Arriving at the Knox-Marsellus overlook at around noon the first thing I noticed was a grayish glump in front(west edge) of Puddler's marsh which turned out to be a tight flock of 8 Sandhill Cranes which all appeared to be adults. This in addition to the family below starts out the late summer/ fall congregation with 11. How many later this year? Returning around 4pm I could not relocate the flock even after driving towpath all the way to the back of puddler's. Working on the shorebirds at Knox produced highlights of 1 Black-bellied Plover (seen well in flight to confirm),15 Semi-palmated plovers, 7 SB Dowitchers, 11 Stilt, 15 Pectoral and good numbers of Semi-palmated and Least Sandpipers. 200+ Lesser Yellowlegs plus 50 at Puddler's. Surprised by only about a dozen Greater's. Green-winged teal numbers are building with a Gadwall and a couple Am. Wigeon mixed in. No phalaropes for me.
Around the refuge ,Larues' lagoon had a few yellowlegs and 2 Solitary Sandpipers as did the ponds along the thruway. There were still about 80 Least Sandpipers on the last of the main pool mudfalts, many right along the edge of the channel close to the drive. One No. Pintail was there near the pool outlet. Great egrets were spread around the main pool with a total of 18 around the wildlife drive, 5 on North spring pool and 10 more visible from the parking area on route 89. Good luck tomorrow! Mike Tetlow -- 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/ --