deciphering. I find it easier than 4-letter codes. Records are grouped first by date, so everything first found on New Year’s Day - currently the vast majority - is first. Species first found on subsequent days are all at the bottom. Within each day, the species are in the taxonomic order used by eBird. This is different than the older order used by the National Audubon Society for Christmas Bird Counts on the spreadsheet which Paul recently shared for the Ithaca count. For species which were widespread and found by multiple parties on the Christmas Bird Count, both the observer(s) and the locations(s) are listed as “Ithaca CBC”. Species which were found on the count by very few parties or in very few locations have the observers and locations listed. When a new species is found multiple places on the same day, rather than sort out where it was found first, I try to list all the places and credit all the finders, because I think it’s interesting when when a bird species arrives overnight en masse. My sources include eBird; the Ithaca Christmas Bird Count through Pauls’ spreadsheet, Area Leaders, and individual participants; and other birders who post to CayugaBirds-L, or text to the Cayuga Rare Bird Alert, or who contact me personally. Locations do not include personal addresses but do include road names. Locations also include the township to disambiguate, for instance, the many Lake Roads. Birds considered must be within the Cayuga Lake Basin as mapped in a 1926 botany book by Cornell professors Weigand and Eames. The area was adopted by Lab of O founder Arthur Allen as a reasonable convenient area in which to study a wide and representative array of birds. He also started the tradition of keeping an annual list of bird species found in the basin. The Basin, in its south half, as far north as the townships of Fayette and Scipio, is simply the land which drains to Cayuga Lake. However the north half of the Basin also includes lands which drain north and south into the Seneca River, Clyde River, and Erie/Barge Canal, with east and west limits along those waterways designed to include particularly interesting ecological and botanical areas, so it sweeps west just into Ontario County to include the Junius Ponds and east into the edge of Auburn and include Howland Island. The north edge appears ragged because the land is covered with north-south oriented drumlins which complicate the drainage. If you wonder whether a location is in the Basin, I can look it up. W/ = west of Questions? Feel free to ask. - - Dave Nutter 2021 Basin First of Year Records DRAFT as of 0108 BIRDSP MMDDObserver(s) Location, incl Town SNOGOO 0101Ithaca CBC Ithaca CBC CACGOO 0101Ken Rosenberg, Jay McGowan; Drew Weber Stewart Park, Ithaca; Chiropractic College, Seneca Falls CANGOO 0101Ithaca CBC Ithaca CBC MUTSWA 0101Dave Kennedy; Drew Weber, Ash Ferlito, Cullen Hanks Cayuga L SP / Lower L Rd, Seneca Falls; Montezuma NWR VC, Tyre TRUSWA 0101Dave Kennedy; Wade & Melissa Rowley Montezuma NWR VC, Tyre; Carncross Rd, Savannah TUNSWA 0101Dave Kennedy; Janet Akin; Drew Weber, Cullen Hanks, Ash Ferlito Montezuma NWR VC & NYS-89 overlook, Tyre; Cayuga L SP /Lower L Rd, Seneca Falls WOODUC 0101Dave KennedyOak I, Waterloo GADWAL 0101Dave Kennedy; Drew Weber, Cullen Hanks, Ash Ferlito, Reuben Stoltzfus Cayuga L SP, Seneca Falls; Montezuma NWR VC, Tyre; CR-53, Sheldrake, Ovid AMEWIG 0101Josh Snodgrass; Drew Weber, Cullen Hanks, Ash Ferlito SW Cayuga L, Ithaca; Montezuma NWR VC, Tyre MALLAR 0101Ithaca CBC Ithaca CBC AMKDUC 0101Ithaca CBC Ithaca CBC NORPIN 0101Drew Weber, Cullen Hanks, Ash Ferlito Montezuma NWR VC, Tyre GNWTEA 0101Brandon Woo Gracie Pond, Lime Hollow, Cortlandville CANVAS 0101Dave Kennedy; Drew Weber, Cullen Hanks, Ash Ferl
[cayugabirds-l] Seeking info for Basin First Records list
Hi All, Does anyone know whether the Gyrfalcon, which is often seen on N Hoster Rd in Fayette, was seen on January 1, 2, or 3 this year? I know it was seen as late as December 28. Here’s why I ask: There’s a long tradition of keeping an annual list of first records for the Cayuga Lake Basin. For a number of years I’ve been doing that. Past years’ lists are on the Cayuga Bird Club website, and the start of this year’s list should also be up soon, with Paul Anderson’s help. As you may know, on January 3 a Gyrfalcon was seen near Ithaca. The question for me is whether this was the first day the species was found this year, or whether the bird from the Canoga area was also seen that same day or earlier. If you have info as to when, where, and by whom it was seen, please let me know off list. Thanks! - - Dave Nutter nutter.d...@mac.com -- 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] Pileated pair and sumac
I’m also trying to establish Staghorn Sumac in my yard for winter bird food. Sometimes the autumn foliage is not just red, it can have a nearly complete rainbow of green-yellow-orange-red-purple! One of the challenges is removing the somewhat similar invasive Ailanthus. - - Dave Nutter > On Jan 5, 2021, at 11:53 AM, Donna Lee Scott wrote: > > I love sumacs & always let them grow. > Bluebirds & Robins & others eat the berries in winter. Including “my” > Pileated wdpkr. > In fall the foliage is brilliant red! > > Donna Scott > Lansing > Sent from my iPhone > > On Jan 5, 2021, at 11:50 AM, "anneb.cl...@gmail.com" > wrote: > >> A lovely pair of Pileated woodpeckers had a protracted morning tea on sumac >> seed headsmaking the sumac look very spindly! >> >> As always am working on ways to increase the sumac population. Beauty and >> utility! >> >> Sent from my iPhone >> -- >> >> 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: > Welcome and Basics > Rules and Information > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > Archives: > The Mail Archive > Surfbirds > BirdingOnThe.Net > Please submit your observations to 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/ --
[cayugabirds-l] Migrating waterfowl
Yesterday morning (Friday 18 Dec) I took a cross-country ski trip on the Black Diamond Trail as far north as the woods below the hospital, a little over 2 miles. The trail which I had broken for the first half mile the previous morning had been extended by others at least to Glenwood Heights Rd, I learned from a rare passerby. My progress was mainly slowed by estimating the numbers in every flock of geese I heard and was able to see. All were flying south, evidently haven given up on the idea of grazing or foraging in farm fields buried by over a foot of snow. During my 3 hours out I tallied nearly 5,000 Canada Geese. It wasn’t until 0922 when I was near my turnaround that I encountered my first flock of Snow Geese, about 100. Eventually five flocks of them added up to around 700 birds. I did not see any mixing of Canadas & Snows in flocks, nor did I see any Ross’s nor Cackling. When I was back near Cass Park a particularly large flock of Canadas went past. I was still checking their number when they were south of me, and I noticed something sizable but different flying nearby. It was a Common Loon bucking the trend by flying north over Ithaca at 1044. Those birds fascinate me. And in the sky above the loon I saw two high ghostly silent birds that I would not have otherwise noticed - a pair of Swans, presumed Tundra. A few minutes later I heard several Tundra Swans calling, and I eventually caught sight of a flock of 48 of them in a counter-clockwise curving path over West Hill last seen going SW and fairly low. Maybe they saw a field they thought worth checking for food. I’m guessing that the shallow waters at the north end of the lake where they prefer to feed are all either frozen or disturbed by gunners. Gunfire was generally far north of Ithaca during my outing, perhaps helping to account for the large number of flying Canada Geese and the Common Loon The south end of the lake looked pretty empty through binoculars and trees from the trail, and ice was extensive off Stewart Park (though not as far as East Shore Park), across Fall Creek and Cayuga Inlet, and from the Red Lighthouse Breakwater past Allan H Treman State Marine Park all the way to about #857 on Taughannock Boulevard. My guess is that with the clear still air and single digit Fahrenheit overnight temperatures, that ice will have grown a lot by today. There were also 14 Snow Geese over the south end of the Black Diamond Trail who seemed to be exploring by flying NW, and the last flock of Snow Geese which I saw, about 70 of them, was the only substantial goose flock of the morning which was not southbound; for whatever reason it was last seen going pretty much East over Ithaca. - - Dave Nutter -- 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] Sandhills
The numbers of Sandhill Cranes reported this autumn at the Montezuma Wetlands Complex are remarkable - over 200 at Van Dyne Spoor Rd, over 250 at East Rd, and over 50 at the Montezuma NWR Visitor Center - even if they are overlapping counts of some or all of the same group moving about. Keep in mind that this species has only been observed annually in the Cayuga Lake Basin starting in 2000. Before that, eBird only lists 1 bird October 1968 at Montezuma by Brad Jacobs, 1 bird flying N on warm S winds in February 1990 in Enfield by Bill Evans (who I believe lived there at the time), and 1-2 birds in November 1994 in Montezuma observed by several, including Kevin McGann, Kevin & Jay McGowan, and Bill Purcell. Starting in 2000, the spring reports in eBird suggest birds might be breeding or considering doing so. The first confirmation in eBird of breeding success in the Montezuma area was in 2003. In recent years it seems that many (most?) major pools or marshes in the Montezuma Wetland Complex have their own pair of Sandhill Cranes. I wonder how many members of these autumn gatherings were breeding or raised locally and how many are pausing here during a longer migration from other parts of their range. Regardless, it is clear that Montezuma has become a hub for these social birds. - - Dave Nutter > On Dec 4, 2020, at 7:46 AM, Peter Saracino wrote: > > At least 250 Sandhill Cranes currently at Knox Marcellus Marsh (MNWR). > Pete Sar > -- > Cayugabirds-L List Info: > Welcome and Basics > Rules and Information > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > Archives: > The Mail Archive > Surfbirds > BirdingOnThe.Net > Please submit your observations to 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/ --
Re: [cayugabirds-l] Siskins
I haven’t seen them yet today, but for the last 3 days a flock of Pine Siskins has come to my feeders, where the only fare is black oil sunflower seeds. The Siskins have only been present for a few minutes at a time, so I have to be vigilant and lucky. The maximum has been 26, which is a real strain on my ability to keep track of them. Only 1 so far has shown prominent yellow on the wingbar, all the rest having white. I had been thinking of expanding the bird feeding operation, but this morning I got a series of reports of bird feeders and beehives being demolished by a Bear 1-2 miles away on West Hill, just into the Town of Ithaca, and at EcoVillage. - - Dave Nutter > On Nov 30, 2020, at 10:20 AM, Donna Lee Scott wrote: > > ~23 Pine Siskins, along w 4-5 Goldfinches, enjoying nyjer seeds on my deck > railing! > A Red-breasted Nuthatch grabbing sunflower seeds, too. > > Donna Scott > Lansing > Sent from my iPhone > -- > Cayugabirds-L List Info: > Welcome and Basics > Rules and Information > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > Archives: > The Mail Archive > Surfbirds > BirdingOnThe.Net > Please submit your observations to 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/ --
Re: [cayugabirds-l] Loon migration alert - Sat morning
This morning (21 Nov) from the NW end of the NYS-89 bridge over the Flood Control Channel I watched for loons for 3 hours starting 15 minutes before sunrise. The temperature was in the 40sF, the NW wind was not too strong, the sky was mostly cloudy, and there were quite a few loons, all of which made it much more satisfying (not too cold, easier to see loons, saw more loons) compared to last time when I gambled with the snow and lost. Here’s my count, by 15-minute Meade Periods: 1) 24 flew south (2 singles, 7 groups); -0- flew north. 2) 56 flew south (9 singles, 11 groups); 3 singles flew north 3) 13 flew south (7 singles, 1 group); 1 flew north 4) -0- flew south; 2 singles flew north 5) 9 flew south (4 singles, 1 group); -0- flew north 6) 36 flew south ( -0- singles, 6 groups); 1 flew north 7) 17 flew south (8 singles, 3 groups); -0- flew north 8) 3 flew south (1 single, 1 group); -0- flew north 9) 5 flew south (-0- singles, 2 groups); -0- flew north 10) 2 flew south (2 singles, -0- groups); -0- flew north 11) 2 flew south (2 singles, -0- groups); 1 flew north 12) 5 flew south (-0- singles, 1 group); 2 singles flew north Totals: 173 seemed to migrate south past me (37 singly, and the other 136 in 33 groups of 2 or more), but 10 flew north, all singly. One loon flew in a complete circle, seeming to wait for another loon to catch up, whom it joined to continue flying south together - a friend? - or someone who knew the way better? Other birds of note: An immature Bald Eagle seen 3 times in various places was presumed to be the same bird. At 0801 a long narrow V of 18 Tundra Swans (positive ID by voice) flew south over Cornell U. - - Dave Nutter -- 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] Hooded Mergansers
This reminds me, during my Loon Watch this morning I was impressed by about 40 Hooded Mergansers on the Inlet to my north opposite the CU & IC crew boathouses, but 150 really is a lot! I thought I heard gunfire far to the north and wondered if the Hooded Mergansers were taking refuge from the lake. In addition to the large number of Hooded Mergansers, I saw a more typical 9 Common Mergansers, and among them two female Red-breasted Mergansers, which is very unusual in Cayuga Inlet. If I had been looking from my windows or deck, instead of from the NYS-89 bridge, they could have been new yard birds. I saw one of them catch a fish. Also I saw groups of 8, 2, and 20 Double-crested Mergansers in more-or-less southbound flight, which is more than I have seen on the south end of Cayuga Lake recently. - - Dave Nutter > On Nov 18, 2020, at 8:36 PM, Judith Jones wrote: > > Saw about 150 Hooded Mergansers at 4:30 pm today on the Cayuga Inlet between > the Marina entrance and the boat houses. Also a single mockingbird in the > brush at the edge of the golf course. > > > -- > > 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/ --
[cayugabirds-l] American Tree Sparrows; Peregrine Falcon
Today’s snowy weather brought at least 3 and maybe as many as 5 American Tree Sparrows to feed in the weeds surrounding my garden, a first for the season in the yard. And during my Loon Watch I saw a Peregrine Falcon passing just to my north flying east at 0806, maybe going toward Cornell. Later I scoped the west face of Bradfield Hall but did not see any bird sitting on the usual perch there. However, at 1450 I did notice a Peregrine Falcon perched on the SW edge of the top of the old gray smokestack for the abandoned Morse Chain / Emerson Power Transmission Factory low on South Hill in Ithaca. It was still there at dusk. That’s the second time this autumn that I have seen a Peregrine atop that smokestack, so maybe it’s a regular perch to keep an eye on. It’s closer to my home than Bradfield, so I find these scoped “yard bird” Peregrine views more satisfying. - - Dave Nutter -- 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] Loon migration report 18 November
This morning starting at 0653 I spent 2 hours at the north end of the NYS-89/Flood Control Channel bridge at the south end of Cass Park in Ithaca watching for migrating loons. Sunrise was nominally at 0702, but add about 20 minutes for it to come into view at this west edge of the valley floor, although the sun was mostly not visible anyway. Despite the prediction of a 30-something-percent-and-dropping chance of precipitation, snow fell during most of the observation time, which may have reduced my ability to see loons or reduced loons’ inclination to fly. Maybe I was unlucky, or maybe I was in the 30% of Ithaca which had all the snowfall: Many times when driving taxi and heading toward Ithaca from the airport or the hospital I have seen the Cayuga Lake Valley occupied by a big sausage of cloud. This morning under what may have been such a local cloud I could look up through the falling snow and clouds and see that there was some blue sky above. I should not have been surprised if this was locally-enhanced lake-effect snow, because the below-freezing wind was aligned with Cayuga Lake. I don’t know if loons were deterred from migrating by the snow & clouds, or whether they flew above it or flew straight where the lake valley bends at Taughannock to bypass Ithaca, but I did not see a big loon migration. I’d like to hear if other folks observed migrating loons today. On the other hand, there was a non-zero number of migrating loons. All appeared to be Common Loons. The heading I give is the direction that loons appeared to leave, even if they changed direction while I saw them. 0653 start of observation ... no loons seen for 29 minutes 0722 1 flying SE during a brief respite in snowfall 0756 1 flying NW 0801 1 flying SE 0802 3 flying SE 0804 19 flying SE 0807 13 flying SE 0810 1 turning clockwise to head N 0811 1 flying ESE 0821 1 flying S 0822 1 flying SE 0853 end of observation. Loons were particularly sparse during the period when one would expect them to arrive from Cayuga Lake if they took off around sunrise. All loons in groups were late enough to have been from Lake Ontario. The two large groups were particularly high, and one of them was found in the background of the binocular view of a closer bird, making me wonder if I overlooked other groups. Nearly all loons appeared to head SE toward South Hill rather than follow the Cayuga Inlet Valley and bend to the SW, perhaps relying on the glow of the sun as a general compass. I also happened to see several loons from my east-facing windows during less diligent observations later in the day: 1134 1 flying S 1145 1 flying S 1148 1 flying S 1149 2 flying S 1204 4 flying S It’s possible that with reduced snowfall and increased sunshine, these later loons followed a different trajectory. It’s also possible that the view from my windows means that loons hugging my side of the valley and going more directly south are more likely to be seen or that in this more limited view they are more likely to appear to be going south. In other loon migration news Sue Gregoire doing a loon watch from the dock at Smith Park on Seneca Lake from 0705 to 0815 saw 54 southbound and 17 northbound loons, while as I understand it, John Gregoire watching from the Kestrel Haven Bird Observatory on Fitzgerald Rd in Hector saw none. Sue Gregoire also mentioned that hundreds of thousands of gulls were also migrating south along Seneca Lake. I did not try to count gulls, some of which were wheeling in kettles and some of which flew more directly, but I would also say that there were thousands - far more than the local few hundred I have seen resting on the Red Lighthouse Breakwater or the Allan H Treman marina docks - and they were generally southbound. My CayugaBirds-L post yesterday prompted a secondhand report by Reuben Stoltzfus that on 14 November Adam Troyer saw 204 loons, presumably from his family’s farm high on the hill east of Candor, and on 16 November Adam saw 3 loons, including a Red-throated Loon, which is an unusual find in Tioga County, NY. - - Dave Nutter -- 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] Loon migration tomorrow?
Yesterday I saw 34 Common Loons on the southern part of Cayuga Lake. I was scoping from the lakeshore at Allan H Treman State Marine Park, and with air temperatures in the 40s - close to the water temperature, there was not much distortion, so I was able to discern the heads of loons pretty far north. All but one of the loons were farther north than a feeding flock of 100 Common Mergansers, so the loons were by no means crowding Treman and Stewart Parks, nor hungry enough to compete for whatever attracted the attention of the smaller Common Mergansers. Still, I think 34 Common Loons is a significant presence. I figure it means that either the remaining loons on the lake are numerous enough to simply spread this far south, or that they are nudging southward in anticipation of migration. At any rate they haven’t all left, and it’s getting toward the season - the 3rd week of November - when we see big loon migration events, according to eBird records (which are unavailable for the next 2 days due to eBird data housekeeping). There was definite loon flight and migration on November 2nd and the 12th, although not as numerous as some hoped. The conditions have mostly continued to argue against migration, with either calm, or winds from the south, or precipitation. This morning there was snow in the air. That unhelpful pattern will continue through Sunday the 22nd, which is as far as the NWS hourly weather graph ventures to predict, with the possible exception of tomorrow. Tonight temperatures are predicted to fall below freezing, and the chance of snow is over 60% in the middle of the night, or about 2 to 1 in favor of precipitation. I figure that such wintry weather should get the attention of loons and remind them that migration is a good idea. The winds will be from the NW (ideal), and by dawn about 11 mph (good) and rising (better), but the chance of precipitation will be dropping through 30% (2 to 1 against precipitation). Whether we will have enough of a break in any snowfall early enough for the loons to decide it’s a good day to migrate is still “up in the air” (sorry, I couldn’t resist). Even if they take off, there’s the matter of cloud ceiling, for which I have no information, although I’m sure other folks do. Loons might leave Cayuga Lake and head up the valley but have to turn back if the valley is ultimately blocked by clouds. That would mean we get to see them 3 times, as they try going south, get turned back, and try again another day. Anyway, it looks to me like tomorrow morning (Wednesday 18 November) is the best chance of loon migration for awhile. While the following days all have much less chance of precipitation, the winds will argue against migration: On Thursday, Friday, and Sunday at daybreak the winds are predicted to be about 10mph from S, SW, and S respectively. On Saturday the wind should be lighter but from the W, which is also not helpful. So anyway, I intend to be watching for airborne loons again tomorrow, and I hope others will, too. If anyone else has ideas about the chance of loon migration tomorrow - or any other day - I welcome hearing other analyses. Also, I have only looked at weather, in my limited way, for Cayuga Lake, not Lake Ontario. - - Dave Nutter -- 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] 4 loons on the inlet by Stewart Park?
Short answer: I only saw other birds, not Loons, in Fall Creek. I just got back from a quick bike ride on the Cayuga Waterfront Trail to Fall Creek by Stewart Park and back (barely beating the rain) to check out this report. This is what I found along the north end of Fall Creek: Upstream of the anglers’ parking area at the end of Pier Road, Fall Creek is so shallow that there were pebbles visible most of the way across, so I did not check there for loon-like birds, and although there was water next to the parking area, I saw no birds in it. Just upstream of the green suspension bridge over Fall Creek, I saw 5 Common Mergansers diving. Common Mergansers are long and low like Common Loons, so my guess is these were the birds in question. These Common Mergansers were all either females or males who had not yet molted into breeding plumage, with distinctly brown heads sharply contrasting with plain light gray bodies and some white on the chin and neck. Breeding plumage males would have green heads, creamy white neck, breast & sides, and black on the back. Common Loons at this time of year are smudgy dark gray on the body, back of the neck, most of the face, and the top of the head, with white on the chin, front of the neck, and breast. They have no big brown areas like the head of a female Common Merganser. Farther downstream on Fall Creek, between Stewart Park and Jetty Woods I saw a group of 10 breeding plumage male Mallards gathered around 1 female Mallard. And in the mouth of Fall Creek between the White Lighthouse Jetty and the Swan Pond I saw 2 separate pairs of Hooded Mergansers. They are more compact-bodied than Common Mergansers or Common Loons. The heads of the females are more of a dark grayish brown contrasting less with the darker gray body and lacking white on the neck and breast. The males, now in breeding plumage, have a bold pattern of black and white on the head, breast and back. There are pictures of male and female Common and Hooded Mergansers on the poster along the boardwalk part of the Cayuga Waterfront Trail between the two suspension bridges. I was there at least 2 hours after the original report, and birds swim and fly, so there could have been other birds earlier, but loons are unlikely in Fall Creek. Common Loons tend to stay in Cayuga Lake rather than going upstream on the creeks, probably because they need about 1/4 mile of straight open water to run on in order to take flight. Once a few winters ago a much less common Red-throated Loon spent a few weeks on Cayuga Inlet as far upstream as the Farmers’ Market, but they need less room for take-off, and Cayuga Inlet is very wide from there all the way to its mouth between Treman marina and the White Lighthouse Jetty. - - Dave Nutter > On Nov 15, 2020, at 10:40 AM, Susan Austern wrote: > > Good morning > Just ran through Stewart Park and by the Inlet part where people usually fish > (after the bridges heading back into town, before the fire testing area) > , looks like possibly 4 loons My running partner saw them yesterday, > too… if you’re there please confirm... we didn’t have binoculars...Thanks > > > Sent from my iPad > > >> On Nov 15, 2020, at 9:02 AM, Dave K wrote: >> >> Re >> 9AM sitting on the concrete breakwall. >> Seneca Yacht Club is located on the Northeast corner of Seneca Lake. >> >> Get Outlook for Android >> -- >> Cayugabirds-L List Info: >> Welcome and Basics >> Rules and Information >> Subscribe, Configuration and Leave >> Archives: >> The Mail Archive >> Surfbirds >> BirdingOnThe.Net >> Please submit your observations to eBird! >> -- > > -- > Cayugabirds-L List Info: > Welcome and Basics > Rules and Information > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > Archives: > The Mail Archive > Surfbirds > BirdingOnThe.Net > Please submit your observations to 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/ --
Re: [cayugabirds-l] LOON MIGRATION ALERT
For a broader view of the sky than my driveway, my Loon Watch this morning from 6:40am to 9:40am was from the north end of the NYS-89 bridge over the Flood Control Channel. There were loons, but it didn’t seem like a big obvious migration. Maybe the wind and temperature were not enough to trigger a huge movement. Maybe the birds who were more intent on migrating left the valley somewhere over the lake to go directly south, passing west of Ithaca. Maybe I missed some - it’s spooky the way a single loon will suddenly appear high nearly overhead, and sometimes it will soon suddenly have others with it that were also invisible moments earlier. The valley bends a bit here, SSE from Myers to here, then SSW from here to Robert Treman, and the loons don’t all react the same way. Some follow the valley with a fairly smooth turn. Some get indecisive - one turned clockwise in more than a complete circle before continuing up the valley. Early on I saw 3 loons together at intervals of a couple minute going various directions, and my guess is that it was the same family every time. Some loons appear following the valley and seem to ignore the bend to continue straight toward South Hill, but I lose sight before finding out whether they continue SSE, or use South Hill’s updraft for extra elevation, or they make a late turn and continue SSW up Inlet Valley. A few loons - including a group of 8 - went E overhead, which I simply don’t understand. Most of the instances of northbound loons were singles, but there was also a northbound group of 4. How many Common Loons did I see flying this morning? If I assumed all individuals seen were unique it would be 110, but subtracting the birds who did not end up going more-or-less south last I saw them, and assuming that the birds who went back north didn’t change their minds again and come south again (except that trio which I imagine was parents with a reluctant youngster), I think the number was 80. - - Dave Nutter -- 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] Loon migration
Actually I was outside in order to see more of the sky, and it was a bit cold, but somewhat sheltered, so not nearly as harsh as at Taughannock. On the other hand, I did not get to see loons on the lake, and I did not have a definite line past which they could travel to be counted as going south. Some seemed to be circling for more altitude, and they have a huge turning radius, while a few seemed to be going back north, but the highest (some not visible naked-eye) were the most consistently resolutely southbound. - - Dave Nutter > On Nov 2, 2020, at 11:36 AM, Candace E. Cornell wrote: > > Lucky you! You didn't have to stand out in the cold to see them! > Candace > >> On Mon, Nov 2, 2020 at 11:21 AM Dave Nutter wrote: >> This morning I’ve seen over a hundred migrating Common Loons from my home >> near the NYS-89 bridge over the Flood Control Channel. The largest group was >> over 30 birds about 9am. I stopped watching around 10am but noticed three >> migrating loons at 11:09. >> >> - - Dave Nutter >> -- >> Cayugabirds-L List Info: >> Welcome and Basics >> Rules and Information >> Subscribe, Configuration and Leave >> Archives: >> The Mail Archive >> Surfbirds >> BirdingOnThe.Net >> Please submit your observations to 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/ --
[cayugabirds-l] Loon migration
This morning I’ve seen over a hundred migrating Common Loons from my home near the NYS-89 bridge over the Flood Control Channel. The largest group was over 30 birds about 9am. I stopped watching around 10am but noticed three migrating loons at 11:09. - - Dave Nutter -- 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] Fox Sparrow
On Sunday 25 October I saw a Fox Sparrow along the Black Diamond Trail (the old railroad grade) near Cass Park. It flew out of the same patch of Goldenrods that was also feeding three American Goldfinches, at least two White-throated Sparrows, a Ruby-crowned Kinglet, and a Pine Siskin. - - Dave Nutter > On Oct 28, 2020, at 10:57 AM, W Larry Hymes wrote: > > Yesterday we had a late FOX SPARROW in our yard. Has anyone else seen Fox > Sparrows. > > Larry > = > W. Larry Hymes > 120 Vine Street, Ithaca, NY 14850 > (H) 607-277-0759, w...@cornell.edu > === > > -- > Cayugabirds-L List Info: > Welcome and Basics > Rules and Information > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > Archives: > The Mail Archive > Surfbirds > BirdingOnThe.Net > Please submit your observations to 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/ --
Re: [cayugabirds-l] New Mexico Mass Motality
lumage which, again, my 2nd edition Sibley guide did not depict. - - Dave Nutter > On Sep 16, 2020, at 8:41 PM, John Luther Cisne wrote: > > Record cold over North America is indeed consistent with global warming. It > is a regional consequence of the global phenomenon. > > To explain it simply (as I was supposed to do in the elementary course I > taught of years and years, “Evolution of the Earth and Life”), the principle > of the thing is that Arctic Basin warms not only by importing warm air from > the south, mainly over oceans, but also by exporting cold air to the south, > mainly over continents. Export of air from the north makes space for import > of air from the south, so to speak. For now, at least, the export of cold > air from the Arctic is concentrated over North America. > > Certain of my colleagues in the Department Earth and Atmospheric Sciences > will be able to give everyone a far better and more detailed explanation. > > > From: on behalf of "Kevin J. > McGowan" > Reply-To: "Kevin J. McGowan" > Date: Wednesday, September 16, 2020 at 8:03 PM > To: david nicosia , Peter Saracino > , Jody Enck > Cc: "atvaw...@gmail.com" , CAYUGABIRDS-L > > Subject: RE: [cayugabirds-l] New Mexico Mass Motality > > “Record cold of this magnitude is not consistent with global warming. “ > > Why not? Global warming doesn’t mean warming happens all over the globe > evenly. I’ve been watching our area in the northeast for the last decade, > thinking mostly about Snowy Owl incursions, and I’ve noticed strange changes > in the distribution of cold across the arctic, perhaps changes in the “polar > vortex” that seem to isolate the NE as a cold spot while Alaska warms up. The > last ten years have shown Ithaca regularly with winter temperatures lower > than Nome, Alaska. That isn’t right. > > Global warming at the poles doesn’t mean every place warms up, it means that > the consistencies of weather patterns we could count on could be disrupted. > Colder Ithaca winters and heat waves in Alaska are totally consistent with a > global warming scenario. Freak arctic blasts into the rockies while the north > pole melts also points to something freakishly abnormal happening, totally > consistent with global warming. > > Kevin > > > From: bounce-124948138-3493...@list.cornell.edu > On Behalf Of david nicosia > Sent: Wednesday, September 16, 2020 7:46 PM > To: Peter Saracino ; Jody Enck > Cc: atvaw...@gmail.com; CAYUGABIRDS-L > Subject: Re: [cayugabirds-l] New Mexico Mass Motality > > The western U.S has a history of extreme temperature changes. This event > ranks number 3 for the biggest temperature swing in history and it occurred > during fall migration. Most of the other big swings in temperature > occurred in the winter. What is dramatic is how cold it got and the early > snows that fell. Temperatures in parts of the Rockies fell to 9F with winds > over 50 mph. That is insanely cold for so early in the season. The Arctic > high pressure that came across the Rockies has denser and heavier air which > flows downslope into California, and Oregon warming by compression leading to > high winds and VERY dry conditions. This fuels the tremendous fires. So in a > sense it is the brutal unseasonable cold air that is the real cause of the > conditions that caused the fires. I assume the fires, combined with > temperatures in the 80, 90s and 100s dropping to the teens 20s and 30s in > many areas in the Rockies with early snows was too much for many birds to > handle causing the high mortality rates. I have read that people are blaming > climate change on this. I don't see it because it is the intense cold that > really fueled the fires in CA and OR and probably had a negative effect on > the birds. Record cold of this magnitude is not consistent with global > warming. > > > On Wednesday, September 16, 2020, 05:18:09 PM EDT, Jody Enck > wrote: > > > Thank, Pete, for passing along the Guardian article. Additional information > has been forthcoming recently. Hypotheses include movements related to smoky > conditions in some states, coupled with those weird temperature swings > recorded last week (90 to 100 F one day and below freezing, with snow, the > next day). Seems less likely to be a nefarious even (e.g., poisoning) than > something more likely caused by challenging environmental factors. > > I hope more information comes out soon. > > Jody W. Enck, PhD > Conservation Social Scientist, and > Founder of the Sister Bird Club Network > 607-379-5940 > > > On Wed, Sep 16, 2020 at 5:03 PM Peter Saracino > wrote: > http
[cayugabirds-l] 5 Sept Knox-Marsellus Marsh Virtual Shorebird Walk video
Ferris Akel has edited and posted the best video from our live-streamed “Virtual Shorebird Walk” this past Saturday 5 September 2020. It is 1:06:38 in length, entitled “Knox-Marsellus Marsh With Dave Nutter, 9/5/2020 (HD),” and it can be found here: https://youtu.be/V2tJiTlvabk Featured shorebirds include: Stilt Sandpiper Lesser Yellowlegs Greater Yellowlegs Semipalmated Sandpiper Least Sandpiper Pectoral Sandpiper RED-NECKED PHALAROPE Semipalmated Plover Short-billed Dowitcher Other birds shown include: Ring-billed Gull Bonaparte’s Gull Northern Shoveler Green-winged Teal Blue-winged Teal Mallard Caspian Tern Turkey Vulture Sandhill Crane Unfortunately, due to wind, much of the discussion was inaudible, so I am adding some commentary here. Weight references in grams are from the Sibley Guide to Birds, my favorite field guide. I think that overall body bulk is an easier way to compare shorebirds, whose length includes legs which are sometimes underwater, necks which are sometimes folded, and bills which may be under water or tucked among back feathers. Sibley is also handy because before each group of birds is a page showing all of the species grouped and labeled as to their Genus. I find this particularly useful to group our lanky Tringa (yellowlegs, etc) together at one extreme of shape and to group many of the compact Calidris (peeps, etc) in another extreme of shape. RING-BILLED GULL, at 520g, is the smallest of our most common gulls, but among a resting group of them we saw a gull which was much smaller, a 190g BONAPARTE’S GULL, a bit larger than a nearby resting 160g GREATER YELLOWLEGS. Bonaparte’s Gull is most often seen during migration over or upon Cayuga Lake in mid-spring and mid-autumn. In breeding plumage the entire head of the Bonaparte’s Gull would be black, but in this non-breeding plumage it only has a round blackish ear-spot behind the eye, reminding me of a flounder with both eyes on the same side of its head. The other black it shows is on the wingtips when they are folded at rest, but unlike other gulls, such as Ring-billed and Herring, whose wings in flight also show big black tips, Bonaparte’s instead has a narrow black stripe along the trailing edge of the wing, and the ends of the primary feathers line up and overlap just right to make the wingtip look black at rest. The dark band across the folded wing indicates that this is an immature, rather than an adult, and in flight this would show as a diagonal dark stripe atop the inner wing. This bird also shows a bit of tan on the hind-neck remaining from the juvenile plumage. The bill of Bonaparte’s Gull is black and much more slender than the bills of larger gulls. Among gulls, the relative thickness of the bill is a good clue as to the bird’s size. The legs were pale pink, but this did not show in the video. Ferris noticed something while recording which I did not see at the time: the Bonaparte’s Gull was moving its feet while pecking at the water a bit, appearing to stir up the bottom and feed on small items in the water. Bonaparte’s is a small gull with buoyant flight, and it is similar to Black Terns in the way it will pick small items from the water surface or catch insects in flight. A 58g STILT SANDPIPER walked past the gulls while feeding with typical straight-down probing motions, and it was briefly in view at the same time as the 160g GREATER YELLOWLEGS and an 80g LESSER YELLOWLEGS. We then concentrated on a shorebird with a typical CALIDRIS genus shape: short legs, short neck, a bill about the length of the head (straight on this bird), a compact body whose wingtips and undertail coverts met relatively bluntly at the tail tip (no “wing extension” of wingtips far beyond the tail such as we saw a couple weeks ago on a Baird’s Sandpiper). The size was much smaller than a nearby LESSER YELLOWLEGS, making our study bird a classic “PEEP”. This bird was very pale and more grayish than brownish in tone with only a slight buffy wash on the head, indicating it to be a SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER, and we saw many of this species, who, with partially webbed feet, are comfortable in shallow water. LEAST SANDPIPER, our other common, very small, and compact Calidris, would be darker brown above, with a brownish wash over the head, neck, and breast, and it prefers mud. Later we had a brief look at a Least Sandpiper. With the Semipalmated Sandpipers we saw a few PECTORAL SANDPIPERS, also typical CALIDRIS shape - compact body, short legs, fairly short neck, bill about the length of the head. But we could see that the Pectorals differed from Semipalmated Sandpipers in several respects: Pectorals are considerably larger; they are brown above; they have “braces” or pale stripes down the back; their neck and breast is washed gray-brown in a deep and well-defined convex shield (diagnostic); Pectoral shows a bit more neck; Pectoral’s head looks a bit smaller on the body
[cayugabirds-l] Virtual Shorebird Walk video for 29 August 2020
Ferris Akel has put up an edited YouTube video from our live-streamed Virtual Shorebird Walk last Saturday (29 Aug). Search for this title: Knox-Marsellus Marsh With Dave Nutter, 8/29/2020 (HD) Or use this link: https://youtu.be/ZNVNXCge18I At 1:25:13 it’s trimmed down to about half the original live-stream (which was 2:52:37) to omit lots of searching, walking, and times when the wind shook the camera or obliterated our voices just too much. Shorebirds include: Killdeer Greater Yellowlegs Lesser Yellowlegs Black-bellied Plover Least Sandpiper Red Knot Stilt Sandpiper Short-billed Dowitcher Semipalmated Sandpiper Pectoral Sandpiper Non-shorebirds include: Great Egret Caspian Tern Mallard Peregrine Falcon Northern Harrier Bald Eagle Trumpeter Swan Blue-winged Teal Northern Pintail with Green-winged Teal Ring-billed Gull Herring Gull At 6:30 you get to hear me say something wrong, that the Black-bellied Plover in view might be a breeding plumage female or transition male, whereas actually it closely matches Sibley’s depiction of a breeding plumage male. I knew that females had less black than males, and I was surprised (although I should not have been) by how broad the white band was between the breast and the back, making the black look less than I expected. You will also see us struggle with Greater v Lesser Yellowlegs. Viewing the video, many of them now look more obvious than they seemed at the time. Shape and behavior are a couple of the most useful shorebird ID clues. Yet you will see me override these factors when the pattern and color point to something else: A group of long-legged shorebirds was resting in deep water, and they were joined by a smaller shorebird who swam among them. Its shape and actions resembled those of a phalarope, but the plumage did not match any phalarope plumages that I knew of, and instead pointed to Semipalmated Sandpiper, which is what I called it. Looking at the video, I later doubted my ID and asked Jay McGowan to also have a look, and he agreed with my original call: it’s a Semipalmated Sandpiper. In thinking about the resemblance, I recalled that “semipalmated” refers to this sandpiper’s half-webbed feet. It is adapted for swimming when necessary, and I think that the act of swimming puts it into the same posture as phalaropes when they swim. In that same group of resting shorebirds, try to pick out Stilt Sandpipers with their long, slightly curved bills, and scaly back and wings, compared to Lesser Yellowlegs with straight bills and spotted back and wings. Enjoy! - - Dave Nutter -- 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] “Virtual Rail Walk”
As Ferris Akel and I were starting out onto the east dike of Knox-Marsellus Marsh from Towpath Road to start our “Virtual Shorebird Walk” on 22 August, we were distracted for a long time by rails, which Ferris edited down to a mere 36:07. Google: Common Gallinules, Virginia Rails, And A Sora, 8/22/2020 (HD) - - Dave Nutter -- 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] Virtual Shorebird Walks: 2 YouTube videos
The COVID-19 pandemic caused Montezuma NWR to modify the popular Guided Shorebird Walks this summer, so that we no longer have dozens of birders crowding to get views, share scopes, and discuss IDs. Instead, the former guides were asked to gather material for social media with only one or two assistants. Perhaps some of you have been wondering, “What ever became of those ‘Virtual Shorebird Walks’?” Well, I want to share some stuff with you. But first some introductory info. Preparing media material takes more time than just going out in the field together, finding birds, and discussing them, so there has been some delay. I invited Ferris Akel to join me on the dikes, because for a number of years he has been doing live-streamed video when he goes birding, and one of his favorite places to go is Montezuma NWR. We are not the BBC and David Attenborough well supplied with staff, time, and money. We are a couple of volunteers who live in the area, and love birding, and are trying to share our skills in hopes of being helpful. What we show is not TV or movie quality. Instead it is what we actually encountered. When you go birding you contend with the everyday conditions of lighting, heat, wind, noise, distance, fussy equipment, the challenge of describing to someone where to see the bird you are looking at, the distraction of multiple birds at a time, and the frustration of an interesting bird hiding or leaving. We played the hand we were dealt, and it’s all there in the live-streamed versions which are archived on YouTube. Ferris has also gone the extra mile to do some recording and editing to produce shorter versions which leave out some of the walking, searching, and confusion to concentrate on the views and discussion of the birds. I try to focus on how to ID birds with or without comparisons between similar species, and interesting behavior. While shorebirds were a priority, darned if we were going to ignore everything else. Our first try working together is in a 51:17 edited version, which you can find if you google this title: Knox-Marsellus Marsh With Dave Nutter, 8/15/2020 (HD) In this first video we see backlit eclipse Mallards and Blue-winged Teal (the Green-winged Teal for comparison went AWOL), Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Spotted Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, Pectoral Sandpiper, Semipalmated Sandpiper, and Solitary Sandpiper. Although Killdeer and Semipalmated Plover are also shown, I did not discuss their ID and comparison because I was concentrating on the sandpipers, but to sum up their comparison, a Semipalmated Plover is like a half Killdeer - 45g v 95g, a single dark stripe across the breast instead of two, a bill which is closer to a quarter the length of the head instead of a half, a half-length tail, and half as flamboyant - no orange rump, and not vociferus (the Killdeer’s appropriate specific Latin name). A family of Sandhill Cranes also makes an appearance. When you do that Google search, another 11:44 video may pop up alongside it entitled: Bird Watching Challenging Situations, 8/22/2020 (HD) This is an edited portion of our trip the following weekend. It starts with a chance to see in better light both Mallard and Blue-winged Teal which we showed and discussed in the previous video. Then there’s a fun view of a flock of ducks flying while I remark on a couple of species that were flying in a different flock. This nicely lit portion was from the east dike at Knox-Marsellus near Towpath Rd. But we also went to Van Dyne Spoor Road, where we had some terribly backlit views of distant sandpipers accompanied by other people talking as well as our struggles to point one another to birds among bits of stubble and weeds on the mud. I think Ferris was reluctant to include this video because the views are not aesthetically pleasing. Understandably, he would rather highlight the many more beautiful parts of his work. I have tried to make the argument to him that this is educational. What we demonstrate is that even with very few clues, it is possible to ID a bird. Ferris first shows a bird which I had initially overlooked in my scope as a piece of fluff, and then when I glanced at his view-finder I did not see enough detail to ID it. However, looking at his longer video afterward, I saw the bird turn its head so that I could ID it as a Semipalmated Sandpiper on the basis of a straight bill about the length of the head along with a plain pale breast. This eliminates all the other shorebird species we saw there, including Killdeer, Semipalmated Plover, Least Sandpiper, and Baird’s Sandpiper, plus some we did not see, such as Pectoral Sandpiper and White-rumped Sandpiper. However, adding this information to the video would take more time and further reduce the visual quality. Next we concentrate on the ID of a Baird’s Sandpiper compared to Least Sandpiper on the basis of size, shape, and general color, starting
[cayugabirds-l] American Golden-Plover & Red Knot at Knox-Marsellus
This afternoon Reuben Stoltzfus called to report a RED KNOT flying over Knox-Marsellus Marsh as seen from East Road, but not refound, and it may have headed toward Van Dyne Spoor Rd along with most smaller shorebirds from K-M due to Peregrine attacks. However, later from Towpath Road Reuben also reported a breeding plumage AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER on the ground, and it may be visible from East Road when lighting cooperates. Both species are new for the Cayuga Lake Basin this year, so far as I know. Towpath Road’s craters have filled with water from recent rains, and it is not recommended for car travel, he says, from someone else’s pick-up truck. ;-) - - Dave Nutter -- 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] OC3 on KM dikes this AM
For many years the management of Montezuma NWR has allowed guided shorebird walks, after the local breeding season and during the southward shorebird migration, onto the dikes in areas where the refuge otherwise prohibits public access. These walks have been very popular, with as many as 70 people attending a single walk. There were close knots of people sharing directions for views of birds, information about birds, and sharing scopes. This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, refuge management decided this was not a good idea, and as a leader, I would not want to be in such a crowd either. Refuge staff asked for “virtual shorebird walks” this year, taking advantage of media instead of being together in person. I have always advocated for more access by birders onto the dikes as long as it does not conflict with refuge work such as counts or banding. This year I suggested they allow birders to go onto the dikes without a leader or schedule which would cause crowding, staying alone or in household groups which would keep masked or distant from other such groups on the dikes, and they could share photos with leaders for ID help. My suggestion was not taken. Instead, what they are allowing is a leader, with one or two other people, going on the dikes and gathering material which can be presented on social media by the refuge. Of course this is not at all the ideal and practical experience for birders of being outdoors with other people helping one another to get good enough looks and info to confidently ID birds which are often distant, among vegetation, flying around, or being chased. What might make these “virtual shorebird walks” helpful to some birders, though, is photos, video, and audio, accompanied by explanations of how we ID the birds and what the birds are doing of interest. So at least a couple of leaders have been trying to do this. Producing decent quality media is not easy. And it is awkward to go into prohibited areas in front of other birders, many of whom are as skilled or more so than I am while they remain banned. I apologize for having done exactly that yesterday and the previous Saturday. As for distancing, the dike around Knox-Marsellus is mowed wide enough that 2 people can walk side-by-side staying 6’ apart, and being outdoors is far less dangerous than being indoors. I try to avoid wearing a mask because it makes my glasses fog up, so I try to keep distance from other birders and not to talk directly at one another. - - Dave Nutter > On Aug 23, 2020, at 8:09 AM, Dave K wrote: > > Saw the ornithology cinematography group on the Knox Marcellus Dykes this > morning. > Oddly, no masks or social distancing for them. > > I"m sure they have the collective skills and experience to put together one > heck of a presentation. It will be nice to see what the rest of us were > denied seeing on this beautiful morning. > > Dave K > -- > Cayugabirds-L List Info: > Welcome and Basics > Rules and Information > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > Archives: > The Mail Archive > Surfbirds > BirdingOnThe.Net > Please submit your observations to 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/ --
[cayugabirds-l] Wrong location for some Van Dyne Spoor Rd eBird shorebird reports
Hi all, There have been lots of reports of shorebirds, including the rare Marbled Godwit, from the marshes on the south side of the easternmost 3/4 mile or so of Van Dyne Spoor, which the Montezuma NWR calls the Sandhill Crane Unit. Because there is lots of good birding in the area, there are several eBird location pins which pop up if you are reporting from there. However, this location is wrong: > - Montezuma (NMWMA)--West Shore Trail (east end), Wayne, New York > - Map: > http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8=p=13=43.0451112,-76.7209196=43.0451112,-76.7209196 The West Shore Trail is a different road which parallels Van Dyne Spoor Road. They are separated by a dike, the land along the east end of the West Shore Trail is currently in crops which don’t host shorebirds, and it is a couple miles away by dirt road. It’s inaccurate to report the shorebirds from there, and it’s a waste of time to follow those reports. So please check your eBird shorebird report locations, correct them if you inadvertently said that birds which were in the fantastic marsh south of Van Dyne Spoor Road were along the West Shore Trail, or if you know people who made that error, please ask them to correct it. That can help avoid confusion, and it may make a difference for someone seeking a life bird. Thanks! - - Dave Nutter -- 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] Little Blue Heron vs Snowy Egret
Nice find and nice photo, Dave! The diagnostic narrow gray edge to the primary tips showing on the far wing is gorgeous. Either species is new for the Cayuga Lake Basin this year. - - Dave Nutter > On Aug 10, 2020, at 10:27 AM, Dave K wrote: > > After a look at this Mornings pics, I think the bird reported as a Snowy > Egret is actually a Little Blue Heron. Dark wingtips, green legs with same > color feet, pink bill, green lores. > Pic at. > https://www.flickr.com/photos/105424358@N06/50210731642/in/datetaken/ > -- > Cayugabirds-L List Info: > Welcome and Basics > Rules and Information > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > Archives: > The Mail Archive > Surfbirds > BirdingOnThe.Net > Please submit your observations to 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/ --
Re: [cayugabirds-l] Insect-hawking Waxwings
Yes, very cool to see Cedar Waxwings, whom we associate so strongly with eating fruit, also go for aerial insects in Summer. I’ve seen this over the splashpool at the base of Buttermilk Falls in Ithaca as they sally out from high in the trees of the forest edge. Recently I saw another unusual species hawking insects, on June 12 I watched one European Starling acting like a Swallow at treetop level over the Flood Control Channel just south of the NYS-89 bridge near my house. This was during a hatch of very large Mayflies. All the other Starlings I saw in the area were acting typically, commuting to and from lawns to forage. - - Dave Nutter > On Jul 1, 2020, at 1:54 PM, Peter Saracino wrote: > > Had a cool experience on the leg of the Ontario Pathways/Rt. 96 today near > Phelps; NY. I was standing on the second bridge from the road and encountered > a very big hatch of tiny insects over the stream. A number of waxwings were > perched in a tree over the stream and would fly into the insect swarm, > snapping their bill's as they did so, and consume the insects. They would > then return to their perch for a bit of a rest and then proceed to go hawking > again. They were acting like they've found the Motherload! I've never seen > anything quite like it like it! It was very cool. > The things we see when we're out there observing! > Pete Sar > -- > Cayugabirds-L List Info: > Welcome and Basics > Rules and Information > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > Archives: > The Mail Archive > Surfbirds > BirdingOnThe.Net > Please submit your observations to 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/ --
Re: [cayugabirds-l] Warbler ID help
As John Gregoire said, Connecticut Warbler is rare in the Cayuga Lake Basin, and even then just as a migrant. The shore of Lake Ontario in Spring is a classic “migrant trap” where warblers and other passerines pause to refuel before crossing the lake fresh on a following night. I agree with Leona, Northern Waterthrush or Common Yellowthroat sound like good possibilities. - - Dave Nutter > On Jun 19, 2020, at 9:00 AM, Peter Saracino wrote: > > A Connecticut warbler was observed at Firehouse woods this Spring/late May > near Braddock Bay. Not long after, another was observed near Sodus point. > Neither appeared to remain long. But hey, ya never know. > Pete Sar > > On Thu, Jun 18, 2020, 4:05 PM wrote: >> Hi to you both. My hearing is pretty well dead these days but the phenology >> for Connecticut here is mostly as a rare fall migrant and a fins at this >> time would be incredible. Even in fall when we were an active passerine >> banding station (30 years) we had but a very few. >> Our one spring sighting was in the Finger Lakes National Forest many years >> ago. >> John >> >> --- >> John and Sue Gregoire >> 5373 Fitzgerald Rd >> Burdett, NY 14818-9626 >> "Conserve and Create Habitat" >> N 42.44307 W 76.75784 >> >>> On 2020-06-18 19:45, Leona Lauster wrote: >>> >>>> Hi Alyssa, >>>> My my iBird Pro app says similar sounds for Connecticut Warbler are >>>> Common Yellowthroat & Northern Waterthrush. >>>> Hope this helps. >>>> Leona Lauster >>>> >>>> >>>> Sent from my iPhone >>>> >>>>> On Jun 18, 2020, at 3:24 PM, Johnson, Alyssa >>>>> wrote: >>>>> >>>>> >>>> Today is my first day back at the Montezuma Audubon Center, so you know I >>>> had to take a walk on the trails! I thought I heard a Connecticut Warbler, >>>> but looking at eBird, it's considered rare for this area and 2 of the 3 >>>> sightings were later in the summer, probably migration. What is something >>>> I could be confusing his song with? >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> -- >>>> >>>> Alyssa Johnson >>>> >>>> Environmental Educator >>>> >>>> 315.365.3588 >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> Montezuma Audubon Center >>>> >>>> 2295 State Route 89 >>>> P.O. Box 187 >>>> >>>> Savannah, New York 13146 >>>> >>>> montezuma.audubon.org >>>> >>>> Montezuma Audubon Center on Facebook >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> -- >>>> Cayugabirds-L List Info: >>>> Welcome and Basics >>>> Rules and Information >>>> Subscribe, Configuration and Leave >>>> Archives: >>>> The Mail Archive >>>> Surfbirds >>>> BirdingOnThe.Net >>>> Please submit your observations to eBird! >>>> -- >>> >>> -- >>> Cayugabirds-L List Info: >>> Welcome and Basics >>> Rules and Information >>> Subscribe, Configuration and Leave >>> Archives: >>> The Mail Archive >>> Surfbirds >>> BirdingOnThe.Net >>> Please submit your observations to eBird! >>> -- >> -- >> Cayugabirds-L List Info: >> Welcome and Basics >> Rules and Information >> Subscribe, Configuration and Leave >> Archives: >> The Mail Archive >> Surfbirds >> BirdingOnThe.Net >> Please submit your observations to eBird! >> -- > > -- > Cayugabirds-L List Info: > Welcome and Basics > Rules and Information > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > Archives: > The Mail Archive > Surfbirds > BirdingOnThe.Net > Please submit your observations to 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/ --
Re: [cayugabirds-l] ANS Testimony on Wildlife-Harming Noise | Audubon Naturalist Society
The bill passed City Council and was signed by the mayor of Washington DC last year. It takes effect in 2022. Reasons for the ban were that gas-powered leaf blowers violated the noise ordinance already in effect, and their engines are very polluting of the air, thus they are a double hazard, particularly for the people using them, while battery-powered leaf blowers are already available which don’t have either of these problems. Such bans had already been enacted in over 100 cities. (The DC ban will not affect federal lands, which will continue use chemical weapons, noise grenades, and military police either mounted on horses or on foot with batons. No wait, that’s how they mow down peaceful people. But DC has limited self-rule and cannot control the feds, whose general policy of late is to pollute.) Excess noise affects wildlife, and it also adds stress to people and affects our enjoyment of wildlife. As someone who values the hearing I still have and my ability to hear, identify, and enjoy birds, I would love it if all the lawn-care devices were as clean, quiet, and effective as my meticulous 80-something-year-old next door neighbor and the rake she uses. Leaf blowers always struck me as an offensively absurd waste of energy in addition to the noise and air pollution, just one of many examples of completely unnecessary environmental destruction which affects the climate and birds along with many other negative consequences. Better yet, let the leaves return to the soil in place wherever you can. When I am on the first mile of the Black Diamond Trail I am often bothered by the lawn mowers at Cass Park. This past May 19 at 9:50am I was very surprised and fortunate to hear and then see a singing Swainson’s Thrush a few feet away from the Black Diamond Trail above the Hangar Theatre. I could easily have missed it (perhaps I did miss others) because there was a big active Cass Park mower making lots of noise at the time. Without the noise pollution I could have heard and enjoyed the Thrush more easily and from farther away, and non-birders on the trail might have noticed it as well and gotten just a taste of the beauty that is still out there. Rather than use our tax dollars to pay someone to pollute Cass Park while mowing it, I would rather that a part of sports team workouts included using manual reel mowers to maintain the playing fields. It seems to me that the amount of lawn one owns should not exceed the amount one is willing to personally supply the energy and time to cut. For people who feel compelled to mow lawns but lack that strength, electric lawnmowers, like electric leaf-blowers and electric weed-whackers, are much quieter and less stinky than gasoline powered. - - Dave Nutter > On Jun 14, 2020, at 5:37 PM, Regi Teasley wrote: > > This concerns the use of gas-powered leaf blowers and their impact on birds. > Comments please. > > https://anshome.org/2018/08/ans-testimony-on-wildlife-harming-noise/ > > Regi > Ithaca > > Those who dwell among the beauties and mysteries of the earth are never alone > or weary of life. Rachel Carson. > > -- > Cayugabirds-L List Info: > Welcome and Basics > Rules and Information > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > Archives: > The Mail Archive > Surfbirds > BirdingOnThe.Net > Please submit your observations to 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/ --
[cayugabirds-l] Stewart Park Black Terns
This morning just before 9am Jay McGowan sent a text rare bird alert about a Black Tern among the swallows off Stewart Park. I arrived a little over an hour later. On my first scope scan of the lake I saw plenty of swallows and cormorants but no black tern. After an unsuccessful binocular scan, I tried another scope scan and found a Black Tern flying low above the lake among the many swallows. It was farther away than East Shore Park and initially in the direction of Portland Point. It was amazingly agile at short fast dives & turns when it went after some hapless airborne insect. After awhile the Black Tern began working its way west, passing in front of the piling cluster but beyond the Red Lighthouse toward the lakeshore at Treman. It went out of view momentarily in the SW corner of the lake, then reappeared flying north, but flying straighter and gradually climbing, and with a second Black Tern. They continued northbound but separated so much that I could only follow one in my scope. I eventually lost it against the sky above the tree line above the Ithaca Yacht Club at 1036am. I looked for the second Black Tern but did not refind it, so my guess is that it also continued north. But, it’s worth scanning the swallows in case the same or another Black Tern joins them. - - Dave Nutter -- 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] Slowest Spring
The prolonged cold weather and northwest winds have put a damper on migration and leaf-out. But those conditions which make flying insects harder to find have herded the swallows down to Cayuga Lake and the easier to watch marina at Allan H Treman State Marine Park. There are no boats in the way, and the water is so high that the swallows can’t fly under most of the docks. Day before yesterday at the marina I saw all 6 of our regular species of swallows plus Chimney Swift. The Hawthorn Orchard may be “dead” but I have seen a few warblers and other treats in some Hawthorns in the parks here, including the row near the Children’s Garden in Cass Park and a stand north of the boat ramp near the state park office. And yesterday I figured how to deal with the weather, which started out near freezing with a growing northwest wind. I spent the morning on the Black Diamond Trail walking on the old railroad grade from Cass Park as far as Glenwood Heights Rd, the 3.5 mile section I call BDT1. The sun rising in the northeast warmed that slope first at the base of West Hill. My warbler list included: Louisiana Waterthrush, singing in a gorge just past the hospital Nashville Warbler, in the first sunlit flock just past Hangar Common Yellowthroat, singing in the swamp behind Union Field American Redstart, also in Union Swamp plus other spots Northern Parula, 3 heard and great looks at 2 of them Blackburnian Warbler, male FOY also in the first sunlit flock Yellow Warbler, singing at BDT start, plus in some flocks Chestnut-sided Warbler, in first sunlit flock plus later locals Black-throated Blue Warbler, FOY in 2nd flock near Williams Glen Palm Warbler, several places along BDT “Myrtle” Yellow-rumped Warblers, many along BDT Black-throated Green Warbler, female FOY in 2nd flock Canada Warbler, FOY on ground on uphill side = eye level The second flock soon after sunrise was just north of the waterfall of Williams Glen Creek. My intro was an Eastern Phoebe which I met in the next gully south as I approached. Then I heard and saw my FOY Red-eyed Vireo, who soon joined a gang of birds north of the falls. On a tall treetop on the north side of that gorge, a Rose-breasted Grosbeak sang. He later came down to ground level to chase off another male. Maybe the female there was impressed. Several Myrtle Warblers were busy, and were joined by the Chestnut-sided from earlier, while a Black-throated Green quietly worked on a small Hemlock. At least one Palm Warbler was there, and my FOY male Black-throated Blue made a brief appearance, as did a Northern Parula. A Least Flycatcher was perched quietly nearly at ground level, and a Warbling Vireo wandered through. A male Baltimore Oriole sang persistently for attention. Meanwhile a Downy Woodpecker joined the flock and a male Red-bellied Woodpecker clung to the nearest power pole and preened. A pair of Tufted Titmice and a Black-capped Chickadee were present, as well as Northern Cardinals. When a deep red male Scarlet Tanager flew to a treetop I just had to laugh. All the commotion attracted a female Brown-headed Cowbird to survey the scene. Then a shadow made me turn around. It was a Great Blue Heron flying over the flooded Hog Hole. The Canada Warbler was a short distance farther along the trail. It was with a Palm Warbler under a spray of leafing-out Beech shoots where NYSEG has cleared large trees away from their power lines. Nearby, a House Wren walked on some dead brush. It was silent, which seemed odd. The whole trip couldn’t be that fantastic, but I had a good time. Having seen enough other warblers, I could enjoy the beauty of the many Myrtle Warblers. There was a pair of Eastern Towhees hiding in a thicket, the vacated Bison pasture had a pair of Eastern Kingbirds and at least 1 Killdeer (the other parent and any offspring were hidden), and there were singing Wood Thrushes along the way. I stopped so often it hardly seemed worth bringing the bike except it let me mostly coast back home. - - Dave Nutter -- 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] ebird reporting question re: motion activated photos
Some thoughts about eBird & non-standard reports: EBird has more than one purpose. Certainly ornithologists want usable data, and that means lots of reports made in the same way. That’s why eBird promotes “complete” checklists of a certain length and time, which can be thrown in the same pile for statistical purposes. Reports which don’t meet those standards must be easily separated by how they are labeled. But that doesn’t mean they should not be in eBird at all. Perhaps the query about reports long after they were submitted was to find out whether they were usable for a particular study. The reason eBird can collect enough data to use for statistical purposes is because birders find the program useful and fun. Promoting awareness of birds and conservation issues, which I hope includes birding, are functions the Lab of O and eBird program. To me as a birder, eBird is great for a couple of reasons. First, I can keep track of what I’ve observed and include all my obscure and excruciating notes and terrible photos (See if you can make use of *that*, Merlin!). And my lists are not all statistically usable data for many ornithological purposes. I have modified my birding to try to help the ornithologists with standard complete lists, but when I find an interesting bird even though I wasn’t doing a formal timed birding session, I try to do an “incidental” eBird report. Second, I can find out what other people have found, including their notes, photos, & audio. To me this is interesting and satisfying whether or not I want to chase it. Especially for species which I have seen before, I can enjoy someone else’s photo instead of burning gasoline and destroying the climate by chasing it. When Dave Kennedy makes a local trip to Montezuma and puts his fantastic photos in eBird, I have *less* need to drive 100miles. I would love to see “camera trap” photos and would support their inclusion in eBird. That’s how we learned that a Crested Caracara showed up to feed on carrion in Wayne County in 2018. I enjoy the audio from night flight calls (NFCs), even though my hearing isn’t good enough to detect them. I use eBird to find out what has been found in the Cayuga Lake Basin. I use eBird to learn about the ranges of “our” species when they are not here. I use eBird to learn about species I will never personally see because I expect never to fly again, and even trips more than a couple counties away (let alone south Texas!) have huge questions now. My birding this spring has been almost exclusively where I walk and bike, but eBird and CayugaBirds-L keep me connected. - - Dave Nutter > -- 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] Braddock Bay Glossy Ibis second try
Wade & Melissa Rowley say that’s exactly what happened! - - Dave Nutter > Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus) (11) > - Reported May 11, 2020 14:58 by Wade & Melissa Rowley > - Sodus Bay, Sodus Point, Wayne, New York > - Map: > http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8=p=13=43.2748307,-76.9732189=43.2748307,-76.9732189 > - Checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S68887919 > - Comments: "Seen flyover parking area but did not realize until later after > seeing photos and estimating timing what we had seen. They were in a "V" > pattern and continued East out of sight. At the time initial thought was DCCO > but the pattern of flight was different and then they continued East and it > was too late to document with photo." > > *** > On May 11, 2020, at 7:51 PM, Kevin J. McGowan wrote: > > Wow. I wonder if I would have glanced up at them and blown them off as > cormorants! > > Kevin > Ithaca > > From: bounce-124624816-3493...@list.cornell.edu > On Behalf Of metet...@gmail.com > Sent: Monday, May 11, 2020 7:44 PM > To: CAYUGABIRDS-L > Subject: [cayugabirds-l] Braddock Bay Glossy Ibis second try > > These 11 Ibis flew East past Braddock Bay. Found and photographed by David > Brown. https://ebird.org/atlasny/checklist/S68873452. Mike Tetlow > > Sent from my iPhone > -- > Cayugabirds-L List Info: > Welcome and Basics > Rules and Information > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > Archives: > The Mail Archive > Surfbirds > BirdingOnThe.Net > Please submit your observations to eBird! > -- > -- > Cayugabirds-L List Info: > Welcome and Basics > Rules and Information > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > Archives: > The Mail Archive > Surfbirds > BirdingOnThe.Net > Please submit your observations to 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/ --
[cayugabirds-l] Sandhill Crane nest, Main Pool Montezuma
Reuben Stoltzfus just told me about a Sandhill Crane nest he saw yesterday from the Main Pool tower at Montezuma NWR, looking north about 200yards just on the far side of a water channel. The adults were well camouflaged and they had at least 1 very tiny chick, so small that it seemed not to have left the nest. I don’t know how long that situation would last while waiting for egg #2 to hatch, or whether they would continue to brood the young or return there, but it may be worth looking for today or tomorrow, as well as scanning closely for the adults in the vicinity. - - Dave Nutter -- 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] About that Marsh Wren...
I keep thinking about the migrant Marsh Wren I discovered in its temporary home, a tiny remnant of Cattails in Newman Golf Course. I’m accustomed to seeing and hearing Marsh Wrens only during the breeding season and in huge Cattail marshes like we find in parts of the Montezuma Wetlands Complex. Perhaps “my” bird was eventually headed to Montezuma, or someplace similar. A hundred and ten years ago, when Lab of O founder Arthur Allen was researching his thesis on the ecology of Red-winged Blackbirds, his study site was the marsh at the south end of Cayuga Lake. I once read that thesis, and as I recall, his map showed the marsh covering what is now most of Allan H Treman State Marine Park, Cass Park, and Newman Golf Course. He included a note of dismay that the marsh was ruined in 1912 when Cayuga Inlet was dredged for shipping, and the spoils were thrown up on the banks, wrecking the natural drainage of the marsh. Today we can play on dry land because that whole area was further filled with dredge spoils (and worse stuff!) in the ensuing decades. But if I remember correctly, Marsh Wrens were among the many species the thesis listed as present. So, the ancestors of the bird I saw might have lived right where I found it. That was my perspective. Marsh Wrens live in big marshes. Finding one in a tiny marsh is odd, a surprise, the exception, maybe an emergency situation. Only a couple other times do I recall finding a migrant Marsh Wren, and it was in a place it would not have bred, for example the ditch between the back of Wegman’s and the parking lot for the Eagles Club on Cecil Malone Drive. That area may have been extensive Cattail marsh, too, within my lifetime. We humans have destroyed a lot of big marshes, and my migrating bird was lucky to find even a bit of marsh, I thought. But I wasn’t thinking like a migrant. That bird did not stop at Newman Golf Course last Friday morning in order to breed there. It only needed shelter and food for a few hours. You don’t buy a house and a farm when you’re on the road. You eat at a diner, rent a bed in a motel room, and then you keep going. There may be hardships during migration requiring “any port in a storm,” but the weather that night was mild, and the was wind helpful, so that leg of the bird’s journey was pretty ordinary. And if all you need is a few square yards of marsh, then maybe migration needn’t be too stressful. There are probably ditches with Cattails all over the eastern US, maybe pretty easy to find, generally ignored by people, and the smaller the bit of marsh, the less likely it is to be occupied by some other bird who is defending turf to raise a family. Before people drained marshes, dug ditches, and built railroads, there were beavers, landslides, floods, and river meanders creating wetlands, while succession filled them in. Habitats change naturally*, so birds who migrate must be ready to look for alternative sites to breed or to rest en route. Maybe stopovers in tiny isolated Cattail stands are a useful strategy or even standard practice among migrating Marsh Wrens. [*Natural change of habitats is not a defense or excuse for the absurdly rapid and extensive changes that people cause.] Now I’m wondering how many times I’ve passed a few Cattails during migration and been unaware of a quiet Marsh Wren resting and fattening up for a day or two until the winds are favorable again. And I wonder why my bird was quietly singing early in the morning. Maybe it was telling other Marsh Wrens, “This ditch is occupied, go find your own single-bird-sized piece of habitat!” I still think habitat conservation is very important, especially for big marshes that host breeding populations of many species, but also for smaller marshes, and now even tiny ones. And that reminds me. On Sunday morning I interrupted my birding bike & hike trip to Stewart Park and Renwick Wildwood to join Laurie for a rare car jaunt to see the wildflower collection at Mundy. I like wildflowers, especially Toadshade, and she enjoyed the FOY Great Crested Flycatcher overhead. While we were in the neighborhood I convinced her to take a side trip to the Newman Arboretum, specifically to Houston Pond, the one with the boardwalk across the middle and marsh on one side. We rested there, admired the coursing Barn Swallows, and wondered how to count Red-winged Blackbirds as they keep flying in and out of the cattails, how long it takes downy goslings to stop being cute, and whether adding a second log or rock in the water would double the number of turtles climbing onto each other to bask. Then I heard a grunting noise in the marsh, and with some skillful binocular use Laurie had her best look ever at a Virginia Rail. - - Dave Nutter > On May 2, 2020, at 6:35 AM, Dave Nutter wrote: > > Yesterday morning I biked through the mist to Stewart Park on the Cayuga > Waterfront Trail, assiduously inputting eve
[cayugabirds-l] Another First-of-Year
Yesterday morning I biked to through the mist to Stewart Park on the Cayuga Waterfront Trail, assiduously inputting every ID into eBird as I went. Passing between the TCAT bus garage and Newman Golf Course on Pier Rd, I heard something odd, a bit of jumbled rattle, perhaps a distant Gray Catbird. I paused to listen. It turned out the sound was not far away, it was close, but quiet. At the edge of the golf course, a few feet from where I had stopped, was a small ditch, home to some dead cattails. I could have stretched my hands from one side of the marsh to the other, and it was only 40 or 50 feet long, with vast clipped green lawns on 3 sides. My side had pavement, a bike path along a road. But in that cattail patch I heard a subdued Marsh Wren, a species which is common in Montezuma, but unusual in Tompkins County. I edged closer, and without any further prompting the bird poked its head up and briefly scanned me. I imagined its consternation, ending a night of migration by descending into fog, desperately searching for - then happily finding - some marsh, but as the day brightened discovering that the extent of the marsh was so limited. And then humans started coming by, so close! Marsh Wrens seem pretty good at hunkering down, but I bet this one looked forward to finding a bigger piece of habitat. - - Dave Nutter -- 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] Upland Sandpipers
Reuben Stoltzfus reports 2 Upland Sandpipers in their only reliable location in our area, the Lott Farm (access by permission), which is on Martin Rd at the south border of Seneca Falls and west of the Finger Lakes Regional Airport. The birds were calling and foraging, and as yet they are taller than the grass. He had also checked Friday but did not find any. This is the first report of the species in the Cayuga Lake Basin this year of which I am aware, and there are no eBird reports in NYS yet. - - Dave Nutter -- 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: "Juvenile cowbirds sneak out at night" - RE: [cayugabirds-l] Cowbirds
Thanks, Anne, for clearing that up. It’s much less bizarre that the fledglings, after being old enough fly well, move out of the host territory at dusk to roost, but still fascinating because it’s not clear why they should leave if they are only going back again in the morning. Maybe they don’t know the boundaries, or maybe it’s a bit of exploration, seeking out places where they might feed on their own later on. When they return by day to the host territory, do they continue to be fed by the hosts? - - Dave Nutter > On Apr 12, 2020, at 10:14 AM, AB Clark wrote: > the FLEDGLINGS (juveniles that have left the nest and are flying, at about > 10-20 days old) are often leaving on their own, at dusk, to ROOST (sit in the > dark) away from their foster-parents territories, but still returning to > those territories in daytime. > -- 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] Ithaca Ospreys: NW Newman Golf nest occupied & more
This afternoon I walked around Cass Park. I did not go to Allan H Treman State Marine Park, so I don’t know about the platform north of the Hangar Theatre, but I assume the nest in the field closer to the lake is still solidly occupied. Today I believe I saw 5 Ospreys. My first view was a distant glimpse of an Osprey apparently chasing an immature Bald Eagle. I did not see how that ended, so I’m not counting it. I may have seen it again later on, anyway. For most of the time there was 1 Osprey on the nest atop the lights in Union Field. That’s #1. Meanwhile I heard a low-flying Osprey (call this #2) calling, and I saw it was carrying a small fish. And I noticed the local immature Bald Eagle was chasing the Osprey. They circled up into sky for several minutes. The Osprey stayed much higher than the Bald Eagle, and it got awkward to watch them because they weren’t even in the same scope view when I quit. I guess the Osprey got to keep the fish, but I don’t know how it got back down past the Bald Eagle. Shortly after this I saw another Osprey carrying a longer fish while kiting against the north wind over Newman Golf Course near the Inlet and calling constantly, clearly showing off. This seemed too soon to be #2 with a different fish, and it called more, so I’m calling it #3. I wondered who it was showing off to, anyone nearby or anyone in particular? Then I looked at the nearest nest platform at the NW corner of Newman Golf Course and there were already 2 Ospreys in that nest (#4 & #5). Did the show-off hope to gain a mate who already had a mate and a nest? As I walked south I checked the Union Fields nest and it still was occupied, although I think an Osprey I saw flying shortly thereafter may have come from that nest which was newly empty. It’s hard to keep track of all the Osprey goings-on, but that’s my interpretation. - - Dave Nutter -- 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] Cass & Treman Ospreys
Today (30 March) I saw an Osprey standing on the nest in Union Field at Cass Park. This was a bit more possessive than on the 26th, when an Osprey stood and called atop a different light array. In Allan H Treman State Marine Park atop the pole in the field NW of the marina, one Osprey stood in the nest (female?) while a second Osprey (male?) stood and ate a fish on the convenient adjacent perch. I’d say that nest is claimed. - - Dave Nutter -- 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] Many Horned Grebes on the south end of Cayuga
Friday afternoon I biked to Stewart Park in an unsuccessful quest for Eastern Phoebe. I scoped the lake, which was calm and well lit and lacking heat shimmer, and I must agree with Joe: there were hordes of Horned Grebes. My eBird report had so many that it broke eBird, and is awaiting a reviewer to decide whether my sighting of 104 of them will ever see the light of day. They were mostly in several flocks far NW & N of the red lighthouse, although a few were closer to Stewart Park, and those in flocks were dozing, preening, bathing, and interacting more than diving, so I’m fairly confident of the number, although many were quite distant. Saturday morning I went to the white lighthouse for another look at the lake, hoping to take photos, but I saw zero Horned Grebes. Either they all migrated, or the gathering was an afternoon phenomenon. EBird has also quarantined my report of 136 Buffleheads from Friday afternoon, a species which is more common here, and also more visually distinctive. Saturday I saw at least 41 of them, but there may have been more, because they were diving and harder to count. Also on Saturday in Jetty Woods and on the jetty itself I found at least 2 Phoebes, and possibly 4 depending on how bad I am at seeing the ones I already counted sneak ahead of me to be counted again. - - Dave Nutter > On Mar 27, 2020, at 1:54 PM, Joe Welklin wrote: > > Hi all, > > There are lots of Horned Grebes on the south end of Cayuga right now. Some in > breeding plumage but many in non-breeding. Also a couple Goldeneye and plenty > of Bufflehead. > > Joe > > -- > Joseph F. Welklin > PhD Candidate > Dept. of Neurobiology and Behavior > Cornell University > www.josephwelklin.com > -- > -- 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] Cass Park Osprey perched near nest
This afternoon I saw my first-of-year Osprey flying over Union Fields in Ithaca’s Cass Park. It then perched and called atop one of the arrays of lights, but on a different pole than the nest platform. - - Dave Nutter -- 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] Sandhill cranes and Snow geese
The first 2020 record of Sandhill Crane for the Cayuga Lake Basin of which I’m aware was on 4 March at Knox-Marsellus Marsh from East Rd in Tyre reported by David Kennedy. (Please anyone who has information on any earlier record, let me know, so I can correct the record on the Cayuga Bird Club webpage) The next day, 5 March, cranes were also reported at Armitage Rd, at Van Dyne Spoor Rd, and at Carncross Rd in Savannah. This information is on eBird. Sandhill Cranes are wonderful whenever and wherever we find them, so it’s great that people are seeing or hearing them today. It wasn’t always this way. The first year the species was reported in the Cayuga Lake Basin of which I am aware was 1990, and the next was 1994, but they have been regular since 2000 and have built up a breeding population throughout the Montezuma Wetlands Complex, with many of the marshes hosting a pair. Their number may be augmented by migrants in autumn when we have seen gatherings of 70 or more. The Dean’s Cove report by Suan Hsi-Yong was of overhead migrants, so that’s not a regular location for them. - - Dave Nutter - - Dave Nutter > On Mar 7, 2020, at 3:11 PM, Johnson, Alyssa > wrote: > > Not my sighting, but a report that came to the Audubon FB page of 3 Sandhill > cranes seen from the end of Morgan Rd by the DEC buildings in Savannah. First > of the year, to my knowledge! > > Snow geese are being reported from the Route 31 muck flats, and a large raft > on Cayuga Lake viewed from Dean’s Cove State Boat Launch on the west side, > off 89. > > -- > Alyssa Johnson > Environmental Educator > 315.365.3588 > > Montezuma Audubon Center > 2295 State Route 89 > P.O. Box 187 > Savannah, New York 13146 > montezuma.audubon.org > Montezuma Audubon Center on Facebook > > -- > Cayugabirds-L List Info: > Welcome and Basics > Rules and Information > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > Archives: > The Mail Archive > Surfbirds > BirdingOnThe.Net > Please submit your observations to 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/ --
Re: [cayugabirds-l] Eagles at Stewart Park this afternoon
I was not there today, but Bald Eagles are pretty frequent at Stewart Park, including multiple immatures, and they often stand on the ice. I’ve never heard of Golden Eagles stopping at Stewart Park or standing on the ice on Cayuga Lake. - - Dave Nutter > On Mar 1, 2020, at 9:25 PM, Suzanne Gervais wrote: > > Hi all, > Has anyone seen the two, perhaps 3 eagles on ice at Stewart Park this > afternoon sometime between 3:30pm and 4:00pm. I listed them on ebird as > Golden Eagles but I was unsure if these were (unusual) Golden Eagles or > Juvenile Bald Eagles. One actually had a gull at its feet, perhaps 1 foot > away and the gull was still. After 5 minutes or so, the eagle advanced and > kicked a bit the gull that moved away another foot or so. Then the other > eagle lifted and started flying over so the first eagle finally let the gull > alone and flew away too. One person there said she saw a third one too. > Suzanne Gervais > -- > Cayugabirds-L List Info: > Welcome and Basics > Rules and Information > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > Archives: > The Mail Archive > Surfbirds > BirdingOnThe.Net > Please submit your observations to 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/ --
Re: [cayugabirds-l] Meadow lark
I’ve just seen Diana’s photos. It looks like an Eastern Meadowlark to me. The location is just east of Ovid, SW of and a block inside of the curve of NYS-96, on Center Rd east of County Road 129. - - Dave Nutter > On Jan 21, 2020, at 8:12 PM, marsha kardon wrote: > > What city is this in? > > >> On Mon, Jan 20, 2020 at 9:41 PM Whitings wrote: >> Hi All, >> Today I found a Meadow Lark on Center St. just east of Route 129. I noticed >> it’s silhouette in a shrubs and was able to make out some color besides the >> shape against the sun. Then it flew across the road landing low in the grass >> where I was able to get a couple very distant poor but identifying photos >> which are on ebird. I think it was an eastern variety, but not confident >> enough to make the call. Very quiet day otherwise. >> >> Diana >> >> dianawhitingphotography.com >> >> >> >> -- >> >> 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: > Welcome and Basics > Rules and Information > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > Archives: > The Mail Archive > Surfbirds > BirdingOnThe.Net > Please submit your observations to 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/ --
Re: [cayugabirds-l] snow buntings
I also saw Snow Buntings today, my first this year - a flock of about 60 flying over a cornstubble field on the south side of Perry City Rd east of Waterburg Rd in Ulysses. They alit atop a large bare tree in the hedgerow on the far side, and I got a good enough scope view to confirm my initial impression of the ID. - - Dave Nutter > On Jan 21, 2020, at 12:53 PM, Marty Schlabach wrote: > > Saw a small flock of snow buntings on Bromka Rd, about 15 birds in flight. > It was between Log City Rd and CR 129 in Romulus, Seneca County. > > Marty > === > Marty Schlabach m...@cornell.edu > 8407 Powell Rd. home 607-532-3467 > Interlaken, NY 14847 cell315-521-4315 > === > > -- > Cayugabirds-L List Info: > Welcome and Basics > Rules and Information > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > Archives: > The Mail Archive > Surfbirds > BirdingOnThe.Net > Please submit your observations to 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/ --
Re:[cayugabirds-l] 2020 Cayuga Lake Basin First Records to date
I also neglected to include on 1 January (making 100 for that day) Short-eared Owl by Wade & Melissa Rowley at Morgan Rd, Savannah More recent additions include On 19 January Lapland Longspur by Jay McGowan and Livia Santana along Seybolt Rd near Reese Rd, Fayette On 20 January American Pipit by Chad Kauffman at/near Finger Lakes Regional Airport, Seneca Falls. This was a heard-only as-yet-unconfirmed rare report on a 3-mile eBird submission which included flocks of Horned Larks and Snow Buntings very similar to those reported on Seybolt & Reese the day before. Oregon Junco, though very exciting, is not currently a separate species. Current species total should be 112. - - Dave Nutter > On Jan 16, 2020, at 8:53 PM, Dave Nutter wrote: > > I neglected to include on 1 January > Red-breasted Merganser by Sarah Hansen along CR-153 in Sheldrake, Ovid > ...which makes 99 species on 1 Jan and 108 to date. > > - - Dave Nutter > >> On Jan 16, 2020, at 5:09 PM, Dave Nutter wrote: >> >> I am filling out the Cayuga Lake Basin 2020 First Records table. Its >> availability for your perusal on the Cayuga Bird Club website Resources page >> should be ... imminent. As I said, I’m working on it. Meanwhile here’s a >> preview. >> >> I think I have sorted out almost all the information I sought regarding the >> Ithaca Count on New Year’s Day (aka Christmas Bird Count). In addition to >> those 89 species (appended below this message), there were an additional 9 >> species reported elsewhere in the Basin on 1 January: >> >> 90) Snow Goose by Amelia Otis at Rafferty Rd in Genoa >> >> 91) Mute Swan by Kevin McGowan from Portland Pt Rd in Lansing and by Dave >> Kennedy at Cayuga Lake SP on Lower Lake Rd in Seneca Falls >> >> 92) Trumpeter Swan by Dave Kennedy in Montezuma NWR from NYS-89 in Tyre and >> on the north side of Armitage Rd in Galen or Savannah, and by Wade & Melissa >> Rowley on Carncross Rd in Savannah >> >> 93) Tundra Swan by Dave Kennedy in Montezuma NWR at Tschache Pool and at >> from East Rd in Tyre, and by Wade & Melissa Rowley on Carncross Rd in >> Savannah >> >> 94) American Wigeon by Dave Kennedy in Montezuma NWR from East Rd in Tyre >> >> 95) Northern Pintail by Dave Kennedy in Montezuma NWR from East Rd in Tyre >> >> 96) Ring-necked Duck by Sarah Hansen at Sheldrake along CR-153 in Ovid, by >> Dave Kennedy at Cayuga Lake SP on Lower Lake Rd in Seneca Falls, and by Wade >> & Melissa Rowley on Carncross Rd in Savannah >> >> 97) Snowy Owl by Janet & James Sandefur at the Finger Lakes Regional Airport >> in Seneca Falls >> >> 98) Northern Shrike by Janet Akin on Farron Rd in Seneca Falls >> >> >> On 2 January these species were added: >> >> 99) Green-winged Teal by Dave Kennedy in Montezuma NWR from East Rd in Tyre, >> and by Jane Graves and Barbara Clise on the Factory St Pond in Union >> Springs, Springport >> >> 100) Gyrfalcon by Reuben Stoltzfus, Joe Brin, and Renee Kittleman in Seneca >> County. I’ve heard rumors the bird was seen in the basin on 1 January (if >> so, please let me know by whom), but that’s been hard to confirm because >> eBird censors the data to protect the species, and for similar reasons this >> location is vague. >> >> >> On 4 January... >> >> 101) Horned Lark by Chris Wood at Finger Lakes Regional Airport in Seneca >> Falls >> >> >> On 7 January... >> >> 102) Iceland Gull by Reuben Stoltzfus along Lower Lake Rd in Seneca Falls >> >> 103) Northern Saw-whet Owl heard by Chris Wood on Etna Rd between Mohawk and >> Hanshaw Rds in Dryden >> >> >> On 8 January... >> >> 104) Peregrine Falcon by Dave Kennedy at Van Cleef Lake in Seneca Falls >> >> 105) Hermit Thrush by Shawn Billerman around the Lab of O, which could be in >> Ithaca, Lansing, or Dryden >> >> >> On 11 January... >> >> 106) Tufted Duck by Jay McGowan in the SW part of Cayuga Lake in Ithaca >> >> 107) Black Vulture by Kevin McGowan on Stevenson Rd in Dryden >> >> >> That’s all the species reported in the Cayuga Lake Basin this year that I’m >> aware of so far. If you think I may have screwed up, please let me know. >> >> Also, for Count Week, I’m aware of 3 additions: a distant female >> Red-breasted Merganser I saw on Cayuga Lake from the SW corner on 31 >> December; a Snow Goose found by Meena Haribal and Amelia Otis on Beebe Lake >> on 2 January; and a Ring-necked Duck found on Be
Re:[cayugabirds-l] 2020 Cayuga Lake Basin First Records to date
I neglected to include on 1 January Red-breasted Merganser by Sarah Hansen along CR-153 in Sheldrake, Ovid ...which makes 99 species on 1 Jan and 108 to date. - - Dave Nutter > On Jan 16, 2020, at 5:09 PM, Dave Nutter wrote: > > I am filling out the Cayuga Lake Basin 2020 First Records table. Its > availability for your perusal on the Cayuga Bird Club website Resources page > should be ... imminent. As I said, I’m working on it. Meanwhile here’s a > preview. > > I think I have sorted out almost all the information I sought regarding the > Ithaca Count on New Year’s Day (aka Christmas Bird Count). In addition to > those 89 species (appended below this message), there were an additional 9 > species reported elsewhere in the Basin on 1 January: > > 90) Snow Goose by Amelia Otis at Rafferty Rd in Genoa > > 91) Mute Swan by Kevin McGowan from Portland Pt Rd in Lansing and by Dave > Kennedy at Cayuga Lake SP on Lower Lake Rd in Seneca Falls > > 92) Trumpeter Swan by Dave Kennedy in Montezuma NWR from NYS-89 in Tyre and > on the north side of Armitage Rd in Galen or Savannah, and by Wade & Melissa > Rowley on Carncross Rd in Savannah > > 93) Tundra Swan by Dave Kennedy in Montezuma NWR at Tschache Pool and at from > East Rd in Tyre, and by Wade & Melissa Rowley on Carncross Rd in Savannah > > 94) American Wigeon by Dave Kennedy in Montezuma NWR from East Rd in Tyre > > 95) Northern Pintail by Dave Kennedy in Montezuma NWR from East Rd in Tyre > > 96) Ring-necked Duck by Sarah Hansen at Sheldrake along CR-153 in Ovid, by > Dave Kennedy at Cayuga Lake SP on Lower Lake Rd in Seneca Falls, and by Wade > & Melissa Rowley on Carncross Rd in Savannah > > 97) Snowy Owl by Janet & James Sandefur at the Finger Lakes Regional Airport > in Seneca Falls > > 98) Northern Shrike by Janet Akin on Farron Rd in Seneca Falls > > > On 2 January these species were added: > > 99) Green-winged Teal by Dave Kennedy in Montezuma NWR from East Rd in Tyre, > and by Jane Graves and Barbara Clise on the Factory St Pond in Union Springs, > Springport > > 100) Gyrfalcon by Reuben Stoltzfus, Joe Brin, and Renee Kittleman in Seneca > County. I’ve heard rumors the bird was seen in the basin on 1 January (if so, > please let me know by whom), but that’s been hard to confirm because eBird > censors the data to protect the species, and for similar reasons this > location is vague. > > > On 4 January... > > 101) Horned Lark by Chris Wood at Finger Lakes Regional Airport in Seneca > Falls > > > On 7 January... > > 102) Iceland Gull by Reuben Stoltzfus along Lower Lake Rd in Seneca Falls > > 103) Northern Saw-whet Owl heard by Chris Wood on Etna Rd between Mohawk and > Hanshaw Rds in Dryden > > > On 8 January... > > 104) Peregrine Falcon by Dave Kennedy at Van Cleef Lake in Seneca Falls > > 105) Hermit Thrush by Shawn Billerman around the Lab of O, which could be in > Ithaca, Lansing, or Dryden > > > On 11 January... > > 106) Tufted Duck by Jay McGowan in the SW part of Cayuga Lake in Ithaca > > 107) Black Vulture by Kevin McGowan on Stevenson Rd in Dryden > > > That’s all the species reported in the Cayuga Lake Basin this year that I’m > aware of so far. If you think I may have screwed up, please let me know. > > Also, for Count Week, I’m aware of 3 additions: a distant female Red-breasted > Merganser I saw on Cayuga Lake from the SW corner on 31 December; a Snow > Goose found by Meena Haribal and Amelia Otis on Beebe Lake on 2 January; and > a Ring-necked Duck found on Beebe Lake by Amelia Otis, Daniel Toronto, and > Leah & Ruth Dodd on 2 January. > > And regarding small falcons on the Ithaca Count, it was definitely 2 > different American Kestrels, one sighted a couple times (sorry, I did not > find out by whom) around Boiceville Rd in Caroline, and one along Stevenson > Rd in Dryden reported by Anne Clark. As for the 5 Merlins reported on the > Count, I have not tried to track down where and when they were seen, nor what > direction and how fast they were going, but of my three sightings of Merlin > within the Count Circle so far this January, two of them were flying very > fast and probably were crossing a boundary between Count Areas. > > - - Dave Nutter > > > Begin forwarded message: > >> From: Dave Nutter >> Date: January 1, 2020 at 11:11:32 PM EST >> To: CayugaBirds-L b >> Subject: Ithaca Count - quick & dirty data >> >> Here’s a brief run-down of what was reported at the compilation this >> evening. Some numbers may be revised. Species only found by a single party I >> hope to find o
[cayugabirds-l] 2020 Cayuga Lake Basin First Records to date
I am filling out the Cayuga Lake Basin 2020 First Records table. Its availability for your perusal on the Cayuga Bird Club website Resources page should be ... imminent. As I said, I’m working on it. Meanwhile here’s a preview. I think I have sorted out almost all the information I sought regarding the Ithaca Count on New Year’s Day (aka Christmas Bird Count). In addition to those 89 species (appended below this message), there were an additional 9 species reported elsewhere in the Basin on 1 January: 90) Snow Goose by Amelia Otis at Rafferty Rd in Genoa 91) Mute Swan by Kevin McGowan from Portland Pt Rd in Lansing and by Dave Kennedy at Cayuga Lake SP on Lower Lake Rd in Seneca Falls 92) Trumpeter Swan by Dave Kennedy in Montezuma NWR from NYS-89 in Tyre and on the north side of Armitage Rd in Galen or Savannah, and by Wade & Melissa Rowley on Carncross Rd in Savannah 93) Tundra Swan by Dave Kennedy in Montezuma NWR at Tschache Pool and at from East Rd in Tyre, and by Wade & Melissa Rowley on Carncross Rd in Savannah 94) American Wigeon by Dave Kennedy in Montezuma NWR from East Rd in Tyre 95) Northern Pintail by Dave Kennedy in Montezuma NWR from East Rd in Tyre 96) Ring-necked Duck by Sarah Hansen at Sheldrake along CR-153 in Ovid, by Dave Kennedy at Cayuga Lake SP on Lower Lake Rd in Seneca Falls, and by Wade & Melissa Rowley on Carncross Rd in Savannah 97) Snowy Owl by Janet & James Sandefur at the Finger Lakes Regional Airport in Seneca Falls 98) Northern Shrike by Janet Akin on Farron Rd in Seneca Falls On 2 January these species were added: 99) Green-winged Teal by Dave Kennedy in Montezuma NWR from East Rd in Tyre, and by Jane Graves and Barbara Clise on the Factory St Pond in Union Springs, Springport 100) Gyrfalcon by Reuben Stoltzfus, Joe Brin, and Renee Kittleman in Seneca County. I’ve heard rumors the bird was seen in the basin on 1 January (if so, please let me know by whom), but that’s been hard to confirm because eBird censors the data to protect the species, and for similar reasons this location is vague. On 4 January... 101) Horned Lark by Chris Wood at Finger Lakes Regional Airport in Seneca Falls On 7 January... 102) Iceland Gull by Reuben Stoltzfus along Lower Lake Rd in Seneca Falls 103) Northern Saw-whet Owl heard by Chris Wood on Etna Rd between Mohawk and Hanshaw Rds in Dryden On 8 January... 104) Peregrine Falcon by Dave Kennedy at Van Cleef Lake in Seneca Falls 105) Hermit Thrush by Shawn Billerman around the Lab of O, which could be in Ithaca, Lansing, or Dryden On 11 January... 106) Tufted Duck by Jay McGowan in the SW part of Cayuga Lake in Ithaca 107) Black Vulture by Kevin McGowan on Stevenson Rd in Dryden That’s all the species reported in the Cayuga Lake Basin this year that I’m aware of so far. If you think I may have screwed up, please let me know. Also, for Count Week, I’m aware of 3 additions: a distant female Red-breasted Merganser I saw on Cayuga Lake from the SW corner on 31 December; a Snow Goose found by Meena Haribal and Amelia Otis on Beebe Lake on 2 January; and a Ring-necked Duck found on Beebe Lake by Amelia Otis, Daniel Toronto, and Leah & Ruth Dodd on 2 January. And regarding small falcons on the Ithaca Count, it was definitely 2 different American Kestrels, one sighted a couple times (sorry, I did not find out by whom) around Boiceville Rd in Caroline, and one along Stevenson Rd in Dryden reported by Anne Clark. As for the 5 Merlins reported on the Count, I have not tried to track down where and when they were seen, nor what direction and how fast they were going, but of my three sightings of Merlin within the Count Circle so far this January, two of them were flying very fast and probably were crossing a boundary between Count Areas. - - Dave Nutter Begin forwarded message: > From: Dave Nutter > Date: January 1, 2020 at 11:11:32 PM EST > To: CayugaBirds-L b > Subject: Ithaca Count - quick & dirty data > > Here’s a brief run-down of what was reported at the compilation this evening. > Some numbers may be revised. Species only found by a single party I hope to > find out where & by whom. Many species had below average numbers. Here are > the species that were found, grouped by 5s: > > Canada Goose 2770 > Wood Duck 1 (Scott Sutcliffe et al, somewhere on W side of lake) > Gadwall 4 (area 9, hoping for details) > American Black Duck 2 (Dave Nutter, Hog Hole) > Mallard 458 > 5 > Canvasback 1 (area 9, hoping for details) > Redhead 3700 (may be kept despite similar number from 3 areas) > Greater Scaup 5 > Lesser Scaup 6 > White-winged Scoter 1 (Dave Nutter, W side of lake) > 10 > Long-tailed Duck 2 (area 9, hoping for details) > Bufflehead 3 (area 8, hoping for details) > Common Goldeneye 133 > Common Merganser 11 > Hooded Merganser 30 > 15 > Ruddy Duck 6 (possibly s
Re: [cayugabirds-l] Weird birds
When I first saw one of these lists I thought someone was playing games, and I got annoyed. But after seeing several lists from different observers listing birds from various parts of the world but nominally all observed in Stewart Park, it is clear to me that all these lists are mislabeled due to the same innocent error which more likely due to some glitch in the system than to something the observer has done. Until the folks at eBird figure out why this happens and fix the problem, I see no point in getting mad. Instead, it’s fun to try to figure out where in the world the list was actually made, based on the ranges of the different species. I recognized several bird names from Costa Rica on one list, and by going back to the list after the location was corrected, I found out I was correct. We should get prizes for how close our guesses are. - - Dave Nutter > On Jan 4, 2020, at 2:06 PM, Candace E. Cornell wrote: > > sBird lists the New Zealand bird reports as originating from Stewart Park! > There were also erroneous Osprey sightings a few weeks ago. > Candace > >> On Sat, Jan 4, 2020 at 1:50 PM Carol Keeler wrote: >> >> Why are we getting these weird e bird reports from Tompkins county that have >> birds that aren’t found here? It makes a mockery of e bird reports. >> Sent from my iPad >> >> -- >> >> 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: > Welcome and Basics > Rules and Information > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > Archives: > The Mail Archive > Surfbirds > BirdingOnThe.Net > Please submit your observations to 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/ --
[cayugabirds-l] Kestrels & Merlins on the Ithaca Christmas Bird Count
Hi All, Those of you who are Cayuga Bird Club members may have seen an article in January’s newsletter that was based on my quick report (below) about the Ithaca Christmas Bird Count compilation on the evening of January first. I gave the editor permission to use my report, with which he rapidly completed and sent out the newsletter later that same evening after a long day of birding. My name was on the article, but I did not write the paragraph which incorrectly stated that there were no Kestrels reported. However, I did hear some comments from the audience about the numbers of small falcons, as was mentioned in that paragraph. As with many species this year, there was a low count of 2 American Kestrels. Then the next species on the list, the closely related Merlin, had one of the very few record high counts, a total of 5 birds. Lab Director John Fitzpatrick recalled when Kestrels were common and Merlins were a rarity. It was at least ironic to see this contrast. Were we seeing two population trend lines crossing as Kestrels decline and Merlins increase? If so, what is the relationship? Here’s my thoughts: First, it’s hard to draw firm conclusions from such small numbers. But Ithaca’s trends may well show up on other counts. Second, perhaps even those numbers need scrutiny. There were 2 Kestrels reported, 1 from Area 4 and 1 from Area 5. I think I heard Area 5 Leader Sandy Podulka say that their Kestrel was from Boiceville. I take that to mean Boiceville Rd, which extends less than a mile south from Slaterville Rd. The border between Areas 4 & 5 is Slaterville Rd. I don’t know the location for the Kestrel from Area 4, but my guess is that a winter territory for a single Kestrel might extend from the farm fields and hedges along Boiceville Rd north into the southeast corner of Area 4 where there is similar habitat along Midline, Slaterville, and Ellis Hollow Roads, allowing a single Kestrel to get counted in Area 4 & Area 5. The Merlin reports were: 1 from Area 5, 1 from area 7, 2 from area 8, and 1 from area 9. The only Merlin sighting location I know is Allan Treman State Marine Park for Area 7, where a Merlin might easily have its next stop or previous stop be across the Inlet in Area 8 or farther north along East Shore in Area 9. I suspect that the daily movements of a Merlin might cover a larger area than those of a Kestrel. Again, I wonder if 5 Merlins is an overcount. I am curious where all the Kestrels and Merlins were reported, so I welcome that information. Even if the numbers get adjusted, I would not be surprised if the local Kestrel population is decreasing while the Merlin population is increasing, but I don’t see how they would be directly related. Kestrels are birds of open countryside. Kestrels scan fields and weedy roadsides by perching on a wire or snag or hovering against the wind, then drop to the ground upon prey such as invertebrates or small mammals. I think the trends are for farms to convert hayfields to corn, for hedgerows and snags to be torn out, and for farms to be converted to suburbs, which would all be less suitable for Kestrels. Kestrels need a tree cavity or a nest box for nesting, and suburbanites are more apt to cut down a tree with a hole in it than to erect a nest box. I have also noticed that Kestrels are quite wary of people. You can drive past one on a wire, but they will flee if you try to take a photo. So, it would not surprise me that Kestrels are getting harder to find in the Ithaca area, where residential development is booming, and I suspect this is a widespread trend. Merlins used to be only a rare migrant here. They were birds that bred across Canada and wintered along the south and east coasts of the US. We see these Merlins accompanying (and trying to eat) the southbound shorebird migration at Montezuma NWR. But a few years ago Merlins branched out into a new habitat for them across NYS: residential areas. Merlins chase small birds for a living, and House Sparrows are a good food source, although other songbirds are fine, too. Falcons don’t actually build nests, but Merlins will wait for Crows to build a nest high in a tree, then chase off the crows and use the nest to raise their own young. And in my experience these Merlins are very tolerant of people watching them. Quite a few nests have been documented in the county, so it’s not a surprise that we are regularly finding multiple Merlins on the Christmas Bird Count. Kestrels, like other grassland birds, are in decline. Merlins, adapting to human residential areas, have increased and may continue to do so. But I don’t think the Merlins are directly competing with and supplanting the Kestrels, other than taking advantage of the way people change the habitat. That’s my take. I welcome comments from others as well as news about the locations of Merlins and Kestrels found on the count. Thanks. - - Dave Nutter > On
[cayugabirds-l] Ithaca Count - quick & dirty data
Here’s a brief run-down of what was reported at the compilation this evening. Some numbers may be revised. Species only found by a single party I hope to find out where & by whom. Many species had below average numbers. Here are the species that were found, grouped by 5s: Canada Goose 2770 Wood Duck 1 (Scott Sutcliffe et al, somewhere on W side of lake) Gadwall 4 (area 9, hoping for details) American Black Duck 2 (Dave Nutter, Hog Hole) Mallard 458 5 Canvasback 1 (area 9, hoping for details) Redhead 3700 (may be kept despite similar number from 3 areas) Greater Scaup 5 Lesser Scaup 6 White-winged Scoter 1 (Dave Nutter, W side of lake) 10 Long-tailed Duck 2 (area 9, hoping for details) Bufflehead 3 (area 8, hoping for details) Common Goldeneye 133 Common Merganser 11 Hooded Merganser 30 15 Ruddy Duck 6 (possibly same 3 counted from areas 7 & 8) Ring-necked Pheasant 1 (by ? on Pheasant Walk, Caroline) Ruffed Grouse 6 Wild Turkey 58 Common Loon 5 20 Pied-billed Grebe 6 Red-necked Grebe 1 (Chris Wood, N of E Shore Park) Double-crested Cormorant 4 (SE part of Cayuga L) Great Blue Heron 2 Turkey Vulture 67 HIGH 25 Northern Harrier 1 (area 8, hoping for details) Sharp-shinned Hawk 5 Cooper’s Hawk 7 Bald Eagle 16 (HIGH but may be revised if double-counted) Red-tailed Hawk 118 30 Rough-legged Hawk 2 American Coot 4 (area 8, hoping for details) Ring-billed Gull 458 Herring Gull 1084 Lesser Black-backed Gull 1 (at Cornell Compost & Stewart Park) 35 Great Black-backed Gull 133 Rock Pigeon 1286 Mourning Dove 439 Eastern Screech-Owl 22 Great Horned Owl 5 40 Barred Owl 2 Belted Kingfisher 5 Red-bellied Woodpecker 251 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1 (by ? at Kendal) Downy Woodpecker 390 45 Hairy Woodpecker 148 Northern Flicker 21 Pileated Woodpecker 37 American Kestrel 2 Merlin 5 HIGH 50 Eastern Phoebe 1 (by ? near Quarry & Ellis Hollow Rds) Blue Jay 1144 American Crow 1541 Fish Crow 15 Common Raven 37 55 Black-capped Chickadee 2078 Tufted Titmouse 425 Red-breasted Nuthatch 18 White-breasted Nuthatch 407 Brown Creeper 16 60 House Wren 1 (by John Fitzpatrick? location?) Winter Wren 2 Carolina Wren 84 Golden-crowned Kinglet 52 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 6 HIGH 65 Eastern Bluebird 54 American Robin 22 Gray Catbird 1 (Phil McNeil, Jackie & Patrick Marr on Freeville-Dryden Trail) Northern Mockingbird 5 European Starling 2118 (to be raised) 70 Cedar Waxwing 33 Snow Bunting 1 (by John Fitzpatrick over Caroline School) Yellow-rumped Warbler 7 American Tree Sparrow 209 (to be raised) Chipping Sparrow 2 75 Field Sparrow 3 (area 8, hoping for details) Dark-eyed Junco 706 White-crowned Sparrow 2 (feeder on German Cross Rd) White-throated Sparrow 124 Song Sparrow 89 80 Swamp Sparrow 9 Northern Cardinal 456 Red-winged Blackbird 1 (by? near Calkins Rd) Brown-headed Cowbird 2 House Finch 325 85 Purple Finch 5 Pine Siskin 1 (feeder on Hinging Post Rd) American Goldfinch 440 House Sparrow 498 89 Initial tally was said to be 90 species, so maybe I missed one? Species already found during Count Week (29-31 Dec, 2019): Red-breasted Merganser (Nutter, SW Cayuga L 31 Dec ) Others? Some species to seek for Count Week (2-4 Jan, 2020): Greater White-fronted Goose Snow Goose Cackling Goose Mute Swan family of 3 if they enter count circle near Myers Tundra Swan American Wigeon Northern Shoveler Northern Pintail Green-winged Teal Ring-necked Duck Tufted Duck Surf Scoter Black Scoter Red-throated Loon Horned Grebe Wilson’s Snipe Bonaparte’s Gull Iceland Gull Glaucous Gull Long-eared Owl Short-eared Owl Peregrine Falcon Northern Shrike Horned Lark Hermit Thrush American Pipit Lapland Longspur Fox Sparrow Savannah Sparrow Eastern Towhee Eastern Meadowlark Rusty Blackbird Common Grackle Common Redpoll - - Dave Nutter -- 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] Easy Loon Watch
Noting that the forecast was for winds from the north, this morning I made the most minimal investment in a Loon Watch by dressing warmly and walking out at dawn to the NYS-89 bridge over Ithaca’s Flood Control Channel near my back yard. During an hour of observation (0630-0730) I saw at least 22 and possibly 26 Common Loons. The first quarter hour had no detectable loons, but at 0651 I found my first lone loon, winging its way south but surprisingly far to my east, seemingly over Cornell. A minute later, 3 loons flew south over downtown Ithaca. And at 0656 four Common Loons flew south high up directly overhead, for a total of 8 in the second quarter hour. This trend continued during the third quarter hour with 3 groups of loons, totaling 15, flying south but on a path which shifted west. These groups disappeared from view behind the trees on West Hill as they flew, so I moved farther east on the bridge, but I saw no more southbound migrants. The last groups were also very hard to see naked-eye, being light below against a bright sky. Maybe that was the end of the morning’s migration, or maybe the flow continued beyond my view and more directly south from Taughannock Falls SP. During the final quarter hour I saw two lone loons flying north over downtown and a duo over West Hill flying northeast as if turning back north, which I called a total of 4. I decided to end my count after an hour, but then I couldn’t resist a final scope scan toward the unseen lake: I saw 2 loons flying in different directions at the same time. I figured they were likely among those I had recently seen flying toward the lake but that they had not yet settled down. I declared my Loon Watch successful, and I went back indoors to warm my fingers. Other species seen included: * Canada Geese, including birds on the Flood Control Channel and flocks flying south but not high enough to be definite migrants. * A few Mallards on the Flood Control Channel and a few flying north. * Common Mergansers on the Flood Control Channel and in different sized small groups flying south and north. * Ring-billed & Herring Gulls rising off the lake, flying south over the valley and also southeast toward Cornell’s compost, patrolling the Flood Control Channel and resting upon it. * Rock Pigeons, the larger number flying west toward farm fields. * American Crows, similar pattern. * Red-tailed Hawk, one adult flying over West Hill just over treetop level. * Blue Jay, one landing in a treetop. * American Robins flying locally, a single and a group of 3. * European Starlings in small numbers on local errands and resting on wires. * A few smaller local birds I was unable to ID in distant flight. - - Dave Nutter -- 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] Say’s Phoebe found & lost in Candor NY
Late this morning Adam Troyer saw a Say’s Phoebe at his family’s farm, 51 Tomak Rd in Candor. He called me about it, asking if someone could come out and confirm it. He called again a little over an hour later to say that unfortunately he was unable to refind the bird after the first call. If it turns up again, he’ll call again, and I’ll send out a text rare bird alert. It was a life bird for him, so he was hoping for corroboration, but when I had more time to talk during the second call, his description sounded good: Much like an Eastern Phoebe in flight; a bit larger than an Eastern Phoebe; dark gray on the head; paler gray on the back; more prominent wing bars than on an Eastern Phoebe; black tail; gray breast; yellowish orange belly; perching on a fencepost and dropping to the ground to catch food; also perching in a tree top; and unfortunately flying beyond sight of his siblings. So, keep an eye out. - - Dave Nutter -- 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] How to help birds
The Lab of O recently released a report saying the world’s wild bird population has dropped an alarming 29% in the last five decades. I also received a list from the Lab of O about how we as individuals can help reduce the harm to birds. Suggestions include preventing window strikes, stopping cat predation, stopping pesticide use, planting native species instead of lawns, reducing plastic use and recycling plastic, and not consuming sun-grown coffee. I would add bananas and sugar to that list of tropical plantations which destroy habitat, and suggest generally eating locally. The list also talks about advocating policies in each of those areas. Anyway, the suggestions are good, and I support them. Yet I think there’s an elephant in the room. An issue which was not mentioned is destroying coastal habitats, mountain habitats, and arctic habitats including sea ice. It is causing desertification. It is producing larger wildfires, including where plants and animals are not fire-adapted. It is destroying coral reefs which are nurseries for fish. It has already moved the ranges of fish and other aquatic bird food by hundreds of miles or affected their populations. It creates increasingly powerful storms which can devastate islands, as we have seen in Puerto Rico and the Bahamas. The problem is climate change, and it is predicted to move the growing conditions for plants much faster than the plants can move and regrow, thus destroying habitats for birds at range-wide scales. And that’s before considering all the habitat destruction caused by humans trying to adapt, move, fight over resources, and create new farm land to replace the areas which are no longer usable. So, I think fighting climate change should be on that list for helping birds (as well as helping many other creatures, including humans). And that means, among many other things, reducing our carbon footprints to limit the future damage. What is the carbon footprint of birding, and what would reducing it mean? Not flying? Using an electric car charged with renewable energy or at least a high mpg car? (And even keeping renewable energy use at a moderate level, because photovoltaic & wind “farms” also displace habitat and harm birds.) Limiting miles driven? Car-pooling to go birding? Using discretion when deciding what trips to take? How many gallons of gasoline should be burned by people to see a little lost bird? Putting a limit on the area in which to chase rarities. Staying in a county or a basin rather than trying to personally cover a state, country, continent, or planet? Forego chasing rarities which have been seen before? More positively, how about concentrating birding on a small area and getting to know its birds well: places you can walk or bike to, places that are already along your daily commute. And for myself, I have greatly enjoyed the photographs of birds and descriptions of the birds’ activities which other people have contributed to their eBird reports. Rather than envy, I can share their joy without feeling I need to jump in a car to see (or miss) that bird myself. Anyway, these are some issues I have been struggling with, and I wonder if other birders are also thinking about these things. Thanks. - - Dave Nutter -- 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] Western Kingbird in Candor, Tioga Co, NY
Late this afternoon I got a call from Reuben Stoltzfus saying that another Amish birder named Adam Troyer reported a WESTERN KINGBIRD on his family’s farm in Candor. Reuben was in the area and said he wanted to double check before having me publicize it, and indeed he visited the site, saw the bird, agreed with the ID, and called me back, at which time I posted a text rare bird alert. Reuben has traveled out west and I suspect is familiar with the species. Adam grew up in Ohio before his family moved to Candor a couple years ago, and although he is an accomplished birder, I don’t know whether he had encountered any Western Kingbirds before. Perhaps some of you met Adam this past January when I believe he and a couple of his cousins biked from Candor to join the Ithaca Christmas Bird Count. The address is 51 Tomak Rd, a dairy farm at the end of a short road off of Candor Hill Rd northeast of “downtown” Candor. I don’t know any more details of where the bird was or what it was doing. I hope to hear tomorrow if it is refound. - - Dave Nutter -- 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] Montezuma Knox-Marsellus Marsh Dike Walk Sun Sept 8th, 2019
ple with me to show it to. Among other marsh birds: The American White Pelican allowed wonderful scope views, including a close take-off and flyover as it went to visit Puddler temporarily. There were several Trumpeter Swans, who seemed to be having a discussion among themselves, murmuring clarinet notes. We watched a Merlin hunting low over the marsh whose presence was not appreciated by a Northern Harrier. After I heard about Dave Nicosia’s thermal full of migrants, the folks with me scanned and found what may have been the same thermal at a later stage. Although we did not see the butterfly, the swallows, or the Broad-winged Hawk, there were at least 7 Bald Eagles in it by the time we looked. I’m glad to hear that there will be a planning meeting in June regarding shorebirding from the Knox-Marsellus dikes, because the migration really starts in early July. Thanks again, Linda Ziemba & Andrea VanBeusichem, and the rest of refuge staff for maintaining the habitat for the birds and allowing access to birders! - - Dave Nutter > On Sep 8, 2019, at 8:51 PM, David Nicosia wrote: > > We had a smaller group today vs previous weeks, I counted 26 at one point. > This is no surprise given the Muckrace the day before. Nevertheless, we had > an excellent outing with still a nice group of shorebirds and an even greater > group of people. We had all levels from beginner to advanced. Many people > got on life birds which was awesome! There really wasn't anything new for > Knox-Marsellus that we could find. But we focused a lot on shorebird and > other species ID. A special thanks to Dave Nutter, who even after doing the > Muckrace the day before, came out and assisted in leading part of the group. > All these weeks, Dave Nutter has been a fixture on these walks either leading > or assisting and they wouldn't be the same without him! Thanks Dave! I would > like to thank Adrian Burke from Binghamton University who also assisted in > finding birds for the group. > > We were fortunate to be joined by Dr.Ken Rosenberg and Dr. Adriaan M. Dokter > of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. I appreciate Ken's insights on the > details and life histories of our shorebirds and other species. Ken went over > the finer points of shorebird ID with BAIRD'S SANDPIPER, LONG-BILLED vs > SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER, and several other species. He also explained molting > patterns, aging and other finer points. This was much appreciated among the > more advanced birders and beginners alike. Thanks Ken! > > Bird Highlights: nice views of BAIRD'S SANDPIPER, AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER, > STILT SANDPIPERS, LONG BILLED DOWITCHERS, PECTORAL SANDPIPERS, and good > comparison views of LEAST and SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS, and GREATER vs LESSER > YELLOWLEGS. The AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN was still present and took off right > in front of us. The summering CANVASBACK was still present. We had one > thermal that had 2 BALD EAGLES, OSPREY, several TVs, a BROAD-WINGED HAWK, and > a monarch butterfly. Above these raptors (and butterfly) were a load of > migrating swallows which was really cool. We also saw thousands of mainly > red-winged blackbirds which was an awesome sight over the fields by the > mucklands. > > Here is the list we complied. https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S59615396 > > We didn't bird much in the woods. I know Dave Nutter had a group that got on > some warblers and I believe a red-eyed vireo in the woods at the beginning > that we didn't . > > We had a long discussion on the difference between Long and Short-billed > Dowitcher in juvenile plumage. I have a nice photo of both species in an > ebird list that shows photos of both species in juvenile plumage that I > promised I would link. See this ebird list from a few week ago. > https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S59198143 The LBDO is third bird from the > right all photos. Rest are SBDOs. > > This is the last of the shorebird walks this fall migration season. I would > like to thank Linda Ziemba for doing a nice job at managing Knox-Marsellus > Marsh for the shorebirds and Andrea Van Beusichem for advertising and > promoting these walks. > > Best, > Dave Nicosia > > > -- > Cayugabirds-L List Info: > Welcome and Basics > Rules and Information > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > Archives: > The Mail Archive > Surfbirds > BirdingOnThe.Net > Please submit your observations to eBird! > -- -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.North
[cayugabirds-l] Montezuma Shorebird Walk Saturday morning 31 August
This Saturday morning there will be another walk onto the normally-closed dikes at Knox-Marsellus Marsh in Montezuma NWR, this time led by Josh Snodgrass with assistance by me and, I hope, other folks willing to share scope views and expertise. The goal is to observe migrant shorebirds and help birders learn to ID them, but there have been plenty of other birds to distract us as well. This is a chance to practice ID of dull brown eclipse-plumage ducks, for instance. Bring binoculars, and if you have a scope, bring that, too. Dress for the weather, and bring water & a snack, because we tend to be on the dikes for several hours. Meet at the Montezuma NWR Visitor Center by 7am or go directly to the overlook on East Road at 7:15am. - - Dave Nutter -- 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] Report: 17 August Knox-Marsellus shorebird walk
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
[cayugabirds-l] Shorebird walk tomorrow (Sat 17) morning, Montezuma NWR
Meet at 7am at the Montezuma NWR Visitor Center (on NYS-5/US-20 east of Seneca Fall between NYS-89 & NYS-90) or meet us on East Road at the overlook around 7:20am after we caravan over there. As a group led by Bob McGuire and myself, we will walk down onto the dike surrounding Knox-Marsellus Marsh, an activity which is normally prohibited, in order to look for migrant shorebirds. Bring binoculars, and if you have a scope, bring that too. It should be a good opportunity to share sightings and learn. No fee. Last weekend with Dave Nicosia we had good looks at 11 shorebird species, and since then at least 3 more species have been reported at Montezuma and a couple more elsewhere Upstate. There are plenty of other interesting birds at K-M, too. For instance, we saw all 6 heron species regularly found here. And about an hour ago David Wheeler reported an American White Pelican and a juvenile Laughing Gull. Let’s hope they stay. - - Dave Nutter -- 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] Montezuma shorebirds - check K-M this afternoon/evening
I got a call early this afternoon from Reuben Stoltzfus. He saw a couple of Ruddy Turnstones at Benning on the Wildlife Drive. More intriguing is that he saw several large Calidris type sandpipers (Ruff? Knot?) at Knox-Marsellus which he was unable to ID due to severe mid-day heat shimmer. The light conditions should improve as the sun gets lower in the west late this afternoon, and if someone is there with a scope, they might find something unusual. These birds may move on with tonight’s north winds, so I hope someone has a chance to look today. Also a reminder, meet at 7am Saturday at the Montezuma NWR Visitor Center or shortly after at the overlook on East Rd and we can walk down to K-M for better views. More species have been reported to our north and they should be arriving here, too. - - Dave Nutter -- 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] Montezuma NWR shorebird walk Saturday 17 August
This morning I joined Dave Nicosia for a guided walk onto the dikes around Knox-Marsellus marsh seeking shorebirds. I don’t want to steal his thunder, so suffice it to say the trip was successful. I expect he will send out the impressive list shortly, if he hasn’t already. He will be leading 2 more walks, also on Sundays, at 2-week intervals. I would like to announce that on the alternate weekends there will be similar walks on Saturdays: This coming Saturday, 17 August, Bob McGuire and I will lead another shorebird walk. We will again meet at 7am at the Montezuma NWR Visitor Center, which is on NYS-5/US-50 between NYS-89 and NYS-90 east of Seneca Falls. From there we will drive to the overlook on East Road and spend the rest of the morning walking a couple unprotected shadeless miles to see what birds we can find, concentrating on the several species of shorebirds which have been pausing at the refuge during their southbound migration from their far northern breeding grounds. This walk into a normally closed area of the refuge is free and open to the public. Dress for the weather and bring binoculars, a field guide, drinking water, and a snack. If you have a spotting scope, please bring it, and if you are willing to share scope views and expertise, as Bob and I will be doing, that will be welcome. This can be a chance to see and learn about some distant and subtle birds. There will also be a similar trip on Saturday, 31 August, led by Josh Snodgrass and myself. - - Dave Nutter -- 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] Black-bellied Whistling Duck has returned
This afternoon (23 Jun) I found the Black-bellied Whistling-Duck right where I saw it on the afternoon of the day it was first found, the 17th. As far as I know it was not relocated during the intervening days. It was resting on the lawn near the west bank of Fall Creek on the edge of Newman Golf Course, seen with binoculars or a scope from Stewart Park. There were lots of flightless Canada Geese nearby. At long intervals the duck would look around or, if there was a commotion nearby, walk a few feet, but mostly it had all the brighter field marks hidden. I managed a few diagnostic photos and showed it to Meena Haribal and her niece, and Gary Kohlenberg stopped by as well. It was still there when I left at about 6pm. - - Dave Nutter -- 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] Montezuma Wildlife Drive - Red Necked Phalarope and other shorebirds
Credit where credit is due: As far as I know, the first report of the Red-necked Phalarope on the Wildlife Drive at Montezuma NWR was to eBird on the afternoon of 30 May by Carol Ingram, and I have credited her on the Cayuga Lake Basin First 2019 Records list. I do not know Carol, nor the names of the other 3 members of her party. If anyone has this information, or knows of some earlier or independent sighting on the 30th, please let me know, so I can add that. Some people have submitted eBird reports which credit later reporters as the finder, and I urge you folks to correct those. This is not to detract from Scott Peterson & others who saw and publicized it on the 31st, helping others see it. Well done! I also thank Dave Nicosia, Mark Miller, Michael Gullo, and Deborah Dohne, who went to the trouble of photographing under adverse conditions, and including photos in an eBird report even though the photos aren’t “pretty”. And I thank Scott Peterson and Deborah Dohne for describing this oddly patterned bird in eBird reports. To my way of thinking, simply asserting that there is a rare bird should not be enough to consider it confirmed, no matter how well known or highly reputed the observer. It was the lack of description in Carol’s original eBird report which made me wait until there was corroboration by other observers the next day before accepting her report. Please describe and/or photograph rare birds to establish a solid record. Thanks. Cool bird! I’m glad so many people got to see it. - - Dave Nutter > On May 31, 2019, at 10:20 PM, David Nicosia wrote: > > A large number of shorebirds continue in main pool which has been drained. > The diversity could be down some as I didn't find any red knots, ruddy > turnstone or whimbrels of days past. But there was one female RED-NECKED > PHALAROPE I think initially spotted by Dave Kennedy and then re-found by > Scott Peterson. I was working my way up wildlife drive when Scott sent the > RBA on this great bird. Thanks Scott!. -- 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] Hawthorn & migrant warblers
A couple weeks ago I came across a Hawthorn tree hosting migrant warblers. It was on a residential street in downtown Ithaca a couple blocks from the Dickcissel site. There were at least 8 birds in this single not-very-large tree, including 4 species of warblers. It was surprising they could hide at all. The other street trees on that block were different species, larger, healthier, with thicker foliage, and I did not search them. I plan to ask the City Forester what variety this shabby Hawthorn tree is, so I can get one! EBird list below. - - Dave Nutter > NY:TOM:Ithaca: 2nd St #407 Hawthorn, Tompkins, New York, US > May 6, 2019 2:50 PM - 3:00 PM > Protocol: Stationary > Comments: Drove N on this street a couple minutes earlier while going > around the block to be able to drop off a customer curbside in front of > apartments on 3rd St, and I noticed a small fluttering bird in this tree. > Came back with empty taxi and discovered that this ragged barely leafing out > tree held several hiding foraging birds. > 6 species > > Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula) 2 Maybe 3, foraging in > Hawthorn. FOY Office. > Nashville Warbler (Oreothlypis ruficapilla) 2 2 foraging in Hawthorn. > FOY Office. > Cape May Warbler (Setophaga tigrina) 1 Male foraging in Hawthorn. FOY > Office. > Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia) 1 Male foraging in Hawthorn. > Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) (Setophaga coronata coronata) 2 Male & > female foraging in Hawthorn. FOY Office. > Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) 1 Heard song nearby. > > View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S55926931 >> On Sun, May 19, 2019 at 10:40 AM Christopher T. Tessaglia-Hymes >> wrote: >> > There is very little evidence of leafroller moth larvae (Tortricidae) >> > being pervasive throughout the Hawthorn Orchard this year. Most hawthorn >> > trees and leaves appear quite healthy and undamaged. >> > >> > The significantly reduced findings of many warblers or vireos actively >> > foraging in or making use of the hawthorns as a good food source, supports >> > the idea and observation that the neotropical migrants are primarily >> > targeting this location for the periodic abundance of food. The occurrence >> > of leafroller moth larvae may be a biennial event or at least having some >> > cyclical nature—hopefully the notable lack of larvae this year is not >> > another example of the mass die-off of our insects. >> > -- 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] Cayuga Basin 2019 First Records
I again believe I am temporarily up-to-date with the first records list, which is linked on the Resources page of Cayuga Bird Club website. http://www.cayugabirdclub.org/Resources/cayuga-lake-basin-first-records Please let me know of any possible errors - species missing, independent observers or members of groups on the first date missing, different date, whatever. There have been reports which I have discounted for various reasons, including being outside the basin, or being rare or weird without any details or explanation, but if there is information to support inclusion, I’m happy to hear it. Someday I will write more about how cool those lists are, and the neat info I have incorporated into the tables. - - Dave Nutter -- 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] Merlins @ GIAC
About 6:15pm in Cass Park near the Children’s Garden I saw a Merlin flying east toward the general direction of GIAC. It was coming off West Hill somewhere and was well above treetop level when it went over me, but appeared to be descending slightly. Maybe they hunt over a wide area, or maybe it was visiting. - - Dave Nutter > On May 16, 2019, at 7:44 PM, Suan Yong wrote: > > I’m right now listening to and watching two Merlins calling to each other > from deciduous trees in the block north of GIAC (Albany and Court) around the > swimming pool and field. Saw them copulating I think (no binoculars). Not > sure where the nest might be. There might actually be three Merlins calling / > competing for attention? The area grackles keep chasing, and being chased by, > them. > > Suan > _ > Composed by thumb and autocorrect. > -- > Cayugabirds-L List Info: > Welcome and Basics > Rules and Information > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > Archives: > The Mail Archive > Surfbirds > BirdingOnThe.Net > Please submit your observations to 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/ --
[cayugabirds-l] Loons, Grebes, Gulls
Sunday afternoon (5 May) from the driveway of the Varick Winery on NYS-89 I saw on Cayuga Lake close to a hundred Common Loons (including at least 1 still in non-breeding plumage), 2 Red-throated Loons (in differing plumages), a pair of Red-necked Grebes, 11 Bonaparte’s Gulls, and 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls along with a Double-crested Cormorant and a crowd of hopeful Herring Gulls. - - Dave Nutter -- 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] Radar: migration + rain = fallout?
I see, as I get ready for work well before dawn, that the radar shows both migration, and in parts of the region, light rain which can cause migrants to quit migrating when they hit it. Maybe there will be some migrant fall out. - - Dave Nutter -- 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] 2019 Cayuga Lake Basin first records updated
During a lull in taxi business this morning, I have updated the table of 2019 Cayuga Lake Basin First Records through yesterday, 2 May, just in time for the new migrants you will be finding today. The table is on the Cayuga Bird Club website on the Resources page. Please let me know of any potential errors. - - Dave Nutter -- 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] More migrants
Looking at the radar before work early this morning, I can tell there is a lot of bird movement, so today (Fri 3 May) should bring additional interesting & new birds. Yesterday I was in touch with Reuben Stoltzfus, who found Blue-winged Warbler and Bobolink from a work site on Caswell Rd in Dryden. As he left, he got word of the Townsend’s Warbler which Dave Wheeler had discovered at Sodus Bay, and had his driver take him there, joining many birders to see that rarity. While there, Reuben discovered a wren which others helped ID as a Sedge Wren. On his way home, Reuben had his driver swing through the Wildlife Drive at Montezuma where he found an Orchard Oriole near the Seneca Trail. It’s going to take awhile to get all the new basin birds into the table, but I’ll work on it. Thanks for all the reports! - - Dave Nutter -- 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] Yellow-throated Warbler, South Spring Pool, Montezuma NWR
Gladys (& all), Reading your report is almost like seeing the bird oneself. Lovely. Thank you. I’ll add your names after work. - - Dave Nutter > On Apr 23, 2019, at 10:27 PM, Gladys Birdsall wrote: > > Dave, > > Diane, Susan Evans-Pond and I were headed back to Ithaca after birding with > the Campus Club Bird Study Group at MNWR and we stopped at South Spring Pool > to check what might be out on the pool. As we were standing on the wooden > platform we saw two Yellow-rumped Warblers just to the west of the platform > in some small trees right by the water. Yellow-rumps were singing around us, > and then we heard something different. I thought "Chestnut-sided like", and > Diane thought "Yellow Warbler". We walked back onto the trail and walked a > few feet further down the path and saw movement up in a tree on the south > side of the trail. We quickly saw a bird up in a tree right near the trail, > and were wowed by the brilliant yellow throat. We watched this bird for 4-5 > minutes. It did not sing, but foraged on limbs and moved around the tree > trunk at one point. It flew a couple times to nearby trees but we were able > to follow it easily. The black on the face, appearing triangular shaped > under the eye - with the black stripe extending down the neck was very > striking. Looking at the bird from below and as it moved around it was very > striped on the sides/flanks. It was grey above on the back. I could not see > what markings it had underneath it's tail. We talked about what we were > seeing and we finally left the bird, as our phones and books were in the car. > What we observed all pointed to a Yellow-throated Warbler. > > Gladys > > > >> I just saw this notice from eBird, but nothing on CayugaBirds-L or the text >> rare bird alert yet. Nice description by Diane Traina of the Yellow-throated >> Warbler at the NYS-89 entrance to South Spring Pool at Montezuma NWR. (It’s >> shocking how many people don’t actually describe the rarities they report.) >> This is a species we don’t see every year in the Cayuga Lake Basin, although >> Dave Kennedy also found one 2 days ago next to Seneca Lake north of Willard >> Town Park. An invasion! I hope this one sticks around and is easier to >> refind. >> >> - - Dave Nutter >> >> Begin forwarded message: >> >>> From: ebird-al...@cornell.edu >>> Date: April 23, 2019 at 3:00:45 PM EDT >>> To: Undisclosed recipients: ; >>> Subject: [eBird Alert] Seneca County Rare Bird Alert >>> >>> *** Species Summary: >>> >>> - Yellow-throated Warbler (1 report) >>> >>> - >>> Thank you for subscribing to the Seneca County Rare Bird Alert.The >>> report below shows observations of rare birds in Seneca County. View or >>> unsubscribe to this alert at https://ebird.org/alert/summary?sid=SN35526 >>> NOTE: all sightings are UNCONFIRMED unless indicated >>> >>> Yellow-throated Warbler (Setophaga dominica) (1) >>> - Reported Apr 23, 2019 13:36 by Diane Traina >>> - Montezuma NWR--South Spring Pool, Seneca, New York >>> - Map: >>> http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8=p=13=42.97062,-76.772992=42.97062,-76.772992 >>> - Checklist: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S55303176 >>> - Comments: "Bright yellow throat from base of bill to top of breast. >>> Striped on flanks, white wing bars. White eyebrow stripe. Black around eye >>> extending down side of cheek and neck. Grey clear belly to tail. Greyish on >>> back. Seen just past post from entrance at art 89. " >>> >>> *** >>> >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to eBird's Seneca >>> County Rare Bird Alert >>> >>> Manage your eBird alert subscriptions: >>> https://ebird.org/alerts >> >> -- >> Cayugabirds-L List Info: >> Welcome and Basics >> Rules and Information >> Subscribe, Configuration and Leave >> Archives: >> The Mail Archive >> Surfbirds >> BirdingOnThe.Net >> Please submit your observations to 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/ --
[cayugabirds-l] Yellow-throated Warbler, South Spring Pool, Montezuma NWR
I just saw this notice from eBird, but nothing on CayugaBirds-L or the text rare bird alert yet. Nice description by Diane Traina of the Yellow-throated Warbler at the NYS-89 entrance to South Spring Pool at Montezuma NWR. (It’s shocking how many people don’t actually describe the rarities they report.) This is a species we don’t see every year in the Cayuga Lake Basin, although Dave Kennedy also found one 2 days ago next to Seneca Lake north of Willard Town Park. An invasion! I hope this one sticks around and is easier to refind. - - Dave Nutter Begin forwarded message: > From: ebird-al...@cornell.edu > Date: April 23, 2019 at 3:00:45 PM EDT > To: Undisclosed recipients: ; > Subject: [eBird Alert] Seneca County Rare Bird Alert > > *** Species Summary: > > - Yellow-throated Warbler (1 report) > > - > Thank you for subscribing to the Seneca County Rare Bird Alert.The > report below shows observations of rare birds in Seneca County. View or > unsubscribe to this alert at https://ebird.org/alert/summary?sid=SN35526 > NOTE: all sightings are UNCONFIRMED unless indicated > > Yellow-throated Warbler (Setophaga dominica) (1) > - Reported Apr 23, 2019 13:36 by Diane Traina > - Montezuma NWR--South Spring Pool, Seneca, New York > - Map: > http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8=p=13=42.97062,-76.772992=42.97062,-76.772992 > - Checklist: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S55303176 > - Comments: "Bright yellow throat from base of bill to top of breast. Striped > on flanks, white wing bars. White eyebrow stripe. Black around eye extending > down side of cheek and neck. Grey clear belly to tail. Greyish on back. Seen > just past post from entrance at art 89. " > > *** > > You received this message because you are subscribed to eBird's Seneca County > Rare Bird Alert > > Manage your eBird alert subscriptions: > https://ebird.org/alerts -- 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] FOY Black-and-white Warbler
On Sunday afternoon (21 April), while checking for Blue-gray Gnatcatchers (they’re back!) along the Cayuga Waterfront Trail at the end of Pier Rd between Fall Creek and Newman Golf Course by the parking mud for anglers, I also encountered a male Black-and-white Warbler working the vine-covered trunk of a tree at the south end of the channel on the west side. - - Dave Nutter -- 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] Upland Sandpiper
Yesterday, 17 April, Reuben Stoltzfus saw 2 Upland Sandpipers at the Lott Farm, which is east of NYS-414 and north of Martin Rd in Seneca Falls. I believe this is new for the Cayuga Lake Basin for the year, and I have added it to the list on the Cayuga Bird Club website, Resources page. - - Dave Nutter -- 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] Phoebes etc
Saturday morning (30 March) I biked to East Shore Park in an unsuccessful quest for the Common Loons and Red-necked Grebe that Tim Lenz had reported. There were many small boats of anglers on the lake, perhaps accounting for some of the local bird scarcity, and the warm air over the still-cold water reduced visibility. Far to the north were a few unresolvable blobs. So I continued on E Shore Dr to the base of the hill, where there’s a nice stretch of unobstructed guardrail to sit on. Two of those blobs became breeding plumage Common Loons hanging out together, another was a lonesome male Red-breasted Merganser, and a group of 5 former specks turned into Horned Grebes, again more in breeding plumage than not. My previous Horned Grebe sighting on the 25th was of 12 in winter plumage plus a possible transition bird which was harder to see at dusk. Having traveled so far, it seemed a shame to turn back, to I continued to Burdick Hill Rd where I saw at least 3 Eastern Meadowlarks in view at once, and heard their songs from 2 directions. On the way up the hill I heard my first Eastern Phoebe of Spring singing somewhere in the woods above 1261 E Shore Dr. It wasn’t near an obvious stream, so my guess is that the house has some nice ledges for nesting. It was a joy to hear, not just because of the bird, and the new season, but just to be able to hear it, particularly over the traffic noise. Having climbed to Burdick Hill Rd, why not continue to Sapsucker Woods? That’s birding logic. At the Fuller Wetlands another Eastern Phoebe was singing, this time in plain sight, and it obligingly flew briefly into Dryden so I could add it to that list. This was not my first sighting of the species for the year though. There were a couple of Eastern Phoebes which attempted to overwinter, one in Allan H Treman State Marine Park, and one near Six-mile Creek and the West End’s former “Jungle”. I had seen each in December, and again in January, when I photographed them on the 8th & 19th respectively. That last date was just before the big storm with deep snow & bitter cold. Stuart Krasnoff saw the Treman bird on the 16th as well, but I don’t think anyone found either of them after that. So it’s also a joy now to find Eastern Phoebes with better prospects for survival. Also on the north side of the Lab was one female-type Purple Finch at the feeders, and a flock of 7 Icterids, five of which I got a scope view to ID as Rusty Blackbirds. - - Dave Nutter > On Mar 30, 2019, at 2:06 PM, Donna Lee Scott wrote: > > I heard "my" Phoebe today, as well as one by Sarah B's house. > Also saw 22 elegant Red-breasted Mergansers with some of the males > displaying, 1 male Common Merg, a Horned Grebe in breeding plumage, & a > couple Golden Eye, out on the lake. > C. Loons calling ! > > Donna Scott > Lansing/Cayuga L. > > On Mar 30, 2019, at 9:33 AM, Robyn Bailey wrote: > >> I awoke to the sound of “my” Eastern Phoebe calling. Every year one nests on >> my house. I recall last year it was April 1 when I first heard the phoebe at >> home. >> >> Robyn Bailey >> > -- 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/ --
