Year 8, Issues 6-7

***************************************************************** *^^^^^^^   ^     ^    ^^^^^^        ^^^^^^^    ^     ^    ^^^^^^^ *   ^      ^     ^    ^             ^          ^     ^    ^     ^ *   ^       ^^^^^     ^^ ^          ^          ^     ^    ^ ^^^^^ *   ^      ^     ^    ^             ^          ^     ^    ^ *   ^      ^     ^    ^^^^^^        ^^^^^^^      ^^^^     ^ *The electronic publication of the David Cup/McIlroy competitions. *  Editor-in-Chief:  Jay McGowan *  Guest Editors:  Tringa and Martin McGowan *  Guest Interviewer:  Mark Chao ******************************************************************  Hello, welcome to the June and July 2003 issue of The Cup.  Although  The Cup was on vacation for much of August (on a chicken farm in  western Montana, if you want to know), now it's back, bringing you the  most up-to-date totals (not very up-to-date, as it turns out) for the  David Cup and related competitions.   ------------------------- Columnists? If anyone would like to write a column for (or contribute in any way  to) The Cup, please let me know at peregrine77@email.com.   -------------------------   <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< PILGRIMS' PROGRESS >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>   June, July 2002 David Cup Totals  214, 222 Jay McGowan 202, 209 Kevin McGowan 202, 208 Bard Prentiss 206, 207 Steve and Susan Fast 201, 207 Ken Rosenberg 206, 206 Tim Lenz 203, 204 Meena Haribal 198, 201 Pete Hosner ???, 198 Steve Kelling  196, 197 Bruce Tracey 178, 179 Matt Medler 170, 170 Jeff Gerbracht 145, 167 Mark Chao 163, 163 Allison Wells 128, 161 Jesse Ellis 152, 152 Jeff Wells 112, 114 Tringa (the Dog) McGowan  79,  81 Martin (the Cat) McGowan  Kevin McGowan's 200th bird: Orchard Oriole  Steve and Susan Fast's 200th bird: Sanderling  Bard Prentiss's 200th bird: Sandhill Crane  Ken Rosenberg's 200th bird: Barred Owl   June, July 2003 McIlroy Award Totals  183, 183 Tim Lenz 174, 178 Ken Rosenberg 154, 154 Jeff Gerbracht 146, 146 Jay McGowan 132, 132 Kevin McGowan  92,  92 Allison Wells   June, July 2003 Evans Trophy Totals  175, 176 Jay McGowan 167, 168 Kevin McGowan 154, 155 Bard Prentiss 112, 114 Tringa McGowan  79,  81 Martin McGowan   June, July 2003 Yard Totals  ???, 134 Steve Kelling 115, 117 McGowan/Kline Family   $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$  COMPOSITE DEPOSIT The cumulative total is now up to 246, with the addition of Brant,  Laughing Gull, Acadian Flycatcher, Stilt Sandpiper, and Western  Sandpiper in June and July.  Still no Henslow's Sparrows, though.   Here's the list:  R-t Loon, PACIFIC LOON, C. Loon, P-b Grebe, Horned Grebe, R-n Grebe,  EARED GREBE, D-c Cormorant, Am. Bittern, Least Bittern, Great Blue  Heron, Great Egret, CATTLE EGRET, Green Heron, B-c Night-Heron, GLOSSY  IBIS, Turkey Vulture, Tundra Swan, Mute Swan, Snow Goose, ROSS'S GOOSE,  Canada Goose, Brant, Wood Duck, G-w Teal, Am. Black Duck, Mallard, N.  Pintail, B-w Teal, N. Shoveler, Gadwall, Am. Wigeon, Canvasback,  Redhead, R-n Duck, Greater Scaup, Lesser Scaup, L-t Duck, Black Scoter,  Surf Scoter, W-w Scoter, C. Goldeneye, BARROW'S GOLDENEYE, Bufflehead,  Hooded Merganser, C. 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, Am. Kestrel, Merlin, Peregrine  Falcon, GYRFALCON, R-n Pheasant, Ruffed Grouse, Wild Turkey, Virginia  Rail, Sora, C. Moorhen, Am. Coot, Sandhill Crane, B-b Plover,  Semipalmated Plover, Killdeer, Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser Yellowlegs,  Solitary Sandpiper, WILLET, Spotted Sandpiper, Upland Sandpiper, Ruddy  Turnstone, Sanderling, WESTERN SANDPIPER, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Least  Sandpiper, W-r Sandpiper, Pectoral Sandpiper, Dunlin, Stilt Sandpiper,  S-b Dowitcher, Wilson's Snipe, Am. Woodcock, Wilson's Phalarope,  FRANKLIN'S GULL, LAUGHING GULL, LITTLE GULL, Bonaparte's Gull, R-b  Gull, Herring Gull, Iceland Gull, Lesser B-b Gull, Glaucous Gull, Great  B-b Gull, Caspian Tern, C. Tern, Forster's Tern, Black Tern, Rock Dove,  Mourning Dove, B-b Cuckoo, Y-b Cuckoo, E. Screech-Owl, Great Horned  Owl, SNOWY OWL, Barred Owl, S-e Owl, N. Saw-whet Owl, C. Nighthawk,  Chimney Swift, R-t Hummingbird, Belted Kingfisher, R-b Woodpecker, R-h  Woodpecker, Y-b Sapsucker, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, N.  Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, O-s Flycatcher, E. Wood-Pewee, Y-b  Flycatcher, Acadian Flycatcher, Alder Flycatcher, Willow Flycatcher,  Least Flycatcher, E. Phoebe, Great Crested Flycatcher, E. Kingbird, N.  Shrike, B-h Vireo, Y-t Vireo, Warbling Vireo, Philadelphia Vireo, R-e  Vireo, Blue Jay, Am. Crow, Fish Crow, C. Raven, 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, B-g Gnatcatcher, E. Bluebird, Veery, G-c Thrush,  Swainson's Thrush, Hermit Thrush, Wood Thrush, Am. Robin, European  Starling, Gray Catbird, N. Mockingbird, Brown Thrasher, Am. Pipit,  BOHEMIAN WAXWING, Cedar Waxwing, B-w Warbler, G-w Warbler, Tennessee  Warbler, O-c Warbler, Nashville Warbler, N. Parula, Yellow Warbler, C-s  Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, Cape May Warbler, B-t Blue Warbler, Y-r  Warbler, B-t Green Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, Pine Warbler, Prairie  Warbler, Palm Warbler, B-b Warbler, Blackpoll Warbler, Cerulean  Warbler, B-&-w Warbler, Am. Redstart, W-e Warbler, Ovenbird, N.  Waterthrush, Louisiana Waterthrush, Mourning Warbler, C. Yellowthroat,  Hooded Warbler, Wilson's Warbler, Canada Warbler, YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT,  Scarlet Tanager, E. Towhee, Am. Tree Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, CLAY- COLORED SPARROW, Field Sparrow, Vesper Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow,  Grasshopper Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Lincoln's Sparrow,  Swamp Sparrow, W-t Sparrow, W-c Sparrow, D-e Junco, Lapland Longspur,  Snow Bunting, N. Cardinal, R-b Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, Bobolink, R-w  Blackbird, E. Meadowlark, Rusty Blackbird, C. Grackle, B-h Cowbird,  Orchard Oriole, Baltimore Oriole, Purple Finch, House Finch, Am.  Goldfinch, House Sparrow.   LEADER'S MISS LIST  Here's what the leader has missed as of July:  CATTLE EGRET, B-c Night-Heron, GLOSSY IBIS, ROSS'S GOOSE, Brant, Ruddy  Turnstone, WESTERN SANDPIPER, W-r Sandpiper, Wilson's Phalarope, LITTLE  GULL, LAUGHING GULL, C. Tern, SNOWY OWL, Barred Owl, S-e Owl, C.  Nighthawk, R-h Woodpecker, N. Shrike, G-c Thrush, Swainson's Thrush,  BOHEMIAN WAXWING, G-w Warbler, Bay-breasted Warbler, Lincoln's Sparrow.  $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$   BASIN BIRD HIGHLIGHTS by Jay McGowan  JUNE  In early June, a few shorebirds were seen at Myers Point, including a  western-form WILLET found by Jay McGowan and Bard Prentiss on the 4th  (along with several Forster's Terns); and 2 Black-bellied Plovers on  the 10th.  Also, various Bonaparte's Gulls were seen there into July.    A few lingering Blackpoll Warblers were seen in early June, as well as  several Common Nighthawks.  On June 1st, Jeff, Allison and Evan Wells  saw a flock of BRANT over Union Springs.  On the 4th, a large number of  late diving ducks were present at Montezuma NWR, including 21 Redhead,  3 Ring-necked Ducks, and 1 Greater Scaup.  On June 5th, the Sandhill Cranes at Carncross Road were seen again,  this time with a chick.  (This is reportedly the first confirmed  Sandhill Crane breeding in New York State.)  A Golden-winged Warbler  was found on Howland Island by Chris Tessaglia-Hymes on the 8th, in the  same area one was found last year.  On June 13th, Mark Chao saw a hooded gull, probably a Laughing, from  Long Point State Park.  The next day, Mike Andersen saw a LAUGHING GULL  flying down the lake near Myers Point.  The June Count took place over the week of June 14-22; 16,117  individuals of 127 species were counted.  Some of the highlights were a  Merlin on Whitted Road off Snyder Hill on the 14th, and a CLAY-COLORED  SPARROW found by Pete Hosner on Blakeslee Road, south of Ithaca (the  Clay-colored on Creamery Road found earlier in May was also seen on the  June Count).  On June 21st, a fledgling Yellow-billed Cuckoo was seen  on the trails at Sapsucker Woods.   JULY  In early July, fall shorebird migration began again, with many  shorebirds species seen at Montezuma.  On the 15th the shorebird  selection at Benning Marsh included Short-billed Dowitchers, 1 Stilt  Sandpiper and 1 Pectoral Sandpiper, as well as many other more common  shorebirds.  On the 23rd, several Sanderlings were on the spit at Myers  Point.  On the 27th, Gerard Phillips, Tom Burke and Gail Benson found a  WESTERN SANDPIPER (along with other shorebirds) on Old Towpath Road in  the Savannah Mucklands.  Upland Sandpipers were still present at the  fairgrounds in Seneca Falls as late as July 19th, when 15 were visible  in the grassy fields.  Several Least Bitterns were present at  Montezuma, as well as many American Bitterns.  Passerines were fairly scarce in July.  On the 6th, Jay and Kevin  McGowan found Acadian Flycatchers at a nest on Ford Hill Road in  Lansing.   !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !                       KICKIN' TAIL!                      ! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Cup newcomer Mark Chao assumes the mike this issue to bring you this  interview with the current leader, Jay McGowan.    -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-   A veteran of Cup competition since its inception in 1996, Jay is now 17 years old.  He resides on Beam Hill in Dryden.  Jay is a home-school  student entering the equivalent of 12th grade.  He is the son of crow  expert, national celebrity, and stalwart of the World Series of  Birding, Kevin McGowan.  The Cup:  Are you named for the corvid?  Jay:  Sort of. My father was working on Florida Scrub-Jays when I was  born, but that's not the whole reason I was named Jay. I guess my  parents just liked the name.  The Cup:  How did you get started with birding, and how has your  interest advanced over the years?  Jay:  I've always been interested in animals and the natural world. My father encouraged me, and took me birding often. It wasn't until I  was 5 or so that I really got into it. Since then, my interest in birds  and skill at identifying them has been increasing. The local birding  community has also been a great help.  The Cup:  You get your formal education at home.  How does that work  from week to week?  Jay:  My mother usually gives me a fixed amount of work that I have to  complete during the week, or sometimes daily updates. It varies.  The Cup:  What are you studying these days?  Jay:  Lately I've been doing math (Algebra and Trigonometry), world  history, social studies, and some biology at home. I'm also taking a  few classes at TC3 in Dryden. Last semester I took Geology, and this  semester I'm taking Precalculus Math and Spanish.  The Cup:  How do birding and bird study fit in?  Jay:  Birding (and now bird and butterfly photography as well) are what  is most important to me right now, so I spend much of my time doing  that.  Being home-schooled gives me enough flexibility that if, say, a  Long-billed Murrelet shows up at Stewart Park, I can take the day off  to go see it without any qualms. I can make up the time in the evening,  or on the weekend.  The Cup:  Is it safe to assume that you hope to make ornithology a  career?  Jay:  It's hard to say at this point. I hope so.  The Cup:  What subdisciplines, species, or regions interest you most?  Jay:  Behavior interests me. I do have a fondness for corvids, but I  like other groups too.  The Cup:  Is Cornell your first choice for college study?  Jay:  Maybe.  We're not sure yet.  The Cup:  How about your other interests?  Sports?  Music?  Jay:  I'm not very into sports. I downhill ski and ice skate, but not a  lot else.  I'm similarly disinterested in music, although I like some  classical music.  The Cup:  Got a girlfriend?  Jay:  Nope.  The Cup:  After you win the Cup, you'll have no shortage of female  admirers, I'm sure.  But how do you connect with other kids your age,  given your home schooling and pursuits?  Jay:  One of the disadvantages of home-schooling can be the lack of  social exposure. However, there is a very large home-schooling  community in Ithaca, and most of my childhood friends were home- schooled. I do have a few birding friends my age (two of whom I will be  doing the Muckrace with very soon.)  The Cup:  What's your best bird find of the year?  Jay:  Undoubtedly the Pacific Loon in Varick in April. Bard Prentiss  and I were going down the west side of the lake, and I was looking for  loons for our day-list. I finally saw a few dark spots on the water,  and looking at them through binoculars, noticed one had a pale head.   When we stopped to get a better look, it turned out to be a breeding- plumaged Pacific Loon!  The Cup:  You've also had some great finds of Grasshopper Sparrows,  frequently and in great numbers.  What is your secret to locating this  elusive bird?  Jay:  Grasshopper Sparrows are much more common in The Basin than  people think. Although there aren't many places very close the Ithaca  area where they can be found reliably, on the west side of Cayuga Lake  they are very common (I've heard 8 or more singing along one short  stretch of road about halfway up the lake). The west side of the lake  is very under-birded, and it wouldn't surprise me if many other species  we think of as uncommon here are much easier on the west side.  The Cup:  In the last issue of the Cup, you suggested that we have a  contest for most species photographed in the Basin. This seems to me a  little like Arnold Schwarzenegger challenging the other California  gubernatorial candidates to an arm-wrestling tournament. Aren't you  just looking to pad your credentials for college applications? Or has  the joy of unadorned digiscoping faded so much that you need  competition to get that same testosterone rush?   Jay:  Actually, I was hoping to inspire others to keep track of species  photographed, take more pictures, and possibly drum up more interest in  the David Cup competition in general (in the long run), eventually  making this a better world to live in. Or maybe I just like winning.  (Although there's no reason Kevin and I have to have a stranglehold on  that hypothetical competition--more and more people these days are  'digiscoping', taking digital pictures through telescopes and  binoculars--making it easier to get a large list of photographed  birds.)   The Cup:  Well, I'm not sure the world is a better place yet, but at  least you (and mostly Ken Rosenberg) have helped motivate me to get  started.  If we do launch that contest, you better look out -- I've got  photos of six species already.  Jay:  Good job.  You're in second place so far.  The Cup:  Cup zeal has waned among the usual contenders. Does that  dampen your satisfaction at being on top? And do you have any words for  the old guard?  Jay:  It does somewhat, yes. Knowing that no one else is even trying  makes it a little less fun, but that's okay. As for the Old Guard, I'd  just like to share with them these words of wisdom: "Ha ha! I'm ahead  of you!"  The Cup:  I wouldn't say that no one is even trying.  A friend of mine  has even been making thrice-weekly trips to Myers this summer to look  for rarities like Red-breasted Merganser.  Jay:  Sorry.  That was rather thoughtless.  I won't let it happen  again.  The Cup:  Does anyone have a chance against you this year? Or next?  Jay:  Anyone who gets out enough has a chance. Tim Lenz started out  with a bang, and has been close behind (and in front of) me for most of  the year. He was definitely one of the people who got out the most in  the spring.  Although he disappeared for the summer, it seems he has  returned, and could easily be a threat.  Pete Hosner, after his record- pulverizing run in 2002, seems to be taking it easy this year, although  you never know with him. There are always other possible contenders, if  they made a push (people such as Meena Haribal, Jesse Ellis, Mike  Andersen, or even 'Old Man Medler'), but no one seems to have the  determination to really do it this year.  The Cup:  Now, in closing, I thought we'd try something new:  the "Lightning Round."  Here we go...your favorite bird family?   Jay:  Falconidae, Corvidae or Parulidae.  The Cup:  Favorite bird species?   Jay:  Probably Peregrine Falcon.  The Cup:  Favorite bird song?   Jay:  Probably the Musician Wren from South America. I also like the  calls of Common Raven and Black-bellied Plover.  The Cup:  Most coveted bird species for life list?   Jay:  Maybe Long-billed Murrelet.  The Cup:  For your Basin list?   Jay:  This year, Pacific Loon; past years, probably Slaty-backed Gull.  The Cup:  Place you'd most like to visit?   Jay:  In the U.S., probably Arizona. I've never been in the Southwest  at all.  In the world, I'm not sure. I'd like to go to Australia  someday, though. I've been to Peru once, but I'd love to go back (or to  somewhere else in South America).  The Cup:  Most respected historical figure?   Jay:  Umm...I really couldn't say.  The Cup:  Mine is Allison Wells.  Favorite school subject?   Jay:  Biology, and maybe Geography/Geology.  The Cup:  Your most formidable Cup challengers?   Jay:  So far this year, Tim Lenz.  The Cup:  Which would you most like to possess: the power to become  invisible, the ability to fly, or infinite knowledge?   Jay:  Number three. If I had infinite knowledge, I could probably  develop the technology to become invisible and fly.  The Cup:  Which would you choose: a date with Cameron Diaz or a digital  photo of a Basin Yellow Rail?   Jay:  The photo (assuming I was the one who took it). I have wanted to  see a Yellow Rail for some time now.  And I don't like meeting  strangers.  The Cup:  Guess on your final Basin bird of the year?  Jay:  Probably a winter finch of one sort or another. Since this last  winter was an off one for finches, listers will have to scramble for  them in December (the peak is usually January and February, with often  only a few in December).  Maybe Common Redpoll if I'm lucky?  -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-   "CUP QUOTES"  [EDITOR'S NOTE: Unfortunately, this summer very few people said  anything witty or memorable; therefore, this section is much shorter  and more boring than past ones have been.  To all you Cayugabirds  posters reading this: Remember to try to be a little more witty and  memorable in the future.  Thank you.]  I took a walk on the Dryden Lake Trail this morning and encountered the  immature BALD EAGLE....It was visited by 2 of its CROW friends;  interesting how the crows shrank noticably in size on landing just  above the eagle. --Steve Fast  The numbers tell the story of this wintry June morning at Myers: 40 degrees F, winds 30+ mph from the north (at times, it felt as if  those figures ought to be reversed) --Mark Chao  This evening, at 2030 hrs., on the Dryden Lake Trail, I had an adult  GREAT HORNED OWL fly out of the woods, land on the top of a snag, and  engage me in a staring contest.  It won. --Steve Fast  Time to start practicing those fall warblers...  it's migration. --Jesse Ellis  The skies are dull The shorebirds null Just Mallards, swallows, and Ring-billed Gulls. --Mark Chao   May Your Cup Runneth Over, - Jay