Trip Report -- Upstate NY to CT

A family birthday party, a visit with old friends and lots of BIRDS!!

You should know by now that no matter where we go, we take our cameras and have researched the areas so we know where the birds are. This time we joined 8 members of our family to trek north to Ithaca, NY to celebrate our grand- nephew’s first birthday. Steve’s sister arranged a great house on Lake Cayuga (one of the Finger Lakes) which was close to Cayuga Nature Park and the Cornell Botanical Gardens. That is where we start.

Baltimore Orioles were plentiful up north. This baby Oriole was calling and the Merlin app picked him up. Could not believe our eyes! Like good birders, we left him right where we found him, certain that his Mama would be back soon with a nice juicy bug for him.

Cayuga Nature Park is a wonderful place, but the Center is closed due to a lack of funds. The grounds are open and offer great trees and fields for birds like —

American Redstart

Yellow Warbler

I honestly believe that once this Yellow Warbler realized that I was taking his picture, he liked the idea. He seemed to follow me all through the park!

Common Yellowthroat

One day, my daughter and I took a quick trip to the Cornell Botanical Gardens (while the boys were off playing golf). I could not believe my ears - I was hearing a Warbler. It actually was a Pine Warbler - that usually live high up in pine trees. He came down just to see me!!

After the family celebration, we headed off to Canandaigua (Lake Canandaigua is another Finger Lake farther west). On the way we stopped at Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge. What a cool place - many different habitats - and so many different birds. My favorites were —

Marsh Wren

Common Gallinule or Common Moorhen

A Family of Mute Swans

A Curious Deer

Black Tern (Look closely, these birds are rare for this area.) LIFER

Another Yellow Warbler!! They were very prevalent in this area.

The AirBNB that we rented outside of Canandaigua was like a bird sanctuary in itself. Among many others we heard and saw —

Baltimore Oriole

Carolina Wren on a very cool Weather Vane.

We headed north for a day to Braddock Bay - on the shore of Lake Ontario.

We found -

Cedar Waxwing

Willow Flycatcher — LIFER

From this lovely house with a babbling brook in the front yard, we said “good-bye” to NY and headed to our friends’ house in Connecticut. Of course, we had to keep an eye out for birds while reminiscing with them! They have a whole troupe of Wild Turkeys that visit every day and fly into the trees to roost at night. What a spectacle!

Female is above and 3 Males are below.

Plus a Great Crested Flycatcher!!

It was a busy trip and we squeezed bird watching in whenever we could. My only regret is that we did not see a Cerulean Warbler. We heard them when we were at Montezuma NWR, but could not get one to come down out of the tall trees (and did not want to get totally eaten by the mosquitoes!) The Ceruleans are well known to nest at the top of Lake Cayuga - a few years ago 40 nests were counted, there. I guess we will have to go back - a little earlier in the season - before the mosquitoes get so hungry!!

Hope you have had a good week and you are having a nice summer. We had a great time with family and a wonderful visit with our long-time friends who we have not seen in a good while. What a great way to start off our summer!

See you next week — with more bird photos and stories!!!

Remember - subscribing gets you my posts via email every week — and it is always free.

Thanks!!!!