Date: 9/3/25 12:02 am From: Colleen Richards <clr82...> Subject: [cayugabirds-l] Cayuga Bird Club September meeting
It's time for the Cayuga Bird Club's first meeting of the fall on Monday, September 8 at 7:30 at the Lab of Ornithology. Come hear Kathryn Grabenstein, Postdoc at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, as she gives her presentation - "Mountain Chickadees Change their Tune When They Live Beside Black-capped Chickadees". Understanding how species co-exist is a fundamental goal of ecology. Kathryn and her colleagues explore the interplay between ecology and evolution to better understand how closely-related, ecologically-similar species co-exist using two species of songbirds which sometimes mate with each other (hybridize): black-capped and mountain chickadees. About our Speaker: Kathryn shares, I am an evolutionary ecologist interested in understanding how humans change the way closely-related species interact and shift their evolutionary trajectories. I am also a mentor, teacher, advocate, and storyteller and have intentionally woven these threads throughout my research. Natural history is foundational to my research: I combine field studies and genomics to study hybridization in the context of human change. For my dissertation research, I founded and directed the Boulder Chickadee Study, a citizen science network of over 75 households and 400 nest boxes to explore the natural histories of Colorado chickadees and understand how humans are shifting evolution for species living alongside us. As a scientist, I conduct research that teaches us about the natural world, trains the next generation of stewards, and inspires local communities to nurture nature around them. There will be a dinner with Kathryn at Sumo restaurant prior to the meeting at 5:30 pm for interested members to attend. Please RSVP to Colleen Richards at <clr82...> by noon Monday so reservations can be made Cayuga Bird Club meetings are held on the second Monday of each month, September through June, and are free and open to the public. In-person meetings are held September through May at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Road. The evening starts with social time at 7:00pm, the reading of the bird list at 7:20pm, and club business at 7:30pm, followed by the speaker's presentation starting around 8:00pm and ending by 9:00pm. We will attempt to make presentations available virtually as a recording posted a few days later, on our YouTube channel @cayugabirdclub. Some meetings may shift to Zoom if warranted by circumstances.
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This Thursday, September 4 is our next Birding Meetup! All birders are very welcome to gather with us at 7 am at Myers Point to check out the early migrants coming through now. From the junction of Routes 34 and 34B in South Lansing, take 34B down the hill and turn left on Myers Rd. Cross the tracks and turn right to enter the town park. Join us on any Thursday morning to meet up with other birders for a casual morning of birding. Meetups are open to everyone, from beginners to seasoned birders to anyone just interested in enjoying a morning with nature and company. There are no designated leaders for the walks, which we expect to run from 7am til around 8:30am. Participants can peel off early to get to work as needed, or go for coffee and/or breakfast afterwards. Shelley Page *she/they/ki*
313-550-1437 261 Coddington Road Apt. B Ithaca, New York 14850
https://uuma.zoom.us/j/2065380867 "All that you touch you Change. All that you Change changes you. The only lasting truth is Change. God is Change." Octavia Butler, The Parable of the Sower
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Date: 9/1/25 7:31 pm From: Kevin J. McGowan <kjm2...> Subject: [cayugabirds-l] Red-breasted Nuthatches fly-catching
I had some very cool and unusual experiences with Red-breasted Nuthatches today.
I was walking at Roy Park South Preserve off Irish Settlement in Dryden today. I was looking for migrant warblers that had been reported earlier in the morning. I found a group of chickadees that contained a Magnolia Warbler and a Red-breasted Nuthatch. I was surprised that when I pished the nuthatch came right at me and perched only about 6 ft away! https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/641218154
I left and walked around the trails, but didn't have much away from that spot. I did hear multiple Red-breasted Nuthatches along the way.
About an hour later I was returning through the same area on the main trial where I had had birds earlier. A few chickadees, a couple of warblers, and a group (family?) of Red-breasted Nuthatches.
I watched the group foraging in the trees, with lots of chickadee action, moving from twig to twig, and a couple of warblers moving slower and occasionally fly-catching. But, then I noticed that there were multiple birds doing a lot of fly-catching. Flying out from the trees into the open air and catching flying insects. I had seen a lot of Cedar Waxwings this week doing just this type of foraging. But, these were all NUTHATCHES!
I didn't believe what I was seeing at first, but they just kept doing it over and over. All nuthatches!. And they were successful. They would fly out, often more than 20 feet from the tree they started in and would land on a different perch and consume the winged insect they had just caught.
I could not tell what kind of flying insect they were catching, but I could see them eating them when they landed again. They never returned to the original perch they left from.
I finally realized that they were not sitting in one spot and looking for flying insects to chase, the way flycatchers and Cedar Waxwings do. Instead, I think they were flushing insects from the surface of branches and pursuing them as they flew out and away.
I was amazed at how many nuthatches were doing this, and for how long they did it. I could not swear that there were more than five individuals, but there could have been a dozen. They were constantly fly-catching for the more than 15 minutes I stood and watched them.
I could not predict where they would fly out from, and got no photos or videos. But, it was an amazing spectacle.
Kevin
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Date: 8/29/25 4:30 pm From: Jody Enck <jodyenck...> Subject: [cayugabirds-l] Bird Habitat Improvement at Lighthouse Point Woods
Hi All,
On Labor Day, the Cayuga Bird Club will be joined by 40 members of the Cornell Student Athlete Advisory Council to work on our bird habitat improvement project down at Lighthouse Point Woods. We will be planting a variety of native trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants. We will be there from about 9 to noon, with the students joining us at 10am.
Everyone is invited to come down and see what we are doing. If you want to join us, please send me an email message so we can plan appropriately.
Thanks Jody Enck <jodyenck...>
Jody W. Enck, PhD Conservation Social Scientist, and Founder of the Sister Bird Club Network 607-379-5940
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We started out our Thursday Birding Meetup morning at Lime Hollow with a congenial collective effort to identify a couple of Solitary Sandpipers out in a pond at some distance. The eleven of us proceeded to have a pleasant walk on the trails seeing a smattering of typical woodland and edgy birds as well as a fun stop to check out who was visiting the feeders at the nature center, observing a total of 16 species (thank you, Tracy McLellan for our ebird list). But we were reminded that a merely pleasant (oh look, another robin...) morning can turn into an exciting birding moment. We saw a chestnut sided warbler flitting and then capturing a lively green caterpillar. The warbler stood quite still as it violently swung the caterpillar back and forth for quite a while before consuming it. We were mesmerized by this little bird's action, all in plain sight on a sunlit branch. Just wow! What a show! We were also happy to see a monarch caterpillar. Eight of us enjoyed breakfast at Hyde's in Cortland. Want to join in the fun next Thursday, September 4? All birders are very welcome to gather with us at 7 am at Myers Point to check out the early migrants coming through now. From the junction of Routes 34 and 34B in South Lansing, take 34B down the hill and turn left on Myers Rd. Cross the tracks and turn right to enter the town park. Shelley Page *she/they/ki*
313-550-1437 261 Coddington Road Apt. B Ithaca, New York 14850
https://uuma.zoom.us/j/2065380867 "All that you touch you Change. All that you Change changes you. The only lasting truth is Change. God is Change." Octavia Butler, The Parable of the Sower
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Be sure to register for our NYSOA conference in Ithaca. In addition to field trips, there will be presentations by guest speakers, social activities, vendors, and more! You can register at: https://www.nysoa2025.org/registration
The bird banding schedule for last Wednesday was postponed due to rain
to tomorrow (Saturday, 8/23). Feel free to drop by. Sorry for not
sending out an update, but for future events, check the CBC calendar
for latest updates.
Suan
On Mon, Aug 18, 2025 at 1:25 PM Suan Yong <suan.yong...> wrote:
>
> Max "Hummingbird" Baber will be banding birds at Lindsay-Parsons this Fall, and is inviting members of the public to observe our beautiful birds up close and to learn about the bird banding process.
>
> Banding sessions are tentatively scheduled for Wednesday mornings through October, (subject to weather and other changes). They begin at dawn and last until around 11am. The first session is this Wednesday, August 20. Stop by anytime between 7am and 11am to check it out. Generally speaking, the earlier the better.
>
> From the Lindsay-Parsons parking lot, head *south* (away from the main trail) and take the first mowed path to the left.
>
> Check the Cayuga Bird club calendar for updates: https://www.cayugabirdclub.org/calendar >
> Suan
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Date: 8/22/25 6:59 am From: Peter Saracino <petersaracino...> Subject: [cayugabirds-l] "Transition" Interpretive Walk at Montezuma Refuge in September
"TRANSITION" Change is in the air. Days are shorter. Bird song has nearly ceased. Seeds are ripening. Nights are filled with the mating calls of insects. Life prepares for the coming cold by migrating, laying eggs, breeding, gorging, caching food and finding shelter. Come join NY State Master Naturalist Volunteer, Pete Saracino, as we seek to experience different aspects of this seasonal change. Dates for September Walks: 9/20 @ 9am (Native Plant Festival) 9/27 @ 10am All ages welcomed. Binocs and sunscreen advised. No pets please. Sar
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Yesterday, 21 of us met up at the Hile School Road Wetland in Freeville for about 2 hours in the morning. 25 species were observed. The weather was a bit chilly and overcast, but as the day started to warm up we got some good looks at a number of birds toward the second half of the trip.
Some highlights included seeing two juvenile green herons flying and giving us good looks on a dead tree and in the wetland. We also saw a few adult green herons as well. Wood ducks were a delight to watch from afar, as well as two pileated woodpeckers calling and giving us a show on the woods' edge. Cedar waxwings were abundant.
One of the most exciting parts of the day was observing a mixed flock with a Cape May warbler and a small family of pine warblers. The pine warblers gave us a mystery and a group of us needed to put our heads together to ID the young and adults who were feeding them.
We were joined by a new-to-town Ithaca College freshman (shoutout to Matthew) and local birder and CBC member Anne Clark who birds this location almost every morning. We always love having newcomers and guests on these Thursday morning meetups!
A group of about 12 of us met at The Good Neighbor Grocery in downtown Groton for some coffee and breakfast afterwards.
*If you would like to join us, our next meetup will be on Thursday, August 28 from 7-8:30am at Lime Hollow Nature Center. Because there is summer camp going on there, we will park in the lot on Gracie Rd. From 366 (beyond the office of Lime Hollow) stay to the right and you'll see a parking area to the left. Look for the birders!*
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Date: 8/19/25 6:45 am From: Monica Adelman <monicaladelman...> Subject: [cayugabirds-l] Thursday Meetup - Hile School Rd Wetland
Thursday Morning Birding Meetup
August 21 at 7:00-8:30 am: Hile School Road wetland, between Freeville and Groton. From Ithaca, travel east on Route 13 and turn left on Route 366. In Freeville, turn left on Route 38 also known as Freeville Groton Road. Turn right on Hile School Road and look for the birders parked along the road.
We meet every Thursday morning at a location in/around the Ithaca area. Join us at 7 am and leave when you need to go to work or other activities. If your schedule allows, please join us for breakfast afterward. We post each week's location on Facebook/Instagram as well as Cayuga Bird Club listserv and calendar.
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Max "Hummingbird" Baber will be banding birds at Lindsay-Parsons this Fall, and is inviting members of the public to observe our beautiful birds up close and to learn about the bird banding process.
Banding sessions are tentatively scheduled for Wednesday mornings through October, (subject to weather and other changes). They begin at dawn and last until around 11am. The first session is this Wednesday, August 20. Stop by anytime between 7am and 11am to check it out. Generally speaking, the earlier the better.
From the Lindsay-Parsons parking lot, head *south* (away from the main trail) and take the first mowed path to the left.
Date: 8/14/25 6:01 pm From: Shelley Page <shelleypage.imagine...> Subject: [cayugabirds-l] August 14 Thursday Birding Meetup Recap and August 21 plans
A delightful surprise awaited us this morning as 22 of us gathered at Alder Pond in Mecklenburg, the home of Ken Haas for this week's Thursday Birding Meetup. Ken led us up the road to a beautiful unmowed meadow on Black Road where bobolinks abound! Just wow! We were absolutely thrilled to see 70 bobolinks popping up and down, flying and settling, and perching on lamb's quarters! We saw/heard 18 species including some savannah sparrows, indigo buntings, common yellow throats and a lurking Cooper's hawk hoping to get lucky. We then returned to Ken's land and hiked a bit before settling down to observe feeder action. Downy and Hairy woodpeckers were quite active and we saw a teenage male cardinal among the 13 "yard birds" we saw/heard. (Thanks Diane Morton for the ebird counts and we note that she also recorded 10 species just walking down the driveway to Ken's house when she arrived! A birdy place indeed!) Fourteen of us closed out the morning with breakfast at The Falls restaurant in Trumansburg with lively conversation and the sharing of a special cinnamon roll "appetizer." Want to join in on the fun? We meet-up every Thursday morning at a location in/around the Ithaca area. Join us at 7 am and leave when you need to go to work or other activities. If your schedule allows, please join us for breakfast afterward. We post each week's location on Facebook/Instagram as well as Cayuga Bird Club listserv and calendar. *Thursday Birding Meetup August 21 at 7:00-8:30 am: Hile School Road wetland, between Freeville and Groton. From Ithaca, travel east on Route 13 and turn left on Route 366. In Freeville, turn left on Route 38 also known as Freeville Groton Road. Turn right on Hile School Road and look for the birders parked along the road.*
Shelley Page *she/they/ki*
313-550-1437 261 Coddington Road Apt. B Ithaca, New York 14850
https://uuma.zoom.us/j/2065380867 "All that you touch you Change. All that you Change changes you. The only lasting truth is Change. God is Change." Octavia Butler, The Parable of the Sower
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Date: 8/13/25 11:04 am From: Marie P. Read <mpr5...> Subject: UPDATE Owl gone Re: [cayugabirds-l] Mt Pleasant Rd Great Horned Owl (possibly damaged)
Hi everyone,
I just checked and the owl has gone. It was still there at 11:45 but hopefully it recovered enough to head for the woods before it got too hot out there. Checked around the perimeter of the enclosure fence from the road but no sign. But if it had landed inside the enclosure it would be impossible to see in the long grass. I'm cautiously optimistic. And so grateful for this caring community of bird lovers.
Thanks to EVERYONE who offered help and advice.
Marie
Marie Read
452 Ringwood Road
Freeville NY 13068 USA
Date: 8/13/25 9:21 am From: Melissa Groo <melgroo...> Subject: Re: [cayugabirds-l] Mt Pleasant Rd Great Horned Owl (possibly damaged)
Marie, write me privately if you still need help. I have the names and
numbers of three people that I just got from a vet at the hospital and can
send them on.
Melissa
Melissa Groo
Wildlife and Conservation Photographer
Sony Ambassador/Artisan of Imagery
Fellow, International League of Conservation Photographers
Date: 8/13/25 8:26 am From: Marie P. Read <mpr5...> Subject: [cayugabirds-l] Mt Pleasant Rd Great Horned Owl (possibly damaged)
Hi everyone,
On my morning walk starting around 8:45 today, I was stunned to see a Great Horned Owl perching out in the open on one of the fenceposts around the enclosure at the easternmost end of Mt Pleasant Rd, Ithaca. It looks to be a youngster, with fluffy light-colored feathers on the top of its head and on the nape. My excitement turned to concern when I returned 1.5 hrs later to photograph it from my car. It was still there although it had turned around to face east, and every photo showed it had only one eye open (yes I know this is not unusual for owls), and was looking decidedly unhappy as the rain started. At around 10:45 it's still there. I am worried that it is injured.
I plan on checking up on it throughout today. But I wanted to ask here who I could contact to try to capture it if need be. I can't do this because I currently have one arm in a cast, but I am fine with taking it to the Cornell Wildlife Clinic, once captured. Before anyone jumps in...this is ONLY theoretical! It may be just fine, a naive youngster who's found itself in an unusual situation.
Thanks for any advice.
Marie
Marie Read
452 Ringwood Road
Freeville NY 13068 USA
Date: 8/12/25 4:10 am From: Jane Bain <jane.bain...> Subject: [cayugabirds-l] Thursday Morning Birding Meetup
Join us on Thursday mornings to meet up with other birders for a casual morning of birding. Meetups are open to everyone, from beginners to seasoned birders to anyone just interested in enjoying a morning with nature and company. There are no designated leaders for the walks, which we expect to run from 7am until around 8:30am. Participants can peel off early to get to work as needed, or go for coffee and/or breakfast afterwards.
August 14 Thursday Birding Meetup: Alder Pond at Ken Haas’s home at 5915 State Route 79. If you missed the earlier field trip to Alder Pond, this is your chance to visit this lovely place and see some great birds with Ken. He says that the trails are easy walking, meandering through 10 acres of mixed deciduous and coniferous young forest with some dense undergrowth, a swampy area and some shrubby areas, as well as a pond, with potential to see all kinds of birds. Directions from Ithaca: take 79 west to Mecklenburg. Continue 0.8 miles out of the village up the hill and around to a straight stretch. Shortly before the road curves again, Turnpike Road comes in from the left. The driveway to Alder Pond is to the right directly opposite Turnpike Road. There is space for five cars to park on the property; if that is full, park along Turnpike Road (i.e., if you see cars parked on Turnpike Road, the lot is probably full at the property).
Jane Bain
Lansing, NY
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Date: 8/8/25 7:58 am From: Jane Bain <jane.bain...> Subject: [cayugabirds-l] Thursday Mornings Birding Meetup Recap plus next week's plans
On this week’s Thursday Birding Meetup, sixteen of us shared a beautiful summer morning in Spencer on Peggy Hurley’s property walking through the wooded trails, exploring the gorgeous flower garden, and ending on the deck enjoying breakfast and each other’s company. On the walk through the woods the plaintive coo-ing of Mourning Doves accompanied us the whole way. The woods were otherwise quiet for much of the walk, with only a few species heard including Eastern Wood-Pewee and Brown Creeper. Highlights were a Red-eyed Vireo that stayed low and close for good eye-level looks as it continuously made its "chway" complaint calls for reasons we could not decipher, a Hermit Thrush that sat singing loudly for a good long while but on a difficult-to-describe perch, eventually offering scope views, while a Blue-headed Vireo started singing loudly and gave neck-stretching views in the high canopy above. A major plus on many of these trips is the information on the local plant life shared with us by various knowledgable members, and so we were pointed to flowering plants and fungi like Pearly Everlasting, Indian Pipe, and Chanterelles. As a final treat, while sitting on the deck, a Ruby-throated Hummingbird made an appearance. It was a perfect way to spend a summer morning in August, thanks to Peggy and all the members sharing their expertise. All birders of any level are welcome to join us on Thursday mornings at 7:00 am. Check the Cayuga Bird Club calendar for details before each Thursday.
August 14 Thursday Birding Meetup: Alder Pond at Ken Haas’s home at 5915 State Route 79. If you missed the earlier field trip to Alder Pond, this is your chance to visit this lovely place and see some great birds with Ken. He says that the trails are easy walking, meandering through 10 acres of mixed deciduous and coniferous young
forest with some dense undergrowth, a swampy area and some shrubby areas, as well as a pond, with potential to see all kinds of birds. Directions from Ithaca: take 79 west to Mecklenburg. Continue 0.8 miles out of the village up the hill and around to a straight stretch. Shortly before the road curves again, Turnpike Road comes in from the left. The driveway to Alder Pond is to the right directly opposite Turnpike Road. There is space for five cars to park on the property; if that is full, park along Turnpike Road (i.e., if you see cars parked on Turnpike Road, the lot is probably full at the property).
Jane Bain
Lansing, NY
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There's been a yellow-billed cuckoo vocalizing loudly around my house for the past week, starting since the last rain we had. I love the alignment with the weather and this bird's nickname, the "rain crow". Merlin says this bird is somewhat of a rarity in this area, especially --I've read--when there is not a notable tent caterpillar outbreak. If you want to come out to the Salmon Creek Valley and have a listen, let me know.
Karen
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Date: 8/7/25 9:42 am From: Laurie Rubin <grandma818...> Subject: [cayugabirds-l] Hummingbird Feeders and Ants
Hi All,
I didn’t respond to the earlier discussion because I wanted to monitor our feeder for a while to confirm what I thought -
A sprinkle of cinnamon keeps the ants away! We have a plastic, flat, circular feeder so it’s easy to apply all across the top and around the feeding holes.
The only time it doesn’t work is when the rain washes away the cinnamon and the ants come right back before you reapply.
Hoping this tip will work for all of you, Laurie
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Date: 8/7/25 4:08 am From: Jody Enck <jodyenck...> Subject: [cayugabirds-l] Calling all bird conservationists
Hello Cayuga Birders,
Our next habitat improvement day down at Lighthouse Point Woods will be this coming Saturday, August 9th, from 9 to noon.
We are getting ready to showcase our work at the 2025 New York State Ornithological Association conference, which the Cayuga Bird Club is hosting here in Ithaca on the weekend of September 20th. For more information about the conference, visit the conference website at https://www.nysoa2025.org/
On Saturday, we will continue removing privet and putting up fencing with the goal of planting some of our fostered plants in early September. We also want to invite all of you who are creative and interested in helping us develop content for our signs about the project -- both simple text and artwork for our signs, and deeper content that will be accessible to the public when they access a QR code on the signs with their phones.
So, my if you don't want to pull privet, but are passionate about bird conservation, please come down to Lighthouse Point Woods on Saturday morning and join a like-minded group of folks working to highlight our conservation efforts. No previous experience required!
If you want more information (e.g., where to park, where to find us, what to wear, what to bring), please email me at <jodyenck...>
Thanks! Jody Enck Chair of the Conservation Action Committee Cayuga Bird Club
Jody W. Enck, PhD Conservation Social Scientist, and Founder of the Sister Bird Club Network 607-379-5940
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August 7th Thursday Birding Meetup
7am-8:30am
This week, Peggy Hurley has invited us to bird her beautiful property in Spencer, about 30 minutes south of Ithaca.
A light breakfast will be served after birding in the garden (thank you, Peggy!). If you'd like to bring any food to share, please do.
The address is 12 Coy Hill Road (not Coy Road). If the top of her driveway is full, park along Coy Hill Road, but be careful of the deep ditches which can be hard to see due to high grass.
From Ithaca, it's probably easiest to drive into Spencer, turn right on Liberty (a small road next to a cemetery), then follow the right fork along Washburn Road - a route that Google Maps seems reluctant to recommend, instead favoring Newfield Depot. Avoid M Elston Road, which is seasonal and bumpy which some navigation apps may try taking you
-Monica Adelman
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With Migration Celebration quickly approaching (September 13th!), I’m excited to share the volunteer opportunities we have available. You can find the different stations and signup here: https://signup.com/go/KXbfKQA If you have any questions, please let me know!
Date: 8/4/25 1:16 pm From: Tim Gallagher <twg3...> Subject: Re: [cayugabirds-l] Raven and Avian Flu
I just noticed you said the bird is already dead. Sorry about my earlier post. I didn’t have time to read it closely. But you definitely shouldn’t leave it there for other animals to eat. If it does have avian influenza, it could infect whatever eats it—bird or mammal. I hope it can get tested.
On Aug 4, 2025, at 7:48 AM, Tobias Dean <tobydean60...> wrote:

Maybe overthinking this but we observed one of our local ravens on the
ground in our orchard yesterday. It was walking away from my wife mowing outside the orchard fence very slowly. Completely off normal raven
behavior. It was dead this morning.
My question is should I
A. Bury the body with gloves mask etc
B. Notify some agency about it
C. Not worry about it and avian flu; let nature take care of the carcass?
Date: 8/4/25 9:14 am From: Greg Delisle <gdelisle...> Subject: Re: [cayugabirds-l] Raven and Avian Flu
Some years ago — maybe 10, I found a Raven roadkilled. It was in very good condition so I double-bagged it and brought it to the Vertebrate Collections at the Lab of O. They were glad to accept it because it was the first time a Common Raven specimen had been donated to the collection in 99 years. That’s not a typo! Apparently dead ravens are extremely rarely found, for many reasons, and this particular raven being hit by a car could only have happened if the bird was very, very sick to begin with. West Nile was presumed to be the culprit.
So, I would add to the advice below. Please be careful if you handle the bird, please do report it to the DEC, and if at all possible, freeze the bird in case it can be salvaged as a specimen by the CUMV.
Date: 8/4/25 8:41 am From: Tim Gallagher <twg3...> Subject: Re: [cayugabirds-l] Raven and Avian Flu
If the bird does have avian influenza, it will probably be dead very soon. If it does die, you should triple bag it in plastic trash bags—be sure to wear a mask and disposable gloves. Then notify the DEC. Hopefully, they’ll get it tested at Cornell.
On Aug 4, 2025, at 7:48 AM, Tobias Dean <tobydean60...> wrote:

Maybe overthinking this but we observed one of our local ravens on the
ground in our orchard yesterday. It was walking away from my wife mowing outside the orchard fence very slowly. Completely off normal raven
behavior. It was dead this morning.
My question is should I
A. Bury the body with gloves mask etc
B. Notify some agency about it
C. Not worry about it and avian flu; let nature take care of the carcass?
Date: 8/4/25 7:39 am From: Eveline V. Ferretti <ef15...> Subject: [cayugabirds-l] Nest-building cedar waxwings
For the past 2-3 years, I've had an outstanding to-do that I just wasn't able to get around to: figure out a way to remove two small tangles of some kind of string that ended up in a couple of branches of the sugar maple tree outside our kitchen window, perhaps blown up from the road or a garden where they'd been used to tie a plant. Over the weekend, I had the delight of watching a cedar waxwing pair (am assuming they were a pair, rather than competitive individuals) patiently, slowly but surely worry the two tangles apart and make off with threads. There must be a well-fortified little nest somewhere nearby now. A good choice of neighborhood too-the mulberry tree that is on the other side of the house is loaded, its berries starting to turn dark. The chicks will likely be well fed.
Eveline
Freeville, NY
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Date: 8/4/25 5:07 am From: John Gregoire <johnandsuegregoire...> Subject: Re: [cayugabirds-l] Raven and Avian Flu
There is nothing unusual about a bird walking. In fact Raven spend much
time on the ground as do other avian species. Your questions appear to be a
non-sequitur.
On Mon, Aug 4, 2025 at 7:47 AM Tobias Dean <tobydean60...> wrote:
Date: 8/4/25 4:47 am From: Tobias Dean <tobydean60...> Subject: [cayugabirds-l] Raven and Avian Flu
Maybe overthinking this but we observed one of our local ravens on the ground in our orchard yesterday. It was walking away from my wife mowing outside the orchard fence very slowly. Completely off normal raven behavior. It was dead this morning. My question is should I A. Bury the body with gloves mask etc
B. Notify some agency about it
C. Not worry about it and avian flu; let nature take care of the carcass?
Thanks. Toby Dean
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