Hi All,
Don and I went back to Montezuma yesterday to check out the migrating warbler population.  When we got up there we spotted a Peregrine on top of a snag at the North Spring Pool.  We spent a lot of time trying to see if she had leg bands.  She, a beautiful, dark juvie, did not. 

On our way back from Howland, where we saw few birds, we saw another juvie Peregrine flushing pigeons near the potato barns.  We pulled the car to the side of the road to get a better look at the bird, and lost it behind the barns.  While standing by the side of the road, searching, I looked up and there she was above our heads looking down at us!  I yelled "over head" but Don could not get the camera out fast enough to take a pic before she disappeared again.  We looked around for her but could not relocate her.

We headed to Knox-Marcellus and I saw a Peregrine strafing the tops of the trees on the far side.  This one was obviously smaller.  Unfortunately it went down near the trees and I could not find it again.   Probably hunting the little shorebirds there yesterday.

We will be back up there for an afternoon meeting and will certainly be looking for Peregrines again!
Suzanne     

Thank you Donna 

That is so heartbreaking!!  It makes me angry that something like that can happen 

Just received this email:


• 9/14/2010 :: There's a New Female in Town! For the past two weeks there has been a lot of activity at and near the nest ledge. Recently, a new adult female falcon has been seen bonding with the male. The origin of this female is unknown as she is not banded. Email information from web viewers indicates that the resident female is no longer at the ledge. An employee at the Amtrak Station across the street reported seeing a dead falcon near the rail line. No carcass was found there.

The resident female has probably defended the nest ledge from challenging interlopers in the past. One could speculate that at 12 years old, she could no longer fend off younger, stronger females seeking out nesting territory. Any information that web viewers care to share would be appreciated. For now, we have set two close camera views at the nest box and perch for observation purposes.

Hey Bobbie...Yes, we did all of our watching within the boundaries of the Montezuma complex.  It is huge, though, and includes DEC, US Fish and Wildlife, and Audubon lands.  If you Google Montezuma Wildlife Refuge there should be a map of the big area.  You could also Google the Savannah Audubon Center for info.  I will check later to see if I can find some good sites for you and forward the links.

As for the Sandhill Cranes...they hang around the area pretty late.  Two years ago in November we went to the Mucklands (these are the fields where they grow potatoes) and saw about 40 Sandhills in the snow covered fields.  We actually drove down into the fields and got up close looks at them!!  Awesome!!  They stay here fairly late foraging in the disked up fields.  We always seem to get better looks at these guys in Oct/Nov/Dec.  

The Montezuma area will be alive with all sorts of waterfowl in November!  Late fall is a fabulous time for birds here.  We also generally see a Peregrine or two in the refuge.  The song birds will be gone, but all those arctic birds generally come down.

MAK, you are right, we should organize a get-together at the Refuge and show Bobbie the hot spots!  Don and I go there to bird every weekend we are able so we know the area well.  It is wonderful because you can actually see all the Bald Eagle nests once the leaves are off the trees! 

Suzanne

Team Peregrine had a long, but successful day yesterday!  We had a goal of 100 species, and are happy to report that we surpassed our goal and successfully identified 103 species!  We think our sponsor, the Genesee Valley Audubon Society, will be pleased.

We met at the Wildlife Refuge about 6 am and headed to Howland Island, noted for its ravenous mosquitoes.  It was cool and foggy, so we were a little worried about finding songbirds.  When we stopped the car and got out to look around, the trees were alive with all sorts of birds!!  We birded with another team for a bit, always helps in identifying some of the migrating, non-breeding plumage birds.  We stayed there until the trees quieted down, and no birds could be found.

On our way to the check-in center, food and bathrooms, we stopped to look for Wood Ducks in a reliable spot.  We were on a roll and still had energy and were smiling!  We were now ready to tackle Toepath Road to view the Knox-Marcellus area!  This is where we were sure to see Sandhill Cranes and a Peregrine Falcon.  We searched and scoped and listened to what others were identifying, but no Peregrines or Sandhills.  We did spot some nice shorebirds, though.  While there, someone mentioned that the Wildlife Drive had some unusual shorebirds, which we had not seen yet.  So it was off to the Refuge and new birds for us, hopefully!

By the end of the Wildlife drive we were more than three-quarters of the way to our goal...yay!!  But we were getting hungry, so off to another spot when we could find shade and have lunch.  Now we were renewed and full of energy again.  If only we could find more new birds! 

We checked out several known hot spots, but didn't up with much.  We were getting worn down and tired.  Ah, back to Howland Island, the morning birding hot spot!  We took a different path, but didn't come up with anything there.  There were lots of trees along the winding path, but no birds!  Our spirits were getting low now and time was running out.  It was time to move on! 

We decided to go to the upper side of Knox-Marcellus and look for Sandhills and Bluebirds.  Don and I had seen them there Friday night about six, but all were gone by the 7 pm start time...of course!  On our way there, Lisa spotted some large shapes in a field.  We quickly turned around and went back to check the shapes out.  Yes...finally, the Sandhill Cranes!!  This was our turning point!  We again had energy, and were smiling!! 

Back on the road to Knox-Marcellus.  While driving there we spotted a gorgeous male Bluebird!  We still needed several species to match last year's count, though. 

At Knox-Marcellus we got lucky.  There was a birding tour there and people were sharing their sitings!  We still had to locate them and actually "see" the birds, of course.  It was here that we hit 100 species, but still no Peregrine Falcon!  On the way to get MAK's vehicle, we made one last stop at May's Point.  We had been there several times during the day, but we got lucky again!  While walking in someone mentioned that a Bittern and the Little Blue Heron were visible!  While looking at the Little Blue Heron someone mentioned that a bird was flying in and, yes, it was a female, juvie Peregrine Falcon!!  How fitting that our final bird would be a Peregrine Falcon! 

Tired, but very happy, Team Peregrine handed in the checklist at the 7:15 pm deadline!

We thank all the support everyone gave us during the day!!  And a huge thanks to the Genesee Valley Audubon Society! 

Suzanne for Team Peregrine MAK, Lisa M, and Don 

Tonight at 7 pm the 2010 Montezuma Muckrace will start!  We, Lisa M, MAK, Don and myself, are the members of GVAS sponsored Team Peregrine 2010. 

Last year our team identified 96 species in the 24 hour period, well, actually we only birded on part of Saturday.  Top bird on our list this year is a Peregrine, of course!  Several juvies have been spotted there recently, and we are certainly hoping Jemison may be in the group.  We will be ready with our binos, spotting scopes, cameras, and sharp eyes!

We hope all with be cheering for us!  This year we hope to hit 100 species!! 
Suzanne   

Very funny Shaky, but you, of course, realize that falcon watchers have two eyes, one is always aimed to the sky, while the other on the road

This is so appropriate!  Today is the first day of school here in Ithaca, and on my way downtown I was bored so I decided to count all the cars who ran red lights.  It started when I turned off my little road and stopped at the red light only to notice a van flying through the light on my right!  There are kids out everywhere now and all they are thinking about it is darn, back to school.  Those driving should really pay more attention to everything/everything around them. 

Jim, I think you are right about "stuck on stupid".
Suzanne

Carol, speaking of gray poop-on, Don and I are planning a Montezuma visit tomorrow...finally!  Will let you know if we see anything. 
Suzanne

           

Donna, thanks for posting the pics from the cams!  I love it when they return to the nestbox 
Suzanne

Maybe they were two of the juvies flying around Montezuma Monday afternoon

Jim, thanks for the pics.  What an awesome experience it must have been for you to hear the wind in his wings as he flew past you!  WOW!
Suzanne

The shorebird migration is really in full force, so there are lots of food opportunities there right now.