Hi All, I just noticed that there was no notice on CayugaBirds-L of a cool, cooperative rare bird. This afternoon (Thursday 1 July) Sandy Podulka found an immaculate fresh juvenile Yellow-crowned Night-Heron at the little marina and boat launch area at Taughannock Falls State Park, and it was there until after 8pm hunting & swallowing crayfish. Yellow-crowned Night-Herons specialize in eating crabs, so crayfish are the best local substitute. Although it was up in a tree with several birders below it when I arrived, this bird came back down and went about its business along the shore of the marina as soon as people moved away and stayed back in binocular distance. For anyone with a scope or a decent camera lens it was a great photo op. I hope the bird stays and is re-found tomorrow, as this was an excellent chance to see this species well. It is only the 3rd record in eBird for Tompkins County, and the first time it was “chase-able”.
- - Dave Nutter -- 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/ --