Braddock Bay weekend

Braddock Bay

This weekend I visited Braddock Bay Raptor Research Center along the south shore of Lake Ontario near Rochester, New York.  The annual board meeting of the Hawk Migration Association of North America was held there.  For the most part we were inside and not looking at birds, but we all took advantage of every break, as well as the time before and after the meetings adjourned to go outside and see what we could see.

May is always the best time to look for things outside, so even the few minutes we had was very productive.  The first view today is where the bay meets the land.  Miniature inlets and channels were everywhere and was great habitat for a variety of species.

Marsh wren

My best sighting in this part of the bay was the marsh wren.  These wrens are frequently heard in appropriate habitat but not often seen.  Here at Braddock Bay I heard at least three of the birds, but getting to see one took some time.  And then finally, one of these little devils popped out just long enough to grab a quick photo of one.  Success!  Seen and photo'ed!

The weekend also produced some other good sightings--palm warblers, a warbling vireo, white-crowned sparrow, third year bald eagle, sandhill crane.  I'll write more about those tomorrow.