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Plover
Publication of the North Country Bird Club, Inc. Since 1948
March / April 2018 Volume 59 No. 2
SANDHILL CRANE
South Florida
January 2018
Photo by Rachel Lewis
Rachel notes Sandhills
are a little easier to
observe at close range in
Florida than in Northern
New York. SNOW BUNTING PILEATED WOODPECKER
Three Mile Bay - January 2018 Sackets Harbor - January 2018
Photo by Lynn Chavoustie Photo by Christine Eggleston
The NYS Bluebird Society is looking for FUERTES PAINTING
volunteers to monitor bluebird nesting boxes in From the State Museum in Albany
our area. The poster below gives details. Published in Birds of America, 1917
RED-BREASTED MERGANSER RUDDY DUCK
COMMON MERGANSER BUFFLEHEAD
4
NORTH COUNTRY BIRD CLUB SIGHTINGS
Please forward notable sightings for the next issue by April 15, using the contact info on the last page.
Spring does seem to be on the way, after a very unusual and not always pleasant winter. Spring birds are
beginning to make their appearance. Lynn Chavoustie reported sighting a male Eastern Bluebird at her home
in Three Mile Bay on 02/26, as well as several American Robins on her way to Watertown that day. Jon
Holcombe sighted a Red-winged Blackbird on Wellesley Island on 02/27. This species had virtually never been
reported returning to our area during February before last year. Kathy Killeen reported a Red-winged Blackbird
at her home in Sackets Harbor on 03/02, while Steve and Vici Diehl saw several that day at their home in
Antwerp. Snow Geese have also started to move through. Dick and Marion Brouse reported 1250 flying over
their home in Watertown on 02/24, and Kathy saw a flock flying over her home in Sackets the same day. Corky
PILEATED WOODPECKER Marlowe and Bill Haller sighted a flock flying over Point Peninsula on 02/27. Kezia Sullivan reported on 03/01
that Snow Geese had been flying over her home in Sackets for the past several days.
Sackets Harbor - February 10, 2018
Photo by Kathy Killeen Waterfowl have also begun to migrate through the area. Lynn saw several Common Mergansers near the
Dexter bridge on 02/08. Corky and Bill sighted 10 Common Goldeneye at the mouth of the Perch River on
02/24. On 02/27, they found large rafts of Common Goldeneye along the shore of Point Peninsula. On the same day, they found more large rafts of
Common Goldeneye between Tibbetts Point and Cape Vincent, along with numbers of Redheads, Lesser Scaup, Common Mergansers, and
Red-breasted Mergansers. Kezia reported a large raft of Northern Pintails at her home in Sackets on 03/01.
In another sign of the coming of spring, the Bald Eagles have been sighted at the nest across the marsh from the Allen Road at Perch River WMA.
Corky and Bill saw one mature Bald Eagle perched near the nest on 01/27 (as well as an immature Bald Eagle near Perch River Village). They again
saw a mature Eagle, this time in the nest, on 02/24, and Bill saw one in the nest again on 02/28 and on 03/01. Other sightings of Bald Eagles have
been reported since early in the year. As Robin Booth was driving along CR 9 on 01/08, a Bald Eagle flew right over her car. On 02/08, Lynn looked
out from the back door of her home in Three Mile Bay and saw two Bald Eagles flying above the trees at the edge of her yard. Steve and Vici sighted a
Bald Eagle in Theresa on 02/24. Dick and Marion saw two immature Bald Eagles flying over Depauville the same day. On 02/28, Doris Gibson saw a
mature Bald Eagle soaring over a field in Pamelia. Mike Shepard reported on 03/02 that he had sighted two mature and three immature Bald Eagles at
Perch River WMA earlier in the week.
Snowy Owls have been here in good numbers this season, sighted at a number of locations by several observers, many seen on multiple occasions.
Corky and Bill, for instance, recorded Snowy Owls on 13 days between 01/14 and 02/27, sighting three or more on five of those days. On 01/28, they
birded with Sheree Brosk and sighted six Snowy Owls in northwestern Jefferson County in two hours, their best single day. Others who have reported
sighting Snowy Owls include Dick and Marion Brouse, Lynn Chavoustie, Steve Guy, Kathy Killeen, and Rachel Lewis. Reported locations included 180
just south of the Airport Rd, 12E near the Airport, North Shore Rd on Pillar Point, both Case Rd and Weaver Rd near Limerick, 12E south of Chaumont,
the Point Salubrious Approach Rd, 12E between Chaumont and Three Mile Bay, Ashland WMA, Millens Bay Rd (CR 8), 12E near Fox Creek Rd, 12E
near Deerlick Rd, near the Isthmus leading to Point Peninsula, and along the road from the Isthmus to Long Point State Park.
In other sightings, listed alphabetically by observer: On 02/12, Robin Booth reported sighting a Northern Flicker and a Barred Owl on Sam Adams Rd.
Dick and Marion Brouse sighted two Brown Creepers at the Eastern Boulevard Boat Launch on 02/21. They reported seeing two Peregrine Falcons
near Public Square in Watertown on 02/23 - it is hoped the pair are nesting in that area. Lynn Chavoustie sighted two Common Ravens on Three Mile
Point on 02/08. On 01/24, Christine Eggleston reported that she had seen Downy, Hairy, Red-bellied, and Pileated Woodpeckers, White-breasted
Nuthatches, Tufted Titmice, Dark-eyed Juncos, Black-capped Chickadees, a pair of Northern Cardinals, and five Blue Jays at her home outside of
Sackets over the previous several days. Doris Gibson reported that her son saw a Ruffed Grouse along Parish Rd on 01/05. A pair of White-throated
Sparrows visited the feeders at her home on Keyser Rd on 01/10. On 01/25, her son saw two flocks of Snow Buntings of 20-30 each, one on Parish
Rd, the other on Fox Rd. He saw a Ring-necked Pheasant in her yard on 02/20. On 01/21, Bill Haller sighted two Common Ravens along 180 north of
Limerick and a Sharp-shinned Hawk on Case Rd. On 02/11, Russell Lee reported that the Snow Bunting pictured in our last issue had returned to his
yard near Dexter twice during the previous week. On 01/25, Rachel Lewis reported sighting 7 Red-tailed Hawks on Pillar Point during a recent outing.
On 01/27, Corky Marlowe and Bill Haller sighted a Northern Shrike on Point Peninsula. On 02/24, they saw a male Ring-necked Pheasant on Vaadi
Rd and a Rough-legged Hawk on Hall Rd. Winter may not be the most exciting season for birders, but it certainly is far from dull!
Dues payable to: North Country Bird Club Send newsletter by:
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Year: 20____ Watertown, NY 13601 (please check one)
SNOWY OWL
PLEASE REMEMBER TO FILL OUT BOTH SIDES OF THE FORM 12E south of Chaumont - February 1, 2018
Photo by Kathy Killeen 5
The following is from an article on the Red-tailed Hawk in The Folklore of Birds by Laura Martin (Globe Pequot Press, 1993).
One of the oldest of all recorded fables was told by the Hawks also refers to this characteristic: the
Hesiod, a Greek poet of the eighth century B.C. A designation Accipitridae [ the family also includes
hawk catches a nightingale and prepares to eat him. Eagles and Harriers ] is from the Latin accipere,
The nightingale argues with the hawk, saying he is meaning “to take or to seize.” . . . How the wings
too small and insignificant to satisfy the mighty and tail of a bird are built dictates not only what it
hawk, and pleads with the hawk to release him. The preys upon but also its habitat. Falcons have long,
hawk replies that a small bird who calms a little graceful wings for power and speed. These are
hunger is better than a big bird not yet caught. perfect for the wide open spaces where it is found.
Today’s counterpart to this? “A bird in the hand is The wings of Accipiters - hawks with short wings
worth two in the bush.” . . . The name hawk is from and long tails - are beautifully adapted to the many
the Teutonic root hab, meaning “to seize or take twists and turns necessary to chase prey through
hold.” This, of course, refers to the terrific grasping scrub and woodlands, the natural habitat for many
power of these birds of prey. The family name of different kinds of hawks.
CORNELL LAB COURSES: The Cornell Lab of Ornithology has several online
courses available to help birders improve their skills. These can be accessed by
going to the Lab’s website, http://www.birds.cornell.edu, and following the link to
the Bird Academy. There is a fee for each course, as it is not inexpensive for the
Lab to create them. Many can be taken at any time and at any pace, while others
are set up as more formal online courses. This is a most effective way to develop
and increase one’s birding skills, with the added advantage of being available in the
comfort of one’s home. Take advantage of this excellent opportunity.
RECEIVE THE UPLAND PLOVER ONLINE
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(viewed with Adobe Reader - http://www.adobe.com/).
Contact the Editor at haldex@twcny.rr.com to sign up.
Delivery of the Upland Plover by e-mail saves the Club money by lowering both
printing costs and postage. The e-mailed version is sent out in both color format and
grayscale, the latter allowing recipients to print a paper copy without draining their
color ink tanks. We express our sincere thanks to the members who receive the
Plover by e-mail, making it possible for us to use our resources for other projects.
Become a part of the New York State
Ornithological Association (NYSOA). ITEMS FOR THE NEXT PLOVER ARE DUE BY APRIL 15
Membership includes a quarterly journal and a If you have sightings, photos, or other items for the May / June issue,
newsletter. Details at www.nybirds.org. please forward them to the Editor by April 15.
Contact info: Bill Haller, Editor - Mail: P. O. Box 6, Dexter, NY 13634
E-mail: haldex@twcny.rr.com - Phone: (315) 639-6848 (9 am to 9 pm)
Meetings / Programs: March, April,
May, September, October, November,
(Second Wednesday of the month) NORTH COUNTRY BIRD CLUB MEMBERSHIP
Field Trips: Spring - Summer - Fall Membership is for the calendar year. Dues are per individual.
Renewals are due by January 1st. To ensure that you receive Club
Spring Bird Census materials, be sure to give your correct mailing address below.
North Country Big Day
Audubon Christmas Bird Count Name(s): _____________________________________________
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Ornithological Association, Inc. PLEASE REMEMBER TO FILL OUT BOTH SIDES OF THE FORM