I spent most of the day today at Montezuma. Kevin and I got there around 7:00. The GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was with the Canadas at the Visitor Center pool, as well as an apparent SNOW GOOSE x CANADA GOOSE HYBRID (white head and underparts, brown Canada-like back and dark on flanks), but these birds had disappeared an hour later. The RED PHALAROPE was foraging where others have described. Other birds in the area included a PEREGRINE FALCON and a flyby MERLIN. At Puddlers Marsh from Towpath Road, the AMERICAN AVOCET was foraging in the deep water in the distance. We also heard several AMERICAN PIPITS and a late flyover BOBOLINK. Migrants along the road included many Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Indigo Bunting, a BLUE-HEADED VIREO, and a LINCOLN'S SPARROW.
In the afternoon I returned with Nick Sly, Hope Batcheller, and Graham Montgomery. The phalarope was still in the same area, as was the avocet. At Mays Point we saw 3 basic-plumage LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS, the first I have seen in a couple weeks, as well as two SANDHILL CRANES. After we finished at the main complex, we headed up to Savannah. Van Dyne Spoor was quiet and Carncross was still mostly unplowed corn. Martens Tract, with a walk through the field between the two dikes producing two fairly cooperative NELSON'S SPARROWS. A flock of about 15 Rusty Blackbirds and a bigger flock of several hundred Tree Swallows was also present. On our way back near dusk we saw two SANDHILL CRANES fly across Rt. 89 just a bit east of the north end of East Road to join a second pair of cranes a field on the north side of the road. A couple of photos from today: Red Phalarope: https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/phEO4_fxL0C4QtK3Mop8bA?feat=directlink https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/ugALDp-zhzuANisycJWrBQ?feat=directlink https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/fBsbOpoOzpbc_9tL-hNOoA?feat=directlink Greater White-fronted Goose and possible hybrid: https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/wczLNv4CFV9qZtmcRO1K7Q?feat=directlink https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/jQ-DmG-LFRFISGMUGk_wQA?feat=directlink Nelson's Sparrow (Martens Tract): https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/PCKC2tJr5Y7ewa4Y9wgyzg?feat=directlink Nelson's Sparrow (Hog Hole, yesterday) https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/5EBKiBiazIPiNNFNFvypjg?feat=directlink -- Jay McGowan Macaulay Library Cornell Lab of Ornithology [email protected] -- 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/ --
