Great birds today- TRUMPETER SWAN, WHITE-WINGED SCOTER and my FOY NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW

[david nicosia]

All, 

Started birding upper lisle and it was very birdy. Lots of birds singing and/or calling.  My ebird list is here...(few photos uploaded later)... https://ebird.org/atlasny/checklist/S84704945

I was fortunate to meet up with Dan too at UL. So we really only spent maybe 20-25 minutes there and then we got Jim Hoteling's text on a WHITE-WINGED SCOTER from Keibal Rd.  So we got over there quickly and go nice scope views of an adult male. This is a FOY for Broome Co...well done Jim. Then I looked at my text and Victor had a possible TRUMPETER SWAN on Rte 79 so we quickly got over there and got on the bird. I took a lot of photos. The bird clearly was a TRUMPETER SWAN. The bill was a bit larger than the TUNDRA SWAN and straight not showing the curvature of the TUNDRA. Also the eyes blended into the bill and there was a clear red "gape" which is the "fleshy area at the base of the bill where the upper and lower mandibles meet". I have seen many TRUMPETER SWANs vs TUNDRA at Montezuma so I was sure of the ID. Great find Victor. The bird was on the Chenango River along Rt 79 at exactly 42.2593688N and 75.8681763W as given by Jeremy Collison. Thanks Jeremy!  The bird was still there as of 500 pm same spot. Since it along the river and with Canada Geese and no apparent farm or home nearby it looks like it is a free flying bird.  It could be a migrant or an escapee... but we can count it for e-bird. Then I went to river road and I saw a swallow flying high up that looked larger than a tree swallow and indeed it was my first NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW. 3 new annual birds today.  The next two days likely will have even more new birds!  Love this time of year! How can you not?

Best,

Dave