Horses in the Snow

Many young kids dream of owning a horse but I wasn't in that camp.  I preferred running through the woods and playing basketball with the boys than riding horses.  We had a horse named Strawberry and though she was kind, she didn't feel like mine.  My father would have us train her and it felt more like work than fun.  

Even though I never really liked horses I did come to learn to appreciate them for their intelligence, their sheer size, and their good looks.  Last week I waxed poetic about cows and even though horses don't quite create the same feelings in my heart, I still think they are beautiful.  

I was especially fond of these horses as they rolled in the snow and galloped around like it was summer.  This day was particularly cold but they didn't seem to mind it one bit.  These horses were big and well fed.  They seemed to like the company as I sat idling in my car snapping photos.  But I didn't come out in the freezing temperatures to look at horses so I said my goodbyes.

Though my trip was mostly to relocate a Snow Owl and Gryfalcon (which I dipped on both!) I was given the consolation prize of a field of turkeys.  These Wild Turkeys were a welcome sight and new for the year list!  Andy is only ahead of me by two for the year so I hope that means the tide is turning!

New York Big Lifer Day

This past week was an exceptional bird week or I should say bird day.  Sunday I went birding with the Cayuga Bird Club.  At Myer's Park I saw my lifer Surf Scoter and Red-necked Grebe.  Then we searched the agricultural fields where we found my lifer Lapland Longspur.  I even snagged that photo above with the spur showing!

After leaving the Horned Larks and Snow Buntings we headed north where we we were able to pick out two Trumpeter Swans from the Tundra Swans by the Lock Dam all the way north bordering Montezuma Wildlife Refuge.

We circled the lake and unsuccessfully did not find any interesting raptors near Seybolt Road but we had one more big trick in our bag - the Ithaca Yacht Club.  A Tufted Duck has been lingering around the yacht club and we had killer looks.  We also spotted the little Pied-billed Grebe above staying close to shore.  Mixed in the rafts were Common Loons, Red-throated Loons, Ruddy Duck, and countless Redheads and Scaup species.

The big day came to an end as we watched a family of Tundra Swan drift out towards the middle of Cayuga Lake.  I had one last glance at the Tufted and called it a day.

New Year Birds:

Red-necked Grebe - Lifer

Surf Scoter - Lifer

Lapland Longspur - Lifer

Trumpeter Swan - Lifer

Tufted Duck - Lifer

Common Loon

Ruddy Duck

A To-do about a TUDU

Finally after a month of near misses I saw the Tufted Duck on Cayuga Lake.  This TUDU doesn't have an impressive tuft but he was sleek with that jet black back and white-flanked side.  He was also very busy chasing Scuap for a hand-out.  I watched him successfully steal two meals in just a few minutes time.  Luckily for me, this lifer chase wasn't a very long one and though I did have to work for it, the prize was only sweeter.

Tufted Duck on Cayuga Lake, New York

Tufted Ducks are rare Eurasian visitors but Cayuga Lake has a habit of getting one or two every winter.  The first one reported was in a large raft of ducks off of Hog's Hole near downtown Ithaca.  I searched a couple of times there but the flock was huge and without a scope I felt a little like I was searching for a needle in the haystack.  This time around the location was only slightly farther away at the Ithaca Yacht Club and merely a short walk down to the water's edge.  I was with the Cayuga Bird Club field trip and for the first 5 minutes we couldn't find it.  I wandered out to the edge of the point and found it for the whole group.  We were all on it moments later and spent the next 20 minutes watching it feed and chase and then we moved on as birders do to the next bird.  I'll give more details soon (in the Friday update) about the bird trip.  

When I finally succumbed to the cold, I gave the Tufted Duck one last glance with my glass and said goodbyes.  It's always nice to see a lifer and it was even better shared with a large group of like-minded individuals celebrating the rarities of life.  Good luck TUDU - may you find your way safely when spring comes.

Cows in the Snow

I have a love for cows, especially the black and white variety that remind me of my childhood.  My grandfather let us name the new calves each summer and help feed them by tossing them watermelon rinds off the back of the pickup truck.  Now that I am in upstate New York I expected to see cows more often but it's been so cold that I think many have been shut away in the barns.  On this bright and sunny day the cows were out and my heart stopped when I saw this young black and white beauty against the barn.

Cows always seem to be curious in our actions.  They pause and watch us full-on.  There's no sideways glancing or feigned interest.  They turn their bodies and heads and look at you.  Usually after awhile they go back to feeding or walking or chewing their cud but it's that moment when you and a cow lock eyes that always speaks to me.  Did I mention that I love cows?

On this almost balmy winter day I was happy to share some moments with the local cattle.  Size each other up and make mental notes.  I know the cows don't nearly care as much about me as I care about them.  No cow-blogging going on about the human in the blue CR-V staring down the field of cows.  But it's a shared moment with another animal and I enjoy those.

Thanks black-and-white cows for sharing space, locking eyes, and making me remember my sweet childhood riding in the back of that beat up Ford pickup.  My summers were spent riding in truck beds, fishing with cane poles, and feeding cows.  I think it made me a better person. For sure, it made me stop and appreciate the every day.

Winter Birding Around Cayuga Lake

The past week was a breakthrough with a few more year birds to add to the list.  After two weeks of temperatures hovering around zero and no new birds I was beginning to get a little itchy.  This is my first year living in a truly cold winter (who knew Colorado had mild winters!) and my cabin fever was setting in. Spring can't come fast enough for New York! 

To my surprise last Saturday was sunny, in the 20s and perfect for birding. My first stop was Myer's Park where I found Common Goldeneye by the skyfull.  Redhead and Common Mergansers were in large number as well. No new birds at Myer's but the sheer number of duck species was great as I reached double digits before leaving to the next stop.

After getting a brief look at a lifer White-winged Scoter in flight with the Goldeneyes I decided to try for another lifer - the Lapland Longspur.

I headed to County Line Road but there was some type of hunting activity going on with dogs and men in trucks at every stop.  I wasn't too surprised to find the usual birds to be gone but I did find a Horned Lark that gave me a discerning eye as I slowly drove by.  With the dip on the longspur I decided to just keep heading north and go to Long Point State Park.  There I found Tundra Swans, Bald Eagles, and a few land birds in the neighboring communities.

Feeling invigorated, I headed north to Union Springs where I found the pond teeming with Canada Geese, American Widgeon, Gadwall, and a new year bird - Horned Grebe.  You can see the little Horned Grebe in the photo above - just a wisp of a bird in all those geese.

At this point I had made the whole length of Cayuga Lake so instead of backtracking I merely decided to loop over the top and search for both the Gryfalcon and the recent Snowy Owls.  I scanned in the Gryfalcon territory but came up with only 2 Red-tailed Hawks, 1 Rough-legged Hawk, and a very spritely Sharp-shinned Hawk that attacked a large flock of European Starlings.  The Sharpie came up empty and then an American Crow pecked the top of its head as it flew by.  It was interesting to watch the whole scene unfold.  Hunger was setting in as I headed to the Snowy Owl fields and I got a little mixed up and only later realized I didn't go far enough East to see the Snowy that was sitting in a field all day. A lifer left for another day!

Overall, great birding on Saturday and though I dipped on both a Snowy and an Eastern Screech-owl on Sunday it was a pleasant birding weekend. I was finally able to emerge from the house and get outside (though in only brief moments). This weekend I plan to bird with the Cayuga Bird Club on Sunday and hopefully find a few target species.  Wish me luck!

Amish in New York

According to Amish American website, New York state has the 5th largest Amish population in the country.  As I drive into the agricultural lands surrounding Ithaca I have encountered a few horse/buggy signs but it wasn't until Sunday that I spotted my first signs of Amish life as many people were heading home from church.

The roads were fairly empty on this blustery winter day and it seemed that I passed more horse-driven rides than cars. In the 1940's I have read that there was little Amish presence in the Empire State but things have changed.  Now the population is above 13,000 people in 96 church districts.  I can understand the appeal - agricultural land for the plenty and at a lower cost than land in Pennsylvania Dutch country.

My mission on Sunday was to find a Snowy Owl and though I did criss-cross the country roads sharing spaces with the Amish, I didn't find an owl.  I did find a herd of deer feeding and a nice flock of Snow Buntings and Horned Larks.  I guess there's always next time!

I'll admit I had my heat on and my windows up except for times of scanning fields for the elusive white owl.  I wonder how the Amish keep warm in a black rectangular buggy? I probably will never know first hand but I bet it requires warm clothes and a short commute.

When Will Winter End

The temperatures never hit double digits and so my GBBC weekend had birding attempts but mostly misses. Luckily I had a dear friend, Hewy, to keep me company on this freezing weekend. 

We searched the snowy fields for Snowy Owl, we attempted 2 trips to see Short-eared Owls but all our owl chasing was hindered by blinding snow and slippery roads. 

We did successfully find Hewy a lifer Tundra Swan and Redhead. We also had a nice walk around the pond in Sapsucker Woods. Despite our losses we still drank celebratory beers and warmed up inside for most of Sunday. I wish I had more birds and better weather but there's always next time!

This was my first full week of no new year birds.  Hopefully something that doesn't become a regular occurrence.  I'm going to venture out this weekend if the snows aren't too much and look for interesting birds in the remaining non-frozen water.  Even the pond at the Lab of O. was no bigger than a swimming pool by week's end. 

Cayuga Bird Club

This past Saturday the forecast was snowy, so it was with no great surprise that only the Cayuga Bird Club guide and myself showed up for the morning outing.  Luckily, the weather held for most of the day and we had a wonderful day of birding. We found an Iceland Gull mixed in with the Herring and Ring-billed Gulls at East Shore Park.  At Myer's Park and Salt Point we had over 30 Tundra Swans. Next we traveled to search for longspurs but came up empty. We did manage to find one long Snow Bunting mixed in a Horned Lark flock.

At Union Springs we found Gadwall and American Widgeon to add to our day.  We continued north finding more swans and ducks.  Most of the north end of Cayuga Lake was frozen but by the dam we did see some open water with Common Mergansers and more swans.

We decided to see if we had any luck finding a Snowy Owl at the Fingerlakes Airport but came up empty.  The snow was deep and not a bird was seen.  We found a nice raft of Ring-necked Ducks near Sheldrake.  As we traveled back south we found a perching Bald Eagle by the lakeshore.  It gave us wonderful looks and obliged for photos.

We stopped for lunch at Glenwood Pines where we had a great breakfast burger.  They were also serving a PB&J burger but we weren't brave enough to give it a go.  Next time!  The birds were plentiful enough to make the day fun and the company was wonderful as Suan provided me with lots of entertaining history of the Cayuga Lake Basin.

Cornell Lab of Ornithology Lost Bird Project

The final stop was where it all started - the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, where we tried one last time for a Redpoll but found only the usual suspects of Tufted Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, House Finch, American Goldfinch, and Mourning Doves. 

For the year list I was able to add Iceland Gull and American Widgeon.  An additional weekend visit to East Shore Park also added Hooded Merganser.  My total is up to 92 for the year.  Andy broke 100 with an American Woodcock in Tennessee.  I hope I'm not doomed to playing catch-up all year.  

Hog's Hole

View from Hog's Hole

Hog's Hole is a wetland area and shoreline area in Alan H Treman State Marine Park on Cayuga Lake, in Ithaca, New York.  I've spent some time there scanning the rafts of Redheads and scaups looking for a Tufted Duck.  Without a scope it was like looking for a needle in the haystack and unfortunately, I struck out three times.  

Hog's Hole is such an interesting name and I learned from some internet sleuthing that it was named for a transient man named Hoggie that once camped out in that area.  Ithaca has a fairly infamous homeless population with multiple encampments around the city known today as The Jungle, The Jungle II and even The Jungle III.  I like birding but I also like learning about the history of the area.  Every place I've lived as been so different and interesting.  I look forward to learning more and hopefully picking up some good birds in the process.

Birding Competition Update

Friday update: The past weekend gave me an uptick of 2 birds to put me at 89.  I spent Saturday afternoon birding around the Long Point Winery area of Cayuga Lake.  I first went in search of longspurs but only found Snow Buntings and Horned Larks. This is when I really wish I had a scope to scan with!

Down by Cayuga Lake I found the usual suspects including Redheads, Common Mergansers, and even two Tundra Swans.

As the sun was setting and deer came out to feed I had a calling Common Raven overhead which was bird #88.  It was heading for the trees, perhaps to roost for the evening.

Next came the Northern Harrier over the vineyards and surround fields.  Year bird number #89! I stayed around in the single digits to wait to glimpse the Short-eared Owl again.  It came as the sun was setting and the light almost too dim to take a photo.  The best show I managed was the one above of the Short-eared hunting over the vineyard.  A few minutes after this it hit the ground with prey in foot.  A great way to end the day and head home to warm up.

On Sunday I tried for an Eastern Screech-owl that's roosting nearby but it was a no-go after an hour of waiting and searching.  I'll be back little owl if the weather improves!  Until then, I hope to go on a Cayuga Bird Club outing this coming weekend and pick up a few more birds.  There are some winter birds around I'd love to pick up like Redpoll, Pine Sisken, and Snowy Owl.  Wish me luck!

Frozen Waterfall

Frozen waterfall,

how appropriate to see

on a lonely day.

Your grand beauty chills

even the softest of hearts

when they stand by you.

Frozen Taughannock Falls - person in lower right for  scale.

Field Birds & A Lifer Short-eared Owl

Next we headed to Mt. Pleasant where we spotted Horned Larks and a flock of Snow Buntings.  Next we drove by the Game Farm where I spied the Ring-necked Pheasants that are being bred.  We dipped on any interesting hawks but it was still a wonderful evening investigating some new haunts.

In the afternoon I decided to head out birding again, this time for an owl. While living in South Florida i attempted to see many a Short-eared Owl (Caribbean Race) but it never worked out despite my efforts at Aerojet Road.  In New York, things went much easier.  

I arrived at the Long Point Winery just 30 minutes north of Ithaca around 4:30pm.  By 5pm, a Short-eared Owl had already made an appearance.  I watched it gracefully fly over the fields near the winery.  Then as a celebration I did a small wine tasting and bought a bottle to toast the lifer.

Chasing lifers is not an everyday occurrence for me but when it happens and ends in success I am elated.  This was a relatively easy bird to see in New York but made sweeter by the years of missing it in Florida.

Ithaca Birding

Cayuga Lake is a hotspot of activity in Ithaca this time of year.  Over the weekend some friends and I went out to explore a few spots on the eastern shore.  We hit up East Shore Park first where we found large rafts of Redheads, Canvasbacks, and a smattering of American Coots and gulls.

From there we stopped at Salt Point Road at Myer's Park where we had a couple of flocks of Tundra Swans that gave us nice looks.  Near the lighthouse at Myer's Park one of the flocks flew by, which was a treat.

In addition to the ducks and swans we also had plenty of opportunity to look at Great Black-backed Gulls, Herring Gulls, and Ring-billed Gulls.  The best part of the day (outside of the company) was the fact that the weather was pleasant and not too cold or windy.

We left the coastline to find a few field birds.  Come back later this week to get the full report.

Celebration - New Job, Master's Degree, New Beginnings

Today I finished my Master's of Science in Recreation & Parks Management.  This three year endeavor has been stressful at times, fun at others, but tonight I completed my final requirements in the presence of a few dear friends and my advisor.  I am indebted to each of my cohort peers, my family, but ultimately a huge thanks to my lovely Lark for always supporting me.

The other big news is I also just finished my last day of work in Colorado (for now) and am officially moving to New York to join the Audubon as their new Hog Island Program Manager.  I'll be in Ithaca for Fall, Winter, and Spring and in Breman, Maine for most of the long summer.  I can't wait to start this new chapter though the road may be bumpy at times.

Hog Island, Maine

Colorado will be missed but I'll focus on the future for now and who knows, we may one day be back.