John Confer and I birded up the east and down the west side of the
Lake yesterday. Beginning at Stewart Park, we had most of the birds
reported by Dave Nicosia with the addition of a PEREGRINE FALCON
preening in one of the trees across Fall Creek from the boathouse. We
skipped Myers, and our next stop was at Long Point SP. A short walk
east up the hill produced numerous Chickadees, Titmice, a couple of
Golden-crowned Kinglets, and a large flock of Robins (100+).
From the boathouse in Aurora we found 6 Horned Grebes but no Eared
Grebe. We checked for grebes at last weekend's hot spots: Twin Oaks
Campground, Fire Lane 20, and found none. The large Aythya flock was
along the shore between FL 20 and the new development just south of
the railroad tracks and was being watched over by an adult Bald Eagle.
From the Towpath Machine Shop we scanned the distant ducks and swans,
picking through Redheads, Canvasbacks, a few Northern Pintails, both
Scaup, and American Wigeon - but could not find a Eurasian. There was
a family of distant Mute Swans. A Bald Eagle was on the nest at Mudlock.
We then drove through the Mucklands. The fields were still frozen, but
the ditches were ice-free. There was considerable open water along Van
Dyne Spoor Road, and the Pintails were beginning to move in. There
were a couple of Tree Sparrows and a pair of RED-WING BLACKBIRDS.
Around Carncross Road and again, Armitage Road, the ice was beginning
to melt, but no sign of cranes or snipe.
The water along Cayuga Lake SP was filled with Tundra Swans, Canada
Geese, Mallards, Black Ducks, Common Mergansers, Common Goldeneye and
a smattering of Scaup, Ring-necked Ducks, Redhead, Cavasbacks,
American Wigeon, and Pintails. A flock of some 2,000 Snow Geese rested
just offshore at the south end of the park. At one point most of the
flock took to the air and then eventually settled back down. We
scanned them as they moved overhead, but could not find any noticeably
smaller birds.
After the Peregrine at Stewart park, out best bird for the day was a
female WHITE-WINGED SCOTER seen from Wyers Point Road north of
Sheldrake. We also had there a couple of Red-breasted Mergansers and
several dozen Ring-necked Ducks.
Bob McGuire
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