Birding - 7/27/11

South Spring Pool

Before making my way to the Montezuma Audubon Center (MAC) stopped at Muckrace on Savannah Spring Lake Road at 7:20 AM. Appears the DEC has plowed over the fields and is putting in a drainage pipe along the southern berm. Extremely quiet but did observe a Great Blue Heron flying overhead.

Martens Tract

Traveled on to Martens Tract. Three Great Blue Herons, several tree swallows, 2 Yellowthroats, and 2 Goldfinch. Two turkey vultures were soaring in the thermals to the South. 

Decided to walk the DEC truck ruts to the back of the pool. 

In a second water pool there were 7 Canada geese and 3 Great Blue Heron. Also a sparrow along the path.

Song Sparrow

Along the path there were yellow wildflowers, Queen Anne's Lace, a Monarch Butterfly, and a Widow Skimmer Dragonfly.

Drove down Cancross Road. Two turkey vultures were soaring south of the road. Along the Seneca River were 7 Great Blue Herons. A juvenile Bald Eagle flew overhead and perched in a dead tree a great distance from the parking area.

Juvenile Bald Eagle

(Brown dot at 2 o'clock)

Returning to the main road there were what appeared to be 3 Yellowlegs in the drainage ditch, 3 tree swallows on the telephone wires, and 2 crows drinking from a puddle in the dirt road.

At 9:45 AM drove down Morgan Road. A juvenile Bald Eagle was soaring over the fields. In the pond before the DEC office there was a Great Blue Heron and 5 ducks on a log way back.

Noting the time decided that I probably missed Naturalist Dave Spier's morning walk so continued on to May's Point. Traveling on Rt. 89 South stopped to observed the nesting ospreys in the tower before the canal bridge. Two adults were attending to a young one. The adults became agitated by my presence and left the nest. So as not to stress them out got back in the car and left.

At 10:20 AM arrived at May's Point Observation Deck. Observed 14 Great Egrets, 16 Great Blue Herons, 7 Canada geese, a Black tern, 3 tree swallows, and an eagle flying in the woods. Meet a couple on the deck from New Jersey. Suggested they might want to observe the ospreys by the canal.

Great Egret

To turn the car around drove to the May's Point Fishing Access. There near 5 fishermen was a Great Blue Heron sunning itself. As I was leaving the parking lot an osprey flew overhead.

There were no osprey on the nest at the North Spring Pool.

Stopped at the South Spring Pool parking area around 11:25 AM. From the observation deck saw 2 Red-wing Blackbirds and 3 tree swallows. Then the highlight of the day a Belted Kingfisher made several passes over the pool.

On the way back to the car noticed a Harris' Checkerspot.

Harris' Checkerspot

Decided to zip into the Refuge before going home for lunch. Glad I did. From the Visitor Center observation porch saw a group of birds that I knew I had seen before but could not recall the name. Fortunately Chuck Gibson was on the porch and Chuck identified the Caspian Terns for me. Chuck also scoped for me a young Caspian tern so I could compare it with the adults.

Caspian Tern & Killdeer

Also on the porch were Bruce and Corolla (whom I had met before while birding at MAC 6/8/11) and their granddaughter who had been on the MAC walk with Dave this morning.

In the pool by the Visitor Center there were several Yellowlegs and Killdeer, as well as, the Caspian Terns.

All in all a most enjoyable birding trek.