Long Lake (Hamilton Co.) November 28, 2017

 

As expected, more crossbills are irrupting into the Adirondacks!
White-winged Crossbills were found at Sabattis Bog on 11/25/17 (see below).
This morning (11/28/17), 4 White-winged Crossbills flew high over the bog
singing and interacting, and more birds called nearby.  I found 5 finch
species along Sabattis Circle Road today.  A flock of 9 adult Red Crossbills
landed at the Little Tupper Lake inlet along Sabattis Rd. in brilliant
plumage - quite a contrast from the molting adults that nested over the
summer and are still near those nesting areas along with juveniles.  It
would appear that more Red Crossbills are arriving.  Pine Siskins are
everywhere and since we've been having snow, they are gritting in the roads
- sadly, I found one dead in Sabattis Circle Road today.  Purple Finches and
Amer. Goldfinches are also gritting in the roadways (these two species
normally leave the central Adirondacks by now, but they are still here!).

 

It was 8 degrees this morning and the lakes had quickly iced over.  A solo
Bufflehead was feeding on the Little Tupper Lake outlet (Round Pond inlet) -
this is a new late date for Hamilton Co.  (The day before there were 2
Bufflehead on Little Tupper Lake, but it was completely iced over by today.)

 

The tailless Gray Jay that I found at Sabattis Bog on October 23, 2017
showed up today, November 28, 2017 - not sure where it was during the past
month.  It shows no sign of growing a new tail.  It came in for food that I
put out, and its flight still reminds me of a woodcock's!  I found 11 Gray
Jays this morning in 3 Long Lake locations.  There are huge numbers of Blue
Jays still in the area, and it appears that for a 3rd year in a row, that
they may overwinter in the central Adirondacks.  Groups of Blue Jays are
harassing all the Gray Jays I've been observing - following them and
un-caching their food.  Clever on the part of the Blue Jays, but I think
this could have a serious impact on Gray Jays.

 

Out boreal birding on November 27, 2017 (cold and windy!) in Newcomb,
Minerva, North Hudson, and Long Lake, we found the following 21 species:

 

Snow Goose - gorgeous flock (with some Canadas) as we hiked on the Round
Lake Trail (about 3 inches of snow)

Canada Goose - many migrating flocks during the afternoon

Bufflehead - 2 on Little Tupper Lake

Ruffed Grouse - 4

Hairy Woodpecker

Black-backed Woodpecker - 3! (2 drumming back and forth in Newcomb - we
observed a female; and 1 female observed in Minerva)

Gray Jay - 6 (1 in Minerva and 5 in Long Lake)

Blue Jay

American Crow

Common Raven

Black-capped Chickadee

Boreal Chickadee - 5 in Minerva

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Brown Creeper

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Purple Finch - many

Red Crossbill - many; we observed a flock of 6 (2 males, 1 female, and 3
juveniles) near Sand Pond Marsh in North Hudson along the Blueridge Road -
and when they took flight, more joined them that had not been in our view

White-winged Crossbill - heard at Sand Pond Marsh in North Hudson, and 2
flew over Sabattis Circle Road in Long Lake (they perched in a spruce and
vocalized as they flew back over our car)

Pine Siskin - many, including a group of ~60 gritting in the Blueridge Road!
They wouldn't leave the road and we had to beep the horn (briefly!) to get
them out of the road.

American Goldfinch - many

Dark-eyed Junco - many

 

November 25, 2017 Long Lake

 

I was doing Gray Jay whistles at Sabattis Bog when a female White-winged
Crossbill flew in calling!  I observed her forage for at least 45 minutes -
until the rain became too heavy for me and my camera!  I hate walking away
from a White-winged Crossbill - she was still foraging on Black Spruce cones
when I left.  I could hear more White-winged Crossbills calling across the
bog.  This is the first date that I've found White-winged Crossbills along
Sabattis Circle Road this season.

 

November 22, 2017 Long Lake

 

There were 3 Common Loons on Little Tupper Lake.  Two Barred Owls were
vocalizing back and forth on the other side of Sabattis Bog midday!  A Great
Blue Heron flew over my car on Route 30.

 

November 21, 2017 Newcomb - Minerva - North Hudson

 

Ruffed Grouse - I came around a sharp turn in the Blueridge Rd. and had to
slam on the brakes so I wouldn't hit a displaying male in the middle of my
lane - he was fortunate that I'm a birder!  He wouldn't move and I am sure
he would have been hit by a non-birder's vehicle (like the logging trucks
that frequent this road).

Gray Jay - 1 in Minerva

Purple Finch

Red Crossbill - many at nearly every location where I stopped.  I watched a
flock of at least 10 (multiple family groups) for a long time by the
railroad bed in Minerva - the adults were drinking and cleaning bills, and
the juveniles were hanging out together waiting - and curious about me.  I
took photos and videos.

Pine Siskin

American Goldfinch

Song Sparrow - one bird perched on a wire near a Purple Finch in Newcomb!

Red-winged Blackbird - 2 at a feeder in Newcomb

 

11/14/17 - 11/15/17 Jefferson County

 

I drove over to Jefferson County late on 11/14/17 to stay overnight (at the
Duck Away Motel in Chaumont - yes, it is decorated for duck hunters!).  I
was on Point Peninsula in fading light and the deafening sounds of a huge
flock of Tundra Swans in a protected bay was remarkable.  I visited Cape
Vincent, Point Peninsula, Point Salubrious, and Pillar Point.  Here are the
species from 11/15/17:

 

Canada Goose

Mute Swan

Tundra Swan

American Black Duck

Mallard

Bufflehead

Common Goldeneye

Hooded Merganser

Common Merganser

Red-breasted Merganser

Wild Turkey

White-rumped Sandpiper - hanging out with 4 different gull species on a
sandbar off Point Salubrious!

Bonaparte's Gull

Ring-billed Gull

Herring Gull

Great Black-backed Gull

Common Loon

Double-crested Cormorant

Great Blue Heron

Northern Harrier

Red-tailed Hawk

Rough-legged Hawk - 3 (2 light and 1 dark morph)

Northern Flicker

American Kestrel

Blue Jay

Amer. Crow

Horned Lark

Black-capped Chickadee

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Amer. Robin

European Starling

Cedar Waxwing - huge flock on Point Peninsula (more than a hundred)

House Finch

Yellow-rumped Warbler - flock of more than 20 on Point Peninsula near an
insect hatch

American Tree Sparrow

 

Mammals:

 

Multiple Beavers and River Otters are regularly observed on Shaw Pond in
Long Lake - often using the same small sections of open water!  There are
several Beaver lodges on this shallow body of water.  A Muskrat has been
feeding at the edge of ice holes on Little Tupper Lake near the inlet - on
vegetation (likely Pickerel Weed) and mussels (leaving piles of mussel
shells behind).  I observed a Bobcat on 11/18/17!  (Pelts can go for over
$1,000, so I would never disclose locations for this species.)

 

I posted photos on my Facebook page below.

 

Joan Collins

Editor, New York Birders

Long Lake, NY

(315) 244-7127 cell       

(518) 624-5528 home

http://www.adirondackavianexpeditions.com/  

http://www.facebook.com/AdirondackAvian


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