All, I went 12.5 miles in and around New Michigan State Forest Pharsalia, NY today focusing on the large stands of norway spruce forests. I also checked out areas with native balsam fir and red spruce too , the tornado paths, and cutover areas. I went generally between 1 and 2 miles per list to stay within BBA blocks. I also birded a lot from my car with engine running at times so I may have missed a few birds.
Highlights: some incredible numbers of warblers, and vireos. On a couple lists I just estimated (conservatively) and in others I did my best not to double count. I was saddened to only get 1 swainson's thrush here and it was calling, not singing. I am concerned that with the 2011 tornado damage and the DEC logging and management program, they are disappearing from this place. Also it is possible that some of these numbers below are still migrants so I suppose more SWTH are on the way but that seems doubtful. I did have a couple blackpolls, and 1 bay-breasted warbler. The bay-breasted warbler was singing in a red spruce woodland with tree height probably no more than 30 feet. Probably a migrant but I will be back to check for the BBA. I also didn't get any red crossbills which was disappointing too. I am sure they are around but I just missed them. My full list is below which is the total number of mainly singing males that I heard. Some notable numbers in 12.5 miles: 102 red-eyed vireos 41 blue-headed vireos 43 golden-crowned kinglets 46 dark-eyed juncos 31 white-throated sparrows (mostly in cutover or tornado damaged areas) 166 ovenbirds! 24 mourning warblers (again in cutover or tornado damaged areas) 69 Magnolia warblers 120 blackburnian warblers- this species is amazingly abundant in these forests even patches of spruces left behind from the logging. 81 chestnut-sided warblers 42 Black-throated blue warblers (mainly in areas with clearings both deciduous and conifers) 14 canada wartblers- again in clearings, cutover areas etc. Full list is below from ebird from 9 separate checklists, 58 species. May 26 Number of Species 58 -- -- -- -- -- -- Number of Individuals 1,160 -- -- -- -- -- -- Number of Checklists 9 -- -- -- -- -- -- Total Number of Birds Show Sample Size *Species Name* May 26 Turkey Vulture 1 -- -- -- -- -- -- Red-shouldered Hawk 1 -- -- -- -- -- -- Broad-winged Hawk 4 -- -- -- -- -- -- Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 3 -- -- -- -- -- -- Hairy Woodpecker 2 -- -- -- -- -- -- Eastern Wood-Pewee 6 -- -- -- -- -- -- Alder Flycatcher 13 -- -- -- -- -- -- Least Flycatcher 2 -- -- -- -- -- -- Eastern Phoebe 4 -- -- -- -- -- -- Great Crested Flycatcher 2 -- -- -- -- -- -- Eastern Kingbird 1 -- -- -- -- -- -- Blue-headed Vireo 41 -- -- -- -- -- -- Warbling Vireo 1 -- -- -- -- -- -- Red-eyed Vireo 102 -- -- -- -- -- -- Blue Jay 17 -- -- -- -- -- -- American Crow 6 -- -- -- -- -- -- Common Raven 16 -- -- -- -- -- -- Black-capped Chickadee 32 -- -- -- -- -- -- Tree Swallow 1 -- -- -- -- -- -- Golden-crowned Kinglet 43 -- -- -- -- -- -- Red-breasted Nuthatch 16 -- -- -- -- -- -- Brown Creeper 12 -- -- -- -- -- -- House Wren 1 -- -- -- -- -- -- Winter Wren 9 -- -- -- -- -- -- European Starling 3 -- -- -- -- -- -- Gray Catbird 8 -- -- -- -- -- -- Veery 8 -- -- -- -- -- -- Swainson's Thrush 1 -- -- -- -- -- -- Hermit Thrush 14 -- -- -- -- -- -- Wood Thrush 7 -- -- -- -- -- -- American Robin 20 -- -- -- -- -- -- Purple Finch 8 -- -- -- -- -- -- American Goldfinch 9 -- -- -- -- -- -- Chipping Sparrow 6 -- -- -- -- -- -- Dark-eyed Junco 46 -- -- -- -- -- -- White-throated Sparrow 31 -- -- -- -- -- -- Song Sparrow 6 -- -- -- -- -- -- Eastern Towhee 5 -- -- -- -- -- -- Bobolink 1 -- -- -- -- -- -- Red-winged Blackbird 6 -- -- -- -- -- -- Ovenbird 166 -- -- -- -- -- -- Black-and-white Warbler 10 -- -- -- -- -- -- Nashville Warbler 10 -- -- -- -- -- -- Mourning Warbler 24 -- -- -- -- -- -- Common Yellowthroat 51 -- -- -- -- -- -- American Redstart 2 -- -- -- -- -- -- Magnolia Warbler 69 -- -- -- -- -- -- Bay-breasted Warbler 1 -- -- -- -- -- -- Blackburnian Warbler 120 -- -- -- -- -- -- Chestnut-sided Warbler 81 -- -- -- -- -- -- Blackpoll Warbler 2 -- -- -- -- -- -- Black-throated Blue Warbler 42 -- -- -- -- -- -- Yellow-rumped Warbler 15 -- -- -- -- -- -- Black-throated Green Warbler 19 -- -- -- -- -- -- Canada Warbler 14 -- -- -- -- -- -- Scarlet Tanager 8 -- -- -- -- -- -- Rose-breasted Grosbeak 9 -- -- -- -- -- -- Indigo Bunting 2 -- -- -- -- -- -- Dave Nicosia -- 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/ --
