I helped out with a waterfowl count at Montezuma today and birded around the complex for a while afterwards. One of the highlights were the huge numbers of ducks in the back of Tschache Pool, including 1300 Green-winged Teal, 2600 American Wigeon, and at least 3 MALE EURASIAN WIGEON, as well as two GREATER YELLOWLEGS (none of which were visible from the main viewing area, unfortunately). The front part of the pool is still mostly ice, and was COVERED with gulls eating dead fish in the ice. I think this is the most gulls I think I have ever seen in the refuge. I estimated 9000 RING-BILLED GULL, 6000 HERRING GULLS, 4 LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS (2 adults, 1 2nd-cycle, 1 1st-cycle), and 1 ICELAND GULL (1st cycle).
Other interesting birds for the day included an EASTERN PHOEBE at the Factory Street Pond in Union Springs, 41 RUDDY DUCKS at Mud Lock, a PEREGRINE FALCON on a muskrat mound at Mays Point, and a vociferous OSPREY and a small flock of BROWN-HEADED COWBIRDS at the main offices at Montezuma. On the way down the west side of the lake I found another male EURASIAN WIGEON from the south end of Lower Lake Road in Canoga, along with several thousand each of the various divers. Yesterday 10 FOX SPARROWS cleared a large bare area under our feeders. Nothing of note at the George Road pond today or yesterday. Jay McGowan Dryden, NY -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
