For a number of years the management at Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge has allowed a limited number of the public into normally restricted areas on a few days in summer to observe migrant shorebirds on guided walks.
Reuben Stoltzfus has been talking to staff to see what can be arranged this year, hoping for a series of morning walks through August into the beginning of September. They would happen on Saturdays, which would allow Amish and Mennonite birders to participate. Reuben asked me to write to CayugaBirds-L to let you know what’s happening. Anyone is welcome to forward this info to other regional list-serves. The shorebird habitat is best at Tschache Pool, so that’s where he anticipates walks to occur, but the vegetation is currently too tall alongside the dike road to view it except by standing on the bed of a pick-up truck. That’s how Jay McGowan, helping the folks who regularly census the birds for the refuge, was able to amass a very respectable list of shorebird species a couple days ago. Public vehicles would not be allowed on walks, so staff will have to cut some gaps in the roadside vegetation before walks are practical, and there will be a limit as to how far along the several-mile-long dike that walks will be allowed to go. If staff are able to do this work in the next few days, then the first walk might be this Saturday, August 5th, and Reuben is willing to lead a trip that morning. That would be very short notice, so keep an eye out for a sign-up notice. Reuben also plans to lead walks on the 12th and the 19th, when it is more likely that the habitat will be viewable. If there are folks willing to lead walks on August 26th and September 2nd, when Reuben cannot, that would be great, so please think about helping that way. When word goes out how to sign up to go on the early walks, that may also be the chance to sign up to lead a later walk. If and when walks are permitted, Reuben anticipates starting at 7am at the parking lot by the Tschache Pool tower off NYS-89 just north its I-90 overpass. Numbers of participants should not be as limited as they were during COVID. I hope to have more information for you soon. - - Dave Nutter -- 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/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/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/ --
