Besides the 4 WILSON'S PHALAROPES (spelled correctly this time), here are some other highlights from my trip to the Montezuma area today. Shorebird habitat is the best I've seen it in spring, although it is a shame that viewing conditions are always too awful - 60X, heat waves, bad light -- to really enjoy the shorebirds. Puddler's Marsh along Towpath Rd. had about 60 DUNLIN, 4 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS, 40 LEAST SANDPIPERS, 10 LESSER YELLOWLEGS, and a few SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS and PLOVERS.
May's Point pool was also in excellent shorebird condition -- I counted 125 SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS and 60 LEAST SANDPIPERS among the stubble on the mudflats. there is still some shorebird habitat at the Visitors Center, Larue's, "Shorebird Flats," Benning, and North Spring Pool (which I didn't check) -- shorebird migration is yet to peak, so I predict a good showing around Montezuma. I heard the PROTHONOTARY WARBLER on Armitage Rd., and CERULEANS on Armitage, Towpath, May's Point, and Visitor's Center. BLACKPOLL WARBLERS seemed to be everywhere today, including around my yard this morning, at the Ithaca Golf Course (where I missed the alleged Yellow-throated Warbler for the 7th time), along Lake Rd. near Long Point, Mud Lock, Armitage, Towpath and May's Point. WILLOW FLYCATCHERS were singing in many areas as well. BALD EAGLES ready to fledge at Mud Lock. No Black Terns anywhere. I finished up at the Seneca Co. Fairgrounds, where I was dismayed to find them mowing nearly the entire grounds over a month earlier than usual -- a reminder that even some of the best habitat around (as at George Rd.) is really just an accident of convenience and doesn't really represent purposeful conservation. In the northeastern corner, in an area that had been mowed earlier and was growing back, I found a group of 5 UPLAND SANDPIPERS, and BOBOLINKS and MEADOWLARKS were present in the unmowed patches. Maybe the mosaic of patches will allow the birds to produce a few young this year. KEN Ken Rosenberg Conservation Science Program Cornell Lab of Ornithology 607-254-2412 607-342-4594 (cell) [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/ --
