Hi Everyone,
I've been keeping an eye on Tupper Lake waiting for the Sandhill Cranes to return. I observed 3 yesterday (March 30) way out in the huge marsh by the bowling alley (a scope was needed), and I heard them trumpet! A resident in Tupper Lake, Lyndon Johnson (famous name!), reported he first saw them in their usual nesting marsh on 3/29/22. This seems to be the exact date that they arrive each year! This is a great time of year to observe them with no vegetation in the way of views! We have been regularly seeing 6 finch species in the central Adirondacks - Purple Finch, Common Redpoll, Red and White-winged Crossbills, Pine Siskin, and Amer. Goldfinch. Red Crossbill fledglings were first observed on March 9 (a couple weeks earlier than I predicted) and have been observed in 3 different locations since - all in Minerva (Essex Co.). It was interesting to observe a Red Crossbill fledgling be fed by a male along Route 28N on 3/26/22. I have not yet observed a White-winged Crossbill fledgling, but it should be soon! March is the new April now when it comes to climate in the Adirondacks. In the "old days", mud season was mid-April through May as several feet of snow melted. Side/back roads were all posted as off limits to heavy trucks for those 6 weeks, but now, the roads are briefly posted in March. Arrival/migration dates continue to back up, particularly for waterfowl as the lakes melt much sooner. (Canada Goose, Wood Duck, Mallard, Amer. Black Duck, Ring-necked Duck, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, and Hooded and Common Mergansers all observed as soon as the water began to open up over the past month.) The bird life at my feeders in winter has changed dramatically over the past decade. Here are a few arrivals/sightings in the mountains over the past month: 3/26/22 Herring Gull - Long Lake N. Harrier - 3 over the Tupper Lake marshes Amer. Kestrel Merlin Eastern Phoebe Winter Wren - many - very early! 3/19/22 Turkey Vulture Golden Eagle migrant heading north 3/17/22 American Woodcock - many back and displaying 3/16/22 Northern Saw-whet Owl - tooting in Long Lake 2/26/22 Red-winged Blackbirds in Tupper Lake - very early! Canada Jays are nesting, and only one bird regularly shows up at locations where I feed them instead of pairs. We observed a pair mate-feeding on 3/26 in Minerva! Blue Jay flocks, now that they stay in the mountains in winter, continue to follow nearly every Canada Jay I observe and take their food caches (smart on the part of the Blue Jays, but devastating for Canada Jays). Black-backed Woodpecker males are working on excavating nest cavities. Ruffed Grouse began displaying in the past couple weeks. Eastern Coyotes have been very vocal howling this past month and we regularly hear them during the day also. Other mammal observations: Snowshoe Hare, Ermine (both still white), Beavers, Otters (April is a great month to observe them - and it is their mating season), and Moose tracks in N. Hudson. Eastern Chipmunks came out of hibernation on March 10th (they likely regretted that decision when the arctic snaps and snow storms come and go like a climate roller coaster). Racoons have been visiting our porch this past month, but they can't reach the feeders - they do seem to regularly bathe in the heated bird bath. In the past I could wait until May to take down feeders, but the Black Bears show up in April now - they have also backed up a month. My 23 month old grandson has been pointing out Turkey Vultures to me near his house in Willsboro. He spots them even when we are in his woods. I told him they don't sing - but they hiss, and he imitates the hissing! I tested him on my last visit asking what the Turkey Vulture says and he hissed! He also snorts and stamps like an annoyed Deer and howls like a Coyote! He has been pointing out scat to me also - so he has learned to identify Deer and Coyote scat. If I ask him what he wants to do, he always replies, "Walk" and runs for the front door, which he can open and heads out without a coat or boots! I can only get him back inside by offering food! He is a great wilderness companion! Woodpeckers continue to be his favorite group of birds. He has a sister arriving in May and I hope she'll like the outdoors too! Joan Collins Long Lake, NY -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME.htm http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES.htm http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L 3) http://birding.aba.org/maillist/NY01 Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
