Seven of us carpooled and caravaning up to Braddock Bay Banding station and surrounding spots. Dave Nutter was our leader, and the following are highlights of that trip, which was yesterday 8am-4pm.
NEAR GAS STATION AT THE JUNCTION OF 318 EAST OF 414 We saw a GREATER AND LESSER YELLOW LEGS in the same flooded corn field (seasonal pond?). They stood close to each other a few times; so we got good looks and were able to compare and contrast the two birds nicely. There were also times when a ROBIN dropped by and a pair of GREEN-WINGED TEALS, so we also got to size these yellow legs as well, relative to the visitors. BANDING STATION, 10:00 am-11:00am We watch the banding of two BLUEJAYS (juvenile one and an older one) plus a WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW. Around the property, we saw a SHARP-SHINNED HAWK out in the fields, CORMORANT FLOCKS FLYING NORTH, BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER, RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS, ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOWS, YELLOW-SHAFTED FLICKER. At the end of Ontario Road, we saw 3 HORNED GREBES, 6+ WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS, 2 LONG-TAILED DUCKS, 1 CASPIAN TERN, COMMON LOON. BAYVIEW AVENUE, BREAKERS, 11:30-12:00 2 BONAPARTE GULLS, 3 MUTE SWANS (one displaying), 10+CASPIAN TERNS. OWL WOODS, 12:15-1pm PILEATED WOODPECKER, COOPERS HAWK, YELLOW-SHAFTED FLICKER, AMERICAN KESTREL, 2 BALD EAGLES, TURKEY VULTURE, COWBIRD, BROAD-WINGED HAWK, BARN SWALLOW, PURPLE MARTIN. No owl's nest found. BRADDOCK BAY HAWK WATCH SITE, 1:07pm 10+ BUFFLEHEAD, 6+ CORMORANT LOTT FARM, 3:30-4:30 pm SAVANNAH SPARROW (near the chain link edge on the grass and up in the chain link near the above-ground cistern) - a first for many of us. Some of us were getting leg and back cramps from sitting in the back seat for two hours up there and two hours back (never again!). We did not realize sitting in the back seat would do this! On our way out, our fearless leader found 2 UPLAND SANDPIPER foraging in the farm field near the main road, between the big white farm building and the main house. We moved up closer with the cars and got a better look with the scope, but were spooked by something (us?) and went out of sight behind a berm. Around the same time, we spotted a EASTERN MEADOWLARK in the field. The sun was full and the yellows were incredibly yellow. * * * * * * * * * *"Don't ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come ALIVE, for what the world needs is people who have come ALIVE." - Dr. Howard Thurman, American Theologian, Clergyman and Activist (1900-1981) * Sandra (Sandy) Wold Cayuga Basin Bioregion Map, Author, Originator, Designer, and Publisher, www.sites.google.com/site/cayugabioregionmap/ <https://sites.google.com/site/cayugabioregionmap/> Interdisciplinary Artist/Educator, https://www.linkedin.com/pub/sandra-sandy-wold/a7/114/877 NYS Certified Math/Science Teacher and Tutor, *www.sites.google.com/site/fallcreektutoringservices/home <http://www.sites.google.com/site/fallcreektutoringservices/home>* -- 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/ --
