Birds

Talk about sightings and get help identifying Plants, Animals, Fish, and Fungi. Share pictures and video.

Moderators: Brenda, Kelly

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Brenda
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Greetings all! What a beautiful morning here in the heart of the Finger Lakes! We spotted our first returning Tree Swallow this morning. The herons began to return over the weekend, and we've spotted both green and blue heading north. If anyone has any cool sightings, please let me know. Likewise, if you see anything that you can't identify, I'll be happy to try to help, though I'm no expert. Unlike the majority of the membership, I'll be checking in here during the day, so if you post at night you won't receive a response until the following day. I only have a computer in my office, and I'm rarely out here after business hours. I can force myself to unplug that way. :) I hope to hear from folks!
Last edited by Brenda on Tue May 15, 2007 10:02 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Matt
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Normally I'm not into birds... I had to watch them non-stop in college, but this summer I'm hoping to get a new camera and high speed telephoto lens... so I'll be out with my audubon guide taking bird shots for the wildlife section.

Speaking of which, that section is in development. I may need your help with identifying species as photos trickle in.
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Brenda
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I'll be happy to help! BTW, I noticed that you already had the Otisco info complete, after I commented on it. Duh!
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cbobcat49
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Every year around late April (bird migration time) I try to head out to Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge. Usually really early on a Saturday morning. There's a heron rookery there. Literally dozens of them nesting. It's cool to watch them fly off into the marsh looking for food for their young. About one takes off every 30 seconds. There's also lots of hawks and sometimes a few bald eagles are seen.

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Brenda
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I had some guests drive up to Montezuma yesterday. They said there were hundreds of ducks, but they didn't report seeing anything terribly exciting. I know that early mornings are the best time to see activity, but if I suggest that to my guests I'll have to serve breakfast at 6:00! :cry: There are still several GB Heron rookeries along the cliffs on the west side of Cayuga Lake, where it's too high and steep for anyone to build. It is very cool to watch them while drifting past in the boat.
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Jennifer
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Hi Brenda, I'm just down the road a bit near Watkins Glen. Some friends and I took a ride up to Montezuma on Saturday. We arrived around 9am and saw tons of Canadian Geese. We also saw many grebes, some shovelers, as well as a few heron, snow geese, ospreys. There were even hundreds of carp congregating in the canal trying to reach the warm waters coming through the overflow of the swamp. We found a pair of nesting eagles, too. We arrived just in time to see the "changing of the guard." Two of us left early but the other two wound up seeing a bittern after we left.

http://butterflysis.smugmug.com/gallery ... #140074276
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Brenda
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Hi Jennifer,

I really enjoy visiting Montezuma. I think that we'll plan a trip there this weekend, if we don't have anyone here. Aren't those carp amazing? I forgot to mention them to the folks who drove up there the other day. Where is the eagles nest? Tschache Pool? Thanks for reporting your sightings!
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Jennifer
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Brenda, this was actually my first time there! I've been wanting to go for awhile but hadn't made it.

Yes, the carp were amazing. There were so many!

The eagles were by the locks.

Btw, your cabins look really cute!
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