REGION 5 - ONEIDA LAKE BASIN 
Bill Purcell 
281 Baum Road 
Hastings, NY 13076 
The fall season was warmer than average with a bit more precipitation 
than usual, but that was enough to alleviate the summer drought. 
September had an average temperature of 64.6°F, 3.1° above normal, with 
5.35" of rain, 1.56" more than usual. There was 2.3" of rain on the 16th, 
but for most of the month there were no fronts to bring waves of 
migrants. A strong front on the 30th did bring Parasitic Jaegers and a 
Sabine's Gull to Derby Hill. 
October was cooler, with an average temp of 49.5°, 2° below average, 
with 2.77" of rain, 0.47" below normal. There were several strong sys¬ 
tems which brought northwest winds and jaegers, but the warblers and 
most of the sparrows had already passed through. 
November was warm with an average of 44.3°, 3.8° above normal, and 
3.17" of precipitation, 0.55" below the average. There was 3.8" of snow 
for the month. Finches were on the move throughout November, but the 
warm weather did seem to delay the arrival of waterfowl and gulls. 
Pied-billed Grebe numbers were up with very good counts at three 
locations, while Homed Grebe numbers were down. For the third year, 
an adult Great Cormorant showed up in Oswego Harbor. Two Black- 
crowned Night-Herons favored a small creek at the edge of Onondaga 
Lake for most of the season and a Least Bittern remained in Utica Marsh 
into early September. A Black Vulture roosting with Turkey Vultures in 
Cayuga County was thought to be another sign of their slow advance 
northward. 
Two Greater White-fronted Geese on Little Sodus Bay were the chief 
highlight of an, at best, ordinary waterfowl flight. There were the usual 
American Wigeons and Gadwalls at Fair Haven and the teal species at 
Delta Lake. The Wood Ducks at Toad Harbor were not reported this 
season. The scoter flight was poor with only handfuls of Surfs and Blacks 
reported and the Aythya species were scarce until the end of November. 
Mergansers were poorly noted, although few Hooded Mergansers were 
present until late November. A quarry pond in Manlius attracted a vari¬ 
ety of waterfowl, with most remaining for a day or two except for Ruddy 
Ducks, which numbered over 150 at times and remained for weeks. A 
Glossy Ibis was a good find during a warm spell in October. 
70 The Kingbird 2000 March; 50(1) 
