I'm IN:-)

Living across the road from the Owasco Lake inlet is wonderful.  I lived on Owasco Lake from 1952- 1970 and then frequented our lake house often until we sold it in 2007.  In all those years, I only traveled the inlet ONCE!.. Lee took me in his small johnny boat powered by a 5 horse motor.( in my words, his small Johnson;-)... It was amazing!  As soon as we left the lake, it was like entering the Amazon River.  Such tranquility... Now, my beloved eagles have made the banks of the inlet their home along with many species of ducks, geese, cranes, herons and other wonderful creatures.  recently a birding group walked the inlet trail and here is what they saw and heard on one short hike. Here's there list!
Good evening,

I just wanted to report out on our birding trip around the Owasco Flats Nature Reserve on Saturday, April 18. Thank you to those that attended! It was a beautiful morning despite it being fairly quiet and muddy! We started around 8:45 AM and ended about 11:30 AM, following the 1.0 mile loop trail that started at the Rte. 38 pull off.

For those that aren't familiar, from the parking lot, the trail follows an old railroad bed before winding towards Owasco Creek which you follow until you reach the southern end of Owasco Lake. The trail then proceeds along a gravel road before circling back onto the railroad bed again to the parking lot. So there is a great mix of habitats to bird along the way...forested wetland, open marsh, the lake and upland forest. In short, all species heard or seen were very common (32 total), except for a lone calling Virginia rail along the north side of the gravel road.

We saw...

American robin

White-breasted nuthatch

Wood duck

Red-winged blackbird

Black-capped chickadee

Blue jay

Downy woodpecker

Mallard

Great blue heron

Canada goose

Tufted titmouse

Hairy woodpecker

European starling

Song sparrow

Tree swallow

Common grackle

Bufflehead

Scaup spp.

Redhead

Osprey

Double-crested cormorant

Eastern pheobe

Northern cardinal

Herring gull

Ring-billed gull

We heard...

Red-bellied woodpecker

American crow

American goldfinch

Northern flicker

Pileated woodpecker

Chipping sparrow

Virginia rail

Other non-bird species observed or heard were painted turtles, spring peepers, northern leopard frog and several dead mudpuppies were found along the bank of the creek (presumably stranded from receding flood waters).

We will host another birding trip on Saturday, May 23 if you'd like to participate. The start time is yet to be set, so stay tuned for that announcement as we get closer to the date. It will most likely be earlier than this last trip.

They only walked the loop so they didn't get to see Millard and Abigail but I enjoy them everyday. Yesterday, I was able to get some wonderful photos of Millard perched high on a branch on a dying tree.  I think he's getting used to me and my trusty golf cart... He only flew off when I was literally underneath his perch. As I said yesterday, I'm pretty sure there is a t least one chick (eaglet) in the nest... I'm hoping the cruel spring didn't attribute to one not making it.

The INlet is INdeed Inspiring:-)