This evening (Monday 22 August) the egrets are, like last night, sleeping separately. I walked through the dusk to have a brief look (8:35-8:40pm). Yet this morning as I scoped from East Shore Park they appeared nearly simultaneously out from behind Jetty Woods at 6:18am and immediately flew, very close together, almost directly towards me over the lake. When they were nearly overhead they circled once, then continued over NYS
--Dave Nutter Ithaca, NY On Aug 21, 2011, at 9:48 PM, Dave Nutter <[email protected]> wrote: > From 8:20-8:30pm this evening (21 Aug) I was by the mouth of Treman Marina > gazing across Cayuga Inlet at our 2 local roosting Great Egrets. The > sedentary one was on it's usual perch. The active one moved among 5 different > perches during the darkening 10 minutes I watched. When I left it was on the > more northerly of its 2 favorite roosting perch atop a small tree quite > separate from the other egret. How does it decide between the 2 perches it > regularly uses? How did the other decide on its single perch? > > --Dave Nutter > Ithaca, NY > > On Aug 20, 2011, at 10:34 PM, Dave Nutter <[email protected]> wrote: > >> Sorry about that - the message got sent before it was finished. Consider >> this interval while I finish writing to be like waiting for the egrets... >> At 7:31pm I spotted the first Great Egret, but perhaps because I was only >> armed with binoculars, it was only a minute away from landing. I first saw >> it about lined up with East Shore Park against the hillside about halfway >> between the lake and the sky. It flew south, then followed the Stewart Park >> shoreline toward us, veering a bit north as it rounded the Swan Pond, and as >> soon as it got to Cayuga Inlet it flew south to the perch occupied last >> night by, I believe, the same bird. That was the earlier one taking off >> which disappeared from my view for awhile because it took a more southerly >> route. This bird stayed put at least until we left, also characteristic of >> the earlier occupant of that perch. At 7:43 I spotted the second Great >> Egret flying toward us, initially seen in about the same direction, but it >> flew in a more direct path over the lake, then took a perch a few feet below >> its comrade. As we walked around the marina I saw this lower bird fly to >> its alternate perch, a low tree to the north. But by the time we had gotten >> back to the Inlet it was back again at the perch it first came to this >> evening and that it used last night. I wonder if they also have distinct >> feeding habits or other personality traits to distinguish them if I were to >> see them elsewhere during the day. >> >> --Dave Nutter >> Ithaca, NY >> >> On Aug 20, 2011, at 10:01 PM, Dave Nutter <[email protected]> wrote: >> >>> At 7pm this evening (Saturday 20 August) Laurie and I settled in on a bench >>> north of the mouth of Treman Marina to await the arrival of our egrets. >>> Judging by how long they took to disappear from view after taking off in >>> the morning I figured I might have 6 minutes of lead time to see where they >>> came from. >>> >>> --Dave Nutter >>> Ithaca, NY >>> >>> On Aug 20, 2011, at 1:10 PM, Dave Nutter <[email protected]> wrote: >>> >>>> 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: >>> 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/ --
