Re: [nysbirds-l] Trumpeter Swans; Middle Island, Suffolk Co
This afternoon I found a pair of black-billed swans on Artist Lake in Middle Island. The birds kept to a small area of open water towards the south end of the lake. Although distant, they appeared to be Trumpeters- probably the same birds that have been frequenting Upper Lake in Yaphank, which is about 2 or 3 miles to the south. Artist Lake is on the south side of Middle Country Rd (Rt 25) less than a mile east of its intersection with Yaphank Middle Island Rd (Rt 101). Mike Cooper Ridge, NY -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
Re: [nysbirds-l] Trumpeter Swans; Middle Island, Suffolk Co
This afternoon I found a pair of black-billed swans on Artist Lake in Middle Island. The birds kept to a small area of open water towards the south end of the lake. Although distant, they appeared to be Trumpeters- probably the same birds that have been frequenting Upper Lake in Yaphank, which is about 2 or 3 miles to the south. Artist Lake is on the south side of Middle Country Rd (Rt 25) less than a mile east of its intersection with Yaphank Middle Island Rd (Rt 101). Mike Cooper Ridge, NY -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[nysbirds-l] Trumpeter Swans
One last point copied from the Kingbird ariticle where my reference to records of birds from the Ontario program: The first reports of Trumpeter Swans (Cygnus buccinator) in NYS were of wing-tagged birds at Dunkirk Harbor, Chautauqua Co., in the fall of 1988. Since that time sightings have increased and breeding has been confirmed in at least six locations. Most likely, these NY birds are derived from two sources: the Ontario reintroduction program for this species, and a private reserve in Clyde, Wayne Co., NY where unbanded fledglings have been allowed to roam freely since around 1990. Although less likely, swans from reintroduction programs in Ohio, Michigan, and Minnesota could also be a source for NYS birds. According to the DEC, tagged Trumpeter Swans in NYS are presumed to be from the Canadian reintroduction program north of Lake Ontario. Although most of these programs style themselves as "reintroduction" or "restoration" programs, and they are referred to in this manner below, the original breeding distribution of this species remains a contentious subject (Carroll and Swift 2000; Whan 200point, ; Rising 200 1) -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[nysbirds-l] Trumpeter Swans
I would like to thank Willie D'Anna (infinitely more qualified than I) for clearing up some of my impressions on the status of Trumpeter Swans. Still, having reviewed the information, I feel NYSARC should add Trumpeter Swan to the New York State list. This probably won't happen any time soon, but I'm sure that it will eventually indeed take place. Thank you, John Haas Happy New Year! -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
Re: [nysbirds-l] Trumpeter Swans
I wish to clear up some misconceptions in my friend, John Haas's, recent post. > The article infers that an established breeding population must exist before the species will be accepted by NYSARC. The article John refers to is "Guidelines for the Admission of Exotic Species to the New York State Checklist", available at this link: http://www.nybirds.org/KBsearch/y2007v57n1/y2007v57n1p9-11nysarc.pdf. While John's statement above (after the right arrow) is true, he goes on to imply that the statement means that there must be an established breeding population within NY. The reason for this misinterpretation is unclear to me but, in any case, it is patently NOT true. Eurasian Collared-Dove is an example of an exotic species that NY has accepted based upon established breeding populations in other States. The article above states, on Kingbird p. 9 : "... the admission of a particular exotic species to the New York State Checklist depends further on either the presence of established populations within the state, or on the natural occurrence within the state of individuals derived from an established population elsewhere." And, on Kingbird p. 11: "Established populations of exotic species in neighboring states will be regarded as potential sources of natural dispersants or vagrants to New York State. Such records may be accepted by NYSARC if they are judged to be derived from the established source rather than a non-established population or recently released captive birds." > There could be much discussion about this species, but one thing that is clear from our records is that naturally occurring migrants and vagrants have been arriving from the Ontario population for many years. Some of these birds have remained to start their own breeding populations, which if I read correctly, are on the verge of being established in New York in their own right. For the most part, there is little evidence to suggest that birds from Ontario have remained to nest in NY. If anyone has any evidence of that being the case, we would appreciate hearing about it. The NY breeding population does not seem to be on the verge on becoming established in NY. There are essentially two breeding areas - one in the Perch River WMA in Jefferson County and one in Wayne County. For several years only one or two long-lived pairs have bred in the Perch River area and it is unclear if any cygnets have lived to fledging (the young sometimes have deformities). The origin of these swans is unknown. There are a few nests in Wayne County every year but few young birds have been documented to survive to fledging. These swans are derived from a private reserve in this county, which has breeding Trumpeter Swans. The young and most breeding pairs at the reserve are not pinioned. These breeding swans are not from the Ontario population. > Ontario has met the criteria to declare the species as established and has considered it thus since 2007. I would be interested to know if there are other instances when NYSARC has not accepted another state, province or country's decision on whether or not a species is established. NY has written guidelines for accepting exotic species onto the checklist - see the link above - which are clearly different than the criteria used by the Ontario Bird Records Committee. To repeat what Andy Guthrie has already pointed out, it is true that Ontario has accepted Trumpeter Swan on their list based upon their opinion that the population there is self-sustaining but in the opinion of NYSARC, it is not clear that there has been a long-enough period of self-sufficient breeding success to consider such a long-lived species truly established. Trumpeter Swans can live for 20-30 years, so many of the wild born birds are most likely still only first or second generation. The existing population in Ontario has been supplemented by continued introductions until as recently as 2006, and a large portion of the population has been sustained in winter by supplemental feeding programs. It's not clear how well the population will thrive without these human interventions. I cannot answer John's implied question above but perhaps more salient is that NY is not the only records committee that does not consider Trumpeter Swan to be established outside of the west - New Jersey and Florida are two others. Good birding, Willie D'Anna, NYSARC -Original Message- From: bounce-7622403-3714...@list.cornell.edu [mailto:bounce-7622403-3714...@list.cornell.edu] On Behalf Of vanh...@citlink.net Sent: Thursday, December 30, 2010 5:10 PM To: New York Birds Subject: [nysbirds-l] Trumpeter Swans This is a bit of a late chime in, but here is my opinion on the Trumpeter Swans. I read with interest the discussion of Trumpeter Swans in New York State. It has been ten years since I observed my first Trumpeter Swan in New York, and I have had several subsequent observations
Re: [nysbirds-l] Trumpeter Swans
I wish to clear up some misconceptions in my friend, John Haas's, recent post. The article infers that an established breeding population must exist before the species will be accepted by NYSARC. The article John refers to is Guidelines for the Admission of Exotic Species to the New York State Checklist, available at this link: http://www.nybirds.org/KBsearch/y2007v57n1/y2007v57n1p9-11nysarc.pdf. While John's statement above (after the right arrow) is true, he goes on to imply that the statement means that there must be an established breeding population within NY. The reason for this misinterpretation is unclear to me but, in any case, it is patently NOT true. Eurasian Collared-Dove is an example of an exotic species that NY has accepted based upon established breeding populations in other States. The article above states, on Kingbird p. 9 : ... the admission of a particular exotic species to the New York State Checklist depends further on either the presence of established populations within the state, or on the natural occurrence within the state of individuals derived from an established population elsewhere. And, on Kingbird p. 11: Established populations of exotic species in neighboring states will be regarded as potential sources of natural dispersants or vagrants to New York State. Such records may be accepted by NYSARC if they are judged to be derived from the established source rather than a non-established population or recently released captive birds. There could be much discussion about this species, but one thing that is clear from our records is that naturally occurring migrants and vagrants have been arriving from the Ontario population for many years. Some of these birds have remained to start their own breeding populations, which if I read correctly, are on the verge of being established in New York in their own right. For the most part, there is little evidence to suggest that birds from Ontario have remained to nest in NY. If anyone has any evidence of that being the case, we would appreciate hearing about it. The NY breeding population does not seem to be on the verge on becoming established in NY. There are essentially two breeding areas - one in the Perch River WMA in Jefferson County and one in Wayne County. For several years only one or two long-lived pairs have bred in the Perch River area and it is unclear if any cygnets have lived to fledging (the young sometimes have deformities). The origin of these swans is unknown. There are a few nests in Wayne County every year but few young birds have been documented to survive to fledging. These swans are derived from a private reserve in this county, which has breeding Trumpeter Swans. The young and most breeding pairs at the reserve are not pinioned. These breeding swans are not from the Ontario population. Ontario has met the criteria to declare the species as established and has considered it thus since 2007. I would be interested to know if there are other instances when NYSARC has not accepted another state, province or country's decision on whether or not a species is established. NY has written guidelines for accepting exotic species onto the checklist - see the link above - which are clearly different than the criteria used by the Ontario Bird Records Committee. To repeat what Andy Guthrie has already pointed out, it is true that Ontario has accepted Trumpeter Swan on their list based upon their opinion that the population there is self-sustaining but in the opinion of NYSARC, it is not clear that there has been a long-enough period of self-sufficient breeding success to consider such a long-lived species truly established. Trumpeter Swans can live for 20-30 years, so many of the wild born birds are most likely still only first or second generation. The existing population in Ontario has been supplemented by continued introductions until as recently as 2006, and a large portion of the population has been sustained in winter by supplemental feeding programs. It's not clear how well the population will thrive without these human interventions. I cannot answer John's implied question above but perhaps more salient is that NY is not the only records committee that does not consider Trumpeter Swan to be established outside of the west - New Jersey and Florida are two others. Good birding, Willie D'Anna, NYSARC -Original Message- From: bounce-7622403-3714...@list.cornell.edu [mailto:bounce-7622403-3714...@list.cornell.edu] On Behalf Of vanh...@citlink.net Sent: Thursday, December 30, 2010 5:10 PM To: New York Birds Subject: [nysbirds-l] Trumpeter Swans This is a bit of a late chime in, but here is my opinion on the Trumpeter Swans. I read with interest the discussion of Trumpeter Swans in New York State. It has been ten years since I observed my first Trumpeter Swan in New York, and I have had several subsequent observations since that time. Each year the question of countability comes
[nysbirds-l] Trumpeter Swans
I would like to thank Willie D'Anna (infinitely more qualified than I) for clearing up some of my impressions on the status of Trumpeter Swans. Still, having reviewed the information, I feel NYSARC should add Trumpeter Swan to the New York State list. This probably won't happen any time soon, but I'm sure that it will eventually indeed take place. Thank you, John Haas Happy New Year! -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[nysbirds-l] Trumpeter Swans
I would like to add my thoughts on this situation as I personally see it The Ontario, Canada Records Committee has recognized the reintroduced Trumpeter Swan as an established breeding bird and as such is countable by Canadian birders in this new location. A vagrant from the population has been verified as being seen in NY. As such, by our rules, it becomes countable in NY as soon as the record is added to the NY list. This ought to be a mere formality. (Those who have seen the bird, please submit NYSARC reports). However, this will only happen if NYSARC accepts the Ontario findings or agrees with their logic. If they are going to second guess Ontario and apply NY "rules" to another Records Committee findings, then we may have a long wait. Let's hope not. To be fair, at a somewhat higher level, the AOU has declined to follow the British OU on certain taxonomy matters, so these jurisdictional things are not without president. Sy Schiff -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[nysbirds-l] Trumpeter Swans
This is a bit of a late chime in, but here is my opinion on the Trumpeter Swans. I read with interest the discussion of Trumpeter Swans in New York State. It has been ten years since I observed my first Trumpeter Swan in New York, and I have had several subsequent observations since that time. Each year the question of countability comes up among the observers. I read the article provided by Andy Guthrie and the NYSARC criteria for acceptance of species to the state list. The article infers that an established breeding population must exist before the species will be accepted by NYSARC. This is of course not a criteria for a species to be accepted to the New York list or many species would never have been added. Vagrants and range expansion individuals are regularly accepted to our list. There could be much discussion about this species, but one thing that is clear from our records is that naturally occurring migrants and vagrants have been arriving from the Ontario population for many years. Some of these birds have remained to start their own breeding populations, which if I read correctly, are on the verge of being established in New York in their own right. Ontario has met the criteria to declare the species as established and has considered it thus since 2007. I would be interested to know if there are other instances when NYSARC has not accepted another state, province or country’s decision on whether or not a species is established. We currently have at least one bird present and seen by multiple observers to be a tagged individual from an accepted established population outside the United States. There is no question of provenance. . In my humble opinion, the appropriate action for NYSARC to take is to add Trumpeter Swan to the New York State list. I certainly hope that reports will be filed on this bird to ensure that happens. John Haas -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[nysbirds-l] Trumpeter Swans
This is a bit of a late chime in, but here is my opinion on the Trumpeter Swans. I read with interest the discussion of Trumpeter Swans in New York State. It has been ten years since I observed my first Trumpeter Swan in New York, and I have had several subsequent observations since that time. Each year the question of countability comes up among the observers. I read the article provided by Andy Guthrie and the NYSARC criteria for acceptance of species to the state list. The article infers that an established breeding population must exist before the species will be accepted by NYSARC. This is of course not a criteria for a species to be accepted to the New York list or many species would never have been added. Vagrants and range expansion individuals are regularly accepted to our list. There could be much discussion about this species, but one thing that is clear from our records is that naturally occurring migrants and vagrants have been arriving from the Ontario population for many years. Some of these birds have remained to start their own breeding populations, which if I read correctly, are on the verge of being established in New York in their own right. Ontario has met the criteria to declare the species as established and has considered it thus since 2007. I would be interested to know if there are other instances when NYSARC has not accepted another state, province or country’s decision on whether or not a species is established. We currently have at least one bird present and seen by multiple observers to be a tagged individual from an accepted established population outside the United States. There is no question of provenance. . In my humble opinion, the appropriate action for NYSARC to take is to add Trumpeter Swan to the New York State list. I certainly hope that reports will be filed on this bird to ensure that happens. John Haas -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[nysbirds-l] Trumpeter Swans
I would like to add my thoughts on this situation as I personally see it The Ontario, Canada Records Committee has recognized the reintroduced Trumpeter Swan as an established breeding bird and as such is countable by Canadian birders in this new location. A vagrant from the population has been verified as being seen in NY. As such, by our rules, it becomes countable in NY as soon as the record is added to the NY list. This ought to be a mere formality. (Those who have seen the bird, please submit NYSARC reports). However, this will only happen if NYSARC accepts the Ontario findings or agrees with their logic. If they are going to second guess Ontario and apply NY rules to another Records Committee findings, then we may have a long wait. Let's hope not. To be fair, at a somewhat higher level, the AOU has declined to follow the British OU on certain taxonomy matters, so these jurisdictional things are not without president. Sy Schiff -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
RE: [nysbirds-l] Trumpeter Swans discover eastern Long Island
I think Andy is being very diplomatic here, but to question whether re-introduced Trumpeter Swans are established in the Great Lakes region is to contradict the conclusions of not only the Ontario committee, but also those of Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. If one accepts that established populations exist in the region, as all of those committees do, then it is illogical to use local establishment (i.e., fully established breeding populations in NYS) as the criterion for acceptance here; instead, simple occurrence of individuals attributable to those populations will do. This is how House Finch got onto the checklists of every state in the eastern US beyond its NY origins, and how Eurasian Collared-Dove irrupted out of Florida. Anyone can choose to question the conclusions of those other committees if they choose, but is it really appropriate for NYSARC to assume responsibility for deciding whether or when the populations in Ontario and elsewhere around the Great Lakes have satisfied NYSARC's definition of establishment? Shai Mitra Bay Shore From: Andy Guthrie [guthr...@gmail.com] Sent: Thursday, December 23, 2010 9:18 AM To: Shaibal Mitra; NYSBIRDS (NYSBIRDS-L@cornell.edu) Subject: Re: [nysbirds-l] Trumpeter Swans discover eastern Long Island As a member of the New York State Avian Records Committee (NYSARC), I can provide some insight into where the Committee currently stands on this issue. This is something that NYSARC has discussed annually for at least the past several years. It is true that the Ontario Bird Record Committee has added Trumpeter Swan to its list (in 2007) based on their opinion that the population there is self-sustaining, but in the opinion of NYSARC it's not clear that there has been a long enough period of self-sufficient breeding success to consider such a long-lived species truly established. Trumpeter Swans can live for 20-30 years, so many of the wild born birds are most likely still only first or second generation. The existing population in Ontario has been supplemented by continued introductions until as recently as 2006, and a large portion of the population has been sustained in winter by supplemental feeding programs. It's not clear how well the population will thrive without these human interventions. There is a continent-wide survey of Trumpeter Swan populations conducted every five years - the most recent in 2010, the results of which have not yet been published. NYSARC will use this as part of the continuing evaluation as to the current status of the species. NYSARC recently published a summary of the status of Trumpeter Swan in New York State, available here: http://www.nybirds.org/KBsearch/y2007v57n1/y2007v57n1p2-8sherony.pdf NYSARC's guidelines on determining whether a species is considered established in the state are available here: http://www.nybirds.org/KBsearch/y2007v57n1/y2007v57n1p9-11nysarc.pdf Cheers, Andy Guthrie Hamlin, NY On Wed, Dec 22, 2010 at 3:13 PM, Shaibal Mitra mailto:shaibal.mi...@csi.cuny.edu>> wrote: Given that this marked bird demonstrably originated from a population regarded as fully established, doesn't this occurrence constitute a legitimate record for New York State? From: bounce-7597094-3714...@list.cornell.edu<mailto:bounce-7597094-3714...@list.cornell.edu> [bounce-7597094-3714...@list.cornell.edu<mailto:bounce-7597094-3714...@list.cornell.edu>] on behalf of Angus Wilson [oceanwander...@gmail.com<mailto:oceanwander...@gmail.com>] Sent: Wednesday, December 22, 2010 12:57 PM To: NYSBIRDS-L Subject: [nysbirds-l] Trumpeter Swans discover eastern Long Island Trumpeter Swans are an increasingly familiar sight in western, central, and to some extent northern New York State, especially in the winter when parties of birds move down from Ontario in search of open water. Evidence suggests that the bulk of the NY population is derived one way or the other from the reintroduction program in Ontario. This ambitious project is based at Wye Marsh in Midland ON, which is near the southeastern corner of Georgia Bay on Lake Huron. Ontario raised swans have stayed to nest at a few spots within NYS and their offspring have spread further afield. Many of the Ontario birds are wing tagged (yellow with a unique three letter/number code) so their movements and survival can be easily tracked. There are other reintroduction programs (e.g. Ohio) but we await solid proof that any of their birds have reached into NYS. Unfortunately, few of the birds hatched in NYS have been marked and we have little information on their survival, movements or ability to nest successfully. Trumpeter Swan have remained very scarce in the eastern and southeastern portions of the state but this seems to be changing. On Monday, Bob Wilson found a wing-tagged Trumpeter Swan (number 'A60') at Agawam Lake in Southampton, Su
Re: [nysbirds-l] Trumpeter Swans discover eastern Long Island
As a member of the New York State Avian Records Committee (NYSARC), I can provide some insight into where the Committee currently stands on this issue. This is something that NYSARC has discussed annually for at least the past several years. It is true that the Ontario Bird Record Committee has added Trumpeter Swan to its list (in 2007) based on their opinion that the population there is self-sustaining, but in the opinion of NYSARC it's not clear that there has been a long enough period of self-sufficient breeding success to consider such a long-lived species truly established. Trumpeter Swans can live for 20-30 years, so many of the wild born birds are most likely still only first or second generation. The existing population in Ontario has been supplemented by continued introductions until as recently as 2006, and a large portion of the population has been sustained in winter by supplemental feeding programs. It's not clear how well the population will thrive without these human interventions. There is a continent-wide survey of Trumpeter Swan populations conducted every five years - the most recent in 2010, the results of which have not yet been published. NYSARC will use this as part of the continuing evaluation as to the current status of the species. NYSARC recently published a summary of the status of Trumpeter Swan in New York State, available here: http://www.nybirds.org/KBsearch/y2007v57n1/y2007v57n1p2-8sherony.pdf NYSARC's guidelines on determining whether a species is considered established in the state are available here: http://www.nybirds.org/KBsearch/y2007v57n1/y2007v57n1p9-11nysarc.pdf Cheers, Andy Guthrie Hamlin, NY On Wed, Dec 22, 2010 at 3:13 PM, Shaibal Mitra wrote: > Given that this marked bird demonstrably originated from a population > regarded as fully established, doesn't this occurrence constitute a > legitimate record for New York State? > -- > *From:* bounce-7597094-3714...@list.cornell.edu [ > bounce-7597094-3714...@list.cornell.edu] on behalf of Angus Wilson [ > oceanwander...@gmail.com] > *Sent:* Wednesday, December 22, 2010 12:57 PM > *To:* NYSBIRDS-L > *Subject:* [nysbirds-l] Trumpeter Swans discover eastern Long Island > > Trumpeter Swans are an increasingly familiar sight in western, central, > and to some extent northern New York State, especially in the winter when > parties of birds move down from Ontario in search of open water. Evidence > suggests that the bulk of the NY population is derived one way or the other > from the reintroduction program in Ontario. This ambitious project is based > at Wye Marsh in Midland ON, which is near the southeastern corner of Georgia > Bay on Lake Huron. Ontario raised swans have stayed to nest at a few spots > within NYS and their offspring have spread further afield. Many of the > Ontario birds are wing tagged (yellow with a unique three letter/number > code) so their movements and survival can be easily tracked. There are other > reintroduction programs (e.g. Ohio) but we await solid proof that any of > their birds have reached into NYS. Unfortunately, few of the birds hatched > in NYS have been marked and we have little information on their survival, > movements or ability to nest successfully. > > Trumpeter Swan have remained very scarce in the eastern and southeastern > portions of the state but this seems to be changing. On Monday, Bob Wilson > found a wing-tagged Trumpeter Swan (number 'A60') at Agawam Lake in > Southampton, Suffolk County. This is 28 miles from Yaphank, also in Suffolk > Co, where two untagged Trumpeters have returned for another winter. > According to Harry Lumsden of the Ontario Trumpeter Swan Restoration > Program, 'A60' is a female that was hatched in 2009 by two tagged swans (981 > and E51). She was banded at Hillsburg ON (northwest of the Lake Ontario > shoreline) on 7 Oct 2009 and then resighted at several location within > southeastern Ontario during the following winter, spring and summer. In July > of this year, A60 was found injured in Rosemount ON, taken into rehab and > then released a short while later near Mansfield ON. There have been no > additional reports of this bird until now. Are A60 and the Yaphank pair > harbingers of changes to come? I would imagine the milder marine climate and > less extensive snowcover of Long Island might offer an attractive and > reliable wintering ground for these long-lived birds. Time will tell. > > NYSARC is actively monitoring the status of Trumpeter Swan in anticipation > of adding the species to the official New York State Checklist. Guidelines > have been established to help decide when a species can be considered > self-sustaining (remember the fate of Eurasian Skylark and European > Goldfinch) and in the Committee's opinion this has not been met quite yet. >
Re: [nysbirds-l] Trumpeter Swans discover eastern Long Island
As a member of the New York State Avian Records Committee (NYSARC), I can provide some insight into where the Committee currently stands on this issue. This is something that NYSARC has discussed annually for at least the past several years. It is true that the Ontario Bird Record Committee has added Trumpeter Swan to its list (in 2007) based on their opinion that the population there is self-sustaining, but in the opinion of NYSARC it's not clear that there has been a long enough period of self-sufficient breeding success to consider such a long-lived species truly established. Trumpeter Swans can live for 20-30 years, so many of the wild born birds are most likely still only first or second generation. The existing population in Ontario has been supplemented by continued introductions until as recently as 2006, and a large portion of the population has been sustained in winter by supplemental feeding programs. It's not clear how well the population will thrive without these human interventions. There is a continent-wide survey of Trumpeter Swan populations conducted every five years - the most recent in 2010, the results of which have not yet been published. NYSARC will use this as part of the continuing evaluation as to the current status of the species. NYSARC recently published a summary of the status of Trumpeter Swan in New York State, available here: http://www.nybirds.org/KBsearch/y2007v57n1/y2007v57n1p2-8sherony.pdf NYSARC's guidelines on determining whether a species is considered established in the state are available here: http://www.nybirds.org/KBsearch/y2007v57n1/y2007v57n1p9-11nysarc.pdf Cheers, Andy Guthrie Hamlin, NY On Wed, Dec 22, 2010 at 3:13 PM, Shaibal Mitra shaibal.mi...@csi.cuny.eduwrote: Given that this marked bird demonstrably originated from a population regarded as fully established, doesn't this occurrence constitute a legitimate record for New York State? -- *From:* bounce-7597094-3714...@list.cornell.edu [ bounce-7597094-3714...@list.cornell.edu] on behalf of Angus Wilson [ oceanwander...@gmail.com] *Sent:* Wednesday, December 22, 2010 12:57 PM *To:* NYSBIRDS-L *Subject:* [nysbirds-l] Trumpeter Swans discover eastern Long Island Trumpeter Swans are an increasingly familiar sight in western, central, and to some extent northern New York State, especially in the winter when parties of birds move down from Ontario in search of open water. Evidence suggests that the bulk of the NY population is derived one way or the other from the reintroduction program in Ontario. This ambitious project is based at Wye Marsh in Midland ON, which is near the southeastern corner of Georgia Bay on Lake Huron. Ontario raised swans have stayed to nest at a few spots within NYS and their offspring have spread further afield. Many of the Ontario birds are wing tagged (yellow with a unique three letter/number code) so their movements and survival can be easily tracked. There are other reintroduction programs (e.g. Ohio) but we await solid proof that any of their birds have reached into NYS. Unfortunately, few of the birds hatched in NYS have been marked and we have little information on their survival, movements or ability to nest successfully. Trumpeter Swan have remained very scarce in the eastern and southeastern portions of the state but this seems to be changing. On Monday, Bob Wilson found a wing-tagged Trumpeter Swan (number 'A60') at Agawam Lake in Southampton, Suffolk County. This is 28 miles from Yaphank, also in Suffolk Co, where two untagged Trumpeters have returned for another winter. According to Harry Lumsden of the Ontario Trumpeter Swan Restoration Program, 'A60' is a female that was hatched in 2009 by two tagged swans (981 and E51). She was banded at Hillsburg ON (northwest of the Lake Ontario shoreline) on 7 Oct 2009 and then resighted at several location within southeastern Ontario during the following winter, spring and summer. In July of this year, A60 was found injured in Rosemount ON, taken into rehab and then released a short while later near Mansfield ON. There have been no additional reports of this bird until now. Are A60 and the Yaphank pair harbingers of changes to come? I would imagine the milder marine climate and less extensive snowcover of Long Island might offer an attractive and reliable wintering ground for these long-lived birds. Time will tell. NYSARC is actively monitoring the status of Trumpeter Swan in anticipation of adding the species to the official New York State Checklist. Guidelines have been established to help decide when a species can be considered self-sustaining (remember the fate of Eurasian Skylark and European Goldfinch) and in the Committee's opinion this has not been met quite yet. Monitoring the movements of identifiable individuals such as A60 is extremely useful in this process and NYSARC encourages submissions of marked birds or birds from areas
RE: [nysbirds-l] Trumpeter Swans discover eastern Long Island
I think Andy is being very diplomatic here, but to question whether re-introduced Trumpeter Swans are established in the Great Lakes region is to contradict the conclusions of not only the Ontario committee, but also those of Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. If one accepts that established populations exist in the region, as all of those committees do, then it is illogical to use local establishment (i.e., fully established breeding populations in NYS) as the criterion for acceptance here; instead, simple occurrence of individuals attributable to those populations will do. This is how House Finch got onto the checklists of every state in the eastern US beyond its NY origins, and how Eurasian Collared-Dove irrupted out of Florida. Anyone can choose to question the conclusions of those other committees if they choose, but is it really appropriate for NYSARC to assume responsibility for deciding whether or when the populations in Ontario and elsewhere around the Great Lakes have satisfied NYSARC's definition of establishment? Shai Mitra Bay Shore From: Andy Guthrie [guthr...@gmail.com] Sent: Thursday, December 23, 2010 9:18 AM To: Shaibal Mitra; NYSBIRDS (NYSBIRDS-L@cornell.edu) Subject: Re: [nysbirds-l] Trumpeter Swans discover eastern Long Island As a member of the New York State Avian Records Committee (NYSARC), I can provide some insight into where the Committee currently stands on this issue. This is something that NYSARC has discussed annually for at least the past several years. It is true that the Ontario Bird Record Committee has added Trumpeter Swan to its list (in 2007) based on their opinion that the population there is self-sustaining, but in the opinion of NYSARC it's not clear that there has been a long enough period of self-sufficient breeding success to consider such a long-lived species truly established. Trumpeter Swans can live for 20-30 years, so many of the wild born birds are most likely still only first or second generation. The existing population in Ontario has been supplemented by continued introductions until as recently as 2006, and a large portion of the population has been sustained in winter by supplemental feeding programs. It's not clear how well the population will thrive without these human interventions. There is a continent-wide survey of Trumpeter Swan populations conducted every five years - the most recent in 2010, the results of which have not yet been published. NYSARC will use this as part of the continuing evaluation as to the current status of the species. NYSARC recently published a summary of the status of Trumpeter Swan in New York State, available here: http://www.nybirds.org/KBsearch/y2007v57n1/y2007v57n1p2-8sherony.pdf NYSARC's guidelines on determining whether a species is considered established in the state are available here: http://www.nybirds.org/KBsearch/y2007v57n1/y2007v57n1p9-11nysarc.pdf Cheers, Andy Guthrie Hamlin, NY On Wed, Dec 22, 2010 at 3:13 PM, Shaibal Mitra shaibal.mi...@csi.cuny.edumailto:shaibal.mi...@csi.cuny.edu wrote: Given that this marked bird demonstrably originated from a population regarded as fully established, doesn't this occurrence constitute a legitimate record for New York State? From: bounce-7597094-3714...@list.cornell.edumailto:bounce-7597094-3714...@list.cornell.edu [bounce-7597094-3714...@list.cornell.edumailto:bounce-7597094-3714...@list.cornell.edu] on behalf of Angus Wilson [oceanwander...@gmail.commailto:oceanwander...@gmail.com] Sent: Wednesday, December 22, 2010 12:57 PM To: NYSBIRDS-L Subject: [nysbirds-l] Trumpeter Swans discover eastern Long Island Trumpeter Swans are an increasingly familiar sight in western, central, and to some extent northern New York State, especially in the winter when parties of birds move down from Ontario in search of open water. Evidence suggests that the bulk of the NY population is derived one way or the other from the reintroduction program in Ontario. This ambitious project is based at Wye Marsh in Midland ON, which is near the southeastern corner of Georgia Bay on Lake Huron. Ontario raised swans have stayed to nest at a few spots within NYS and their offspring have spread further afield. Many of the Ontario birds are wing tagged (yellow with a unique three letter/number code) so their movements and survival can be easily tracked. There are other reintroduction programs (e.g. Ohio) but we await solid proof that any of their birds have reached into NYS. Unfortunately, few of the birds hatched in NYS have been marked and we have little information on their survival, movements or ability to nest successfully. Trumpeter Swan have remained very scarce in the eastern and southeastern portions of the state but this seems to be changing. On Monday, Bob Wilson found a wing-tagged Trumpeter Swan (number 'A60') at Agawam Lake in Southampton, Suffolk
RE: [nysbirds-l] Trumpeter Swans discover eastern Long Island
Given that this marked bird demonstrably originated from a population regarded as fully established, doesn't this occurrence constitute a legitimate record for New York State? From: bounce-7597094-3714...@list.cornell.edu [bounce-7597094-3714...@list.cornell.edu] on behalf of Angus Wilson [oceanwander...@gmail.com] Sent: Wednesday, December 22, 2010 12:57 PM To: NYSBIRDS-L Subject: [nysbirds-l] Trumpeter Swans discover eastern Long Island Trumpeter Swans are an increasingly familiar sight in western, central, and to some extent northern New York State, especially in the winter when parties of birds move down from Ontario in search of open water. Evidence suggests that the bulk of the NY population is derived one way or the other from the reintroduction program in Ontario. This ambitious project is based at Wye Marsh in Midland ON, which is near the southeastern corner of Georgia Bay on Lake Huron. Ontario raised swans have stayed to nest at a few spots within NYS and their offspring have spread further afield. Many of the Ontario birds are wing tagged (yellow with a unique three letter/number code) so their movements and survival can be easily tracked. There are other reintroduction programs (e.g. Ohio) but we await solid proof that any of their birds have reached into NYS. Unfortunately, few of the birds hatched in NYS have been marked and we have little information on their survival, movements or ability to nest successfully. Trumpeter Swan have remained very scarce in the eastern and southeastern portions of the state but this seems to be changing. On Monday, Bob Wilson found a wing-tagged Trumpeter Swan (number 'A60') at Agawam Lake in Southampton, Suffolk County. This is 28 miles from Yaphank, also in Suffolk Co, where two untagged Trumpeters have returned for another winter. According to Harry Lumsden of the Ontario Trumpeter Swan Restoration Program, 'A60' is a female that was hatched in 2009 by two tagged swans (981 and E51). She was banded at Hillsburg ON (northwest of the Lake Ontario shoreline) on 7 Oct 2009 and then resighted at several location within southeastern Ontario during the following winter, spring and summer. In July of this year, A60 was found injured in Rosemount ON, taken into rehab and then released a short while later near Mansfield ON. There have been no additional reports of this bird until now. Are A60 and the Yaphank pair harbingers of changes to come? I would imagine the milder marine climate and less extensive snowcover of Long Island might offer an attractive and reliable wintering ground for these long-lived birds. Time will tell. NYSARC is actively monitoring the status of Trumpeter Swan in anticipation of adding the species to the official New York State Checklist. Guidelines have been established to help decide when a species can be considered self-sustaining (remember the fate of Eurasian Skylark and European Goldfinch) and in the Committee's opinion this has not been met quite yet. Monitoring the movements of identifiable individuals such as A60 is extremely useful in this process and NYSARC encourages submissions of marked birds or birds from areas where Trumpeter Swans remain very rare. -- Angus Wilson New York City & The Springs, NY, USA http://birdingtotheend.blogspot.com/ Think green before you print this email. -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[nysbirds-l] Trumpeter Swans discover eastern Long Island
Trumpeter Swans are an increasingly familiar sight in western, central, and to some extent northern New York State, especially in the winter when parties of birds move down from Ontario in search of open water. Evidence suggests that the bulk of the NY population is derived one way or the other from the reintroduction program in Ontario. This ambitious project is based at Wye Marsh in Midland ON, which is near the southeastern corner of Georgia Bay on Lake Huron. Ontario raised swans have stayed to nest at a few spots within NYS and their offspring have spread further afield. Many of the Ontario birds are wing tagged (yellow with a unique three letter/number code) so their movements and survival can be easily tracked. There are other reintroduction programs (e.g. Ohio) but we await solid proof that any of their birds have reached into NYS. Unfortunately, few of the birds hatched in NYS have been marked and we have little information on their survival, movements or ability to nest successfully. Trumpeter Swan have remained very scarce in the eastern and southeastern portions of the state but this seems to be changing. On Monday, Bob Wilson found a wing-tagged Trumpeter Swan (number 'A60') at Agawam Lake in Southampton, Suffolk County. This is 28 miles from Yaphank, also in Suffolk Co, where two untagged Trumpeters have returned for another winter. According to Harry Lumsden of the Ontario Trumpeter Swan Restoration Program, 'A60' is a female that was hatched in 2009 by two tagged swans (981 and E51). She was banded at Hillsburg ON (northwest of the Lake Ontario shoreline) on 7 Oct 2009 and then resighted at several location within southeastern Ontario during the following winter, spring and summer. In July of this year, A60 was found injured in Rosemount ON, taken into rehab and then released a short while later near Mansfield ON. There have been no additional reports of this bird until now. Are A60 and the Yaphank pair harbingers of changes to come? I would imagine the milder marine climate and less extensive snowcover of Long Island might offer an attractive and reliable wintering ground for these long-lived birds. Time will tell. NYSARC is actively monitoring the status of Trumpeter Swan in anticipation of adding the species to the official New York State Checklist. Guidelines have been established to help decide when a species can be considered self-sustaining (remember the fate of Eurasian Skylark and European Goldfinch) and in the Committee's opinion this has not been met quite yet. Monitoring the movements of identifiable individuals such as A60 is extremely useful in this process and NYSARC encourages submissions of marked birds or birds from areas where Trumpeter Swans remain very rare. -- Angus Wilson New York City & The Springs, NY, USA http://birdingtotheend.blogspot.com/ -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[nysbirds-l] Trumpeter Swans discover eastern Long Island
Trumpeter Swans are an increasingly familiar sight in western, central, and to some extent northern New York State, especially in the winter when parties of birds move down from Ontario in search of open water. Evidence suggests that the bulk of the NY population is derived one way or the other from the reintroduction program in Ontario. This ambitious project is based at Wye Marsh in Midland ON, which is near the southeastern corner of Georgia Bay on Lake Huron. Ontario raised swans have stayed to nest at a few spots within NYS and their offspring have spread further afield. Many of the Ontario birds are wing tagged (yellow with a unique three letter/number code) so their movements and survival can be easily tracked. There are other reintroduction programs (e.g. Ohio) but we await solid proof that any of their birds have reached into NYS. Unfortunately, few of the birds hatched in NYS have been marked and we have little information on their survival, movements or ability to nest successfully. Trumpeter Swan have remained very scarce in the eastern and southeastern portions of the state but this seems to be changing. On Monday, Bob Wilson found a wing-tagged Trumpeter Swan (number 'A60') at Agawam Lake in Southampton, Suffolk County. This is 28 miles from Yaphank, also in Suffolk Co, where two untagged Trumpeters have returned for another winter. According to Harry Lumsden of the Ontario Trumpeter Swan Restoration Program, 'A60' is a female that was hatched in 2009 by two tagged swans (981 and E51). She was banded at Hillsburg ON (northwest of the Lake Ontario shoreline) on 7 Oct 2009 and then resighted at several location within southeastern Ontario during the following winter, spring and summer. In July of this year, A60 was found injured in Rosemount ON, taken into rehab and then released a short while later near Mansfield ON. There have been no additional reports of this bird until now. Are A60 and the Yaphank pair harbingers of changes to come? I would imagine the milder marine climate and less extensive snowcover of Long Island might offer an attractive and reliable wintering ground for these long-lived birds. Time will tell. NYSARC is actively monitoring the status of Trumpeter Swan in anticipation of adding the species to the official New York State Checklist. Guidelines have been established to help decide when a species can be considered self-sustaining (remember the fate of Eurasian Skylark and European Goldfinch) and in the Committee's opinion this has not been met quite yet. Monitoring the movements of identifiable individuals such as A60 is extremely useful in this process and NYSARC encourages submissions of marked birds or birds from areas where Trumpeter Swans remain very rare. -- Angus Wilson New York City The Springs, NY, USA http://birdingtotheend.blogspot.com/ -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
RE: [nysbirds-l] Trumpeter Swans discover eastern Long Island
Given that this marked bird demonstrably originated from a population regarded as fully established, doesn't this occurrence constitute a legitimate record for New York State? From: bounce-7597094-3714...@list.cornell.edu [bounce-7597094-3714...@list.cornell.edu] on behalf of Angus Wilson [oceanwander...@gmail.com] Sent: Wednesday, December 22, 2010 12:57 PM To: NYSBIRDS-L Subject: [nysbirds-l] Trumpeter Swans discover eastern Long Island Trumpeter Swans are an increasingly familiar sight in western, central, and to some extent northern New York State, especially in the winter when parties of birds move down from Ontario in search of open water. Evidence suggests that the bulk of the NY population is derived one way or the other from the reintroduction program in Ontario. This ambitious project is based at Wye Marsh in Midland ON, which is near the southeastern corner of Georgia Bay on Lake Huron. Ontario raised swans have stayed to nest at a few spots within NYS and their offspring have spread further afield. Many of the Ontario birds are wing tagged (yellow with a unique three letter/number code) so their movements and survival can be easily tracked. There are other reintroduction programs (e.g. Ohio) but we await solid proof that any of their birds have reached into NYS. Unfortunately, few of the birds hatched in NYS have been marked and we have little information on their survival, movements or ability to nest successfully. Trumpeter Swan have remained very scarce in the eastern and southeastern portions of the state but this seems to be changing. On Monday, Bob Wilson found a wing-tagged Trumpeter Swan (number 'A60') at Agawam Lake in Southampton, Suffolk County. This is 28 miles from Yaphank, also in Suffolk Co, where two untagged Trumpeters have returned for another winter. According to Harry Lumsden of the Ontario Trumpeter Swan Restoration Program, 'A60' is a female that was hatched in 2009 by two tagged swans (981 and E51). She was banded at Hillsburg ON (northwest of the Lake Ontario shoreline) on 7 Oct 2009 and then resighted at several location within southeastern Ontario during the following winter, spring and summer. In July of this year, A60 was found injured in Rosemount ON, taken into rehab and then released a short while later near Mansfield ON. There have been no additional reports of this bird until now. Are A60 and the Yaphank pair harbingers of changes to come? I would imagine the milder marine climate and less extensive snowcover of Long Island might offer an attractive and reliable wintering ground for these long-lived birds. Time will tell. NYSARC is actively monitoring the status of Trumpeter Swan in anticipation of adding the species to the official New York State Checklist. Guidelines have been established to help decide when a species can be considered self-sustaining (remember the fate of Eurasian Skylark and European Goldfinch) and in the Committee's opinion this has not been met quite yet. Monitoring the movements of identifiable individuals such as A60 is extremely useful in this process and NYSARC encourages submissions of marked birds or birds from areas where Trumpeter Swans remain very rare. -- Angus Wilson New York City The Springs, NY, USA http://birdingtotheend.blogspot.com/ Think green before you print this email. -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
Re: [nysbirds-l] Trumpeter Swans, Upper Lake, Yaphank, Suffolk County
After posting yesterday about the Trumpeter Swans on Upper Lake in Yaphank, I received an e-mail from Luke Ormand. Luke reportsd that the birds have been there since at least late December, and he has heard from locals that they actually arrived in mid December! Good bordong, Mike Cooper Ridge, LI, NY - Original Message - From: Jim Osterlund To: NYSBIRDS-L@cornell.edu Sent: Sunday, January 17, 2010 2:51 PM Subject: Re: [nysbirds-l] Trumpeter Swans, Upper Lake, Yaphank, Suffolk County It does indeed appear that "our" pair of Trumpeter Swans have returned; they were visible today at around 1000 hours, resting on the edge of the ice. Their position was such as to provide decent view from the parking lot of Millhouse Inn on the southwest corner of the lake and even a slightly better view from the park on the lake's southeast corner. 40.844009,-72.937396 - Google Maps No, of course I don't know that they're the same pair; perhaps someone on the list familiar with the habits of the species could comment on that likelihood. Thanks, Mike Cooper! -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 8.5.432 / Virus Database: 270.14.148/2629 - Release Date: 01/17/10 19:35:00 -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
Re: [nysbirds-l] Trumpeter Swans, Upper Lake, Yaphank, Suffolk County
It does indeed appear that "our" pair of Trumpeter Swans have returned; they were visible today at around 1000 hours, resting on the edge of the ice. Their position was such as to provide decent view from the parking lot of Millhouse Inn on the southwest corner of the lake and even a slightly better view from the park on the lake's southeast corner. 40.844009,-72.937396 - Google Maps No, of course I don't know that they're the same pair; perhaps someone on the list familiar with the habits of the species could comment on that likelihood. Thanks, Mike Cooper! -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
Re: [nysbirds-l] Trumpeter Swans, Upper Lake, Yaphank, Suffolk County
It does indeed appear that our pair of Trumpeter Swans have returned; they were visible today at around 1000 hours, resting on the edge of the ice. Their position was such as to provide decent view from the parking lot of Millhouse Inn on the southwest corner of the lake and even a slightly better view from the park on the lake's southeast corner. 40.844009,-72.937396 - Google Maps No, of course I don't know that they're the same pair; perhaps someone on the list familiar with the habits of the species could comment on that likelihood. Thanks, Mike Cooper! -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
Re: [nysbirds-l] Trumpeter Swans, Upper Lake, Yaphank, Suffolk County
Black Vulture (Braddock Bay) and Snowy Owl (Somerset)This morning I found 2 black-billed swans on Upper Lake in Yaphank, Suffolk County. This is the same location that hosted a pair of Trumpeters last February, and although I only had distant views, I'm pretty sure that these were Trumpeters- probably the same birds. Upper Lake can be found by exiting the Long Island Expressway at Exit 66, heading north on Rte 101 (=Sill's Rd= Yaphank- Middle Island Rd). Go straight at the traffic light which has a farm stand (Pumpkin Patch) on the right corner, then bear right at the next light (Main Street). Immediately on the left is a restaurant with a parking area bordering Upper Lake. The birds may be visible from here by looking north toward open water. Or you may continue past the restaurant, bear left at the next traffic light and make a quick left into a small town park, where you'll see the lake out in front. Good birding Mike Cooper, Ridge, LI, NY -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
