Chris,
Glad you got to see the heron. Susie & I just returned from N. Carolina where we spent part of a morning watching about 6 of them feeding, flying, interacting. Couple other highlights of the trip were 3 piping plovers at Chincoteague NWR. They were in a lagoon behind the beach; possibly because the beach was covered with people, horses, and tons of sand-moving equipment. Also watched, close-up, 2 oyster catchers feeding on a mussel bed. I still need more observations to flesh out my theory of prey choice and valve opening behavior. Oh, and 302 alternate-plumaged marbled godwits at Willis Wharf, Va. We thought of you as we were counting them. Today, I'm off to the Adirondacks for 2 weeks. Retirement does have some advantages. S. & S. Fast _____ From: bounce-88370343-9286...@list.cornell.edu [mailto:bounce-88370343-9286...@list.cornell.edu] On Behalf Of Christopher Wood Sent: Sunday, May 05, 2013 9:57 PM To: CAYUGABIRDS-L Subject: [cayugabirds-l] Montezuma (TRICOLORED HERON) and Owasco Lake - 5/5 Tom Johnson and I spent the morning birding a few areas in the Finger Lakes. Here's a quick summary of our birding along with links to eBird checklists, many of which have photos, more comments , and links to a map of the location. We started birding at Island Park on the north end of Owasco Lake, which had 3 Red-breasted Mergansers and 10 Snow Geese. The mergansers were all on the water when we arrived and then flew up, circled and flew off to the west. eBird Checklist: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S13994840 We spent the rest morning birding northern portions of the Montezuma Wetland Complex. Carncross Road was highlighted by 2 Trumpeter Swans, a family of Sandhill Cranes including a recently hatched bird, and a fabulous female Wilson's Phalarope. Perhaps the biggest surprise here was the large number of Lapland Longspurs, including several males that flew overhead several times, often with American Pipits. In a quick check of eBird this evening, we only saw one other May record in New York (Willie D'Anna, Niagara County 11 May 2012). eBird Checklist: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S13995564 We headed over to Howland Island where highlights included a extremely cooperative Cerulean Warbler (photos) and a Vesper Sparrow singing from north of the parking lot at the end of Carncross Road. http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S13995548 >From there we headed to Van Dyne Spoor and the Sandhill Crane Unit of Montezuma. We arrived to find Jay McGowan and Livia Santana had just found a TRICOLORED HERON that flew over them, landed, but was hidden in the marsh. Luckily, over the next 110 minutes we were there the bird flew up out of the marsh several times and we enjoyed prolonged and excellent views of it in flight. Shortly after joining Jay and Livia, two Glossy Ibis flew directly overhead and straight away, never to be seen again (at least by us). There were also good numbers of Black-crowned Night-Herons, Green Herons, Great Blue Herons and at least one American Bittern, and nesting Trumpeter Swans. We also had several flyover Lapland Longspurs here. Just before leaving we had prolonged views of a mink. http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S13997039 Towpath Rd./ Knox-Marcellus Marsh was fairly uneventful. http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S14001609 Christopher Wood eBird Project Leader Cornell Lab of Ornithology http://ebird.org http://birds.cornell.edu -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME> Welcome and Basics <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES> Rules and Information <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm> Subscribe, Configuration and Leave Archives: <http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html> The Mail Archive <http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds> Surfbirds <http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html> BirdingOnThe.Net 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/ --