Back at dawn today, Saturday 20 August, I found the 2 Great Egrets perched near each other in the same tree as I left them. At 6:20am the first took flight, and judging by perch choice it was the same one that flew first yesterday without me seeing it. It flew north, then turned sharply east just past Jetty Woods such that it was hidden from my view by 6:21am. I thought (temporarily, it turns out) that perhaps it was headed for Stewart Park or Fuertes Sanctuary. I immediately looked back to the roost tree and found it devoid of egrets - no 15 minute delay between take-offs today! Fortunately I saw the second egret in flight before it reached the end of Jetty Woods, and I was able to follow it through my scope as it veered northeast (a bit more northerly than yesterday) and flew steadily toward the treeline atop the edge of the valley. As it cleared those trees I saw that it was joined by the other egret, who must have taken a less direct route, and they headed east together about where NYS 13 cuts through by the Cayuga Heights exit. Again, I wonder where they go for they day to feed - the Lab of O? Fall Creek's middle reaches? some fortunate farmer's pond? And I'm intrigued that they return faithfully to Jetty Woods to roost, sometimes to a particular branch. Perhaps they are attracted by the Double-crested Cormorants who fly conspicuously around the area and have established a successful and comfortable roosting site.
--Dave Nutter Ithaca, NY On Aug 19, 2011, at 10:12 PM, Dave Nutter <[email protected]> wrote: > Today (Friday 19 August) I checked out the Ithaca egret roost in the morning > and in the evening. During a dawn lull in work I stopped by Treman Marina > and saw the 2 GREAT EGRETS in their separate trees a few minutes after 6am as > I had left them Thursday night. Unfortunately I got distracted and did not > see when one of them flew off around 6:10am. That one had been more actively > stretching. I was hoping to see where they went. The second, more > lethargic, bird eventually stretched more, and at 6:23am it suddenly took > flight to the north. When it got to the white lighthouse jetty it turned > toward East Shore Park, flapping continuously and slowly gaining altitude. > Then it circled several times for more altitude and continued east over the > treetops of Cayuga Heights and out of sight at 6:29am. I wonder if it went > all the way to George Road or Dryden Lake. > > This evening both Great Egrets were back. At one point they occupied the > same perches in separate trees as the previous night, but this evening there > was more interaction and one of them (presumably the second to fly this > morning, considering its perch preference) moved back and forth, landing near > the other, returning to its previous perch (perhaps told to leave), then > eventually settling down near the other bird. So tonight when I left they > were just a few feet apart in the same tree. > > Other birds included an adult BALD EAGLE flying north over the lake. This > morning I also stopped by Stewart Park and saw a/the adult Bald Eagle perched > on the snag opposite the boathouse. I was able to see leg bands, blue on its > left leg and silver on its right. I know I photographed an eagle with these > color bands years ago on ice at Stewart Park, and when I get access to those > photos I will check whether they were on the same legs and whether it was the > adult or the juvenile with the bands. > > Continuing from this evening, I counted at least 80 DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS > in the trees near the egrets. Two GREAT BLUE HERONS were also nearby. A > GREEN HERON flew past over the inlet then turned east at the south edge of > Jetty Woods. A GREAT HORNED OWL flew from around the north part of Jetty > Woods westbound over the inlet and into the trees north of the marina. There > were 13 CASPIAN TERNS discernible on the submerged red lighthouse breakwater > from my vantage south of the marina boating entrance. There was also at > least one BELTED KINGFISHER & BARN SWALLOW, lots of MALLARDS & RING-BILLED > GULLS, a couple of GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULLS, and a few CANADA GEESE. > > --Dave Nutter > > > On Aug 18, 2011, at 06:55 PM, Dave Nutter <[email protected]> wrote: > >> This evening (Thursday 18 August) the two Great Egrets were clearly >> identifiable with binoculars at 8:30pm in the same two trees as before. >> --Dave Nutter >> >> On Aug 13, 2011, at 07:48 PM, Dave Nutter <[email protected]> wrote: >> >>> This evening (13 August) I took a walk along Cayuga Inlet by Cass Park to >>> Treman Marina. Although it was fairly dark by 9pm when I was opposite >>> Jetty Woods, with binoculars I was able to discern what I believe were >>> probably (the) 2 GREAT EGRETS roosting in separate trees. >>> --Dave Nutter >>> >>> On Aug 06, 2011, at 06:35 PM, Dave Nutter <[email protected]> wrote: >>> >>>> Two GREAT EGRETS were roosting in the same spot on the edge of Jetty Woods >>>> next to Cayuga Inlet this evening, 6 August. Also seen on this evening's >>>> canoe-paddle all the way around the red lighthouse: 3 GREAT BLUE HERONS, 2 >>>> BELTED KINGFISHERS, 2 PURPLE MARTINS, 3 SPOTTED SANDPIPERS, 32 CASPIAN >>>> TERNS, 41 DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS, 3 WOOD DUCKS, 6 COMMON MERGANSERS, 2 >>>> GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULLS, 1 HERRING GULL, plenty of RING-BILLED GULLS, >>>> MALLARDS AND CANADA GEESE, one or more BARN SWALLOWS, 2 AMERICAN ROBINS, >>>> and 1 MOURNING DOVE. Also heard were 1 AMERICAN GOLDFINCH and 2 SONG >>>> SPARROWS. >>>> We did not see any fireflies in our yard this evening On August 1 we only >>>> saw 1 firefly, but a few weeks ago it was spectacular. >>>> >>>> --Dave Nutter >>>> Ithaca, NY >>>> >>>> On Aug 02, 2011, at 06:55 PM, Dave Nutter <[email protected]> wrote: >>>> >>>>> The Great Egret is roosting in the same place this evening, 2 August. >>>>> >>>>> --Dave Nutter >>>>> Ithaca, NY >>>>> >>>>> On Aug 1, 2011, at 9:56 PM, Dave Nutter <[email protected]> wrote: >>>>> >>>>> > >>>>> > On this evening's (1 Aug) canoe-paddle on Cayuga Inlet Laurie and I saw >>>>> > a Great Egret atop a small tree on the edge of Jetty Woods. A Great >>>>> > Blue Heron stood on a log below, and 17 Double-crested Cormorants >>>>> > rested on dead trees or soared nearby. A Belted Kingfisher and a couple >>>>> > of Caspian Tern families flew past. When we got home an Eastern >>>>> > Screech-Owl was calling from the edge of our yard. >>>>> > --Dave Nutter >>>>> > Ithaca, NY >> >> -- >> Cayugabirds-L List Info: >> Welcome and Basics >> >> Rules and Information >> >> Subscribe, Configuration and Leave >> >> Archives: >> The Mail Archive >> >> Surfbirds >> >> BirdingOnThe.Net >> >> Please submit your observations to eBird! >> -- > > -- > Cayugabirds-L List Info: > Welcome and Basics > Rules and Information > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > Archives: > The Mail Archive > Surfbirds > BirdingOnThe.Net > Please submit your observations to 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/[email protected]/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/ --
