Wrapping up my stay in Chautauqua
Chautauqua, NY
Saturday 13 August 2022
72 °F
As I am posting this from Sun Valley, ID, I am clearly in the final stage of my summer — but I must first catch you up on the last part of my residency in Chautauqua, NY. I managed to get out a few brief times towards the end of the music festival. Firstly, after a dinner with friends on the Lake Erie shoreline I was able to scope out some gulls including many RING-BILLED and a few HERRING:
And two separate family groups of ducks: COMMON MERGANSERS and MALLARDS:
The views along Lake Erie at Westfield, NY are quite beautiful. This is halfway between Erie, PA and Buffalo, NY.
A faithful KILLDEER was guarding the parking lot from any possible nest predators:
About a week later I was able to take another birding/herping hike right off of the Chautauqua Institution grounds and immediately found my trusty CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER behind the Chautauqua Cemetery. Admittedly, it was much more scrappy looking than when I last saw him a month ago; though it was definitely the same individual guarding the same territory (he was going through his fall molt).
And the HOODED WARBLER was also around, but likewise being rather uncooperative for photos. Still my fav warbler though!
COMMON YELLOWTHROAT:
On the amphibian side of things, this Northern Two-lined Salamander was much more photogenic in the creek down the hill:
As were some beautiful trees in a new old-growth forested area I was able to explore (and amazingly, avoided getting any ticks despite monumental bushwhacking!).
Here I am posing with my friends after a successful run of Don Giovanni by Mozart:
Unfortunately, that is where my luck ended for the time being — I caught Covid and was unable to perform in the Cunning Little Vixen which I had been so looking forward to all year as I was the lead role. Darn! Additionally, Covid was the most intense sickness I have ever had — a fever pushing 102 for multiple days and just about every other textbook symptom of Covid you could imagine. No energy whatsoever. I shudder to think about what this disease would be like without vaccination and boosters.
So, now that I have recovered, I have arrived in Idaho and will start posting photos from my favorite place in the world! Idaho is always a wonderful tradition that helps me reset for the school year and I have these next ten days jam-packed with birding and hiking, as always.
Good birding,
Henry
World Life List: 1138 Species
Can’t wait to see you Henry! But so sorry to hear about your brush with Covid and having to miss your leading role.
Glad you had a safe trip here as well! Welcome “HOME”!
by Poo