[cayugabirds-l] Cayuga Bird Club Trip Sunday April 14th

[Gladys Birdsall]

Hi all ,

Just a reminder I will be leading a Cayuga Bird Club Trip tomorrow.  Join me at 
7:30 AM at the east end of Stewart Park for a half day trip. We will check the 
waterfront and then carpool up the east side of the lake. We will make a few 
stops along the lake but also check fields for migrants. (American Pipits, 
Horned Larks and other migrants). Dress for the weather and bring a drink and 
snacks. Bring a spotting scope if you have one. We will plan to return by 
12:30. The trip is open to all. Any questions please email me at  
g...@outlook.com.  Or call/text 607-280-9540.

Good Birding,

Gladys




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[cayugabirds-l] Cayuga Bird Club Trip Sunday June 3ed

[Gladys Birdsall]

Hello Everyone,

I will be leading a half-day trip to the Dorothy McIlroy Bird Sanctuary, a 
preserve of the Finger Lakes Land Trust on Sunday, June 3, 7:00 am - noon. The 
preserve is located along the outlet of Lake Como in the town of Summerhill, 
and has a peat swamp and hemlock forest that supports a high diversity of 
species more commonly found in northern forests. The preserve also protects a 
number of uncommon or rare plant species.   As time permits, we will explore 
some of the other roads in the area.
Meet for carpooling at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology NORTH parking area at 
7:00 am. We will return at noon. Bring a snack and something to drink. Any 
questions, contact Gladys at g...@outlook.com.

Good birding,

Gladys

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Re: [cayugabirds-l] Cayuga Bird Club Trip Sunday

[Carol Keeler]

Tom Mc Donald in his talk at Montezuma had some suggestions as to why Snowy 
Owls come to the same areas. Lights at airports seem to attract them.  They 
stop where there is water.  In the winter they often hunt waterfowl.  Cayuga 
lake is right near the airport and gives them another source of food besides 
rabbits and rodents.  
Last year’s Gyrfalcon was also hunting waterfowl on the lake .  I do wonder if 
it’s the same bird returned.

Sent from my iPad

> On Jan 15, 2018, at 4:41 PM, bob mcguire  wrote:
> 
> eBird!

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Re: [cayugabirds-l] Cayuga Bird Club Trip Sunday

[bob mcguire]

No idea!
On Jan 15, 2018, at 3:28 PM, Christopher T. Tessaglia-Hymes  
wrote:

> PS - One more thought: has a falconry bird been ruled out?
> 
> Thanks
> 
> Sincerely,
> Chris
> 
> On Jan 15, 2018, at 3:05 PM, bob mcguire  wrote:
> 
> Here is my report on yesterday’s trip around the lake. Of particular note: 3 
> Snowy Owls, Gryfalcon, Wood Duck, Glaucous Gull.
> 
> Bob McGuire
> 
> 
> Cayuga Bird Club Field Trip 14 January 2108
> 
> Seven well-bundled up folks joined Ken and me for a day-long jaunt around the 
> lake. This trip was postponed from the previous weekend due to the cold and 
> wind. The conditions today were not much better, starting out around zero but 
> no wind. 
> 
> Because the south end of the lake was misted over, we began to bird in 
> earnest at Ladoga where we quickly got on a pair of Trumpeter Swans. 
> Trumpeters are not unusual in the Basin, but they are a rare sight in 
> Tompkins County. Our ABA on the birds brought several more birders out to see 
> them. Then, following up on the sound of distant Cardinal, we are drawn to 
> nearby feeders and were able to add Pine Siskin and Northern Mockingbird to 
> several people’s year lists. From the spit at Myers we were able to look past 
> a couple of hunters to add two Long-tailed Ducks.
> 
> The next stop was Belltown Dairy to try for field birds. We were hugely 
> rewarded with a large flock of Snow Buntings, Horned Larks, and two Lapland 
> Longspurs feeding intermittently in the middle of the road and in the 
> adjacent field. The view of a Longspur on stubby legs, hunkered in the middle 
> of the road some 50 feet away, was the best that I have ever had!
> 
> We picked up Wild Turkey along Route 90 north of King Ferry and the 
> continuing Glaucous Gull from the bluffs just south of Aurora. There we also 
> had our first and rather small flock of Aythya ducks plus four White-winged 
> Scoters and a couple of Horned Grebes. I should note there that we never did 
> come across the large numbers of Aythya (numbering in the thousands) that had 
> been seen the previous week along the east side of the lake.
> 
> In Union Springs, the Factory Pond held the usual collection of Gadwall, 
> Buffleheads, Mallards, and Black Ducks as well as three Green-winged Teal and 
> a single Common Goldeneye. On to the Mill Pond we were able to pick out the 
> single Wood Duck amid the thousands of Canada Geese and assorted Aythya, 
> Mallards, Wigeon, and Gadwall. A quick check of the outlet creek yielded the 
> day’s only Belted Kingfisher and Song Sparrow. At this point we were already 
> well past lunch time and took a short break at the Nice ’n Easy - where we 
> ran into Gary Kohlenberg with great directions to the Seneca Falls Snowy Owl.
> 
> We found the first Snowy in a field just east of the airport runway and a 
> second one perched atop one of the hangers. At that point we were pretty much 
> done for the day and headed south to check on an earlier report of another 
> owl. As we passed the quarry on Hoster Road Diane said something like “That 
> looks the right shape for a falcon”. We stopped and, for the next hour, with 
> help from Kevin McGowan, tried for good scope views of a large, dark bird 
> with a consistently dark face that was perched in the tall trees above the 
> quarry and, maddeningly, obscured by branches. Photos were taken and the 
> field marks were discussed, to the ultimate conclusion that there was, again 
> this year, a Gyrfalcon in the area.
> 
> After that we really did head for home, with a quick stop along Ridge Road 
> for the third Snowy Owl of the day. The trip went a little longer than 
> planned, but the weather really wasn’t a deterrent. I’d have to say that it 
> was a successful trip!
> 
> 
> --
> 
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> 
> Please submit your observations to eBird:
> http://ebird.org/content/ebird/
> 
> --
> 
> 
> --
> Christopher T. Tessaglia-Hymes
> Field Applications Engineer
> Bioacoustics Research Program, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
> 159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, New York 14850
> W: 607-254-2418   M: 607-351-5740   F: 607-254-1132
> http://www.birds.cornell.edu/brp
> 
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Re: [cayugabirds-l] Cayuga Bird Club Trip Sunday

[bob mcguire]

Good questions. I think it will become clearer as more/better photos come in.  

Along those lines, how is it that the Snowy Owls find their way, year after 
year, to the area of the Seneca Falls Airport? The assumption is that all of 
these are hatch year birds (with no memory of having done it before).

Bob
On Jan 15, 2018, at 3:26 PM, Christopher T. Tessaglia-Hymes  
wrote:

> Thanks also for these details, Bob.
> 
> Some questions I have are: is there any reason to suggest this was the 
> identical individual Gyrfalcon as the one seen last year? Or, is there a 
> possibility that this is a new/different bird? If the latter, how did this 
> one come to settle near or at the same quarry as the Gyrfalcon from last year?
> 
> Thanks
> 
> Sincerely,
> Chris
> 
> 
> On Jan 15, 2018, at 3:05 PM, bob mcguire  wrote:
> 
> Here is my report on yesterday’s trip around the lake. Of particular note: 3 
> Snowy Owls, Gryfalcon, Wood Duck, Glaucous Gull.
> 
> Bob McGuire
> 
> 
> Cayuga Bird Club Field Trip 14 January 2108
> 
> Seven well-bundled up folks joined Ken and me for a day-long jaunt around the 
> lake. This trip was postponed from the previous weekend due to the cold and 
> wind. The conditions today were not much better, starting out around zero but 
> no wind. 
> 
> Because the south end of the lake was misted over, we began to bird in 
> earnest at Ladoga where we quickly got on a pair of Trumpeter Swans. 
> Trumpeters are not unusual in the Basin, but they are a rare sight in 
> Tompkins County. Our ABA on the birds brought several more birders out to see 
> them. Then, following up on the sound of distant Cardinal, we are drawn to 
> nearby feeders and were able to add Pine Siskin and Northern Mockingbird to 
> several people’s year lists. From the spit at Myers we were able to look past 
> a couple of hunters to add two Long-tailed Ducks.
> 
> The next stop was Belltown Dairy to try for field birds. We were hugely 
> rewarded with a large flock of Snow Buntings, Horned Larks, and two Lapland 
> Longspurs feeding intermittently in the middle of the road and in the 
> adjacent field. The view of a Longspur on stubby legs, hunkered in the middle 
> of the road some 50 feet away, was the best that I have ever had!
> 
> We picked up Wild Turkey along Route 90 north of King Ferry and the 
> continuing Glaucous Gull from the bluffs just south of Aurora. There we also 
> had our first and rather small flock of Aythya ducks plus four White-winged 
> Scoters and a couple of Horned Grebes. I should note there that we never did 
> come across the large numbers of Aythya (numbering in the thousands) that had 
> been seen the previous week along the east side of the lake.
> 
> In Union Springs, the Factory Pond held the usual collection of Gadwall, 
> Buffleheads, Mallards, and Black Ducks as well as three Green-winged Teal and 
> a single Common Goldeneye. On to the Mill Pond we were able to pick out the 
> single Wood Duck amid the thousands of Canada Geese and assorted Aythya, 
> Mallards, Wigeon, and Gadwall. A quick check of the outlet creek yielded the 
> day’s only Belted Kingfisher and Song Sparrow. At this point we were already 
> well past lunch time and took a short break at the Nice ’n Easy - where we 
> ran into Gary Kohlenberg with great directions to the Seneca Falls Snowy Owl.
> 
> We found the first Snowy in a field just east of the airport runway and a 
> second one perched atop one of the hangers. At that point we were pretty much 
> done for the day and headed south to check on an earlier report of another 
> owl. As we passed the quarry on Hoster Road Diane said something like “That 
> looks the right shape for a falcon”. We stopped and, for the next hour, with 
> help from Kevin McGowan, tried for good scope views of a large, dark bird 
> with a consistently dark face that was perched in the tall trees above the 
> quarry and, maddeningly, obscured by branches. Photos were taken and the 
> field marks were discussed, to the ultimate conclusion that there was, again 
> this year, a Gyrfalcon in the area.
> 
> After that we really did head for home, with a quick stop along Ridge Road 
> for the third Snowy Owl of the day. The trip went a little longer than 
> planned, but the weather really wasn’t a deterrent. I’d have to say that it 
> was a successful trip!
> 
> 
> --
> 
> Cayugabirds-L List Info:
> http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME
> http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES
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> 
> 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/
> 
> --
> 
> 
> --
> Christopher T. Tessaglia-Hymes
> Field Applications Engineer
> Bioacoustics 

Re: [cayugabirds-l] Cayuga Bird Club Trip Sunday

[Christopher T. Tessaglia-Hymes]

PS - One more thought: has a falconry bird been ruled out?

Thanks

Sincerely,
Chris

On Jan 15, 2018, at 3:05 PM, bob mcguire 
> wrote:

Here is my report on yesterday’s trip around the lake. Of particular note: 3 
Snowy Owls, Gryfalcon, Wood Duck, Glaucous Gull.

Bob McGuire


Cayuga Bird Club Field Trip 14 January 2108

Seven well-bundled up folks joined Ken and me for a day-long jaunt around the 
lake. This trip was postponed from the previous weekend due to the cold and 
wind. The conditions today were not much better, starting out around zero but 
no wind.

Because the south end of the lake was misted over, we began to bird in earnest 
at Ladoga where we quickly got on a pair of Trumpeter Swans. Trumpeters are not 
unusual in the Basin, but they are a rare sight in Tompkins County. Our ABA on 
the birds brought several more birders out to see them. Then, following up on 
the sound of distant Cardinal, we are drawn to nearby feeders and were able to 
add Pine Siskin and Northern Mockingbird to several people’s year lists. From 
the spit at Myers we were able to look past a couple of hunters to add two 
Long-tailed Ducks.

The next stop was Belltown Dairy to try for field birds. We were hugely 
rewarded with a large flock of Snow Buntings, Horned Larks, and two Lapland 
Longspurs feeding intermittently in the middle of the road and in the adjacent 
field. The view of a Longspur on stubby legs, hunkered in the middle of the 
road some 50 feet away, was the best that I have ever had!

We picked up Wild Turkey along Route 90 north of King Ferry and the continuing 
Glaucous Gull from the bluffs just south of Aurora. There we also had our first 
and rather small flock of Aythya ducks plus four White-winged Scoters and a 
couple of Horned Grebes. I should note there that we never did come across the 
large numbers of Aythya (numbering in the thousands) that had been seen the 
previous week along the east side of the lake.

In Union Springs, the Factory Pond held the usual collection of Gadwall, 
Buffleheads, Mallards, and Black Ducks as well as three Green-winged Teal and a 
single Common Goldeneye. On to the Mill Pond we were able to pick out the 
single Wood Duck amid the thousands of Canada Geese and assorted Aythya, 
Mallards, Wigeon, and Gadwall. A quick check of the outlet creek yielded the 
day’s only Belted Kingfisher and Song Sparrow. At this point we were already 
well past lunch time and took a short break at the Nice ’n Easy - where we ran 
into Gary Kohlenberg with great directions to the Seneca Falls Snowy Owl.

We found the first Snowy in a field just east of the airport runway and a 
second one perched atop one of the hangers. At that point we were pretty much 
done for the day and headed south to check on an earlier report of another owl. 
As we passed the quarry on Hoster Road Diane said something like “That looks 
the right shape for a falcon”. We stopped and, for the next hour, with help 
from Kevin McGowan, tried for good scope views of a large, dark bird with a 
consistently dark face that was perched in the tall trees above the quarry and, 
maddeningly, obscured by branches. Photos were taken and the field marks were 
discussed, to the ultimate conclusion that there was, again this year, a 
Gyrfalcon in the area.

After that we really did head for home, with a quick stop along Ridge Road for 
the third Snowy Owl of the day. The trip went a little longer than planned, but 
the weather really wasn’t a deterrent. I’d have to say that it was a successful 
trip!


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--
Christopher T. Tessaglia-Hymes
Field Applications Engineer
Bioacoustics Research Program, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, New York 14850
W: 607-254-2418   M: 607-351-5740   F: 
607-254-1132
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/brp


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Re: [cayugabirds-l] Cayuga Bird Club Trip Sunday

[Christopher T. Tessaglia-Hymes]

Thanks also for these details, Bob.

Some questions I have are: is there any reason to suggest this was the 
identical individual Gyrfalcon as the one seen last year? Or, is there a 
possibility that this is a new/different bird? If the latter, how did this one 
come to settle near or at the same quarry as the Gyrfalcon from last year?

Thanks

Sincerely,
Chris


On Jan 15, 2018, at 3:05 PM, bob mcguire 
> wrote:

Here is my report on yesterday’s trip around the lake. Of particular note: 3 
Snowy Owls, Gryfalcon, Wood Duck, Glaucous Gull.

Bob McGuire


Cayuga Bird Club Field Trip 14 January 2108

Seven well-bundled up folks joined Ken and me for a day-long jaunt around the 
lake. This trip was postponed from the previous weekend due to the cold and 
wind. The conditions today were not much better, starting out around zero but 
no wind.

Because the south end of the lake was misted over, we began to bird in earnest 
at Ladoga where we quickly got on a pair of Trumpeter Swans. Trumpeters are not 
unusual in the Basin, but they are a rare sight in Tompkins County. Our ABA on 
the birds brought several more birders out to see them. Then, following up on 
the sound of distant Cardinal, we are drawn to nearby feeders and were able to 
add Pine Siskin and Northern Mockingbird to several people’s year lists. From 
the spit at Myers we were able to look past a couple of hunters to add two 
Long-tailed Ducks.

The next stop was Belltown Dairy to try for field birds. We were hugely 
rewarded with a large flock of Snow Buntings, Horned Larks, and two Lapland 
Longspurs feeding intermittently in the middle of the road and in the adjacent 
field. The view of a Longspur on stubby legs, hunkered in the middle of the 
road some 50 feet away, was the best that I have ever had!

We picked up Wild Turkey along Route 90 north of King Ferry and the continuing 
Glaucous Gull from the bluffs just south of Aurora. There we also had our first 
and rather small flock of Aythya ducks plus four White-winged Scoters and a 
couple of Horned Grebes. I should note there that we never did come across the 
large numbers of Aythya (numbering in the thousands) that had been seen the 
previous week along the east side of the lake.

In Union Springs, the Factory Pond held the usual collection of Gadwall, 
Buffleheads, Mallards, and Black Ducks as well as three Green-winged Teal and a 
single Common Goldeneye. On to the Mill Pond we were able to pick out the 
single Wood Duck amid the thousands of Canada Geese and assorted Aythya, 
Mallards, Wigeon, and Gadwall. A quick check of the outlet creek yielded the 
day’s only Belted Kingfisher and Song Sparrow. At this point we were already 
well past lunch time and took a short break at the Nice ’n Easy - where we ran 
into Gary Kohlenberg with great directions to the Seneca Falls Snowy Owl.

We found the first Snowy in a field just east of the airport runway and a 
second one perched atop one of the hangers. At that point we were pretty much 
done for the day and headed south to check on an earlier report of another owl. 
As we passed the quarry on Hoster Road Diane said something like “That looks 
the right shape for a falcon”. We stopped and, for the next hour, with help 
from Kevin McGowan, tried for good scope views of a large, dark bird with a 
consistently dark face that was perched in the tall trees above the quarry and, 
maddeningly, obscured by branches. Photos were taken and the field marks were 
discussed, to the ultimate conclusion that there was, again this year, a 
Gyrfalcon in the area.

After that we really did head for home, with a quick stop along Ridge Road for 
the third Snowy Owl of the day. The trip went a little longer than planned, but 
the weather really wasn’t a deterrent. I’d have to say that it was a successful 
trip!


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--
Christopher T. Tessaglia-Hymes
Field Applications Engineer
Bioacoustics Research Program, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, New York 14850
W: 607-254-2418   M: 607-351-5740   F: 
607-254-1132
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/brp


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2) 

[cayugabirds-l] Cayuga Bird Club Trip Sunday

[bob mcguire]

Here is my report on yesterday’s trip around the lake. Of particular note: 3 
Snowy Owls, Gryfalcon, Wood Duck, Glaucous Gull.

Bob McGuire


Cayuga Bird Club Field Trip 14 January 2108

Seven well-bundled up folks joined Ken and me for a day-long jaunt around the 
lake. This trip was postponed from the previous weekend due to the cold and 
wind. The conditions today were not much better, starting out around zero but 
no wind. 

Because the south end of the lake was misted over, we began to bird in earnest 
at Ladoga where we quickly got on a pair of Trumpeter Swans. Trumpeters are not 
unusual in the Basin, but they are a rare sight in Tompkins County. Our ABA on 
the birds brought several more birders out to see them. Then, following up on 
the sound of distant Cardinal, we are drawn to nearby feeders and were able to 
add Pine Siskin and Northern Mockingbird to several people’s year lists. From 
the spit at Myers we were able to look past a couple of hunters to add two 
Long-tailed Ducks.

The next stop was Belltown Dairy to try for field birds. We were hugely 
rewarded with a large flock of Snow Buntings, Horned Larks, and two Lapland 
Longspurs feeding intermittently in the middle of the road and in the adjacent 
field. The view of a Longspur on stubby legs, hunkered in the middle of the 
road some 50 feet away, was the best that I have ever had!

We picked up Wild Turkey along Route 90 north of King Ferry and the continuing 
Glaucous Gull from the bluffs just south of Aurora. There we also had our first 
and rather small flock of Aythya ducks plus four White-winged Scoters and a 
couple of Horned Grebes. I should note there that we never did come across the 
large numbers of Aythya (numbering in the thousands) that had been seen the 
previous week along the east side of the lake.

In Union Springs, the Factory Pond held the usual collection of Gadwall, 
Buffleheads, Mallards, and Black Ducks as well as three Green-winged Teal and a 
single Common Goldeneye. On to the Mill Pond we were able to pick out the 
single Wood Duck amid the thousands of Canada Geese and assorted Aythya, 
Mallards, Wigeon, and Gadwall. A quick check of the outlet creek yielded the 
day’s only Belted Kingfisher and Song Sparrow. At this point we were already 
well past lunch time and took a short break at the Nice ’n Easy - where we ran 
into Gary Kohlenberg with great directions to the Seneca Falls Snowy Owl.

We found the first Snowy in a field just east of the airport runway and a 
second one perched atop one of the hangers. At that point we were pretty much 
done for the day and headed south to check on an earlier report of another owl. 
As we passed the quarry on Hoster Road Diane said something like “That looks 
the right shape for a falcon”. We stopped and, for the next hour, with help 
from Kevin McGowan, tried for good scope views of a large, dark bird with a 
consistently dark face that was perched in the tall trees above the quarry and, 
maddeningly, obscured by branches. Photos were taken and the field marks were 
discussed, to the ultimate conclusion that there was, again this year, a 
Gyrfalcon in the area.

After that we really did head for home, with a quick stop along Ridge Road for 
the third Snowy Owl of the day. The trip went a little longer than planned, but 
the weather really wasn’t a deterrent. I’d have to say that it was a successful 
trip!


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[cayugabirds-l] Cayuga Bird Club Trip Sunday

[bob mcguire]

For anyone who missed the post of a couple of days ago, I will be leading an 
impromptu trip up the lake tomorrow. Meet at the Lab of O at 8 am. Back around 
2 pm. We will check the lake spots for waterfowl (Eared Grebes still at 
Aurora?), side roads for Horned Larks, Snow Buntings,  Longspurs, and keep an 
eye out for Snow Owls (as per Tim Lentz). The trip is open to the public.

Bob McGuire

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Please submit your observations to eBird:
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