Year 7, Issue 4

***************************************************************** *^^^^^^^   ^     ^    ^^^^^^        ^^^^^^^    ^     ^    ^^^^^^^ *   ^      ^     ^    ^             ^          ^     ^    ^     ^ *   ^       ^^^^^     ^^ ^          ^          ^     ^    ^ ^^^^^ *   ^      ^     ^    ^             ^          ^     ^    ^ *   ^      ^     ^    ^^^^^^        ^^^^^^^      ^^^^     ^ *The electronic publication of the David Cup/McIlroy competitions. *  Editor-in-Chief:  Matt Medler *  Waxwing Poetic:  Eric Banford *  Norwegian Translator:  Mike Andersen ******************************************************************  Yes, this is the issue of The Cup covering the month of April.  And  yes, I know it's now June.  And no, I didn't take all that extra time  to painstakingly create a Cup masterpiece.  Perhaps the best thing that  can be said about this issue of The Cup is that now that it's finally  done, we can get on to the fun of the May issue.  Without further  delay, I finally present to you The Cup 7.4...          @   @    @    @    @     @      NEWS, CUES, and BLUES @   @    @    @     @     @   CONSERVATION CHAMPIONS:  What is a David Cup champion to do after  reaching the pinnacle of the Basin birding scene?  In the case of  former Cup champions Matt Young and Geo Kloppel, they've devoted their  substantial energies to helping the conservation efforts of the Finger  Lakes Land Trust.  The Spring 2002 issue of The Land Steward, the  newsletter of the Land Trust, contains front-page feature stories on  the separate conservation efforts of both Matt and Geo.  Thanks to Matt  Young's tireless exploration and championing of the Summerhill area,  the Finger Lakes Land Trust has established the Dorothy McIlroy Bird  Sanctuary at the outlet of Lake Como in the Town of Summerhill.   Established in memory of the late Dorothy McIlroy, the First Lady of  Ithaca birding for several decades (and the namesake of our McIlroy  Award), the sanctuary is home to a very unique flora for our area,  including several species of rare wildflowers.  From a bird standpoint,  the sanctuary is home to a host of breeding species more typically  found to our north, including Dark-eyed Junco, Hermit Thrush,  Blackburnian Warbler, and Mourning Warbler.  With his classic  enthusiasm, Young encouraged the author of his article (who visited the  sanctuary with him in January) to join him there again during the  glorious days of spring:  "I've got to get you back here in May...you  haven't lived until you've heard a Hermit Thrush."  Can we all join  you, Matt?  Meanwhile, at the southern end of the Basin, Geo Kloppel has been hard  at work helping to clean up the new Percy Browning Parcel of the  Lindsay-Parsons Biodiversity Preserve (sometimes referred to in these  circles as "The Biodome").  This recent addition to the preserve is  mostly pristine, but it contained a large illegal dump with over 50  tons of trash, appliances, tires, etc.  Together with over 140  volunteers, Geo worked on weekends over several months to help remove  refuse from the parcel.  This new addition to the preserve offers, for  the first time, an opportunity for hikers to climb from the heart of  the L-P Biodiversity Preserve up to the Danby State Forest and  Thatcher's Pinnacles.  And, it also offers birders additional habitat  to hike in search of that gorgeous West Danby specialty, Worm-eating  Warbler.  But, if you head down to the new Browning Parcel looking for  the warbler, be careful where you walk, because the new parcel is also  home to an endangered species of plant endemic to West Danby, "wood  reedgrass."  Geo, could you point that one out for us?  We certainly miss the Cup exploits of both Matt and Geo, but it looks  like they've both moved on to bigger and better things (if anything can  be bigger or better than The Cup)!     WELCOME TO THE CUP CLAN:  The Cup is very pleased to formally introduce  two birding couples to The Cup Family.  Tim and Anne Marie Johnson  actually entered the David Cup competition a few months ago, but,  believe it or not, we've been a little slow to present them to their  fellow Cuppers.  Here's what Anne Marie had to share:    Tim teaches Music Theory at Ithaca College, and Anne Marie, a former  middle school counselor, assists with Project FeederWatch at the Lab.  In 1989, when they were graduate students in Buffalo, they discovered  birding while on a nature walk at Tifft Farm. The leader pointed out a  Baltimore Oriole and then a Yellow Warbler. Those with binoculars were  ooohing and aaahing, while Tim and Anne Marie could barely see little  orange and yellow blurs. They bought their first pair of binoculars  shortly after and have been birding away their spare time ever since.     We have a feeling that you'll be hearing more from Tim and Anne Marie.   You've already heard quite a bit from our other birding couple, Steve  and Susan Fast.  Since their arrival on the Cayugabirds scene last  fall, the Fasts have turned up Pine Grosbeak, Bohemian Waxwing, and  other quality birds from around the Basin.  We're happy to have Susan,  Steve, Anne Marie, and Tim join the Cup community!     <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< PILGRIMS' PROGRESS >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>  April 2002 David Cup Totals  Another record-setting month from Pete Hosner...  163 Pete Hosner 158 Mike Andersen 155 Jay McGowan 155 Kevin McGowan 154 Jesse Ellis 147 Matt Medler 146 Steve Kelling 143 Steve & Susan Fast 140 Meena Haribal 136 Bruce Tracey 134 Tim Lenz 128 Eric Banford 127 Jeff Gerbracht 123 Allison Wells 117 Anne Marie Johnson 116 Jeff Wells 113 Tim Johnson 103 Ken Rosenberg 102 Matt Williams  76 Dan Lebbin  74 Tringa (the Dog) McGowan  67 Anne James-Rosenberg  56 Jon Kloppel  49 Martin (the Cat) McGowan   45 Rachel Rosenberg    April 2002 McIlroy Award Totals  119 Jai Balakrishnan 114 Pete Hosner 110 Tim Lenz 108 Kevin McGowan 105 Jay McGowan  92 Matt Medler  73 Allison Wells  61 Ken Rosenberg    April 2002 Evans Trophy Totals  127 Jay McGowan 126 Kevin McGowan 110 Pete Hosner  88 Ken Rosenberg   April 2002 Yard Totals  86 Steve Kelling 77 McGowan/Kline Family 61 Nancy Dickinson 54 Rosenberg Family 50 Jesse Ellis 39 Anne Marie and Tim Johnson   $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$  COMPOSITE DEPOSIT  As April came to a close, a total of 189 species of birds had been seen  in the Cayuga Lake Basin.  Last year at this time, Basin birders had  tallied 193 species before the start of May.  Here is the 2002  Composite Deposit as of April 30:  R-t Loon, Common Loon, P-b Grebe, Horned Grebe, R-n Grebe, EARED GREBE,  D-c Cormorant, American Bittern, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Green  Heron, B-c Night-Heron, Turkey Vulture, Tundra Swan, Mute Swan, Greater  W-f Goose, Snow Goose, ROSS'S GOOSE, Brant, Canada Goose, Wood Duck, G- w Teal, American Black Duck, Mallard, N Pintail, B-w Teal, N Shoveler,  Gadwall, American Wigeon, Canvasback, Redhead, R-n Duck, Greater Scaup,  Lesser Scaup, L-t Duck, Black Scoter, Surf Scoter, W-w Scoter, Common  Goldeneye, Bufflehead, Hooded Merganser, Common Merganser, R-b  Merganser, Ruddy Duck, Osprey, Bald Eagle, N Harrier, S-s Hawk,  Cooper's Hawk, N Goshawk, R-s Hawk, B-w Hawk, R-t Hawk, R-l Hawk,  Golden Eagle, American Kestrel, Merlin, Peregrine Falcon, R-n Pheasant,  Ruffed Grouse, Wild Turkey, Virginia Rail, Common Moorhen, American  Coot, Sandhill Crane, B-b Plover, Killdeer, G Yellowlegs, L Yellowlegs,  Solitary Sandpiper, Spotted Sandpiper, Upland Sandpiper, Least  Sandpiper, Pectoral Sandpiper, Dunlin, Common Snipe, American Woodcock,  Bonaparte's Gull, R-b Gull, Herring Gull, Iceland Gull, Lesser B-b  Gull, Glaucous Gull, Great B-b Gull, SLATY-BACKED GULL, Caspian Tern,  Common Tern, Forster's Tern, Rock Dove, Mourning Dove, E Screech-Owl,  Great Horned Owl, Snowy Owl, Barred Owl, L-e Owl, S-e Owl, N Saw-whet  Owl, Chimney Swift, Belted Kingfisher, R-b Woodpecker, Y-b Sapsucker,  Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, N Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, N  Shrike, Least Flycatcher, E Phoebe, Great Crested Flycatcher, E  Kingbird, Blue Jay, American Crow, Fish Crow, Common Raven, B-h Vireo,  Horned Lark, Purple Martin, Tree Swallow, N R-w Swallow, Bank Swallow,  Cliff Swallow, Barn Swallow, B-c Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, R-b  Nuthatch, W-b Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Carolina Wren, House Wren,  Winter Wren, Marsh Wren, G-c Kinglet, R-c Kinglet, E Bluebird, Hermit  Thrush, American Robin, Gray Catbird, N Mockingbird, Brown Thrasher,  European Starling, American Pipit, BOHEMIAN WAXWING, Cedar Waxwing, B-w  Warbler, Nashville Warbler, N Parula, Yellow Warbler, Y-r Warbler, B-t  Green Warbler, Pine Warbler, Palm Warbler, B-and-w Warbler, Ovenbird, N  Waterthrush, Louisiana Waterthrush, Common Yellowthroat, E Towhee,  Chipping Sparrow, Vesper Sparrow, American Tree Sparrow, Field Sparrow,  Savannah Sparrow, Henslow's Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Swamp  Sparrow, W-t Sparrow, W-c Sparrow, D-e Junco, Lapland Longspur, Snow  Bunting, N Cardinal, R-b Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, R-w Blackbird, E  Meadowlark, Rusty Blackbird, Common Grackle, B-h Cowbird, Baltimore  Oriole, Pine Grosbeak, Purple Finch, House Finch, W-w Crossbill, Common  Redpoll, Pine Siskin, American Goldfinch, Evening Grosbeak, House  Sparrow.  LEADER'S MISS LIST  Here are the twenty-six birds that Pete somehow missed through the end  of April.  Come on, Pete, what are you doing?  R-t Loon, Great Egret, Green Heron, B-c Night-Heron, Brant, Black  Scoter, Ruffed Grouse, Virginia Rail, B-b Plover, Least Sandpiper,  SLATY-BACKED GULL, Common Tern, Snowy Owl, Least Flycatcher, Great  Crested Flycatcher, E Kingbird, B-w Warbler, Nashville Warbler, N  Parula, Common Yellowthroat, Henslow's Sparrow, W-c Sparrow, Lapland  Longspur, R-b Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, Baltimore Oriole  $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$   !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !                       KICKIN' TAIL!                      ! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  This month, The Cup shifts its focus to the Town of Ithaca and the  McIlroy Award.  We are very pleased to welcome the "Dr. J" of the  Ithaca birding scene, Dr. Jaiganesh Balakrishnan.    THE CUP:  Congratulations, Jai, on Kickin' McIlroy Tail in April.  Oh  yes, and congratulations on recently receiving your Ph.D. in electrical  engineering.  What do you think you've spent more time working on this  year, your dissertation or your Ithaca list?  JAI:  My dissertation, of course, but only because I am not including  the time I spent on my Ornithology course to the Ithaca birding-hours.   THE CUP:  Now that you're officially done with your Cornell education,  do you have any plans to "pull a Williams" and stay in or near Ithaca  for the rest of year?  JAI:  No.  I have been offered a job with Texas Instruments in Dallas  and I plan to join work in the beginning of August.  THE CUP:  Because of The Cup's "peculiar" production schedule, we're  going to pretend for the sake of this interview that May hasn't  happened yet, at least from a birding standpoint.  If you plan to leave  Ithaca for good in June, do you think that you'll be able to see enough  birds in May to clinch the McIlroy title?  If not, who do you see  claiming the crown?  JAI:  I missed a few easy birds in early spring.  So, it will be very  tough for me to put up a winning total by the end of May.  Tim Lenz is  my top contender for the McIlroy award.     THE CUP:  Tim has been putting together a good year, but I wonder if  he's up to the challenge.  I'm afraid that as a youngster, he might get  a little confused during May migration and end up as a vagrant in some  far-flung location, like Reno.  That could put a damper on his McIlroy  total.  THE CUP:  Do you think that 200 is possible in McIlroy territory this  year?  Old-timers like Allison Wells claim that they used to hit 200  species in the Town of Ithaca in a year, but you know how it is with  birding stories from days gone by--memories get fuzzy, totals get  padded...  JAI:  With perseverance, mixed in with a generous amount of luck, one  can possibly hit 200 in McIlroy territory.  A number of species that  pass through the McIlroy territory do not stay put for long.  This is  the main difficulty in breaking the 200 barrier.  In my opinion, 180 is  a more realistic estimate.  THE CUP:  We've noticed a little change from you over the course of the  past year or two.  You used to be one of the nicest guys in the world,  but recently we've noticed a bit of an attitude on your part--teasing  newcomers like Jesse Ellis about missing birds, talking trash to the  illustrious Cup editor-in-chief about his McIlroy total.  What do you  have to say for yourself, young man?  JAI:  During the transformation from a Cup newbie to a "veteran," one  does pick up a certain attitude.  However, in my defence, I did not  tease Jesse Ellis, but had an exchange of friendly banter with the  other newcomer, Tim Lenz.  If a certain editor-in-chief of the Cup ends  up with a poor total in the McIlroy territory, after a public challenge  made during the last cupper-supper, doesn't he qualify as a canditate  for talking trash?    THE CUP:  No--he's just doing his job to create some excitement in The  Cup.  Actually, we kind of like the new attitude.  In fact, we think it  would be perfect for the upcoming Muckrace.  Is there any chance that  you could come back to town for that?  Pete Hosner has proposed putting  together an all-mustachioed Muckrace team called Malar Stripe.  He and  Mike Andersen have already started working on their moustaches, but I'm  not sure that they will really be grown in by September.  In fact, I'm  afraid they're going to end up looking like Matt Sarver, if they're  lucky.  Anyway, we could certainly use somebody with your birding  skills.  And facial hair.  Whaddya say?    JAI:  That's a very appealing name and I do have the necessary  qualifications.  I should seriously consider applying for an extended  leave in early September.  Realistically speaking, I don't think I can  take a vacation that early after joining the job.  THE CUP:  Well, that's about all for now.  I have a feeling that we'll  be talking again later in the year.  Have a great trip home to India,  and good luck with the new job in Dallas.  And thanks for some nice  birding memories!   :>  :>  :>  :>  :>  :>  :>  :>  :>  :>  :>  :>  :>  :>  :>  :>  :>  BASIN BIRD HIGHLIGHTS       Bohemian Waxwings!!!  Everywhere!  After being teased by single  Bohemian Waxwings in January and again in late March, Cuppers enjoyed a  waxwing explosion on the Cornell campus for almost ten days in early  April.  First it was "just" a few Bohemians mixed in with larger  numbers of Cedars, but by the peak of the Bohemian rhapsody, birders  were seeing almost pure flocks of the big waxwings.  The highest number  of Bohemian Waxwings reported was an amazing 36 birds, seen near the  Wilson Synchrotron at the intersection of Rt. 366 and Judd Falls Road.         The Bohemians were definitely the star attraction of April, but  there were a few additional highlights during the month.  Sandhill  Crane has come to be an expected species in the northern Basin come  April, and sure enough, a pair of birds was found in a field along  Morgan Road in Savannah on April 7.  The Montezuma area played host to  a modest shorebird migration in April, but Ken Rosenberg showed that  you don't even have to leave Dryden to find decent numbers of  shorebirds--he found at least 32 Common Snipe scattered about three  locations in Dryden during a single day.  Elsewhere in the all- encompassing Town of Dryden, Meena Haribal found one of the only  Lapland Longspurs of the year atop Mt. Pleasant, on the relatively late  date of April 18.  A full month after the big push of Golden Eagles  over Mt. Pleasant, Meena found a single Golden Eagle in the company of  Turkey Vultures above the Six Mile Creek valley.         The much-hyped "Dryden Lake Effect" never materialized in April,  or at the very least, nobody witnessed one.  Classic Dryden Lake birds  like Red-necked Grebe and White-winged Scoter were seen in the Basin in  April, but on the big lake.  In yet another one of their quality  outings, Steve and Susan Fast found four Red-necked Grebes (three at  Long Point SP, and one at Cayuga) at the north end of Cayuga Lake on  April 6.  On that same day, an amazing 225 Red-necked Grebes were seen  to our northeast on Oneida Lake.  Three White-winged Scoters lingered  in Aurora Bay until at least April 15, and on April 13, were joined by  a female Black Scoter and a mystery scoter.         Finally, on the finch front, redpolls lingered at Laura Stenzler's  feeders until at least the middle of the month, and Pine Siskin  persisted throughout the month.  Most interesting, though, were the  continued reports of White-winged Crossbills in Dryden and Etna.  While  scouring the 'hood in Dryden on April 20, Jay McGowan found 4-6 White- winged Crossbills at the "Pine Grosbeak" spot on Keith Lane.   Meanwhile, Laurie Ray still had one male and one female White-winged  Crossbill coming to her feeders in Etna on April 29.            :>  :>  :>  :>  :>  :>  :>  :>  :>  :>  :>  :>  :>  :>  :>  :>  :>   WAXWING POETIC Compiled by Eric Banford  Spring migration is upon us, and what better way to celebrate than two  poems about warblers?!  Maxwell Corydon Wheat, Jr. is a member of the  Eaton Birding Society of Geneva, N. Y.  His poems appear regularly in  The Kingbird, journal of the Federation of New York State Bird Clubs.  He is author of a book, "Following Their Star:  Poems of Christmas and  Nature."  We are open to your contributions! Send submissions to  eric.banford@cornell.edu.  Bird!  Eric   Fiesta  comes with warblers  waves of warblers  moving up the continents  Bay-breasteds,  Black-throated Greens and Blues  Myrtles and Magnolias  flourishing wing-tail skirts of white and yellow  Redstarts flashing flamenco fans of orange and red  Chestnut-sideds with headdresses of the sun  Then, Blackburnians  flown from orange flames of Aztec fires  The Prothonotary emblazoned with Inca gold   Redstart  fiesta flashes  of vermillion orange  from fanning tail  and fire wings  of little Cuban "Candelita"      tumbling      plummeting upward  in Canadian green  of long spruce  under which  our eyes  tango  Maxwell Corydon Wheat, Jr.  333 Bedell Street , Freeport, New York 11520  Phone: 516-623-5530 E-mail: Maxwell623@aol.com   "CUP QUOTES"  For those who've never seen a shrike, keep trying! I looked for this  bird in the Ellis Hollow Ck/Turkey Hill area three days a week, morning  and afternoon, all winter on my way to work. And I made numerous trips  to the Neimi Rd. area this year and last year looking. This is one life  bird that I really earned! - Anne Marie Johnson    Subject: I'm a genius, and birds The stupid reply all settings strike again!  I'm sorry. - Pete Hosner  This morning a Ruby Crowned Kinglet was singing and dancing in some  grapevines, a YB Sapsucker was drumming on a sugar maple, and a  Carolina Wren was poking around in our garage while another sang atop  the barn (possible mates?).  Not bad for a snowy morning in  Mecklenburg! - Nancy Dickinson  Just now Matt called me tell that Mike Anderson found Bohemian Waxwing  in front of Riley_Robb and the path in between the wing hall, that is  what I think I understood. Hope too see you and Bohemian there. - Meena Haribal  I spent an ecstatic hour and a half photographing Bohemian Waxwings in  the parking lot east of Morrison Hall, between 6:30 and 8:00 this  morning (or 7:30 and 9:00 if you changed to Daylight savings time, but  I prefer the former because it sounds like I was motivated to get up  early!!). Great light, close birds - lots of fun, despite cold hands! Days like this are what I live for!!!! - Marie Read  I had a NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW pooting away over the East Ith.  Rec Way yesterday afternoon. - Jesse Ellis  This event is for those who want to see bad pictures of good birds  enough to stand it.  Matt M is one of those people, and he was gracious  enough to host the first of what we hope will be many such events, and  he took the initiative of getting it going.  I will not invite people  to Matt's house, but I hope he will encourage even beginners to come.   But, there WILL BE NO HEAVY SIGHING OR OTHER OBVIOUS FORMS OF  IMPATIENCE!  Or we'll kick you out without any pizza. - Kevin McGowan  Woodpeckers are looking to make the biggest, baddest noise around.   They of course use natural trees and limbs that resonate loudly, but  some woodpeckers find that roofs, downspouts, and street signs (an  especial favorite of sapsuckers) make even bigger noises.  It probably  blunts their bills faster, but I suspect they think it's worth it. - Kevin McGowan  After playing tape off and on for about half an hour on Star Stanton  Rd, I got one measly who cooks for you out of one of the resident  Barred Owls.  A lackluster performance, considering the perfect owling  conditions, but I'll take it none the less. - Pete Hosner  Continuing our streak of poor luck, a group of the Lab's "Rock"  inhabitants blocked some strong west winds on top of Mt. Pleasant this  noon hour. - Ken Rosenberg        May Your Cup Runneth Over, Matt