RBA
* New York
* Syracuse
* December 4, 2005
* NYSY 0512.04
Birds mentioned -
Snow Goose
Cackling Goose
Tundra Swan
Wood Duck
Long-tailed Duck
Hooded Merganser
RED-THROATED LOON
NORTHERN GANNET
Osprey
Northern Harrier
Northern Goshawk
Rough-legged Hawk
Merlin
Purple Sandpiper
Dunlin
Iceland Gull
BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE
Eastern Screech Owl
SNOWY OWL
Short-eared Owl
Belted Kingfisher
Northern Shrike
Horned Lark
CAVE SWALLOW
GRAY CATBIRD
BOHEMIAN WAXWING
Cedar Waxwing
YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER
Chipping Sparrow
Lapland Longspur
Purple Finch
Pine Siskin
Evening Grosbeak
Compiled by Mickey Scilingo
RBA BirdBox: 315-637-0318
E-mail: mickey.scilingo@gte.net
Onondaga Audubon Homepage: www.onondagaaudubon.org
#35 - Monday December 4, 2005
The first SNOWY OWL report of the season for our area came on Friday, November 18,
when a first year bird was spotted on the rocks on the west side of the west
breakwall at Fair Haven State Park. On Saturday, November 26, another SNOWY OWL was
seen on the far breakwall at Oswego Harbor. That bird was seen again on Sunday and
Monday.
>From November 22 thru 25, there were multiple reports of stranded RED-THROATED
LOONS on roadways throughout the area. Most of the reported birds were captured
and released by rehabilitators on local ponds and lakes, but who knows how many
more went unreported.
There were 5 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS in with a flock of about 25 CEDAR WAXWINGS at Derby
Hill on Saturday, November 19.
Two different NORTHERN SHRIKES were seen at Three Rivers WMA on November 27. An
immature SHRIKE was seen under the power lines while an adult SHRIKE was seen along
Sixty Rd. Another SHRIKE was seen perched on a wire in Sterling on November 28.
PINE SISKINS and EVENING GROSBEAKS continue to visit some area feeders, but the
Redpolls have not yet showed up. There was a report on December 1 of COMMON
REDPOLLS seen on the golf course in the town of Inlet in Hamilton County in the
Adirondacks, so perhaps they are just taking their time in getting here. The only
other notable finch report was the 2 PURPLE FINCHES seen at the feeders at Beaver
Lake Nature Center in Baldwinsville yesterday.
Three LAPLAND LONGSPURS were found in a small flock of 30 or so HORNED LARKS on Co
Rt 14 in Lysander on Saturday, November 28. This field the flock was in is about
one-half mile north of Lamson Rd. Other flocks of HORNED LARKS were found on
November 27 along Mapledale Rd in the town of Bridgewater in SE Oneida County and
along Buckwheat Rd in Otisco.
A PURPLE SANDPIPER and 2 DUNLIN were at Fair Haven on Monday, November 28.
Several SHORT-EARED OWLS were seen flying at dusk along Poppleton Rd in Verona on
Friday evening, November 18. Other owl reports include single SCREECH OWLS in
DeWitt on November 18 and Tully on November 20.
A few half-hardy's that were still hanging around include a CHIPPING SPARROW at a
feeder in Hannibal on November 23, a GRAY CATBIRD seen at Utica Marsh on
Thanksgiving Day, and several BELTED KINGFISHERS - one on Oneida Lake on November
26, one on Otisco Lake on November 27, and one on Onondaga Lake near Rt 690 today.
Also of note was the YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER was seen a few times in a backyard in
Jamesville in early November
There were several reports of probable CACKLING GEESE over the last several weeks.
One was seen on Beaver Lake on November 22, one was on Otisco Lake on November 27,
and another was on Lake Ontario at Fair Haven on November 28. Other waterfowl
highlights include about 50 TUNDRA SWANS in Billington Bay on Oneida Lake on
November 25, 3 RED-THROATED LOONS and 40 LONG-TAILED DUCKS at Oswego Harbor on
November 26, WOOD DUCKS on both Oneida Lake and Lake Ontario the weekend of November
26-27, 213 HOODED MERGANSERS on Oneida Lake on November 26, and 120 SNOW GEESE
flying south over Derby Hill on November 27.
There were 2 MERLIN sightings on Sunday, November 27. One MERLIN was seen hunting
HORNED LARKS in Bridgewater and the other was seen perched near the Border Patrol
building at Oswego Harbor. A first year NORTHERN GOSHAWK was seen briefly perched
in a tree at Derby Hill on the same day. There were multiple reports of NORTHERN
HARRIERS and ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS over the last several weeks, and there was even an
OSPREY sighting, as one was seen flying over Woodman Pond in Eaton, Madison County,
on November 21.
There were still 2-3 CAVE SWALLOWS hanging around Fair Haven on Wednesday and
Thursday, November 16 and 17. In the heavy rain on Wednesday, 2 of the Swallows
were seen roosting under the eaves of the main gift shop building on the beach.
A few holdover sightings from the previous weekend at Derby Hill had the NORTHERN
GANNET present in the morning on Monday, November 14, along with a BLACK-LEGGED
KITTIWAKE and an ICELAND GULL.
Mickey Scilingo
Yellow Barn Hill
Dryden, Tompkins County, NY
mickey.scilingo@gte.net
* New York
* Syracuse
* December 4, 2005
* NYSY 0512.04
Birds mentioned -
Snow Goose
Cackling Goose
Tundra Swan
Wood Duck
Long-tailed Duck
Hooded Merganser
RED-THROATED LOON
NORTHERN GANNET
Osprey
Northern Harrier
Northern Goshawk
Rough-legged Hawk
Merlin
Purple Sandpiper
Dunlin
Iceland Gull
BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE
Eastern Screech Owl
SNOWY OWL
Short-eared Owl
Belted Kingfisher
Northern Shrike
Horned Lark
CAVE SWALLOW
GRAY CATBIRD
BOHEMIAN WAXWING
Cedar Waxwing
YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER
Chipping Sparrow
Lapland Longspur
Purple Finch
Pine Siskin
Evening Grosbeak
Compiled by Mickey Scilingo
RBA BirdBox: 315-637-0318
E-mail: mickey.scilingo@gte.net
Onondaga Audubon Homepage: www.onondagaaudubon.org
#35 - Monday December 4, 2005
The first SNOWY OWL report of the season for our area came on Friday, November 18,
when a first year bird was spotted on the rocks on the west side of the west
breakwall at Fair Haven State Park. On Saturday, November 26, another SNOWY OWL was
seen on the far breakwall at Oswego Harbor. That bird was seen again on Sunday and
Monday.
>From November 22 thru 25, there were multiple reports of stranded RED-THROATED
LOONS on roadways throughout the area. Most of the reported birds were captured
and released by rehabilitators on local ponds and lakes, but who knows how many
more went unreported.
There were 5 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS in with a flock of about 25 CEDAR WAXWINGS at Derby
Hill on Saturday, November 19.
Two different NORTHERN SHRIKES were seen at Three Rivers WMA on November 27. An
immature SHRIKE was seen under the power lines while an adult SHRIKE was seen along
Sixty Rd. Another SHRIKE was seen perched on a wire in Sterling on November 28.
PINE SISKINS and EVENING GROSBEAKS continue to visit some area feeders, but the
Redpolls have not yet showed up. There was a report on December 1 of COMMON
REDPOLLS seen on the golf course in the town of Inlet in Hamilton County in the
Adirondacks, so perhaps they are just taking their time in getting here. The only
other notable finch report was the 2 PURPLE FINCHES seen at the feeders at Beaver
Lake Nature Center in Baldwinsville yesterday.
Three LAPLAND LONGSPURS were found in a small flock of 30 or so HORNED LARKS on Co
Rt 14 in Lysander on Saturday, November 28. This field the flock was in is about
one-half mile north of Lamson Rd. Other flocks of HORNED LARKS were found on
November 27 along Mapledale Rd in the town of Bridgewater in SE Oneida County and
along Buckwheat Rd in Otisco.
A PURPLE SANDPIPER and 2 DUNLIN were at Fair Haven on Monday, November 28.
Several SHORT-EARED OWLS were seen flying at dusk along Poppleton Rd in Verona on
Friday evening, November 18. Other owl reports include single SCREECH OWLS in
DeWitt on November 18 and Tully on November 20.
A few half-hardy's that were still hanging around include a CHIPPING SPARROW at a
feeder in Hannibal on November 23, a GRAY CATBIRD seen at Utica Marsh on
Thanksgiving Day, and several BELTED KINGFISHERS - one on Oneida Lake on November
26, one on Otisco Lake on November 27, and one on Onondaga Lake near Rt 690 today.
Also of note was the YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER was seen a few times in a backyard in
Jamesville in early November
There were several reports of probable CACKLING GEESE over the last several weeks.
One was seen on Beaver Lake on November 22, one was on Otisco Lake on November 27,
and another was on Lake Ontario at Fair Haven on November 28. Other waterfowl
highlights include about 50 TUNDRA SWANS in Billington Bay on Oneida Lake on
November 25, 3 RED-THROATED LOONS and 40 LONG-TAILED DUCKS at Oswego Harbor on
November 26, WOOD DUCKS on both Oneida Lake and Lake Ontario the weekend of November
26-27, 213 HOODED MERGANSERS on Oneida Lake on November 26, and 120 SNOW GEESE
flying south over Derby Hill on November 27.
There were 2 MERLIN sightings on Sunday, November 27. One MERLIN was seen hunting
HORNED LARKS in Bridgewater and the other was seen perched near the Border Patrol
building at Oswego Harbor. A first year NORTHERN GOSHAWK was seen briefly perched
in a tree at Derby Hill on the same day. There were multiple reports of NORTHERN
HARRIERS and ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS over the last several weeks, and there was even an
OSPREY sighting, as one was seen flying over Woodman Pond in Eaton, Madison County,
on November 21.
There were still 2-3 CAVE SWALLOWS hanging around Fair Haven on Wednesday and
Thursday, November 16 and 17. In the heavy rain on Wednesday, 2 of the Swallows
were seen roosting under the eaves of the main gift shop building on the beach.
A few holdover sightings from the previous weekend at Derby Hill had the NORTHERN
GANNET present in the morning on Monday, November 14, along with a BLACK-LEGGED
KITTIWAKE and an ICELAND GULL.
Mickey Scilingo
Yellow Barn Hill
Dryden, Tompkins County, NY
mickey.scilingo@gte.net