Brad Walker and I toured the Basin on Saturday as part of eBird's Global Big Day (http://ebird.org/ebird/globalbigday). Our goal, in addition to seeing a lot of birds, was to attempt a Media Big Day, gathering audio recordings or photographs of as many species as possible. While the morning conditions were excellent, strong winds and several bands of thunderstorms made for challenging conditions during the day. Still, we were able to tally 181 species for the day, six higher than Livia's and my effort last year. We're still in the process of editing and uploading the media, but it looks like we should have media documentation for 170 species.
Here are some of the highlights: –Good night birding with a few nocturnal migrants and all three common owls –The continuing HENSLOW'S SPARROW singing well in the middle of the night –A surprise EASTERN WHIP-POOR-WILL flushed off the side of the road on Bald Hill Road in Danby –AMERICAN BITTERN and ACADIAN FLYCATCHER at Michigan Hollow before dawn (just outside the Basin but on the way) –A nice morning at Lindsay-Parsons and vicinity with most of the usual breeders plus migrant BAY-BREASTED and CAPE MAY WARBLERS, NORTHERN PARULA, and PHILADELPHIA VIREO –A late male AMERICAN WIGEON on Jennings Pond –Continuing cooperative CLAY-COLORED SPARROW on campus –A few lingering ducks at Stewart Park, including LESSER SCAUP, BUFFLEHEAD, and RED-BREASTED MERGANSER, as well as Palm and Blackpoll warblers at the swan pen –GRASSHOPPER SPARROW in Lake Road fields –Crazy numbers of COMMON TERNS and BONAPARTE'S GULLS at Frontenac Marina, as well as one FORSTER'S; others also had HORNED GREBES here –Late male COMMON GOLDENEYE off Mud Lock It was windy and rainy by the time we reached Montezuma, but we were able to pick up most of what we needed, including –Five LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS along with DUNLIN, SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, both yellowlegs, Least Sandpiper, Solitary Sandpiper, and Spotted Sandpiper at Tschache Pool –Continuing PROTHONOTARY WARBLER at Armitage Road –UPLAND SANDPIPERS at Lott Farm in Seneca Falls –Three SURF SCOTERS found by Matt Medler off Cayuga Lake State Park; others had a female BLACK SCOTER there later in the evening! –Two GLOSSY IBIS feeding in Knox-Marsellus, also found by Matt Medler and seen that morning by refuge staff at the visitor center; these birds disappeared soon after we arrived All in all, a challenging day but with enough surprises to keep it exciting! Major misses were Wilson's and Mourning warblers, Broad-winged and Red-shouldered hawks, Trumpeter Swan, Sandhill Crane, Ring-necked Pheasant, Vesper and Lincoln's sparrows, Winter Wren, and a few of the rarities found during the day (saw-whet, Olive-sided, Red-headed, Black Scoter, Horned Grebe). Here are a few lists from the day: Barred Owl at Sapsucker Woods with some nice recordings: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S29677674 Henslow's pre-dawn: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S29677702 Way too many recordings from Lindsay-Parsons in the morning: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S29677809 Tschache distant shorebirds: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S29678450 East Road ibis: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S29678483 -- 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/ --
