In addition to seeing Dave Nutter at the end of the lighthouse jetty, I had nearly identical counts as Dave did from Stewart Park shortly after noon today — only my count of HORNED GREBES was even higher than Dave's, as I counted at least 56 including many along the east shore that Dave might not have been able to see. In addition to the 2 RED-NECKED GREBES and several COMMON LOONS, I also had a pair of LONG-TAILED DUCKS fly in from the north and circle back across the south end of the lake.
There seemed to be lots of other birds grounded today as well. JUNCOs were everywhere throughout my neighborhood, in small flocks on lawns and driveways. I saw a HERMIT THRUSH and a FOX SPARROW in the woods between Tareyton Park and Arrowwood Drive, as well as a flock of 12 GOLDEN-CROWNED and 1 RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET. While walking my dog in the fields along Bluegrass Lane in the late afternoon, we flushed at least 32 WILSON'S SNIPE from the wet muddy fields — there were at least 24 in the air at once, and others continued to flush making it very hard to get an accurate count. There could well have been over 50 birds. Also lots of sparrows along the wooded edge of the fields, including 1 VESPER, 1 FOX, 10 SAVANNAH, 1 FIELD, 1 AM TREE, and 2 CHIPPING SPARROWS — the latter 3 were in the same bush for an amazing Spizella trifecta. KEN Ken Rosenberg Conservation Science Program Cornell Lab of Ornithology 159 Sapsucker Woods Rd. Ithaca, NY 14850 (wk) 607-254-2412 (cell) 607-342-4594 k...@cornell.edu From: <nutter.d...@me.com<mailto:nutter.d...@me.com>> Reply-To: <nutter.d...@me.com<mailto:nutter.d...@me.com>> Date: Sat, 13 Apr 2013 21:48:31 +0000 To: cb <cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu<mailto:cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu>> Subject: [cayugabirds-l] grebes, warblers, etc. I spent the late morning and much of the afternoon at Newman Golf Course, the Cornell Biological Field Station (aka Jetty Woods), the whtie lighthouse, Renwick Sanctuary, and Stewart Park. I think the biggest story was the number of grebes. In a single scan from the white lighthouse I saw 31 HORNED, 2 RED-NECKED, and 3 PIED-BILLED GREBES. Both Red-necked and most of the Horned were far to the north to northwest), but several Horned and the Pied-billeds were close to shore at Stewart. Late in the afternoon from the west end of Stewart I also saw what I believe was an EARED GREBE still in winter plumage south of East Shore Park. It had a small head, a straight vertical neck, no brown only shades of gray, and a lighter mark below and up behind the cheek. There were lots of variations on the theme of molting Horned Grebes, but I don't think this bird was one of them. The Aythya flock now has several dozen REDHEADS, a few RING-NECKED DUCKS, and 1 female GREATER SCAUP in addition to lots of LESSER SCAUP. The 3 RUDDY DUCKS are still present, now with AMERICAN COOTS along the east shore. In Renwick I saw 1 winter YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER, and at the swan pond I saw 4 more, including 2 males in breeding plumage. I also saw a GREEN HERON along the edge of Renwick by the lagoon which borders Stewart. In the golf course I found my first PURPLE FINCH, a male singing from the top of a tree. TREE, BARN, and NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOWS foraged variously over the Cayuga Lake, Fall Creek and the swan pond. By the base of the red lighthouse were 3 CASPIAN TERNS and a small crowd of DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS. I saw only the usual 3 gull species. An EASTERN PHOEBE foraged near the green suspension bridge over Fall Creek. --Dave Nutter -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: Welcome and Basics<http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME> Rules and Information<http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES> Subscribe, Configuration and Leave<http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm> Archives: The Mail Archive<http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html> Surfbirds<http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds> BirdingOnThe.Net<http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html> Please submit your observations to eBird<http://ebird.org/content/ebird/>! -- -- 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/ --
