Good evening, I just wanted to report out on our birding trip around the Owasco Flats Nature Reserve on Saturday, April 18. Thank you to those that attended! It was a beautiful morning despite it being fairly quiet and muddy! We started around 8:45 AM and ended about 11:30 AM, following the 1.0 mile loop trail that started at the Rte. 38 pull off. For those that aren't familiar, from the parking lot, the trail follows an old railroad bed before winding towards Owasco Creek which you follow until you reach the southern end of Owasco Lake. The trail then proceeds along a gravel road before circling back onto the railroad bed again to the parking lot. So there is a great mix of habitats to bird along the way...forested wetland, open marsh, the lake and upland forest. In short, all species heard or seen were very common (32 total), except for a lone calling Virginia rail along the north side of the gravel road. We saw...American robinWhite-breasted nuthatchWood duckRed-winged blackbirdBlack-capped chickadeeBlue jayDowny woodpeckerMallardGreat blue heronCanada gooseTufted titmouseHairy woodpeckerEuropean starlingSong sparrowTree swallowCommon grackleBuffleheadScaup spp.RedheadOspreyDouble-crested cormorantEastern pheobeNorthern cardinalHerring gullRing-billed gull We heard...Red-bellied woodpeckerAmerican crowAmerican goldfinchNorthern flickerPileated woodpeckerChipping sparrowVirginia rail Other non-bird species observed or heard were painted turtles, spring peepers, northern leopard frog and several dead mudpuppies were found along the bank of the creek (presumably stranded from receding flood waters). We will host another birding trip on Saturday, May 23 if you'd like to participate. The start time is yet to be set, so stay tuned for that announcement as we get closer to the date. It will most likely be earlier than this last trip. Thanks and happy birding! Noelle --
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/ --
