- RBA * New York * Buffalo * 03/06/2003 * NYBU0303.06 - Birds mentioned \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ Please phone in any rare sightings so they may be shared via the DAB telephone update system, and submit email contributions directly to dfsuggs@localnet.com. Thank you, David ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////// RED-NECKED GREBE BUFFLEHEAD PEREGRINE FALCON Horned Grebe Tundra Swan Mute Swan Redhead Ring-necked Duck Greater Scaup Black Scoter Surf Scoter White-winged Scoter Common Merganser Red-br. Merganser Bald Eagle Red-tailed Hawk Merlin Iceland Gull Great Horned Owl Short-eared Owl Northern Flicker Northern Shrike - Transcript Hotline: Dial-a-Bird at the Buffalo Museum of Science Date: 03/06/2003 Number: 716-896-1271 To Report: Same Compiler: David F. Suggs (dfsuggs@localnet.com) Coverage: Western New York and adjacent Ontario Transcriber: David F. Suggs Accouncer: Debra B. Suggs Thursday, March 6, 2003 Dial-a-Bird is a service provided by your Buffalo Museum of Science and this answering system was donated by the Buffalo Ornithological Society. Press (2) to leave a message, (3) for updates, meeting and field trip information and (4) for instructions on how to report sightings and use this system. To contact the Science Museum, call 896-5200. Highlights of reports received February 27 through March 6 from the Niagara Frontier Region include RED-NECKED GREBE, waterfowl and PEREGRINE FALCON. Exceptional numbers of RED-NECKED GREBES appeared in the region this week. On February 28, 206 RED-NECKED GREBES were concentrated in the warm waters of Dunkirk Harbor on Lake Erie. Though higher numbers have been recorded on Lake Ontario during April migration, this is likely the largest single gathering of RED-NECKED GREBES in the region's records. February 27, a single RED-NECKED GREBE was noted on the Niagara River at Fort Erie, Ontario, then on March 1 and 2, up to 50 RED-NECKED GREBES were counted on the upper Niagara River, including about 35 off Fort Erie. High numbers of RED-NECKED GREBES have also been noted outside the region, across New York State to the Atlantic coast. RED-NECKED GREBES are ordinarily uncommon to rare at this time of year, and the last time these grebes hit the region in large numbers was February 1994. Other waterfowl have also been abundant on the upper Niagara River and at Dunkirk Harbor this week. A record count of an estimated 25,000 BUFFLEHEADS on the upper river along with 18 MUTE SWANS, over 50 TUNDRA SWANS, small numbers of RING- NECKED DUCKS, thousands of GREATER SCAUP, over 50 WHITE- WINGED SCOTERS, and at Fort Erie, a single BLACK SCOTER. At the Hertel Avenue boat launch in Buffalo, 14 REDHEADS, 16 RING-NECKED DUCKS and 4 WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS. And, in addition to the grebes in Dunkirk Harbor, there were thousands of COMMON MERGANSERS and RED-BR. MERGANSERS, plus 2 HORNED GREBES, 3 SURF SCOTERS, BLACK SCOTER and an ICELAND GULL. BALD EAGLES are still being reported on the Niagara River, mainly along Grand Island, from Navy Island to Strawberry Island. An adult BALD EAGLE was reported along I-190 in Riverside. Also 2, BALD EAGLES at Cayuga Pool in the Iroquois Refuge. March 1, a PEREGRINE FALCON was reported on the University at Buffalo Main Street Campus, along with 8 to 9 MERLINS. The PEREGRINE FALCON has been seen several days roosting on the very tall chimney of the heating plant. One of the campus MERLINS was at the front of the Medical School Building facing Bailey Avenue, and March 6, a MERLIN was reported about a mile from the campus, overlooking the sledding park on Saratoga Road in the Snyder area of Amherst. Elsewhere, a MERLIN was reported chasing a Rock Dove on Hamburg Street in South Buffalo, and a PEREGRINE FALCON was over Niagara Falls. Other reports this week - GREAT HORNED OWLS are actively calling at many locations. 2 SHORT-EARED OWLS and a NORTHERN SHRIKE in the Tonawanda Management Area. A pair of RED- TAILED HAWKS were nest building in a tall spruce on Bailey Avenue near Main Street in Eggertsville. 2 NORTHERN FLICKERS at the Niagara Falls water control gates. And a pair of most-likely-escaped-from-captivity GRAYLAG GEESE were reported on Cayuga Island in Niagara Falls. Dial-a-Bird will be updated Thursday evening, March 13. Please call in your sightings by noon Thursday. You may report sightings after the tone. Thank you for calling and reporting to Dial-a-Bird. - End Transcript D Suggs <dfsuggs@localnet.com>