After arriving home this evening I took a quick walk along the old railroad tracks that go from Monkey Run road toward Hwy 13. About 1/2 along the trial, I saw a Gray Catbird on the south side of the trail. This is roughly 400 meters east of Monkey Run Road along the trail. I didn't have my camera, but was able to get some quick photos with my iPhone through the scope. While very poor, the bird is easily identifiable. See eBird checklist below.
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S9638949 I'm intrigued by the pattern of reports for Gray Catbird in winter along Fall Creek. The Gray Catbird that Jessie and I saw here in 2010, we didn't find until 20 February. Ryan Douglas found the Cornell Campus bird in the winter of 2009 on the 20th of January, and the one at Comstock Knoll/Winter Garden in 2007 was first found by Brad Walker on 1 February. I know there are a couple reports of Gray Catbird in the last 10 years or so on the CBC, which weren't reported to eBird and I have no idea where they were. I suspect some of these catbirds may be in the general area and then move toward the somewhat more stable and food-rich areas along Fall Creek. But I wonder just how far some of these birds move. I suspect if we covered areas like the Farmers Market and along other creeks regularly, we may find other birds that "show up" as the weather changes. This is certainly a great winter for half-hardy species, by far the best since I have been in Ithaca! Good birding, Chris Wood eBird & Neotropical Birds Project Leader Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York http://ebird.org http://neotropical.birds.cornell.edu -- 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/ --
