Tim Lenz, Brad Walker, Luke Seitz, and I went up to Montezuma this evening, arriving around 6:30. We scanned from Towpath and then later from East Road. Viewing is passable from both vantages, with a lot of birds being closer to Towpath but with less favorable light. I definitely recommend trying both if you have the time. As always, there were a LOT of birds there, and the light faded before we could really work through all of them, especially from East Road. We did not find the reported Curlew Sandpiper, but it may well have been there. We did find at least one BAIRD'S SANDPIPER and eventually 20+ WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPERS in a large flock of mostly Pectorals. Three BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS were around and calling, and a WILSON'S PHALAROPE was fairly obvious, though surprisingly we failed to find any of the Red-necked Phalaropes that have been around. Stilt Sandpipers and both dowitchers were feeding in the deeper water. An adult PEREGRINE FALCON was sitting out on the mud and then later flying around and attacking a juvenile Bald Eagle that flew by. As always, swallow and Bobolink numbers were impressive. Six SANDHILL CRANES were out on the mudflats with the herons.
Cheers, -Jay -- 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/ --
