Field Trip Report – August 2012
Montezuma and Vicinity
I had the privilege today of leading our local bird club to Montezuma wetlands complex. The focus for this trip was shorebirds. My goal was to get good looks at many different species for the group, and point out key field marks and behaviors. We had 10 people and saw 12 different species of shorebirds and other great birds that Montezuma has to offer.
Our first stop was the visitor’s center and right off the bat we got great looks at both GREATER and LESSER YELLOWLEGS close together and the difference in size, and bill length was obvious. We also got a decent look at a PECTORAL SANDPIPER again with nice contrast on the breast very evident. Then we came upon 4 DOWITCHERS. 3 were SHORT-BILLED but there was one that is a candidate for a LONG-BILLED. The bird was more cinnamon and had the white half eye ring under the eye. But I am not sure on this one. It could be the prairie race of the SBDO. A couple CASPIAN TERNS and a gorgeous adult BALD EAGLE flying fairly low really got us off to a great start.
We then did wildlife drive and came upon around 30 or so KILLDEER, many young ones, at LaRue’s and on the main pond we had a bunch of AMERICAN COOTS. The new shorebird area again was disappointing as we only found a few yellowlegs and 1 or 2 killdeer.
Benning marsh was excellent. Close views, many species. Great for studying plumages and learning field marks. We had a SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER and LEAST SANDPIPERS and there was no doubt. You could easily see the semi was much grayer and a bit larger than the more brownish/almost rufous LEASTs. We also had several SOLITARY SANDPIPERS, SPOTTED SANDPIPERS, both yellowlegs again, and a very well camouflaged WILSON’S SNIPE. There were many PECTORAL SANDPIPERS here too with great views. We had both KILLDEER and SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS…. another good comparison. In addition, there was a female BLUE-WINGED TEAL which was a good challenge for everyone.
Then we went to Towpath Road and the shorebird spectacle continues at Knox-Marcellus marsh… unfortunately it is a distant spectacle. But there were enough birds close enough and the heat shimmer was not that bad that we saw many of the same birds that we had at Benning Marsh but they were a little more distant. Best birds here were 4 AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVERS. They were in varying stages of molt with one that was still hanging on to quite a bit of black on the belly. The lighting was awesome here and you could easily make out the white stripe above the eye on all birds. At first, we found 3, but then we were joined by Ann Mitchell, Dave Nutter and Bob McGuire. Bob found 1 more so there were 4.
There were also 3-4 SANDHILL CRANES that flew in way over by east road.
I also had a false alarm on the yellow crowned night heron. While watching the plovers, one of my very observant birders found this brownish heron with a lot of streaks. I got a quick glimpse and it had a red eye and I immediately thought YELLOW CROWNED NIGHT HERON but it flew away. So with Dave, Ann and Bob and 10 other birders, the bird showed up again…well BLACK CROWNED NIGHT HERONS also have red eyes!! That was my bad. For some reason I though only imm. YCNH had red eyes. This bird had a lighter bill and was more streaker and was lighter overall. So it was an imm. BCNH. It was good to see for my group that we all make mistakes and it is OK and a great way to learn. But if you find a bird that is rare either have a photo or take good field notes because you will have to defend your report.
In the distance on high power with your scope, you could see there were a lot more shorebirds at K-M marsh. A lot. There were probably several more species that we missed. I saw that Ann, Dave and Bob got a BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER later in the day from East Road which is awesome. We did not find any of the phalaropes that had been seen recently.
Our last stop was Van Dyne Sporer Road and we saw a lot of AMERICAN COOT, COMMON GALLINUE, PIED BILLED GREBES, RING BILLED GULLS and several CASPIAN TERNS. An AMERICAN BITTERN flew in and landed in the reeds but only a few in the group got to see this bird. There was also a beautiful NORTHERN HARRIER coursing low over the marsh. Another bird of note were thousands and thousands of RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS. I tried and failed to find that “needle in a haystack” yellow headed blackbird. Well the one last spring in Endicott is enough to tie me over for now!! But I bet someone finds one or two of these birds in this huge flock in the coming weeks.
There is no doubt that fall migration is really picking up. Good birding to all!!
Dave Nicosia
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