March - Northern New York Audubon

Northern New York Audubon
Serving the Adirondack, Champlain, St.Lawrence Region of New York State
Mission: To conserve and restore natural ecosystems in the Adirondacks, focusing on
birds, other wildlife, and their habitats for the benefit of humanity and the Earth's
biological diversity.
Volume 42 Number 1
March-May 2014
NNYA 2013/14 Species of Concern Grant ($1,150)
Mark Manske, Adirondack Raptors, Inc.
The American Kestrel Project
Mark Manske and Adirondack Raptors, Inc. has studied and attempted to increase the population of American kestrels in the Adirondack Park by installing nesting boxes and monitoring the reproductive success of the species. During the first 11 years 286 of 1,492 nest boxes
(19.2%) produced 1,021 chicks. The next phase of the project involves analyzing the success rate of active nests apropos of road type and activity, with active nests monitored by
Samsung Video Baby Monitors in order to determine fledging dates and the number of
chicks fledged per road type, i.e., blacktop versus dirt.
NNYA 2013/14 Climate Change Grant ($980)
Dr. Ezra Schwartzberg, Adirondack Research, Inc.
Initiation of a Monitoring Program for Climate Change Adaptation: Fixed
Radius Bird Surveys at Intervale Lowlands
Dr. Schwartzberg contracted an ornithologist to perform a set of 18-20 fixed radius acoustic
avian surveys, which will allow researchers to estimate avian community composition, to
monitor population changes and to analyze population responses to anthropogenic changes,
including climate change. The data gathered will be used in occupancy modeling and for
future metapopulation analyses aimed at estimating the sensitivity of birds to climate change
in northern New York. The project will incorporate the data collected into the Intervale
Lowlands database as well as eBird and be published within two weeks of the survey.
Moose River
Plains Grants
2013/2014
1 NNYA’s
MassawepieMessage
Mire
21 President’s
Roosevelt Truck Trail Field Trip
2 Westport Boat Launch
Coon Mountain
2 Poke-O-Moonshine Field Trip
Crown Point Banding Station
Hill to Robert
2 Wilson
2014 Operating
dates Moses State
Park—Louisville & Massena
(St. Lawrence
County)
Wild
Forest Field
3 Huntington
NNYA 2013/2014 /Conservation Grant ($1,125)
2
Stephen Langdon Recurring Bird Surveys in Lowland Boreal Habitat at
Shingle Shanty Preserve and Research Station.
3
Shingle Shanty Preserve and Research Station includes on its 15,000 acre property the Glacial Lake St. Agnes peatland complex, one of the largest and most remote wetland complexes
in the Adirondack Park with approximately 1,800 acres of lowland boreal habitat, including
large, intact ecological communities, such as black spruce-tamarack bog, dwarf shrub bog
and marsh headwater stream that have been ranked as “exemplary” by the New York Natural
Heritage Program. The preserve has historically had rare bird species, including spruce
grouse, Canada jay and rusty blackbird. Staff at the preserve has been conducting surveys
for lowland boreal birds since 2000, and this grant will enable them to continue their work
during the breeding season of 2014.
NNYA 2013/2014 Avian Research Grant ($500)
Jacob L. Berl
Red-Headed Woodpecker Breeding Ecology and Nest-Site Selection
The red-headed woodpecker breeding ecology project focuses primarily on quantifying the
breeding ecology and habitat selection of red-headed woodpeckers on the Fort Drum Military
Installation. The specific research objectives relate directly to establishing management
guidelines for the breeding population with the overall goal of managing additional quality
habitat for the species on Fort Drum, as well as to obtain important baseline demographic
data (i.e., nesting success) for the population.
NNYA 2013/14 Hamilton County Lecture Grant ($750)
Dr. Bruce Beehler
Dr. Beehler delivered Part II of his fascinating lecture about his work in Papua New Guinea,
where he has studied endemic species for twenty-five years, including species previously
unknown to science. Dr. Beehler developed an instant rapport with the packed audience, and
held them spellbound with photos, videos and even a 60 Minutes news story that included
incredible footage of rare and fantastical bower birds showing off their elaborate nests and
mind-bogglingly elaborate courtship displays. Dr. Beehler’s experiences awed quite a few
attendees, and an almost embarrassingly long question and answer period kept the lively pace
of the presentation going well into the evening.
3
3
4
3
Trip
Hull’s Falls Road Bird Walk
Ausable Marsh
President’s Message
Deadlines for NNYA Conservation Grant Applications
Thank You Rishe’s Auto Service
Attention 11– to 17– Year Olds:
DEC
Summer
Camp
For Free
National
Audubon
Society
Email
Newsletter Initiative
The Warbler Guide, Reviewed by
Crown
Point Banding Report
Joan
Collins
NABA’s
2010Guide,
Lake Placid
Warbler
continued
53 The
ButterflySnowy
CountOwl Irruption
2013/14
Effects
of Climate
46 Projected
Elizabethtown
Christmas
Bird
Change
Count on High Elevation Forests
Ferrisburgh,
CBCGraph
Bicknell’s
Thrush VT
Habitat
5 54th
Osgood River
6 41st Massena Christmas Bird
Wild Center/Cornell Lab Course
6 Count
Wild Center Intern Letter
7 Plattsburgh Christmas Bird
Poetry Corner/Dramatic Frag7 Count
ment/Become a Member
7 58th Saranac Lake Christmas
NNYA
Annual Meeting/Outing
7 Bird
Count
Report & Sightings
7 Snowy Owl at rest—a formal
8 Editor’s
portrait Note
8 Editor’s Note
2
President’s Message
NNYA
Northern New York Audubon, Inc.
Board of Directors
Leah Valerio
President
Tupper Lake (518) 359-7800
Larry Master, PhD
Vice-President
Lake Placid (518) 645-1545
Leslie Karasin
Treasurer
Saranac Lake (518) 891-2193
Kathleen Wiley
Secretary
Keene Valley (518) 576-6405
Alan Belford Saranac Lake
Michael Burgesss, PhD Ausable Fks
Joan Collins Long Lake
Thomas Cullen Childwold
Charlotte Demers Newcomb
Lisa Godfrey Norristown, PA
Glenn Johnson, PhD Potsdam
Lewis Lolya Paul Smiths
Brian McAllister Saranac Lake
Melanie McCormack Keene
Peter O’Shea Fine
Angelina Ross Canton
Jacob Straub, PhD Plattsburgh
John Thaxton Keene
Pat Thaxton Keene
Mary Beth Warburton Potsdam
Eileen Wheeler Canton
Northern New York Audubon, Inc.
A chapter of National Audubon Society
serving the Adirondack, Champlain and
St. Lawrence regions of northern New
York, including Clinton, Essex, Franklin,
Hamilton and St. Lawrence counties.
Correspondence and Membership
Information
Northern New York Audubon
PO Box 488
Keene Valley, New York 12943-0488
John Thaxton, Newsletter Editor
PO Box 488
Keene Valley, NY 12943-0488
NNYA Web Site: www.nnya.org
Charlotte Demers, Web Master
Northern New York Audubon Newsletter is
published by Northern New York
Audubon, Inc.
Vol. 42
No. 1
Every morning I invite the locals over for breakfast. I get up and start the coffee,
feed and walk the dog and then settle into my comfy chair and spend quality time
with the birds in my backyard. From the usual suspects who hang out at my feeders
to the family group of cows who inhabit the woods beyond my deck—there is quite
a crowd at the morning buffet. And to be honest, this is the only time I spend with
them lately. Finding the time away from work to unplug and enjoy nature has become increasingly harder these days.
One of the greatest assets of being a birder is that you can enjoy this
hobby almost anywhere. You can take it with you on any trip. You can be in your
pjs in the comfort of your own home. Or, if you’re like me, you can watch a live
stream of one of the plethora of nest cams while you’re at work but dreaming of
being outside.
Check out our Facebook page and our web site to stay connected with
what’s happening in our region and let us know if you have any suggestions about
what you’d like to see on our page and site.
Happy Birding!
—Leah Valerio
Saturday, March 1, 2014
Snowshoe the Roosevelt Truck Trail
Minerva, NY
Time: 8 a.m.
Meet: Long Lake Town Offices parking area for transportation to the trailhead on
the comfortable Long Lake bus!
Leader: Joan Collins
Bring: Water and snacks/lunch
Registration: Contact Long Lake Parks & Recreation Dept. @ 518.624.3077
Lovely, mature boreal habitat spans the 2.5 mile long Roosevelt Truck Trail. This
wide, road-sized trail runs between Route 28N and the Blue Ridge Road in Minerva. Joan Collins will lead a snowshoe hike along this route beginning at the
Blue Ridge Road trailhead and ending at the Route 28N trailhead. The trail has
hilly and level terrain with an overall loss of 100 feet in elevation by the end of our
hike. The habitat along the route provides a year-round home to many boreal bird
species. Participants will also be looking for animal tracks. There are restrooms at
our meeting location, and two outhouses along the trail! This field trip is jointly
sponsored by the Long Lake Parks and Recreation Department and Northern New
York Audubon.
Saturday, May 3rd, 2014
Poke-O-Moonshine Mountain
Chesterfield, NY
Time: 7:30 a.m.
Meet: Poke-O-Moonshine Observer Trailhead (new parking lot—4 miles on right
from I-87 exit 33
Leader: Michael Burgess, Assistant Professor of Botany, SUNY Plattsburgh
Bring: Water/snacks
Registration: Send email with contact information (name, address, email & phone)
to michael.b.burgess@ plattsburgh.edu
Join Professor Burgess for a hike up Poke-O-Moonshine Mountain to look for
spring migrants, including peregrine falcons that nest on the cliffs here. A wide
variety of spring migrants always get reported from Poke-O and the new trail has a
much more forgiving grade that the original, steep ascent.
Crown Point Bird Banding Station
To Be Announced
Contact Gordon Howard:
[email protected]
3
Saturday May 10th, 2014
Huntington Wildlife Forest
Newcomb, NY
Time: 9:00 a.m.
Meet: At the Adirondack Interpretive Center, 5922 State
Route 28N Newcomb, NY
Leader: Charlotte Demers
Registration: Email to [email protected] or call the AIC at
(518) 582-2000
A beautiful 2-3 mile walk in the privately owned Huntington Wildlife Forest. We will be walking along a level dirt
road that parallels a lovely marsh at the west end of
Rich Lake. The walk continues to a small pond and includes both conifer and hardwood habitats. Plan on two
hours of easy walking.
Saturday, May 17th, 2014
Hulls Falls Road
Keene Valley, NY
Time: 7:30 a.m.
Leaders: Ruth Kuhfahl, Pat & John Thaxton
Meet: Hulls Falls Road @ Marcy Field
Registration: No need to register—just come.
The annual Hurricane ADK/Northern New York Audubon
bird walk with Ruth Kuhfahl and leaders Pat and John Thaxton, will meet at the Keene Valley end of Hulls Falls Road.
No need to register—just come. We have always had sightings of an interesting variety of species. On a previous year’s
May walk in this diverse, riverside habitat we found nesting
pine warblers, solitary sandpipers and bay-breasted warbler.
The walk consists of a leisurely mile –and-a-half to two miles,
and several of us will have spotting scopes to bring in birds
determined to stay beyond binocular reach.
The trip traditionally attracts quite a few birders, as
well an non-birders, and usually breaks up just in time for a
slightly late breakfast or a slightly early brunch, both readily
available in Keene & Keene Valley
New NNYA Board Members Needed
The NNYA Board of Directors needs a few new members in
order to fully implement our very varied agenda. The Board
meets six times a year and has a significant impact on Adirondack conservation issues.
Please contact Leah Valerio with any suggestion:
[email protected]
NNYA maintains a very active Facebook site,
complete with information about field trips, programs, festivals and celebrations.
Friend us on Facebook!
**Deadlines for Grant Applications**
Northern New York Audubon (NNYA) is now accepting applications for the 2014/2015 NNYA Environmental and Conservation Grants. Projects that support the conservation ideals
of NNYA, either through research or education, are eligible
for this grant. Eligibility includes, but is not limited to, environmental organizations, teachers, graduate students, and research project managers
This year’s projects ranged widely, from studies of
red-headed woodpeckers and rusty blackbirds to extensive
analyses of bird-friendly hayfields as refugia for North Country grassland birds and management recommendations for
golden-winged warbler habitat along utility rights of way.
Applicants should submit a description of their project, a time frame for doing the work and an overall budget.
Although most of the work we fund tends to involve studying
birds and their habitats, we have given grants for research into
acid rain and its effects on aquatic ecosystems, for lectures
delivered at both the Paul Smiths Great Adirondack Birding
Celebration and the Hamilton County Birding Festival. We
also allocated funds to pay half the salary of a naturalist intern
at The Wild Center.
Application procedures and forms can be downloaded from the Northern New York Audubon web site here http://nnya.org/conservation/cullman/
The email deadline is March 31, 2014; the USPS
deadline is March 21, 2014.
Attention 11- to 17-Year Olds
Attend a DEC Summer Camp for Free
Northern New York Audubon seeks to sponsor a teen 11 to17
years of age for a week at the DEC’s Camp Colby in Saranac
Lake or Camp Pack Forest in Warrensburg.
In addition to ecology workshops and field study in
various habitats, campers may enjoy canoeing, swimming,
hiking, or hunter safety, games, and other optional activities
such as archery and fishing. Full information is available at:
www.dec.state.ny.us/website/education/edcamps/html
For a great time enjoying the outdoors and learning
about nature and the environment, send us a paragraph about
why you would like to go to camp. Include your name, address, age, and phone number. You may send it online or to
NNYA Scholarship, 585 Pink School Road, Canton, NY
13617. The deadline for applications is March 31st. Good
luck!
For more information about the contest contact:
Brian McAllister at (518) 637-1773, (e-mail:
[email protected] ) or Eileen Wheeler at (315) 386-2482,
(e-mail: [email protected]).
Save the Dates
Great Adirondack Birding Celebration
June 6th-8th
Hamilton County Birding Festival
June 13th-15th
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In The Warbler Guide, the species accounts begin
on page 138! The first part of the book is a treasure trove of
information about warblers and includes: how to use the book
(important information on the icons used in the species accounts), a detailed topographic tour of a warbler, what things
to notice on a warbler (with lots of tip information on color,
contrast, and lighting), aging and sexing warblers, understanding sonograms, how to listen to warbler songs, chip and
flight calls, visual guides, and warbler song, chip, and flight
call finders.
The visual guides are already a huge hit! They include the following “quick finders,” face shots, side views, 45
degree views, under views, east coast species, west coast species, and of course, undertail patterns! Throughout the book,
the authors use a big, black check by field marks that are diagnostic for species identification. For example, all you need
to see to identify a Magnolia Warbler is its undertail with the
inch of black at the tail tip and white undertail coverts, or the
chestnut cheek patch surrounded by yellow to identify a Cape
May Warbler.
There are also auditory guides that include song,
chip and call note finders using aspects of the sound such as
trilled, buzzy, complex, or clear, and pitch – rising, falling, or
steady, and low or high. If you are interested in using the
book to learn more about warbler vocalizations, you will want
to order The Warbler Guide Song and Call Companion. All
of the referenced song and call clips in the book, with sonograms, are on this comprehensive companion.
Book Review
The Warbler Guide by Tom Stephenson and Scott Whittle
Princeton University Press, 2013
560 pages, $29.95, softcover
Several years ago, on the international list serve “Birdchat,” a
person asked for the best location to see breeding warblers in
the United States. Someone else answered, “Northern New
York!” Our local Audubon chapter is fortunate to encompass
the breeding warbler hotspot of the U.S., and it is hard to
come up with any other location that has as many breeding
warbler species. From the St. Lawrence Valley across the
Adirondack Mountains to the Lake Champlain Valley there
are 30 warbler species listed in “The Second Atlas of Breeding Birds in New York State”!
As the warbler species move back in during the
spring, males begin to sing. Birders find themselves relearning all those songs – with many that sound frustratingly alike!
Was that an American Redstart or Magnolia?... Yellow or
Chestnut-sided?... Blackburnian or Nashville!? In the fall,
silent warblers confound identification in their drab fall plumage. Was that a Cape May or Yellow-rumped, etc.?! Well,
there is now a wonderful new resource to help not just with
visual identification, but with detailed auditory identification
also. “The Warbler Guide” by Tom Stephenson and Scott
Whittle, is an invaluable resource for birders with a serious
interest in all aspects of warblers.
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The species accounts are filled with photographs.
Each account begins with icons (for both males and females)
that show profile, color scheme, undertail pattern, breeding
range in the U.S., foraging height in the canopy, and foraging
behavior. Males are covered first with images from three
different angles and detailed descriptions, plus additional photos of “distinctive views” showing diagnostic field marks, and
more photos that include flight shots, distinctive behaviors,
and comparison species. There is also a page on aging and
sexing – spring and fall adult males and females, along with
first year males and females. A map of North and South
America showing fall and spring migration routes, and breeding and wintering locations is also given. Next, my favorite
part of the species accounts, is the auditory section. Sonograms for each song, and variations of that song, are given
(sonograms are indexed by letters and numbers for songs and
variations), followed by similar sounding songs of other species – including exactly which song and variation to compare
it to! The song and call companion is set up in order with the
book, so you can sit with the book open and play the vocalizations as you look at the sonograms. The authors include text
to explain how the similar sounding species songs are similar
and how they differ, referencing “elements,” “phrases,” and
“sections” of the vocalizations that are visually depicted in the
sonograms. Females are covered last with similar detailed
information and photographs.
After the species accounts, there is even more information! Similar non-warbler species and hybrid warblers are
covered, there is a quiz and review section, warblers in flight
are shown, with verbal descriptions of their flight style and
features, a North American taxonomy chart is given, a measurements table is listed, silhouettes of warbler species are
depicted, and habitat and behavior is described for each species.
The Warbler Guide is a remarkable accomplishment! Now, if only the authors would shift their focus to
sparrows!
—Joan Collins
Mountain Birdwatch Needs Volunteers
Do you enjoy hiking? Are you a birder- or would you like to
learn more about bird identification to support a conservation
effort? Mountain Birdwatch is a long-term monitoring program for Bicknell’s Thrush and other high-elevation forest
birds. We’re looking for beginner to experienced birdwatchers who are strong hikers to conduct a survey in the Adirondacks, Catskills, Green and White Mountains, or Maine. Hike
a scenic mountain trail, enjoy the sunrise, and count birds for
conservation! To learn more about Mountain Birdwatch protocols, visit http://www.vtecostudies.org/MBW/prep.html, or
to check out our list of available routes, see http://
www.vtecostudies.org/MBW/availableroutes.html . Please
contact Mountain Birdwatch director Judith Scarl (jscarl@
vtecostudies.org) if you’d like to learn more about this exciting program!
2013/2014 Snowy Owl Irruption
After the astonishing snowy owl irruption of 2011/2012, no
one expected any significant snowy owl activity for another
four or five years, the usual interval between snowie irruptions, which coincide with indecipherable fluctuations in vole
populations in the arctic. Snowy breeding productivity has to
do with protein levels, with the result that when vole populations spike these owls produce more young, in bumper crop
years fledging as many as fifteen young.
This hyper-fecundity results in a mass eviction of
young birds, which disperse in search of food, which this autumn/winter found them littering the eastern United States as
far south as Florida and Puerto Rico, with unprecedented
numbers in the Adirondacks and adjacent North Country locations. A mid-February Snowy Owl Blitz in Addison County,
Vermont, immediately across Lake Champlain from the
Crown Point/Port Henry section of the Adirondacks, found 24
snowy owls.
On the way to get my blood drawn at my doctor’s
office in Keene, Pat shouted, “Snowy Owl.” and I slammed
on the brakes, skidding slightly as the anti-lock brakes chattered and then spotted the owl, perched on that dilapidated
barn at the intersection of Routes 73 & 9N.
I called Larry Master, who took the top photo below
a few minutes later. He captured the bottom image in Addi—JT
son, VT a few weeks later.
Photos by Larry Master/masterimages.org
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2013 Christmas Bird Counts
Elizabethtown CBC
Elizabethtown NY – 44° 13' N 73° 36' W centered at Essex
County courthouse. The 2013 count was held on Saturday
December 21 from 5:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Sixteen observers
participated in the count for a total of 35.10 party-hours, covering 11 miles on foot and 261 miles by car. Temperatures
ranged from 29° F to 38° F. Although the winds were calm in
the morning they shifted and were coming out of the north by
the afternoon. The weather conditions were less than ideal for
both birds and observers with the roads icy and difficult to
access. Snow cover ranged from 1” in the valley up to 8” in
the woods and on the trail to Hurricane. Still water was frozen while moving water was partly open. Light rain occurred
throughout the day.
Graylag Goose 2, Canada Goose 10, Mallard 16, Common
Merganser 1, Ring-necked Pheasant 1, Ruffed Grouse 5,
Wild Turkey 2, Bald Eagle 2, Red-tailed Hawk 9, Roughlegged Hawk 1, Rock Pigeon 106, Mourning Dove 127,
Downy Woodpecker 17, Hairy Woodpecker 9, Pileated
Woodpecker, 5, Blue Jay 119, American Crow 143, Common Raven 13, Black-capped Chickadee 301, Tufted Titmouse 8, Red-breasted Nuthatch 37, White-breasted Nuthatch 4, Brown Creeper 13, Golden-crowned Kinglet 21,
Eastern Bluebird 1, American Robin 66, European Starling
95, Cedar Waxwing 62, American Tree Sparrow 22, Darkeyed (Slate-colored) Junco 107, Snow Bunting 24, Northern Cardinal 4, Red Crossbill 5, American Goldfinch 808,
House Sparrow 46. Two count week birds were a Sharpshinned Hawk and Purple Finch.
Totals: 36 species and 2212 individuals. This is just below
average for both number species (38) and number of individuals (2795) but not the worst year ever despite the challenging
conditions.
Participants: Becky Bosley, Robin Brown, Eric Damour,
Charlotte Demers, Denise Griffin. Judy Heintz, Fuat Latiff,
Megan Murphy, Beth Nickerson, Dan Nickerson, Jim Otto,
Timothy Quaid, Carole Slatkin, Eric Teed, John Thaxton, Pat
Thaxton. —Charlotte Demers
54th Ferrisburgh, VT CBC
Fifty-one people took to the field to observe and count, with
an additional four feeder counters. Though the day was cold
and overcast the relative lack of wind provided good conditions for counting. Observers found a total of 24,552 birds of
79 species with one additional count period species (a merlin). Our running ten-year average including this year is
22,013 birds of 80 species. An abundance of juniper cones
and wild grapes kept many fruit eaters around. For the second time in three years we found over 3,000 robins—prior to
2011 the record had been 1,575 in 1994. Along with the robins we found an astonishing 55 yellow-rumped warblers. The
55th Annual Ferrisburgh, VT CBC is scheduled for Saturday,
December 20, 2014.
Species: common loon 25, horned grebe 37, double-crested
cormorant 2, Canada goose 6,364, snow goose 1, mallard 494,
American black duck 176, northern pintail 2, green-winged
teal 1, wood duck 1, gadwall 1, ring-necked duck 4, greater
scaup 1, lesser scaup 1, scaup spp. 23, common goldeneye
1,599, bufflehead 52, long-tailed duck 3, white-winged scoter
4, hooded merganser 36, common merganser 152, redbreasted merganser 3, sharp-shinned hawk 2, Cooper’s hawk
9, red-tailed hawk 82, rough-legged hawk 24, bald eagle 16,
northern harrier 7, merlin 1 (count period), peregrine falcon 3,
ruffed grouse 1, ring-necked pheasant 1, wild turkey 94, great
black-backed gull 49, herring gull 56, ring-billed gull 461,
rock pigeon 920, mourning dove 499, eastern screech-owl 14,
great horned owl 5, barred owl 7; short-eared owl 2, snowy
owl 1, northern flicker 13, pileated woodpecker 12, hairy
woodpecker 40, downy woodpecker 99, red-bellied woodpecker 19, yellow-bellied sapsucker 4, northern shrike 4, blue
jay 243, common raven 47, American crow 336, horned lark
183, black-capped chickadee 647, tufted titmouse 57, whitebreasted nuthatch 93, red-breasted nuthatch 4, brown creeper
8, Carolina wren 4, American robin 3,441, northern mockingbird 1, eastern bluebird 89, golden-crowned kinglet 11, European starling 4,142, cedar waxwing 648, bohemian waxwing
1, yellow-rumped warbler 55, northern cardinal 139, eastern
towhee 1, dark-eyed junco 474, American tree sparrow 580,
white-throated sparrow 20, song sparrow 4, snow bunting
471, red-winged blackbird 10, brown-headed cowbird 1, purple finch 23, house finch 146, American goldfinch 708, house
sparrow 508. Totals: Species: 79 (+1 count period); Individuals: 24, 552.
—Mike Winslow
41st Massena, NY/Cornwall CBC
The 41st Annual Massena, NY/Cornwall, Ontario Christmas
Bird Count took place on Saturday, December 28, 2013. A
total of 19 field observers and 10 feeder watchers recorded 54
species and 10,888 individuals. It was an interesting day
birding with lots of snow on the ground and strong winds.
The drifting snow reduced access to certain areas due to the
unplowed roads. Most feeders were quiet as birds took shelter from the winds. The temperature ranged from -3 centigrade to +3 centigrade with variable visibility along the St
Lawrence River. The St Lawrence River was wide open except for sheltered bays that were frozen or had ice along the
shoreline. The overall variety of birds was low on the river
too. The 42nd annual Massena, NY/Cornwall, Ontario CBC is
set for Saturday, December 27, 2014.
Species: Canada goose 31, American black duck 12, mallard
59, long-tailed duck 6 (record high), bufflehead 24, common
goldeneye 277, hooded merganser 6, common merganser 380,
red-breasted merganser 19, ring-necked pheasant 1, ruffed
grouse 1, wild turkey 63, common loon 1, double-crested cormorant 1, bald eagle 11 (record high), sharp-shinned hawk 2,
northern goshawk 1, red-tailed hawk 4, herring gull 761, Iceland gull 53 (record high), lesser black-backed gull 2 (record
high), glaucous gull 69 (record high), great black-backed gull
686, rock pigeon 416, mourning dove 106, snowy owl 5
(record high), downy woodpecker 24, hairy woodpecker 11,
northern flicker 5, pileated woodpecker 6, merlin 2, northern
shrike 2, blue jay 187, American crow 5,744, common raven
4, black-capped chickadee 431, red-breasted nuthatch 1,
white-breasted nuthatch 33, brown creeper 6, Carolina wren
1, golden-crowned kinglet 4, American robin 33, European
starling 551, cedar waxwing 102, Lapland longspur 2, snow
bunting 255, American tree sparrow 103, white-throated sparrow 1, dark-eyed junco 71, northern cardinal 35, purple finch
7
1, house finch 2, American goldfinch 221, house sparrow 53.
Total Species: 54; Total Individuals: 10,888. -Bruce DiLabio
Plattsburgh CBC
Plattsburgh NY – 44.6495990000 73.4736910000, centered
on Plattsburgh AFB. The 2013 count was held on Sunday,
December 15 from 5:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Eighteen observers participated in the count for a total of 77
party-hours, covering 6 miles on foot and 370 miles by car.
Temperatures ranged from 7.4° F to 18.8° F. Winds were
calm, coming out of the northeast. The weather conditions
were treacherous with heavy morning snow and light snow in
the afternoon.. Snow cover ranged from 4" to 6”. Still water
was partly frozen while moving water was partly open.
Species: snow goose 5,670; Canada goose 6,060; American
black duck 26; mallard 808; lesser scaup 450; scaup sp.
3,500; long-tailed duck 2; bufflehead 14; common goldeneye
942; hooded merganser 9; common merganser 140; redbreasted merganser 4; ruffed grouse 1; wild turkey 43; common loon 8; horned grebe 3; Great Blue Heron (Blue form) 1;
Bald Eagle 2; Northern Harrier 3; Sharp-shinned Hawk 1;
Cooper's Hawk 1; red-tailed hawk 12; rough-legged hawk 4;
merlin 1; peregrine falcon 1; ring-billed gull 106; herring gull
109; glaucous gull 2; great black-backed gull 30; gull sp. 80;
rock pigeon 116; mourning dove 345; belted kingfisher 1;
downy woodpecker 27; hairy woodpecker 21; northern flicker
1; pileated woodpecker 3; northern shrike 2; blue jay 89;
American crow 5,571; common raven 3; horned lark 14;
black-capped chickadee 216; tufted titmouse 4; red-breasted
nuthatch 1; white-breasted nuthatch 19; Carolina wren 3; eastern bluebird 3; American robin 63; northern mockingbird 1;
European starling 205; cedar waxwing 124; American tree
sparrow 60; white-throated sparrow 3; dark-eyed junco 190;
snow bunting 129; northern cardinal 65; brown-headed cowbird 2; house finch 34; American goldfinch 251; house sparrow 42. Totals: Species: 61; Individuals: 25,631;
—Michael Burgess
58th Saranac Lake CBC
Saranac Lake, N.Y. -44°19’0”N 74°04’23”W, mostly as adjust very slightly (a few seconds) in 2007 to be more precise
(using Google Earth). Dec. 29, 2013; 2:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Temperature 20° to 40°. Wind 1-15 mph. Snow depth 1-4 in.
Still water frozen. Moving water partly frozen. A.M. cloudy.
P.M. cloudy. Observers: 43 in field in 16-17 parties
(non-owling), plus 1 at feeders. Time and distance: 5 hours
at feeders; 8.5 hours and 86 miles owling. Total party-hours
101.5 and party miles 460.9: 56.25 hours and 48 miles on
foot, 43.25 hours and 406.9 miles by car, 2 hours and 6 miles
by kayak.
Totals: American black duck 23, mallard 425, Common
goldeneye 1; hooded merganser 35; ruffed grouse 19; wild
turkey 30; bald eagle 2; red-tailed hawk 1; roughed-legged
hawk 1; rock pigeon 291; mourning dove 39; great horned
owl cw; barred owl 8; northern saw whet owl 1; belted kingfisher 1; downy woodpecker 23; hairy woodpecker 30; blackbacked woodpecker 7; pileated woodpecker 18; gray jay 14;
blue jay 338; American crow 302; common raven 39; horned
lark 2;
black-capped chickadee 995; boreal chickadee 9; tufted titmouse 2; red-breasted nuthatch 158; white-breasted nuthatch
12; brown creeper 12; golden-crowned kinglet 76; European
starling 188; American tree sparrow 6; white-throated sparrow 1; fox sparrow cw; dark-eyed (slate-colored) junco 40;
Lapland longspur 3; snow bunting 165; northern cardinal 12;
red-winged blackbird 2; brown-headed cowbird 8; purple
finch 18; American goldfinch 1,611; evening grosbeak cw.
Totals: 44 species; 5,015 individuals.
Participants: Milt Adams, Bill & Alice Boardman, Ron
Bussian, Diane, Tyler, Sawyer, & Dellice Chase, Shelly Cihan, Joan Collins, Eric Damour, Joe & Pat Demko, Liz &
Russ DeFonce, Margot Ernst, Ed Grant, Denise Griffin, Audrey Hyson, Debbie, Ed, Ned & Tassie Kanze, Leslie Karasin
& Steve Langdon, Linda LaPan, Fuat Latif, Ted Mack, Larry
Master (compiler), Brian McAllister, Melanie McCormack,
Sean O’Brien, Peter O’Shea, Carol Pinney, Warren Radcliffe,
Chris Rimmer, Lew Rosenberg, Pat & John Thaxton, Eileen
& Tom Wheeler, Cris Winters, Uta Wister.
This is the winter of the American goldfinch, with more than
1,600 observed on count day to smash the 57-year-old record
of 1,115 goldfinches. Record numbers of hooded mergansers,
ruffed grouse, and black-backed and pileated woodpeckers
were also observed. Lapland longspurs, seen by two parties,
were observed for the first time since 1951, and horned larks
were observed for only the 3rd time in the past 40 years.
Both species were accompanying snow buntings, which were
seen in unusually large numbers. Other unexpected finds
included rough-legged hawk, northern saw-whet owl, and
tufted titmouse. Despite a good cone crop only small numbers of purple finches and no siskins or crossbills were observed, likely because of even better food crops in Canada,
which kept the birds to our north. But some of these species
should start to appear in number later this winter to take advantage of our conifer crop. Finally, the last remaining flock
of house sparrows in the count circle was not found despite
diligent searching. This introduced species has been seen 55
of the past 58 years of this count.
Many thanks to all the dedicated participants on this year’s
count. Next year’s count is tentatively scheduled for Sunday,
January 4th, 2015. I hope to see many of you then.
—Larry Master
Snowy owl Photo by Larry Master www.masterimages.org
8
Editor’s Note
When I awoke imagining the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes performing a colossally out of step tap dance on the roof above
my bedroom, and when the illusion persisted even as I slouched toward consciousness and caffeine in the kitchen, I went to the
corner of the living room and looked at the roof above my bed, rubbing my eyes as I watched about twenty-five goldfinches hopping higgledy piggledy all over the roof and a half dozen others hovering-jumping up and down along the very edge of it, drinking from the upside down popsicles, until a sudden blast of bird shadows all across the snow covered roof flushed the whole
flock, spooked, apparently, by a pair of large deer vacuuming up the spilled sunflower seeds beneath the feeders.
When one neighbor mentioned seeing an osprey in Keene in mid-January and another a pair of snowy owls hanging out
at the deer carcass dump at the junction of Routes 9N & 73, we took a ride around to investigate, didn’t see anything and stopped
at the Rivermead Farm Store to pick up some apples, and as Rob Hastings rang us up he mentioned the February sun and how he
had really wanted to bring his new kitten out to gambol in the sunshine but stopped in his tracks, the kitten in his arms, when he
saw a huge hawk hovering over his fields. The osprey and the snowy owls transmogrified over the next few days into a pair of
light phase rough-legged hawks working the fields around Keene.
Aside from the extremely rare sub-arctic appearance of a Ross’s gull near Montreal (see Larry Master’s images on his
web site: www.masterimages.org), the incredible irruption of snowy owls in the eastern United States and Canada handily qualifies as the most exciting avian event of the season, with snowy sightings showing up on list serves multiple times a day from
multiple locations. The Brooklyn CBC had fifteen snowies.
I detail inside the region’s CBC totals as well as this years NNYA Conservation Grants, which range from The American Kestrel Project to Recurring Bird Surveys at Shingle Shanty Preserve and Research Station to a Monitoring Program for Climate Change Adaptation via Radius Bird Surveys at Intervale Lowlands. NNYA will award Conservation Grants for 2014 as
well, and see inside for Grant Application Deadlines.
We have an exciting series of Field Trips scheduled, including two new ones—a snowshoe on the Roosevelt Truck Trail
in Minerva and a Spring Migrants Hike up Poke-O-Moonshine—as well as the popular Huntington Wild Forest hike and Ruth
Kuhfahl’s Hull’s Falls Road bird walk.
Every once in a while an absolutely mind-blower of a field guide gets published, and when a copy of Tom Stephenson’s
and Scott Whittle’s The Warbler Guide arrived in the mail my jaw dropped. As Joan Collins notes in her review of the book the
species accounts don’t even begin until page 138—the introductory material to this book alone justifies the price, and then the
hundreds of plates, and comparison plates, and the available online The Warbler Guide Song and Call Companion—Yow!
And don’t forget those birding festivals; I’ll detail them in the next newsletter.
—John Thaxton
P.O. Box 488
Keene Valley, NY 12943-0488
NORTHERN NEW YORK AUDUBON, INC.