Hi everyone,
I've been given several hummingbird feeders. They look
dusty, like they have been stored for a few years.
What would be the best way to clean them? I don't want
to leave any residue that would harm the hummers.
I was also given some nectar mix. It has not been
opened, but I am not sure of it's age. Would it most
likely be safe to use?
Thanks,
Linda

in the Great Adirondacks of Upstate New York, barely in zone 4.

Visit Linda's place at http://www.klink.net/~linda/

Visit Budzo the Hound at http://www.klink.net/~linda/petpics.html

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
http://mail.yahoo.com

I usually hate traffic but this morning it gave me a chance to see 2
spotted Sandpipers on the sand bar in the pond between the old Tobin
plant and I90.

Dennis Donohue
Watervlit, NY

A group of neighbors took a wildflower walk through Joralemon Park in the
Town of Coeymans this afternoon. We didn't see much in the way of birds, but
lots of flowers in bloom including:

Fringed Polygala

Early Saxifrage

Blue Cohosh

Red Baneberry

Canada Mayflower

Barren Strawberry

Hairy Solomon's Seal

Plus Walking Fern

And more.



Birds included;

Great-crested Flycatcher

Louisiana Waterthrush (very nervous - probably nesting)

Pileated Woodpecker



And,

We actually saw a Spring Peeper!



Some pictures will be on the HMBirds site. Look for "Richard".



Too bad the park is over-run by many loud and out of control ATV's and dirt
bikes. Its not a pleasant place to visit for that reason.



Rich Guthrie

New Baltimore

The Greener County

gaeltic@...

I spent the whole morning today at Vischer Ferry Preserve picking up
a total of 52 species. I went back this evening, planning to stay
just a short time to see a woodcock flight. Shortly before dusk I
was a little surprised to hear a Virginia Rail calling. Then, I was
even more surprised and delighted to hear the very soft "poo-poo-
poo" of a Least Bittern coming from the cattails across the marsh.
At this point I was trying to get closer to the river to see the
woodcocks when I heard a Sora call its name across from the towpath.
I never actually got to see a Woodcock but I heard at least 3
separate individuals "peent"-ing. One was clearly audible from the
main entrance. I added only 6 new species to the morning list but
most were good quality additions. Highlights of the day include:

Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
American Bittern (2 heard)
Least Bittern
Wood Duck
Virginia Rail
Sora
American Woodcock
Solitary Sandpiper
Belted Kingfisher
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Willow Flycatcher
Eastern Phoebe
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
Tree Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Bank Swallow
Barn Swallow
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Marsh Wren
Gray Catbird
Veery
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Yellow-throated Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Yellow Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Palm Warbler
American Redstart
Ovenbird
Northern Waterthrush
Common Yellowthroat
Eastern Towhee
Swamp Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Brown-headed Cowbird
Baltimore Oriole

I missed a few species that were seen or heard by other birders at
the Preserve today. These include: Pied-billed Grebe, Ruffed
Grouse, Black-billed Cuckoo, and Black-and-white Warbler.

John Hershey

Sandy and I went to Rensselaer Tech Park this morning to find Frank's orchard orioles and we did. We saw three: two males and one female. Thank you, Frank.

I've posted the songs of a male (probably one male, but recorded at different times) recorded today; here is the URL: http://naturebits.org/New/OrioleOrchSong02.mp3

At one point a male Baltimore Oriole flew in and began singing. After a couple of minutes the OROR landed near the BAOR and hopped around actively. The BAOR flew, and the OROR moved to a nearby tree. Essentially the same thing happened again a while later. It appeared that the OROR drove off the BAOR. Odd, considering that two species were involved and the BAOR is larger.

Also, saw a handsome white-crowned sparrow at home today.

David

This morning, I followed up yesterday morning's walk at BCM and added a number of species, including some I had in my yard Saturday. Nothing new in my yard today, so all sightings add to the 40 species on Saturday's BCM list. I was there from 6:30 a.m. to about 10:30 a.m., since there was no T-ball today.

American Bittern
Green Heron*
Turkey Vulture
Red-tailed Hawk
Solitary Sandpiper*
Ruby-throated Hummingbird*
Belted Kingfisher
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Hairy Woodpecker
Eastern Phoebe
Barn Swallow
White-breasted Nuthatch
Prairie Warbler*
Ovenbird*
Field Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Rose-breasted Grosbeak*
Rusty Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird

40+19=59 species over the two days

Tom Williams and I birded Peebles Island this morning and had 2 American Pipits below the dam on the west side of the island. I'm glad he could ID them because I would have been there forever trying to figure out what they were. Also a near-adult Bald Eagle put everything else into the air. A Mallard with ducklings was also just below the dam on New St.

We also stopped at the Renn. Tech park where people with a parabolic microphone were trying to record the Orchard Orioles. They said that a pair had become pretty territorial. We saw the pair and also a Blue-winged Warbler.

Corey Finger


---------------------------------
Love cheap thrills? Enjoy PC-to-Phone calls to 30+ countries for just 2¢/min with Yahoo! Messenger with Voice.

The Hudson-Mohawk Bird Club will have a morning field trip to Vischer Ferry
next Sunday, May 14. This is one of the Club's most popular spring trips.
Explore this varied site for warblers and other songbirds, as well as marsh
species including rails and bitterns. Meet at 7:30 a.m. at the main
entrance next to the Whipple Bridge.

America's "Natural Parks"
Thursday, May 11, 2006

7:00-9:00 pm
Speaker: Denise & Scott Stoner
Description of Program:

From the rocky coast of Maine to Florida's Everglades, across the great
plains, badlands, mountains, and deserts, to the West Coast, Alaska, and Hawaii
-- America has preserved some of its greatest natural assets within the
lands of its National Park Service. Come join the well-traveled naturalists
Scott and Denise Stoner for an exhilarating photo tour highlighting the scenic
wonders, diversity, and wildlife of America's "natural parks".
Scott Stoner is past president of both the Audubon Society of the Capital
Region and the Hudson Mohawk Bird Club. Denise is a Director of the Bird
Club. Together, they have explored and photographed many of America's best -
and least known - national park service sites.
For more information on this Audubon chapter and its activities, please
visit us online at _http://www.capitalregionaudubon.org/_
(http://www.capitalregionaudubon.org/)

This constitutes an addendum to my earlier report
Both were along the loop "road" (not open to traffic) that runs past the
goose pond.

The siskin and sparrow were at the feeder area; the scarlet tanager was in
the deep woods along the north loop trail; warblers included prairie, yellow,
yellow-rumped (about 50 along the north loop trail), common yellowthroat,
blue-winged, and ovenbird (several, along the north loop trail). - Scott and
Denise Stoner

I had a female Rubythroat at the feeder today. Previous, the only bird drinking the sugar water was a blackcapped chickadee. Also, have had a white crowned sparrow(the first forthis year) a white throated and a chipping sparrow. Pat Palmer in Latham

I stopped by 5-Rivers briefly this afternoon, May 6th. Highlights included:



Red-shouldered Hawk 1 fly-over being harassed by crows;

Pileated Woodpecker 1

Ruby-crowned Kinglet 2

Eastern Bluebird 1 (on nest box by Wild Turkey Trail)

Gray Catbird 1

Brown Thrasher 1

Cedar Waxwing 12 (in apple tree orchard)

Yellow Warbler 4

Yellow-rumped Warbler 2

Field Sparrow 1

White-throated Sparrow 12

White-crowned Sparrow 2 (at feeders)

Northern Cardinal 2

Rose-breasted Grosbeak 2 (at feeders)

Baltimore Oriole 2

Pine Siskin 1 (at feeders)



Other birders were out and about there earlier today, but I didn't take
notes of their sightings.



The wind was picking up so I left sooner than I planned to.



Richard Guthrie

New Baltimore,

The Greening County;

New York

gaeltic@...

Birding the Heldeberg Workshop grounds in Voorheesville this morning.

It was chilly, a bit windy, and sprinkled with an occasional lens blurring
spritz:



Wild Turkey

Red-tailed Hawk

Mourning Dove 2

Ruby-throated Hummingbird 2

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Downy Woodpecker

Northern Flicker

Eastern Phoebe

Great Crested Flycatcher

Red-eyed Vireo

Blue Jay 12

American Crow 12

Tree Swallow

Barn Swallow

Black-capped Chickadee

Tufted Titmouse

House Wren 4

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

Wood Thrush 5

American Robin 3

Gray Catbird 3

Brown Thrasher

Blue-winged Warbler 2

Nashville Warbler

Northern Parula

Yellow Warbler 5

Chestnut-sided Warbler 2

Magnolia Warbler

Black-throated Blue Warbler

Yellow-rumped Warbler 3

Black-throated Green Warbler 3

Black-and-white Warbler

Ovenbird

Louisiana Waterthrush

Common Yellowthroat

Scarlet Tanager

Chipping Sparrow

Field Sparrow

Song Sparrow

White-throated Sparrow 12

Northern Cardinal 2

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Red-winged Blackbird 25

Common Grackle 3

Brown-headed Cowbird 2

Baltimore Oriole 3

Purple Finch 2

American Goldfinch 2



Not bad considering the conditions.



Rich Guthrie

New Baltimore,

The Greening County

gaeltic@...

Well, to my surprise, I had a female ruby-throated hummingbird come to my feeder this evening (no sign of any males today.) I thought that the males migrated before the females (one day's difference doesn't really count.) Does anybody know otherwise?

Larry Alden
Meadowdale/Guilderland

I hit Black Creek Marsh this morning - 6:25 - 8:00 a.m. Fairly quiet, but a few new arrivals (*) from last week. 40 species.

Great Blue Heron
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Mallard
Osprey
Ruffed Grouse
Virginia Rail
Mourning Dove
Black-billed Cuckoo*
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Great Crested Flycatcher*
Warbling Vireo*
Blue Jay
American Crow
Tree Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
House Wren
Marsh Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Wood Thrush*
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
Blue-winged Warbler*
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler*
Common Yellowthroat*
Scarlet Tanager*
Eastern Towhee
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Baltimore Oriole*
House Finch
American Goldfinch

At my house, within shouting distance of BCM, I had the following additional species between 8:10 and 8:40 a.m.:
American Kestrel
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Eastern Kingbird
Barn Swallow
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Eastern Bluebird
Brown Thrasher
Yellow-rumped Warbler
White-throated Sparrow
Purple Finch
House Sparrow

With a little more effort, I'm sure this list could have been larger, but T-ball interrupted. Still waiting for the Bobolinks....

Larry Alden
Meadowdale/Guilderland

This morning the Hudson-Mohawk Bird Club and the Mohawk Hudson Land
Conservancy held a bird walk at Ashford Glen Preserve. It was raining
lightly, but the canopy of tall trees kept us dry. Birds heard (most)
and/or observed (few) on this outing included:

Mallard (flying overhead)
Red-Tailed Hawk (ditto)
Mourning Dove
Red-Bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
Great Crested Flycatcher
Blue Jay
American Crow
Black-Capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
White-Breasted Nuthatch
Wood Thrush
American Robin
Black-Throated Green Warbler
Ovenbird
Chipping Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
American Goldfinch

Skunk cabbage was abundant in the Preserve, and we saw Christmas ferns,
marsh marigold, and red trillium in various places.

Surprisingly, we didn't see any Hairy or Pileated Woodpeckers, Brown
Creeper, or Wild Turkeys -- all of these are common to the Preserve and
adjacent woodlands. Also, John Hershey and I each visited Ashford Glen
yesterday, where he found a Hermit Thrush and I saw a Black-and-White
Warbler, but we didn't see either of these species today.

Back home afterwards, an Indigo Bunting showed up briefly at my bird feeder!

Ellen P.
Colonie

In the same spirit as Franco Murphy, I had some nice, festive color at my feeder this evening - my hummingbird feeder, that is. Yup, a nice male RT Hummer coming in for some nourishment after his trip from south of the border.

Also a Brown Thrasher singing this morning.

Lorenzo Alden
Meadowdale/Guilderland

In honor of Cinco de Maio I would like to report the following species seen at the Rensselaer Tech Park this evening that generally spend the winter in Mexico:

Eastern Kingbird (transient in Mexico)
Warbling Vireo
Blue-winged Warbler
Amarillo Warbler
Amarillo-rumped Warbler
Palm Warbler (Western race)
Casa Wren
Baltimore Oriole
Rufous-sided (Eastern) Towhee
Savannah Sparrow (2)
White-crowned Sparrow (many, at least 12, just arrived; a few singing)

I did not see any Orchard Orioles but it was a short walk and pretty windy.

I also saw what I thought was a Caspian Tern flying north over the river this morning in Albany; Corey's sighting further up the river confirmed it; muchas gracias.

Still waiting for my first Wood Thrush.

Franco Murphy
Rensselaer NY