Date: 5/1/25 8:02 am From: Christopher T. Tessaglia-Hymes <cth4...> Subject: [cayugabirds-l] Hawthorn Orchard: East Ithaca — May 1, 2025
This morning, I made my first brief visit to the Hawthorn Orchard of the year. Trails that I cleared last year with help from Scott Anthony and some hand pruning by others, seem to be in pretty good shape.
Currently the most open section of trail is accessible at the northeast edge of this Cornell Botanic Gardens Natural Area, just northwest of the Niemand-Robinson Softball Field outfield, behind the Reis Tennis Center. This trail meanders along the northernmost ravine edge trail and parallels opposite the ravine south of Mitchell Street. Optimal trail entrance is here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/NajEeaX22fP3Qb9x7 and there is another access point from the East Ithaca Recreation Way, approximately here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/TajjtreW4zT8qJSm7
Parking access is through the dirt trailer parking lot for the Oxley Equestrian Center. I usually drive down the dirt driveway from the northwest corner of the trailer parking lot and then park in the grass along the side of the road just southwest of the outdoor tennis courts. Here’s a parking spot map link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/zCSG2TWVfe6CTpax6
I have removed the “Area Closed” signage at all major entrances, with permission from Todd Bittner (Director of Cornell Natural Areas), because the Cornell Deer Management season has ended at this location.
Bird-wise, most of the activity was in the northwest region of hawthorns, which still has a residual pile of cracked corn at the deer baiting area, where dozens of White-throated Sparrows, at least one Eastern Towhee, and other birds were feeding. In this area was a single Baltimore Oriole, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, and Northern Parula. An early Veery and a Hermit Thrush were found part-way along the easternmost trail near the southeast corner of the main Hawthorn Orchard.
I checked the south floodwater impoundment—which has a cattail and phragmites marsh—for possible Virginia Rail and Sora (seen here in past years), but the entire area had been mowed over in mid-October of last year and is currently not suitable habitat. Hopefully there will be more new reed growth in the coming weeks. It would be nice if Cornell would not mow this marsh in the future. Here is an access point for this marsh (if you view the satellite layer, you can see the extensive mower tracks): https://maps.app.goo.gl/YhXX1RrsfLdcpimu9
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Christopher T. Tessaglia-Hymes — Field Applications Engineer
K. Lisa Yang Center for Conservation Bioacoustics, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Cornell University, 159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, New York 14850, USA
Work: +1 607-254-2418 Mobile: +1 607-351-5740 FAX: +1 607-254-1132
https://bioacoustics.cornell.edu
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