Saturday I went looking for Cerulean Warblers at Howland's Island after hearing about Sandra's success the day before. I entered via the "iron bridge" off NY Rt. 38. I took the Cayuga Basin Guide's recommended 3 mile walk where you end up on Wood Duck Way (Sandra was correct: there is no longer a sign for the sharp left-hand turn one should take half way thru the loop).
As soon as I got a little way away from the holiday din of many people & radios down by the canal and off into the woods, it was heavenly! Easy walking and bird song everywhere! Wood thrushes and Veerys and several sp of warblers and many others! I heard some Ceruleans which I could never see way up in the trees and finally saw an immature one over on Wood Duck Way (part of trail with all the duck boxes, I presume). Several other songs I am afraid I do not know and I could not see the birds singing them in the newly hatched leaves, so I just had to enjoy the wonderful sounds in the peaceful woods. I saw a Great Crested Flycatcher carrying food items to a hole in a vine-covered dead tree on the open meadow part of this loop (the south heading last leg of loop) and I saw a Baltimore Oriole constructing its bag-like nest near the end of the loop with the bridge in sight.. There were few people out on this loop, and those that were there were observing current safety measures. There were two sets of horse-back riders, too! Today, after hearing reports of low-hanging warblers up by Lake Ontario (after Dave Nicosia's very helpful warnings to get out there and see them before they are gone), I headed north to the West Barrier Bar/Town of Fair Haven Park on the lake. Judy T. reported good luck there yesterday and my SFO buddy Dave F. gave me directions to get there. I was not disappointed. Right after parking my car by a picnic table inside the gate, I started seeing warblers! I stayed all afternoon and had about 14 sp of warblers and 41 species of birds all together. I saw Wilson's, Bay Breasted, Chestnut sided, Black Throated Green, Canada and many Magnolias, along with others, most in low bushes or short trees! It was really fun and busy trying to follow them all, and it was not buggy since there was a nice breeze off Little Sodus Bay. I even got to see the red eyes of a few Red-eyed Vireos, since some were low, too. Flycatchers and Kingbirds were there. If you want to go, take Rt. 38 from Auburn to Rt. 370 west, to Rt. 104A east to Fair Haven. As you are just outside Fair Haven, turn left onto West Bay Rd. Keep going north, then follow a right curve, then a left curve or turn past a winery; You go by a couple marina areas, curve right again and you should be driving parallel to Lake Ontario. The park gate is about 1/3 mile. Park outside the gate or drive in and pull off road by picnic table/ bay side. The bushes and trees on the other side of the driveway is where most the warblers were seen, altho I saw some in the trees by the bay, too. On the way back down Rt. 38 I rescued a 5" painted turtle from the road! Quick stop and dangerous, but I can't stand to see them smushed in the road. And if you are thinking of building a cobblestone house, bring your front loader and dump truck. This shoreline is made up of heaps of smoothed, roundish red, gray and brownish cobble stones! Happy birding, Donna Donna L. Scott 535 Lansing Station Road Lansing, NY -- 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/ --
