**** CORRECTION! 11/13/2020 ****

I made a mistake and identified a rough-legged hawk as a golden eagle. I asked Mike Tetlow to check out a couple of photos and he pointed out my error. I have attached the corrected birdlist from this week. I have also attached a photo of the peregrine falcon with the teal before it was stolen.

Tuesday, November 10, was a picture-perfect weather day at the Refuge with lots of sun and warm temperatures. We surveyed Tschache Pool, Knox-Marsellus and Puddler Marshes. We encountered much less water, mud and birds at all three locations. However, we did experience some drama at Knox-Marsellus Marsh. You might say we saw mayhem, murder and theft, Montezuma wildlife style! A peregrine falcon pursued and scattered a frantic flock of green-winged teal, and nabbed one! (Remember, everybirdy has to eat!) A short time later, we heard the falcon give a series of distress calls then an adult bald eagle swooped in and stole the teal! The falcon gave pursuit, but to no avail. WOW, what an amazing show!

Wednesday, November 11, was rainy and cloudy, but very ducky!! The Sandhill Crane Unit and Main Pool each had thousands of ducks! The Crane Unit had mostly mallards that were way in the back but were seen when the eagles flew over the marsh and thousands took to the air. The Main Pool had a huge diversity of dabblers and divers. That is where we saw our first common mergansers of the fall migration. Many of the Main Pool ducks can easily be seen from the Wildlife Drive. Historically, November is the month when we have the largest number of southbound waterfowl. There was also a large number of swans, they were way in the back of the Main Pool. This time of year, they would mostly be tundra swans. Throughout our survey small groups would fly over and they sounded like tundra swans. They can be seen from the upper observation deck at the Visitors’ Center and the Seneca Trail tower.

On Tuesday, Alyssa Johnson from the Montezuma Audubon Center, found approximately 150 sandhill cranes at the Crane Unit. She saw them from the east end of Van Dyne Spoor Road. We happened to survey the Crane Unit the next morning and only had 7 cranes! However, the cranes have been seen at Knox-Marsellus and Puddler Marshes from the East Road overlook and at the Sandhill Crane Unit on Van Dyne Spoor Road.

I was at the east end of Van Dyne Spoor Road on Wednesday morning when I saw a rough-legged hawk fly across the marsh and perch in a tree on the east side of the Seneca River. So, keep an eye to the sky, water etc. Check us out, you never know what may come into view!!

Jackie 🙂