The Upland
Plover
Newsletter of the North Country Bird Club, Inc.
March / April 2019
A REMINDER
2019 MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS ARE NOW DUE!
PLEASE FILL OUT THE FORM ON THE LAST PAGE SOON AND FORWARD IT WITH YOUR DUES
SPRING MEETINGS
Please note the dates of our spring meetings on your calendar:
Wed, March 13 - Wed, April 10 - Wed, May 8
WE MEET AT 7 PM AT NNY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
131 WASHINGTON ST, WATERTOWN
MARCH MEETING - Wednesday, March 13
Program: NORTHERN HARRIERS - LIFE ON THE WING
Learn about the lives of these magnificent raptors while viewing
spectacular scenes of a pair in the Great Lakes region hunting,
nesting, and caring for their young.
APRIL MEETING - Wednesday, April 10
Program: WETLANDS CONSERVATION & MANAGEMENT
We are very pleased to welcome Dr. Michael Schummer as the
speaker for our April meeting. Dr. Schummer, a member of the
Department of Environmental and Forest Biology at SUNY’s
College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse, is
the Waterfowl Ecologist at SUNY ESF’s Roosevelt Wildlife
Station. He will discuss his work there in conserving and
managing wetlands “for wildlife (and people!).” Be sure to join
us for this most interesting presentation.
MAY MEETING - Wednesday, May 8
Program: WARBLERS IN THE NORTH COUNTRY
Dick Brouse will highlight the members of this large family of
songbirds which most commonly summer in our area.
Ontario Bays Initiative, in partnership with North Country Bird
Club, is offering two birding walks at their Downybrook
Preserve this spring. The first, on Wednesday, April 24, will
be led by Corky Marlowe, the second, on Thursday, May 14, by
Dick Brouse. Both walks begin at 9:30 am. The Preserve is on
Perch Lake Road ¾ mile north of Brownville.
To be added to our E-mail Notification List for news of select
sightings & events, contact the Editor at haldex@twcny.rr.com
Note: The 2019 ANNUAL MEETING & ELECTIONS
will be held at the MAY MEETING (Wed, May 8)
Since 1948
Volume 60 No. 2
Again this year, seeking to create a more complete picture of
the great variety of birds which can be seen in our area, the
Club will conduct a Spring Bird Census. Join us in this
combined effort of members and other interested birders to
survey the bird life in our area during the spring season. All
birders are invited and urged to participate. The Census will
extend from Wednesday, March 20 (the Vernal Equinox)
through Thursday, June 20. The Census Survey Form is
included with this issue. Please follow the procedure
outlined on the form to record and submit your sightings.
FIELD TRIPS - 2019 Season
St. Lawrence River Parks: Saturday, April 13 - 8:30 am
Cornell Lab & Montezuma NWR: Saturday, May 4 - 8:30 am
Southwicks Beach: Saturday, May 11 - 8:30 am
Red Lake: Saturday, May 18 - 8:30 am
Limerick Cedars: Wednesday, May 29 - 8:00 pm
Rodman Trails: Saturday, June 1 - 8:30 am
Marlowe Camp, Beartown: Saturday, June 15 - 8:30 am
Annual Picnic (Brouse Preserve): Sunday, July 7 - 1:00 pm
Marlowe Camp, Beartown: Saturday, July 20 - 8:30 am
Perch River WMA: Saturday, August 24 - 8:30 am
Montezuma NWR: Saturday, October 5 - 8:30 am
We meet for all field trips, except the Limerick Cedars evening
trip and the Annual Picnic, at 8:30 am in the parking lot of the
Arsenal St Wal-Mart, across the entry drive from Red Lobster.
SPECKLED
MOURNING DOVE
Watertown
January 2019
Photo by Lee Ellsworth
 OFFICERS FIELD TRIP: ST. LAWRENCE RIVER PARKS
President Saturday, April 13 - Meet at Arsenal St Wal-Mart at 8:30 am
Corky Marlowe We will visit state parks along the St. Lawrence River, as well as other birding sites in northern
315-782-4705
Jefferson County, to observe migrating waterfowl and arriving songbirds. This is a driving tour, with
only minimal walking involved. All are invited to join for lunch at the conclusion of the trip.
Vice-President
Bill Haller FIELD TRIP: CORNELL ORNITHOLOGY LAB & MONTEZUMA NWR
Secretary Saturday, May 4 - Meet at Arsenal St Wal-Mart at 8:30 am
Christine Bourquin We will visit Cornell University’s world-renowned Lab of Ornithology on a springtime Saturday to view a
great variety of birds. The lab facilities and the Lab’s Sapsucker Woods Sanctuary provide an
Treasurer experience available virtually nowhere else in North America. On our return trip, we will also visit the
Kathleen Killeen Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge. Reservations are required before or at our April 10 meeting.
DIRECTORS FIELD TRIP: SOUTHWICKS BEACH NATURE TRAILS
Richard Brouse To 5/2020 Co-sponsored by the Henderson Historical Society
David Prosser To 5/2019 Saturday, May 11 - Meet at Arsenal St Wal-Mart at 8:30 am
Mike Shepard To 5/2019 (or meet us along the entrance road to Southwicks Beach State Park at 9:00 am)
June Walker To 5/2020
Robert Walker To 5/2019 Join us to explore the nature trails at Southwicks Beach State Park. A walk of about one mile on
well-groomed trails provides the opportunity to see a wide variety of spring birds in a beautiful setting.
Field Trip Coordinator
Richard Brouse
FIELD TRIP: RED LAKE
315-788-6778 Saturday, May 18 - Meet at Arsenal St Wal-Mart at 8:30 am
This is a must trip for adding birds to your Spring Bird Census list. The setting, near the village of
Census Coordinator
Theresa, includes woodlands, fields, wetlands, and the lakeshore environment, so a wide variety of
Bill Haller species is possible. This always rewarding field trip is an easy walk along a level gravel road.
Historian FIELD TRIP: LIMERICK CEDARS
Robert Walker
Wednesday, May 29th at 8:00 pm - Ransom Road
Newsletter Editor We will meet in the evening along the Ransom Road in the Limerick Cedars to look and listen for
Bill Haller Whip-poor-wills, American Woodcock, Prairie Warblers, and other spring birds. Enjoy the enchanting
315-639-6848 sights and sounds of twilight in the Cedars.
On The Web: (The Ransom Road is on the left one mile north of Limerick on NY 180.)
NORTH COUNTRY Bring insect repellent and water on all field trips. After all local field trips, participants are
BIRD CLUB A field trip may be cancelled due to weather. invited to join for lunch at a nearby
restaurant, if their schedule permits.
ON FACEBOOK Call Dick Brouse at 788-6778 with any questions These gatherings are always most
about our field trips. enjoyable (and entertaining).
For detailed info about birds,
visit the website of A beautiful set of bird-themed
the Cornell Ornithology Lab notecards is given to a member or
and of Cornell’s renowned members of the Club by random
Sapsucker Woods Sanctuary selection each time the Plover is
http://www.birds.cornell.edu issued, to provide an incentive to
keep memberships current. We offer
Access the Cornell Lab’s our congratulations to Faye Martin
bird migration forecast at and Michael Short of Watertown,
http://birdcast.info. selected as this issue’s recipients.
eBird Essentials is a free online course to help you use the eBird NORTHERN CARDINALS
program to track bird sightings in your area. Access the course at: Watertown - January 2019
https://academy.allaboutbirds.org/courses/ebird-essentials/ Photos by Faye Martin

INFORMATION SOURCES FOR REGIONAL SIGHTINGS AND RARE BIRD ALERTS

A list of birding list serves and of sites issuing rare bird alerts for New York is available from the New York State Ornithological
Association (NYSOA) at https://nybirds.org/RecordsRBA.htm Note especially eBird Alerts, Oneidabirds, Cayugabirds-L, and
Northern_NY_Birds. Oneidabirds reports sightings from the Syracuse area and the Montezuma region, and some sightings from
our area. Cayugabirds-L reports sightings from the Montezuma region as well, and from the eastern Finger Lakes region.
Northern_NY_Birds reports sightings mainly from the eastern Adirondacks and the Champlain Valley. 2
Gerry Smith, a professional ornithologist, Director of Sanctuaries for Onondaga Audubon, and a long-time member and former President of North
Country Bird Club, generously offered to contribute an article for this issue. Below are his reflections from nearly a half-century of studying birds in the
North Country. The Audubon Society has done very significant work around the world in addressing environmental issues, playing an important role in
maintaining suitable habitat for birds and other wildlife, and Gerry has long been an important part of that work in this region. While North Country Bird
Club has always been deeply concerned about these issues, we have not addressed them as actively or as directly. Gerry’s article reflects on some
very real and critical issues facing us today. While traditionally our Club does not take a specific stand on such issues, and not all of our members
may be in agreement with some views expressed here, the Editor feels it is important that we hear from someone of Gerry’s expertise concerning
these issues, in order to inform our own thinking. Our thanks to Gerry for so generously sharing his insights.

BIRDS, CONSERVATION, AND THE COMING GOLD RUSH

Gerry Smith
You may not know it, but Northern New York is in the middle of a gold rush. It’s a gold rush that’s likely to intensify in coming years because of the
actions of the current governor of New York. It’s an energy production gold rush. If his plan 2040 is followed, the relatively inexpensive land base of
Jefferson, Lewis and St, Lawrence counties will targeted by alternative energy developers. Schemes for wind, solar, biofuels and heaven knows what
else will be coming. The towns and counties had better be ready, since gold rushes are hard to control.
Let me state up front: I am not opposed to all forms of commercial alternative energy development. Global climate change is very real, and we need
alternative energy to combat it. That said, the devil’s in the details of what type, how and where it’s placed, and how much is permitted in any given
area. These are critical details from a conservation standpoint, since alternative energy, much as modern row crop agriculture, is extremely tough on
the land base and all who live on it. These details are critical to the long-term well-being of birds and other wildlife populations that call our region home.
Alternative energy developers usually paint themselves as wonderful citizens concerned with a “green” environment. Make no mistake, the green they
are primarily concerned with has a $ sign attached to it. While there are exceptions, most developers behave in ways similar to Exxon Mobil in the
Niger Delta, i.e., locals, get out of our way. Getting their project approved and reaping its financial rewards are most important regardless of any
adverse impacts. Public “green-washing” is part of their sales pitch, and only when citizens and communities understand that are intelligent discussions
possible. Unfortunately, in my opinion, many developers treat citizens and local officials in rural areas such as ours as being less informed than they are.
The inequity of this approach and financial resources often make for an uneven playing field. The project developer frequently allies with landowners
who stand to reap financial benefits to push projects forward with insufficient consideration. This is particularly true for small projects not subject to
state or federal regulations. Such projects may slide under the radar as town boards often lack the expertise to review them adequately. Even
inappropriate larger projects, subject to review under the state’s Article 10 process, may work their way forward because overall the system often
favors well-funded, politically connected developers.
Unfortunately birds and wildlife don’t get a vote in these processes. By law their needs are supposed to be adequately considered. These
considerations are usually based on Draft Environmental Impact Statements prepared by consultants for the developer. In my half century as a field
ornithologist, I have virtually never seen an excellent DEIS and very few good ones produced by these consulting firms. Most range from fair to
absolute garbage. This is likely not a coincidence, since firms that find biota that impacts their clients’ projects, as a result of doing a thorough job, are
less likely to get the next DEIS contract.
Based on past history, gold rushes usually ravage landscapes and have adverse impacts on all creatures living there. That is the threat we and our
avifauna face over the next two decades. It is essential that state and local governments regulate these developers carefully and that citizens who care
about our natural environment be deeply involved. We must not be deceived by the green-washing of these developers, assisted by allies such as the
Sierra Club. Instead, local citizens and responsible conservation organizations need to review all projects carefully. Too many people are now willing to
throw other conservation concerns, including birds, under the bus in the name of fighting climate change. Those seeking to make a quick buck from the
alternative energy gold rush are only too willing to take advantage of such groups and individuals.
Traditional conservationists concerned with wildlife habitat, rare natural communities and open space will be faced with the challenges during this gold
rush. In the face of well-founded concerns over climate change, we must try to maintain equilibrium. Climate change is indeed a threat to bird
populations, but it is far from the only threat and may not be the worst threat for many species. In Northern New York and worldwide, grassland birds
are in serious decline. Intense row crop agriculture, with its witches brew of chemicals, grassland conversions and constant cutting, is a real additional
problem. In our region, poorly placed alternative energy development and other forms of habitat loss are critical concerns. Tug Hill, for example, has
been free of most development pressure for 100 years. Now both the core forest and surrounding area are being asked to host many 100’s of massive
wind turbines. Solar development is on the way, and these arrays can have major impacts on
habitats of declining species.
I do not pretend to have all the answers on energy problems. I do know that the land base of this
planet is finite, and our burgeoning populations are putting ever more pressure on it to
accommodate our needs. We must thoughtfully manage local resources to assure that the needs
of all the critters that share this planet are met. In this regard, poorly placed alternative energy
projects are no better than fossil fuel development and are not “ green.” Therefore efforts to
prevent poor use of the land base are the true “green” environmentalism.
Personally I vigorously fought Nuclear Power when I was in my twenties and early thirties. It’s one
of my few real regrets in the area of conservation. In those days it seems only Al Gore and his
professor knew about coming climate change. Now many long-time environmental advocates,
including this old person, believe that nuclear fission is the only way for our species to avoid
cooking the planet during the coming century. The new generation of nukes have safer designs, BARRED OWL
and their impacts on the land base and other aspects of the environment are manageable.
Stony Point - February 2019
So in my judgement: more nukes - but I bet that my friends in the Sierra Club probably won’t agree. Photo by Karen Soule 3
 NORTH COUNTRY BIRD CLUB SIGHTINGS
Please forward notable sightings for the next issue to the Editor by April 15, using the contact info on the last page.
As in the last two issues, sightings
are again given here sorted by
observer (or observers), then in
order of dates observed or
submitted, so as to present the
sightings as clearly as possible.
Snowy Owls have been scarcer
this season than in most recent
winters. On 1/7, Robin Booth
sighted one near the Dollar
General in Chaumont. She saw a
mature Bald Eagle near Depauville
YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER on 1/19. On 1/22, Robin reported
Sackets Harbor - Jan 30, 2019 that she had sighted a pair of
Photo by Kathy Killeen Nort her n Car d in als, Snow
Buntings, and a Red-bellied Woodpecker in Cape Vincent. She saw a Snowy
Owl on the Valley Road near Cape Vincent on 2/10 and another on Point
Salubrious on 2/17. On the same day, she sighted several Rough-legged and
Red-tailed Hawks on Point Peninsula.
Dick and Marion Brouse birded extensively during January, concentrating on
areas along the lakeshore. On 1/1, they began on Point Peninsula, where they
sighted 10 Tundra Swans, 7 Redheads, 27 Greater Scaup, 12 Bufflehead,
93 Common Goldeneyes, 10 Common Mergansers, 11 Red-breasted
Mergansers, 1 Ruffed Grouse, 14 Wild Turkeys, 2 Northern Harriers, 1 mature
Bald Eagle, 8 Red-tailed Hawks, 6 Rough-legged Hawks, 1 Snowy Owl,
1 Northern Flicker, and 2 American Kestrels. Returning to Three Mile Bay,
they sighted a Great Blue Heron, then saw a Snowy Owl along Rt 12E south of
Chaumont. On 1/4, Dick sighted 2 Peregrine Falcons on a ledge of the
Brighton Building in Watertown. On the same day, he and Marion saw 2
mature Bald Eagles along Rt 12E near the Moffatt Road, then, on Pillar
Point, 4 White-winged Scoters, 1 Great Black-backed Gull, 1 Cooper’s Hawk,
1 Red-tailed Hawk, and 2 Common Ravens. On Point Salubrious, they sighted
1 Northern Goshawk, 3 immature Bald Eagles, 3 Red-tailed Hawks, 1 Snowy
Owl, and 2 more Common Ravens. Elsewhere in the Town of Lyme, they saw
a Snowy Owl and 25 Wild Turkeys. On 1/5, at their home along Kelsey Creek
in Watertown, Dick and Marion were visited by a Winter Wren. On the same
day, they sighted a Double-crested Cormorant in Henderson Harbor and 5
Eastern Bluebirds, as well as 5 House Finches, on Stony Point. On 1/8, ~1500
American Crows settled in the trees around their home, on the way to roost
along the Black River. (On some days, as many as 5000 have come through.)
They also saw 5 American Robins there that day. Birding on Point Peninsula
on 1/11, Dick and Marion sighted 1200 Canada Geese, 3 Mute Swans,
49 Tundra Swans, 143 Mallards, 3 Bald Eagles, 4 Red-tailed Hawks,
1 Rough-legged Hawk, 3 Snowy Owls, and 8 Snow Buntings. On 1/12, they
saw a Snowy Owl near Chaumont, as well as a Red-tailed Hawk and
3 Short-eared Owls along Mason Road near Cape Vincent. On 1/14, at
Fisher’s Landing, Dick and Marion sighted 22 Mute Swans, 39 Tundra Swans,
236 Common Goldeneyes, and 26 Common Mergansers. Continuing to
Tibbetts Point Road, they saw 41 Mallards, 9 American Black Ducks,
158 Redheads, 230 Common Goldeneyes, 17 Red-breasted Mergansers, and
4 Herring Gulls. On the river in Cape Vincent that day, they sighted
2 Redheads, 1 Long-tailed Duck, 74 Common Goldeneyes, 4 Common
Mergansers, and 14 Red-breasted Mergansers. Birding on Point Peninsula on
1/17, Dick and Marion sighted 57 Wild Turkeys, 7 Northern Harriers, 1 mature
Bald Eagle, 12 Red-tailed Hawks, 7 Rough-legged Hawks, 1 Snowy Owl,
2 Common Ravens, 3 Common Redpolls, and 1 Common Grackle.
On 12/29, Lynn Chavoustie sighted a Short-eared Owl at Ashland WMA. On
1/18, Lynn saw a small flock of Common Redpolls along the Weaver Road.
She was visited by a Northern Flicker at her home in Three Mile Bay on 1/11,
then by a Hairy Woodpecker on 1/12, a Red-bellied Woodpecker on 1/19, a
Brown-headed Cowbird on 1/21, and a Snow Bunting on 1/23.
Steve and Vici Diehl reported that, on 1/18 at their home in Antwerp, they
sighted a Red-bellied Woodpecker, 2 Cooper’s Hawks, a Brown Creeper, and
several Common Redpolls.
On 1/11, Lee Ellsworth saw 10+ American Robins on Vaadi Road, 2 mixed
flocks of Snow Buntings and Horned Larks on Dog Hill Road, and a Snowy
Owl on Honey Flats Road. Lee reported on 1/26 that a Speckled Mourning
Dove had been visiting his feeder in Watertown throughout the winter and that
as many as 9 Mourning Doves had been there on some days.
Doris Gibson reported on 2/16 that her niece had seen a large flock of Snow
Buntings in Philadelphia. On 2/19, Doris sighted two groups of 20+ Wild
Turkeys in fields near Evans Mills. On the same day, at her home on Keyser
Road, she saw 5 Common Redpolls, both Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers,
Dark-eyed Juncos, Northern Cardinals, American Tree Sparrows,
Black-capped Chickadees, American Goldfinches, Blue Jays, and Mourning
Doves. On 2/25, 2 Purple Finches were at her feeder.
On 1/15, Bill Haller sighted 2 Snowy Owls near Chaumont, as well as 2
American Robins along Ransom Road. On 1/21, he saw a Snowy Owl along
Rt 12E north of Chaumont. Bill has had 2 Red-breasted and 2 White-breasted
Nuthatches at his feeders in Dexter since mid-November, both species
appearing on nearly a daily basis. On 1/25, he saw a flock of over 40
American Goldfinches there. On 2/21, Bill sighted a Snowy Owl along the
south approach road to Point Salubrious.
On 1/28, Kathy Killeen reported that a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker was at her
home in Sackets Harbor during the previous weekend. It was still visiting her
feeders on 1/30. On 2/16, she sighted House Finches, Dark-eyed Juncos,
American Goldfinches, and 1 Black-capped Chickadee there.
On Christmas Day, Corky Marlowe saw a mature Bald Eagle on the ice eating
a fish along the North Shore of Pillar Point. On 1/6, Corky and Bill sighted 4
Snowy Owls, 2 along Rt 12E just north of Chaumont, 1 along Rt 12E just south
of Chaumont, and 1 along the south approach road to Point Salubrious. On
1/22, Corky sighted a Snowy Owl near the Point Peninsula Isthmus and
another, as well as a flock of Snow Buntings, along Rt 12E between Chaumont
and Three Mile Bay. On the same day, on Point Peninsula, she saw 8+
Red-tailed Hawks, 6 Rough-legged Hawks, 2 immature Bald Eagles, several
Snow Buntings, and 2 Common Ravens.
Faye Martin sighted 4 Snowy Owls on 1/7, one at the Watertown Airport, the
other three in the Point Peninsula area, one at the Crossing Place, a second at
the boat launch, and a third along State Park Road. She saw a male Northern
Cardinal on 1/16 and a female on 1/20 in Watertown.
Irene Mazzocchi reported that, on 12/27, she had sighted the Gyrfalcon at
Point Peninsula WMA first reported in our last issue. On 1/3, Irene again
visited there and sighted a Snowy Owl, several Rough-legged Hawks, and
several Northern Harriers.
Ray Spahn saw 7 Common Redpolls at his feeders in Sackets Harbor on 1/21.
On 2/4, he reported that the Redpolls had continued to visit his feeders over
the past few days, with more than 20 appearing on occasion.
Kezia Sullivan reported that, on 1/10, she sighted the Orange-crowned
Warbler she reported in our last issue for the sixth time since early December
at her suet feeder in Sackets Harbor. On 1/26, Kezia recorded 16 species at
her home, including a flock of Snow Buntings and a flock of American Robins.
By the end of January, she had sighted
a total of 30 species there during 2019,
including 2 Common Redpolls on 1/31.
On 2/3, a visiting Cooper’s Hawk was
recorded as #31. On 2/20, Kezia,
along with her niece and nephew,
Marilyn and Gavin Ives, also Club
members, enjoyed what could only be
termed an irruption of Common
Redpolls there, which was repeated on
2/21. On both days, dozens of
Redpolls flocked to her feeders, moving SNOWY OWL
so quickly that there was no way to Cape Vincent - January 2019
obtain a count. Photo by Robin Booth 4
The NYS Bluebird Society is looking for INDIAN RIVER LAKES CONSERVANCY’S WINTER SCIENCE SERIES
volunteers to monitor bluebird nesting boxes in
At the Depauville Library - All programs at 12 Noon
our area. The poster below gives details.
Sat, March 30 - Recovering a Species at Risk: Turtles
Sat, April 27 - Reducing & Reusing to Curb Our Take & Trash Economy

Please note the Onondaga Audubon event Discover Derby Hill Bird
Observatory on Saturday, May 11, from 8 am to 3 pm at the Derby Hill
Observatory near Mexico, NY. From Onondaga Audubon’s newsletter:
Celebrate Spring migration at one of the Northeast’s best birding locations during
a day of field walks. Explore the trails and habitats of this premier birding location
with experienced leaders. Enjoy the spectacle of migrating birds from the trails
and the lake watch. Walks start every hour on the hour.

NEW YORK BREEDING BIRD ATLAS III - UPDATE

Kathryn Schneider, Co-chair, NY BBA III Steering Committee
The Steering Committee for New York’s third Breeding Bird Atlas has been
meeting since 2015 to fund, organize, and plan our next bird atlas. This project
will provide a five-year snapshot of the distribution and abundance of breeding
birds in New York State. With field work set to begin in 2020, the committee is
excited to announce that Julie Hart has been hired to fill the position of Atlas
Project Coordinator. Julie impressed the Search Committee with her combination
of scientific training, field work, large-scale citizen science, and project management
experience. Some New York birders will remember Julie from the years she spent working on
the Important Bird Areas program with Audubon New York. During this time, she was based
at the Cornell Lab, where she had the opportunity to work on eBird during its development.
Julie has participated in bird atlases in Vermont and Connecticut. Her most recent position
was as a Database Manager for Yale’s Map of Life project. Julie hit the ground running and
attended her first Steering Committee meeting after only four days on the job. She will work in
DEC offices in Albany as a part of the staff of the New York Natural Heritage Program.
CANADA JAY Everyone on our committee is delighted to have an individual on the team whose sole
Saranac Lake responsibility is the management and coordination of the atlas project, but we all know that
Dec 20, 2018 the success of a project as large, complex, collaborative, and long term as our state atlas
Photo above by depends first and foremost on large numbers of skilled volunteers to gather the data. In the
Dick Brouse coming year we will be asking birders to commit to field surveys using atlas methodology. We
Photo at left by are relying on you to get involved! We will want you to go places that you’ve never been
Christine Bourquin before, and we will need you to watch and document the birds you see in new and different
ways. Are you up to the challenge? The Cornell Lab of Ornithology offers several
For info on Onondaga Audubon events: http://onondagaaudubon.com/ online courses to help birders improve their
Information from the Department of Environmental Conservation and conservation news are skills. These can be accessed at the Lab website:
distributed by DEC using a targeted e-mail system. Select from 100+ topics. To subscribe: http://www.birds.cornell.edu
https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/NYSDEC/subscriber/new Follow the link there to the Bird Academy to view
the available courses. There is a fee for each
Regular at $10.00 Number _____ Total $______________ course, to offset the cost of creating them.
Some courses can be taken at any time and at
Sponsor at $15.00 Number _____ Total $______________ any pace. Others are set up as more formal
online courses. These courses provide a most
Patron at $20.00 Number _____ Total $______________ effective way to develop and increase one’s
birding skills by working with some of the world’s
___ New ___ Renewal Total Dues $______________ leading ornithologists. Take advantage of this
excellent opportunity to enhance your birding.
Dues payable to: North Country Bird Club Send newsletter by: Perfect as the wing of a bird may be, it
P.O. Box 634 ___ e-mail ___USPS will never enable the bird to fly if
Year: 20____ Watertown, NY 13601 (please check one) unsupported by the air. Facts are the
air of science. Without them a man of
science can never rise.
PLEASE REMEMBER TO FILL OUT BOTH SIDES OF THE FORM - Ivan Pavlov 5
 REMEMBER TO RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP FOR 2019!
FUERTES PAINTING
From the State Museum in Albany
Published in Birds of America, 1917
BOREAL & BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE
RED- & WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH
TUFTED TITMOUSE
Become a member of the New York State
Ornithological Association (NYSOA).
Membership includes a quarterly journal and a
newsletter. Details at www.nybirds.org.
Meetings / Programs: March, April,
May, September, October, November,
(Second Wednesday of the month)
Field Trips: Spring - Summer - Fall
Spring Bird Census
Audubon Christmas Bird Count
Newsletter: The Upland Plover
Website: North Country Bird Club
on FACEBOOK
The North Country Bird Club, Inc., is
a charter member of the New York State
Ornithological Association, Inc.
ENCOUNTER WITH A SHORT-EARED OWL
Early in the afternoon of Saturday, January
26, Lynn Chavoustie returned to her home in
Three Mile Bay to find a Short--eared Owl
perched on a mound of snow beside her
driveway. As she watched, the owl moved to
a vehicle parked nearby, to her steps, and
then to her deck railing. After napping for a
while, the bird became really active shortly after 5:00, looking around, fluffing,
and cleaning his talons. Then he flew, but, to Lynn’s surprise, just to the other
side of the railing. Shortly he flew again, but only as far as a clothesline pole in
her yard. After sitting there for a few minutes, and a visit of nearly three hours,
the owl flew out of sight, presumably for an evening hunt, and did not return.
The left-hand picture above was taken through Lynn’s dining room window, an
indication of just how close an encounter she had with this beautiful bird.
RECEIVE THE UPLAND PLOVER ONLINE
The e-mailed Plover is the same as the printed version, but in COLOR!
(viewed with Adobe Reader - http://www.adobe.com/).
Contact the Editor at haldex@twcny.rr.com to sign up.
Delivery of the Upland Plover electronically saves the Club money by
lowering printing costs and postage. We express our thanks to those
members who receive the Plover by e-mail, making it possible for us to
use more of our resources for other projects.
ITEMS FOR THE NEXT PLOVER ARE DUE BY FEBRUARY 15
Please forward sightings, photos, or other items for
the November/December issue to the Editor by February 15.
Contact info: Bill Haller, Editor - Mail: P. O. Box 6, Dexter, NY 13634
E-mail: haldex@twcny.rr.com - Phone: (315) 639-6848 (9 am to 9 pm)
NORTH COUNTRY BIRD CLUB MEMBERSHIP
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This page is included only with the electronic version of the Plover, as a thank-you to those who save the Club money by receiving the
newsletter by e-mail. There simply is not space enough in the regular edition to show all of the excellent photos which have been submitted this
winter, so some additional examples of the fine work of our photographers are presented in this supplement.

SNOWY OWL SNOWY OWL RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER

Point Peninsula (Crossing Place) - Jan 7, 2019 Point Peninsula (Boat Launch) - Jan 7, 2019 Cape Vincent - January 2019
Photo by Faye Martin Photo by Faye Martin Photo by Robin Booth

AMERICAN ROBIN BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD HERRING GULL

foraging on Choke Cherry & Buckthorn Three Mile Bay - Jan 21, 2019 Cape Vincent - Jan 7, 2019
Perch River WMA (Vaadi Road) - Jan 11, 2019 Photo by Lynn Chavoustie Photo by Robin Booth
Photo by Lee Ellsworth

ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH

Point Peninsula - Feb 17, 2019 Sackets Harbor - Jan 30, 2019 Sackets Harbor - Jan 28, 2019
Photo by Robin Booth Photo by Kathy Killeen Photo by Kathy Killeen

AMERICAN KESTREL SNOW BUNTING NORTHERN CARDINAL (Female)

Cape Vincent - Jan 7, 2019 Three Mile Bay - Jan 23, 2019 Cape Vincent - Feb 6, 2019
Photo by Robin Booth Photo by Lynn Chavoustie Photo by Robin Booth