Montezuma Merriment

Given the picture perfect weather (more on that in a paragraph or so) today, Dawn and I couldn't pass up the chance to get down to the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge. With sightings of the Peregrine fledglings now few and far between, we hoped for better luck with the Bald eagles. Our first stop was the fantastic Montezuma Winery where we stocked up on the nectar of the vines. Then it was off to the birds! At the mouth of Cayuga Lake at the mud lock we found the eagle's aerie predictably empty. There was no sign of fledgling eagles in the trees on the opposite bank, but we did spot this adult fishing. It was far away, but I managed to get a clear shot just after it's unsuccessful grab at a fish:


A half hour's stay didn't turn up any more eagles, and since we'd gotten a late start we decided to head over to the Montezuma nature drive. At the visitor's center we found this nest of baby Barn Swallows (Hirundo rustica) tucked up in the corner beside the door to the Visitor Center entrance, the second clutch at this nest:


Out on the drive, we were surprised by the arrival of this beautiful Great Egret (Ardea alba), which flew in low over the water to hunt among the shallow marshes:


In flight it was much like its cousin the Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias). We found scores of them along the the drive, and they provided plenty of opportunities for portraits:


A pair of juvenile Bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) passed by within a few minutes of each other. I wasn't in good position for pictures, but they landed in a snag a short way down the trail, and presented a clear shot as we passed by:


Farther down the drive, I uttered a giddy exclamation as a Belted Kingfisher (Ceryle alcyon) appeared, the nearest I've gotten to one. A car makes a perfect blind for observing the various birds in the refuge at close range; it's what makes the nature drive such a wonderful experience, and Dawn and I both marvelled at how close we were. Nevertheless, I slowed the car to avoid spooking the bird, and handed my camera to Dawn, who had the better view out of her window. The Canon's shutter machine-gunned to life:


I chanced moving a little closer and took over camera duties as we pulled alongside of the female. She took no notice of us, but kept a close eye on a passing Barn Swallow:


A moment later she dove toward the water, out of our sight. We drove on, but found her fishing nearby from a most ironic perch:



As we drove by I took a final opportunity to photograph her:


The remainder of the nature drive was unremarkable, unless you're impressed by seeing dozens of herons. We'd spent quite a bit of time with the kingfisher, so we left the trail and took the short drive to Armitage Road, hoping to see the eagles there. Indeed, we did see some, but they were far beyond the treeline several hundred meters away. Excitement returned when we saw a large dark bird heading our way. When it turned into the afternoon sun, though, we found that we still weren't watching an eagle:


Well, an Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) isn't a bad consolation prize, especially when it treated us to some aerobatics:


It flew back and forth, approaching half a dozen times before disappearing amongst the trees. We waited a while longer, but as the clock passed five in the evening, we decided it was getting to be time to leave, so we headed back to the car and set off down Route 89, heading for the NY State Thruway.

We had not gone too far when we saw a woman on the opposite shoulder of the road, binoculars raised. Built atop a nearby utility pole was a nest of gray sticks, clearly the home of an Osprey. We pulled into a parking area and got out for a closer look:


The Osprey was vocalizing, but we couldn't discern any other occupants of the nest. We were about to cross the road for a closer look when the Osprey took to the air, looping overhead then heading for a screen of tall pines a short distance away:


It wasn't until the bird landed in the tree that I noticed its mate perched there as well:


We celebrated our good fortune and hurried to set up the spotting scope, through which we were treated to some great views of the pair. By size we determined the female sat on the left. After some minutes, both birds took off. The female went first, disappearing behind some trees before she passed low over our heads:


Too late I raised my camera for a shot, and by the time I got my lens on her she'd flown back toward the tree. She and the male circled each other, then flew their separate ways, the male staying near the tree while the female flew closer to us. When a crow wandered into the airspace, he gave chase and flew far out of view. The female stayed airborne for another minute, then settled in the tree again:


We watched for perhaps ten minutes more, but she seemed content to keep to her swaying perch and the male didn't reappear, so we continued toward home. Our trip was rewarding and exciting, a great alternative now that the peregrines are beginning to disperse. The upcoming weekend promises more fine weather, so we may venture eastward again for another look at the birds of the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge.