In contrast to yesterday, the last day of duck-hunting season when I had fewer than a dozen individual waterfowl at Stewart Park and East Shore in the morning, there were good numbers of interesting species of ducks at the south end of Cayuga Lake today.
Most impressive was the flock of REDHEADS hugging the west shore, north of Hog Hole down to the ice limits. I estimated 8,000 Redheads, although the trees and houses blocking the limited view from route 89 make that a pretty rough estimate. Lots, though, and very impressive in the afternoon sunshine. It never gets old to me. I started at East Shore Park earlier, and from there I could see the flock across the way in the shimmer. Something spooked it, and the back-lit flock of thousands of flying Redheads inspired a gasp, even from that far away. I did not scan that flock thoroughly, so I know I missed some of the species in it. I did manage first-of-year-for-me CANVASBACK (probably 100 or more), a few scaup of each species, a single RUDDY DUCK, and two TUNDRA SWANS. Earlier I scanned from East Shore Park and spotted far to the NW a few interesting waterfowl, including a single adult male WHITE-WINGED SCOTER and 3 male LONG-TAILED DUCKS. These were so far in the distance and heat shimmer that I probably wouldn't have identified them if I hadn't been drilling so much with my waterfowl webinars, and the concept of where's-the-white! (Coming soon as a fold-out guide in the bookstore near you!) :^) The person with the intimidating don't-look-at-our-lake fence north up rt 34 had left their gate open, and I got better and confirming looks of these birds more or less straight out from there through their gate. Another group of about a dozen mixed-sex LONG-TAILED DUCKS was off the miserable-pull-off viewing spot just outside the town of Ithaca where the houses stop. (Yes, I have issues with viewing access to Cayuga Lake, I admit it.) No unusual gulls for me today. All interesting I had at the Cornell compost today was a single COMMON RAVEN as a high fly-by. Also, more than a dozen Red-tailed Hawks in the area, and the Peregrine Falcon on Bradfield Tower. Kevin -- 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/ --
