Hi all, I went to visit David Kiefer's garden, which was on display as a natural flora garden and he also wanted me to see his odonates. After that I went on the south trail that part of Dryden Jim Schug trail, which I have never visited in the last 20 years. I have no clue why I have not done this part. It is a great place with beautiful marshes and stream. That should have been one of the locations to visit in my book!
In David's garden I saw 10+ species of dragonflies and damselflies, a Rufous throated Hummingbird and a Pileated Woodpecker. On Jim Schug's trail I came across a small migrant or local migrants grouping, consisted of a female SCARLET TANAGER, a female BALTIMORE ORIOLE and a ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK when I first passed the trail. On my return it was more interesting as at the same spot there was a tiny stream where some of the birds were taking bath. They waited patiently till the other finished bath. First it was a BROWN THRASHER, it splashed water well over its body and gave thorough shake several times. After it was done it was a turn of a young male ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK's. It also took a several minutes bath. Then it was turn of a CATBIRD. All of them went to the same spot and this I have observed several times for several other species. they all like to take bath in the same spot. I can't imagine why. One thing seems plausible is for the pathogens and mites to spread from one bird to another, though some of them may not go to a different species. Here in the group were also an AMERICAN REDSTART, a MAGNOLIA WARBLER and a fall plumaged CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER along with the RED-EYED VIREO. I also saw a warbler with large white wing-bar and other characters were barely visible because of the sunlight and I think it was a CAPE MAY WARBLER. It did not have a terminal black tail band, which sat on tippy top of a spruce right against the sun. I was wondering if the males will be still in breeding plumage with big white patch at this time of the year. Or it was molting? Then I also had other species like BLETED KINGFISHER, GREAT BLUE HERON, GREEN HERON, CEDAR WAXWINGS, RED-WINGED BALCKBIRDS, COMMON GRACKELs (EATING SOMETHING FROM WATER'S EDGE, MAY BE TENERAL ODONATES), TURKEY VULTURES, and many other local species. I took three hours to walk three and a half miles of the trail! Cheers Meena Meena Haribal Ithaca NY 14850 42.429007,-76.47111 http://haribal.org/ http://meenaharibal.blogspot.com/ Ithaca area moths: http://tinyurl.com/kn6q2p4 Dragonfly book sample pages: http://tinyurl.com/ky7acvp -- 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/ --
