Re: [cayugabirds-l] Question about lower lake road
The ice edge is a gathering place for ducks throughout the winter, but Lower Lake Road provides a prime spot for viewing.The melting of the southern ice edge northwards up to Lower Lake Road in early March typically coincides with the arrival of many Anas ducks, so it's a good time to search for Eurasian Wigeon before the ponds at Montezuma thaw out.There are also Snow Geese which spend much if not all of the winter resting in the middle of the widest part of Cayuga Lake, between Aurora and Dean's Cove, commuting to farm fields east and west of Cayuga Lake. On Sunday afternoon there was still a raft of Snow Geese in this location as well. I've seen a similar raft of Snow Geese on Seneca Lake below Sampson SP.I think the south end of the lake does rival in diversity, but certainly the north end is the prime gathering spot at the end of winter.--Dave NutterOn Mar 11, 2013, at 10:22 AM, Christopher Wood chris.w...@cornell.edu wrote:There are also different factors at play with different species and different individuals of the same species. Some, like Northern Pintail, American Black Duck, Mallard were waiting to be able to forage in fields (say at the Mucklands). So they tend to concentrate at the north end and then make flights up to those fields to see if there are areas to forage. Tundra Swans and Snow Geese do similar things (forage in muck). Snow Geese are shot at right now, so they stay out more toward the middle of the lake. Aythya (Redhead, scaup) dive for food. As the lake opens in the spring, they follow the ice edge as it reveals foraging areas that were impossible to reach earlier in the year. So you have optimal staging for daily movements in some species, optimal foraging for others, migration staging for others compounded with the advantages of flocking for predator avoidance. All this leads to some very large concentrations with exceptional diversity at the north end of the lake in spring -- concentrations and levels of diversity that you never see at the south end at any season. Christopher Wood eBird Project Leader Cornell Lab of Ornithology http://ebird.org http://birds.cornell.edu On 3/11/13 10:38 AM, "Donna Scott" d...@cornell.edu wrote: Interestingly, I live by the deepest part of the Lake, 430 feet deep, and I rarely get big concentrations of Snow geese or swans here. Now and then big rafts of diving ducks will go by or stay near the shallow edges for a while, but I almost never get all the big concentrations of geese, swans or duck rafts one sees up north or down by Ithaca. Donna Scott Sent from my iPhone Donna Scott On Mar 11, 2013, at 10:31 AM, Geo Kloppel geoklop...@gmail.com wrote: Those two factors (shallow water, ice shelf) are related; ice forms soonest and lingers longest over the shallows. Aquatic ecology (hence exploitable food resources) are also influenced by depth. And of course the north end of the lake is surrounded by marshes and agricultural lands that offer forage whenever the snow cover does not prevent it.The winter draw-down of lake level makes the shallows even shallower, almost like a tidal area.-Geo KloppelOn Mar 11, 2013, at 8:58 AM, John VanNiel vanni...@flcc.edu wrote:There was also an ice shelf there to loaf on...-Original Message- From: bounce-75479805-3493...@list.cornell.edu [mailto:bounce-75479805-3493...@list.cornell.edu] On Behalf Of Geo Kloppel Sent: Monday, March 11, 2013 8:06 AM To: cayugabirds-l Subject: Re: [cayugabirds-l] Question about lower lake roadI imagine a number of factors contribute to the attractive power of that area. Here's one: the lake is still broad there, but it's very shallow, mostly 5 - 6 ft.-Geo On Mar 11, 2013, at 1:29 AM, "Barbara B. Eden" b...@cornell.edu wrote:I am curious why that is the place where the snow geese and tundra swans congregateThanks, Barbara--Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.h tmARCHIVES: 1) cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html'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.htmlPlease 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.h tmARCHIVES: 1) cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html'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.htmlPlease submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/----Cayugabird
Re: [cayugabirds-l] Question about lower lake road
I imagine a number of factors contribute to the attractive power of that area. Here's one: the lake is still broad there, but it's very shallow, mostly 5 - 6 ft. -Geo On Mar 11, 2013, at 1:29 AM, Barbara B. Eden b...@cornell.edu wrote: I am curious why that is the place where the snow geese and tundra swans congregate Thanks, Barbara -- 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/ --
RE: [cayugabirds-l] Question about lower lake road
There was also an ice shelf there to loaf on... -Original Message- From: bounce-75479805-3493...@list.cornell.edu [mailto:bounce-75479805-3493...@list.cornell.edu] On Behalf Of Geo Kloppel Sent: Monday, March 11, 2013 8:06 AM To: cayugabirds-l Subject: Re: [cayugabirds-l] Question about lower lake road I imagine a number of factors contribute to the attractive power of that area. Here's one: the lake is still broad there, but it's very shallow, mostly 5 - 6 ft. -Geo On Mar 11, 2013, at 1:29 AM, Barbara B. Eden b...@cornell.edu wrote: I am curious why that is the place where the snow geese and tundra swans congregate Thanks, Barbara -- 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/ -- -- 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/ --
Re: [cayugabirds-l] Question about lower lake road
Those two factors (shallow water, ice shelf) are related; ice forms soonest and lingers longest over the shallows. Aquatic ecology (hence exploitable food resources) are also influenced by depth. And of course the north end of the lake is surrounded by marshes and agricultural lands that offer forage whenever the snow cover does not prevent it. The winter draw-down of lake level makes the shallows even shallower, almost like a tidal area. -Geo Kloppel On Mar 11, 2013, at 8:58 AM, John VanNiel vanni...@flcc.edu wrote: There was also an ice shelf there to loaf on... -Original Message- From: bounce-75479805-3493...@list.cornell.edu [mailto:bounce-75479805-3493...@list.cornell.edu] On Behalf Of Geo Kloppel Sent: Monday, March 11, 2013 8:06 AM To: cayugabirds-l Subject: Re: [cayugabirds-l] Question about lower lake road I imagine a number of factors contribute to the attractive power of that area. Here's one: the lake is still broad there, but it's very shallow, mostly 5 - 6 ft. -Geo On Mar 11, 2013, at 1:29 AM, Barbara B. Eden b...@cornell.edu wrote: I am curious why that is the place where the snow geese and tundra swans congregate Thanks, Barbara -- 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/ -- -- 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/ -- -- 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/ --
Re: [cayugabirds-l] Question about lower lake road
Interestingly, I live by the deepest part of the Lake, 430 feet deep, and I rarely get big concentrations of Snow geese or swans here. Now and then big rafts of diving ducks will go by or stay near the shallow edges for a while, but I almost never get all the big concentrations of geese, swans or duck rafts one sees up north or down by Ithaca. Donna Scott Sent from my iPhone Donna Scott On Mar 11, 2013, at 10:31 AM, Geo Kloppel geoklop...@gmail.com wrote: Those two factors (shallow water, ice shelf) are related; ice forms soonest and lingers longest over the shallows. Aquatic ecology (hence exploitable food resources) are also influenced by depth. And of course the north end of the lake is surrounded by marshes and agricultural lands that offer forage whenever the snow cover does not prevent it. The winter draw-down of lake level makes the shallows even shallower, almost like a tidal area. -Geo Kloppel On Mar 11, 2013, at 8:58 AM, John VanNiel vanni...@flcc.edu wrote: There was also an ice shelf there to loaf on... -Original Message- From: bounce-75479805-3493...@list.cornell.edu [mailto:bounce-75479805-3493...@list.cornell.edu] On Behalf Of Geo Kloppel Sent: Monday, March 11, 2013 8:06 AM To: cayugabirds-l Subject: Re: [cayugabirds-l] Question about lower lake road I imagine a number of factors contribute to the attractive power of that area. Here's one: the lake is still broad there, but it's very shallow, mostly 5 - 6 ft. -Geo On Mar 11, 2013, at 1:29 AM, Barbara B. Eden b...@cornell.edu wrote: I am curious why that is the place where the snow geese and tundra swans congregate Thanks, Barbara -- 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/ -- -- 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/ -- -- 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/ -- -- 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/ --
Re: [cayugabirds-l] Question about lower lake road
There are also different factors at play with different species and different individuals of the same species. Some, like Northern Pintail, American Black Duck, Mallard were waiting to be able to forage in fields (say at the Mucklands). So they tend to concentrate at the north end and then make flights up to those fields to see if there are areas to forage. Tundra Swans and Snow Geese do similar things (forage in muck). Snow Geese are shot at right now, so they stay out more toward the middle of the lake. Aythya (Redhead, scaup) dive for food. As the lake opens in the spring, they follow the ice edge as it reveals foraging areas that were impossible to reach earlier in the year. So you have optimal staging for daily movements in some species, optimal foraging for others, migration staging for others compounded with the advantages of flocking for predator avoidance. All this leads to some very large concentrations with exceptional diversity at the north end of the lake in spring -- concentrations and levels of diversity that you never see at the south end at any season. Christopher Wood eBird Project Leader Cornell Lab of Ornithology http://ebird.org http://birds.cornell.edu On 3/11/13 10:38 AM, Donna Scott d...@cornell.edu wrote: Interestingly, I live by the deepest part of the Lake, 430 feet deep, and I rarely get big concentrations of Snow geese or swans here. Now and then big rafts of diving ducks will go by or stay near the shallow edges for a while, but I almost never get all the big concentrations of geese, swans or duck rafts one sees up north or down by Ithaca. Donna Scott Sent from my iPhone Donna Scott On Mar 11, 2013, at 10:31 AM, Geo Kloppel geoklop...@gmail.com wrote: Those two factors (shallow water, ice shelf) are related; ice forms soonest and lingers longest over the shallows. Aquatic ecology (hence exploitable food resources) are also influenced by depth. And of course the north end of the lake is surrounded by marshes and agricultural lands that offer forage whenever the snow cover does not prevent it. The winter draw-down of lake level makes the shallows even shallower, almost like a tidal area. -Geo Kloppel On Mar 11, 2013, at 8:58 AM, John VanNiel vanni...@flcc.edu wrote: There was also an ice shelf there to loaf on... -Original Message- From: bounce-75479805-3493...@list.cornell.edu [mailto:bounce-75479805-3493...@list.cornell.edu] On Behalf Of Geo Kloppel Sent: Monday, March 11, 2013 8:06 AM To: cayugabirds-l Subject: Re: [cayugabirds-l] Question about lower lake road I imagine a number of factors contribute to the attractive power of that area. Here's one: the lake is still broad there, but it's very shallow, mostly 5 - 6 ft. -Geo On Mar 11, 2013, at 1:29 AM, Barbara B. Eden b...@cornell.edu wrote: I am curious why that is the place where the snow geese and tundra swans congregate Thanks, Barbara -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.h tm 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/ -- -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.h tm 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/ -- -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.ht m 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/ -- -- 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/ -- -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http
Re: [cayugabirds-l] Question about lower lake road
Yes, marshes and agricultural land is important. In addition to the rafts of waterfowl on the lake near Lower Lake Road, there were large congregations--mostly snows--on the mucklands around Savannah yesterday (3/10). The western shore of the lake is also in the more protected, windward side. Tom Vawter On Mon, Mar 11, 2013 at 8:05 AM, Geo Kloppel geoklop...@gmail.com wrote: I imagine a number of factors contribute to the attractive power of that area. Here's one: the lake is still broad there, but it's very shallow, mostly 5 - 6 ft. -Geo On Mar 11, 2013, at 1:29 AM, Barbara B. Eden b...@cornell.edu wrote: I am curious why that is the place where the snow geese and tundra swans congregate Thanks, Barbara -- 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/ -- -- *A. Thomas Vawter, Ph.D.* Assoc. Scientist, EcoLogic, LLC 5 Ledyard Ave. Cazenovia, NY 13035 Visiting Professor and Fellow Ecology Evolutionary Biology Cornell University Ithaca, NY 14853 a...@cornell.edu tvaw...@wells.edu Professor of Biology, Emeritus Wells College Aurora, NY 14882 tvaw...@wells.edu 607.279.9924 -- 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/ --
Re: [cayugabirds-l] Question about lower lake road
For birders who enjoy maps, the following link opens the official Cayuga and Seneca navigation chart (depths in feet): http://www.canals.ny.gov/navinfo/charts/14786cs1.png -Geo -- 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/ --
