This year’s CBC was quite unremarkable but we had a very pleasant, mostly sunny day for it. The total number of birds seen was rather low perhaps partially owing to the rather low numbers of birds coming to feeders because of the availability of “wild” sources. This year the 25 field observers in 9 parties and the 7 feeder watchers saw 4903 birds of 48 species whereas in 09 we had 49 species totalling 6517 birds and in 08 we recorded 7828 of 44 species. There were a few late lingerers — 1 Great Blue Heron, 2 Belted Kingfishers, 1 Flicker, 10 Cedar Waxwings, 1 Song Sparrow and 2 Brown-headed Cowbirds. And there were a few winterers from more northerly breeding areas — 2 Rough-legged Hawks, 52 Snow Buntings, 95 American Tree Sparrows, 1 Redpoll, 43 Pine Siskins and none of the sometimes-wintering grosbeaks and crossbills.
Bob Miller
Larger (pdf) view of the table below
A WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW heralded the start of a pleasant walk this morning at the Oneonta Susquehanna Greenway. The weather initially appeared threatening, and the forecast was dismal, keeping many away, so more than half of our group of 18 consisted of experienced birders, but we did have 5 youngsters show up (with parents, of course). Determination (fueled by the possibility of snow and strong winds for tomorrow's "rain date") paid off, and we were rewarded by the many, many birds singing, foraging, vying for mates, and otherwise bustling around, as well as a nice turnaround in the weather.
A young BALD EAGLE made a brief appearance, soaring low along the river. YELLOW WARBLERS were the bird of the day; I'm not sure we were ever out of range of a singing male. REDSTARTS, BALTIMORE ORIOLES, and WARBLING VIREOS were also abundant. Other highlights were a SPOTTED SANDPIPER, MAGNOLIA WARBLER, and LEAST FLYCATCHERS (our FOS).
After the walk ended, a brief foray to retrieve an unneeded umbrella left along the trail yielded a YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER drumming on a metal sign, and a CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER (also our FOS). It's unfortunate the kids weren't around for the sapsucker show.
Report by Sandy Bright and Charlie Scheim, photo (from another trip) by Dave Kiehm
List of birds seen: Immature Bald Eagle, Spotted Sandpiper, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Least Flycatcher, Eastern Phoebe, Warbling Vireo, Tree Swallow, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Black-capped Chickadees, American Robins, European Starlings (including one that went into a nest cavity), Yellow Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, American Redstart, Common Yellowthroat, Chipping Sparrow, Song Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Dark-eyed Juncos, Northern Cardinals, Red-winged Blackbirds, Common Grackles, Baltimore Orioles, American Goldfinches
It was a chilly but beautiful day for the nineteen participants who showed up for the annual DOAS-sponsored trip around Lake Otsego and its tributaries. Led by Matt Albright, Bob Donnelly and John Davis, there was plenty of expert input from other experienced birders in the group. Highlights included a Pied-billed Grebe, American Widgeon, Green-winged Teal and Bufflehead among waterfowl species, and great views of two adult and one immature Bald Eagles, several American Kestrels and a Northern Harrier among other terrestrial species. Next spring's trip is already pencilled into the calendar.
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Here's a list of most of the birds we saw: Canada Goose, Wood Duck, American Wigeon, American Black Duck, Mallard, Green-winged Teal, Ring-necked Duck, Bufflehead, Hooded Merganser, Common Merganser, Wild Turkey, Pied-billed Grebe, Great Blue Heron, Turkey Vulture, Bald Eagle (adult, immature, and another adult on nest), Northern Harrier, Red-tailed Hawk, American Kestrel (several, including 3 at one stopping point), American Coot, Killdeer, Gull species (most likely Ring-billed...), Red-bellied Woodpecker, Eastern Phoebe, Blue Jay, American Crow, Black-capped Chickadee, Eastern Bluebird, American Robin, Red-winged Blackbird, Eastern Meadowlark, Common Grackle, Brown-headed Cowbird, House Sparrow.
Text and birder photos by John Davis, other photos by Dave Kiehm
Saturday morning started clear and cool as sixteen birders and Maggie the Golden Retriever headed West from Oneonta to Montezuma NWR. En route we saw many Red-tailed Hawks, bluebirds, a Pileated Woodpecker, turkeys and many Canada Geese with a few Snow Geese mixed in.
As soon as we entered the Montezuma complex we were greeted by scores of shovelers mixed with Green-winged Teal, one striking drake Blue-winged Teal as well as numerous wigeon. Tree Swallows darted around us and a few hundred Snow Geese flew over head. All this before we reached the Visitor Center.
Moving to the Main pool we were treated to a seemingly endless raft of diving ducks. Included were Canvasbacks, Redheads, scaup and Ring-necked Ducks. Tundra Swans were mixed in as were Buffleheads and five Ruddy Ducks. In the middle of the raft sat a mature Bald Eagle atop a muskrat mound.
Other pools around the complex added more varieties of waterfowl. We found many Hooded Mergansers, Gadwall and a few Common Mergansers. Every stop we made we were accompanied by one or more Bald Eagles. One pool had more than a half dozen eagles either on muskrat mounds or soaring overhead. An amazing sight!
After lunch at the beautiful Audubon Center, we went to the DEC WMA to look for the elusive Sandhill Cranes. Our first stop showed no cranes but we did find dozens of Pintails and Green-winged Teal in the flooded stubble fields. We got great looks at some beautiful pintails. In the same area a couple of Northern Harriers constantly soared low over the fields and kept the ducks nervous.
We went to the opposite field to make one more attempt to find the cranes and one of our sharp-eyed birders found a pair feeding through the stubble a few hundred yards away. We all got great looks through scopes at these spectacular birds.
We ended our trip in the "Potato" fields and found a few hundred Snow Geese as well as more swans and beautiful Black Ducks. A Kestrel soared close by and kited while searching for food. It was a long day of birding and driving but everyone had a good time and all were amazed at the number and diversity of the avian life found. I think all look forward to next year's trip.
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List of birds seen: Snow Goose, Canada Goose, Tundra Swan, Gadwall, American Wigeon, American Black Duck, Mallard, Blue-winged Teal, Northern Shoveler, Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Redhead, Ring-necked Duck, Scaup Duck, Bufflehead, Hooded Merganser, Common Merganser, Ruddy Duck, Wild Turkey, Great Blue Heron, Turkey Vulture, Bald Eagle, Northern Harrier, Red-tailed Hawk, American Kestrel, Sandhill Crane, Killdeer, Ring-billed Gull, Herring Gull, Mourning Dove, Pileated Woodpecker, Blue Jay, American Crow, Horned Lark, Tree Swallow, Eastern Bluebird, American Robin, European Starling, Song Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Northern Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, Common Grackle.
Text and photos by Dave Kiehm
Eighteen participants disregarded a forecast bitterly cold day on January 9, for the DOAS field trip to view wintering eagles in Delaware County. The weather turned out to be not so bad, with abundant sunshine and light winds. The eagles were only moderately cooperative: nine birds were spotted along the East and West Branches of the Delaware River and Cannonsville Reservoir. This was a lower count than in recent years, and may be related to the fact that the trip was on an earlier date than usual.
What lacked in quantity was made up in quality. A lovely adult eagle perched quite cooperatively alongside a nest above the village of Deposit. It eventually headed downriver in dramatic flight. Another great sight was two immature eagles scrapping over a fish that one had captured. This battle continued for several minutes at close range. The trip concluded with a congenial lunch and bird talk in Downsville.
Andy Mason
(Eagle photos, taken during the field trip from far away, by Dave Kiehm. Eagle-watchers photo by Andy Mason.)
