Year 8, Issues 8-9

***************************************************************** *^^^^^^^   ^     ^    ^^^^^^        ^^^^^^^    ^     ^    ^^^^^^^ *   ^      ^     ^    ^             ^          ^     ^    ^     ^ *   ^       ^^^^^     ^^ ^          ^          ^     ^    ^ ^^^^^ *   ^      ^     ^    ^             ^          ^     ^    ^ *   ^      ^     ^    ^^^^^^        ^^^^^^^      ^^^^     ^ *The electronic publication of the David Cup/McIlroy competitions. *  Editor-in-Chief:  Jay McGowan *  Interviewer:  Matt Medler *  Fact-Checker: Kevin McGowan ******************************************************************  Well, September and August have come and gone, and with it the bulk of  the fall passerine and shorebird migration.  Although the Cup was  regrettably held up in early September (forcing another double-issue),  hopefully no one will be inconvenienced by this delay.  We had a lot of  excitement in September, making 2003 a year Basin birders will remember  for a long time.   ------------------------- Columnists? As usual, if anyone would like to write a column for (or contribute in  any way to) The Cup, please let me know at peregrine77@email.com.   -------------------------   <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< PILGRIMS' PROGRESS >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>  August, September 2003 David Cup Totals  227, 239 Jay McGowan 215, 232 Pete Hosner 217, 231 Kevin McGowan 213, 229 Tim Lenz ???, 227 Ken Rosenberg 202, 225 Steve Kelling ???, 224 Mike Andersen  ???, 223 Meena Haribal ???, 223 Steve and Susan Fast ???, 212 Bard Prentiss 205, 208 Bruce Tracey ???, 207 Jeff Wells 187, 203 Matt Medler 179, 203 Jesse Ellis 197, 197 Jeff Gerbracht 180, 193 Mark Chao 172, 191 Dan Lebbin ???, 182 Allison Wells ???, 120 Tringa (the Dog) McGowan ???,  86 Martin (the Cat) McGowan  Jesse Ellis' 200th bird: Orange-crowned Warbler  Bruce Tracey's 200th bird: Stilt Sandpiper    August, September 2003 McIlroy Award Totals  Ken edged out Ithaca fanatic Tim Lenz for one day at the end of  September, but Tim quickly regained his lead the next day.  Now who  knows who is in the lead?  ???, 197 Ken Rosenberg 184, 196 Tim Lenz 147, 157 Jay McGowan 154, 154 Jeff Gerbracht 133, 145 Kevin McGowan ???, 127 Allison Wells   August, September 2003 Evans Trophy Totals  177, 184 Jay McGowan 169, 174 Kevin McGowan ???, 120 Tringa McGowan ???,  86 Martin McGowan   August, September 2003 Yard Totals  135, 147 Steve Kelling 117, 124 McGowan/Kline Family   BASIN PHOTOGRAPHED LIST Unfortunately, very few people sent in their totals for this  experimental category.  However, here are the standings so far:  229 Kevin & Jay McGowan   6 Mark Chao   2 Dan Lebbin   $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$  COMPOSITE DEPOSIT The cumulative total is now up to 260 species!  Most of the regular  shorebirds were added in August and early September (including Buff- breasted Sandpiper and Red-necked Phalarope), as well as Eurasian  Wigeon.  The Muckrace added Long-eared Owl to the list.  Hurricane  Isabel brought in many new ‘arrivals', including Arctic Tern, Red and  Red-necked Phalaropes, Whimbrel, Parasitic Jaeger, Wilson's Storm- Petrel and what was very probably a Band-rumped Storm-Petrel (both the  first ever for the Basin).  A week after Isabel, another first-ever for  the Basin appeared at Montezuma--White-faced Ibis.  Two birds-- Dickcissel and Connecticut Warbler--were seen just outside the Basin in  Caroline.  Here's the total list:  R-t Loon, PACIFIC LOON, C. Loon, P-b Grebe, Horned Grebe, R-n Grebe,  EARED GREBE, WILSON'S STORM-PETREL, BAND-RUMPED STORM-PETREL, D-c  Cormorant, Am. Bittern, Least Bittern, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret,  CATTLE EGRET, Green Heron, B-c Night-Heron, GLOSSY IBIS, WHITE-FACED  IBIS, Turkey Vulture, Tundra Swan, Mute Swan, Snow Goose, ROSS'S GOOSE,  Canada Goose, Brant, Wood Duck, G-w Teal, Am. Black Duck, Mallard, N.  Pintail, B-w Teal, N. Shoveler, Gadwall, Am. Wigeon, EURASIAN WIGEON,  Canvasback, Redhead, R-n Duck, Greater Scaup, Lesser Scaup, L-t Duck,  Black Scoter, Surf Scoter, W-w Scoter, C. Goldeneye, BARROW'S  GOLDENEYE, Bufflehead, Hooded Merganser, C. Merganser, R-b Merganser,  Ruddy Duck, Osprey, Bald Eagle, N. Harrier, S-s Hawk, Cooper's Hawk, N.  Goshawk, R-s Hawk, B-w Hawk, R-t Hawk, R-l Hawk, Golden Eagle, Am.  Kestrel, Merlin, Peregrine Falcon, GYRFALCON, R-n Pheasant, Ruffed  Grouse, Wild Turkey, Virginia Rail, Sora, C. Moorhen, Am. Coot,  Sandhill Crane, B-b Plover, Am. Golden-Plover, Semipalmated Plover,  Killdeer, Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser Yellowlegs, Solitary Sandpiper,  WILLET, Spotted Sandpiper, Upland Sandpiper, WHIMBREL, Ruddy Turnstone,  Sanderling, WESTERN SANDPIPER, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper,  W-r Sandpiper, Baird's Sandpiper, Pectoral Sandpiper, Dunlin, Stilt  Sandpiper, BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER, S-b Dowitcher, L-b Dowitcher,  Wilson's Snipe, Am. Woodcock, Wilson's Phalarope, R-n Phalarope, RED  PHALAROPE, PARASITIC JAEGER, FRANKLIN'S GULL, LAUGHING GULL, LITTLE  GULL, Bonaparte's Gull, R-b Gull, Herring Gull, Iceland Gull, Lesser B- b Gull, Glaucous Gull, Great B-b Gull, Caspian Tern, C. Tern, ARCTIC  TERN, Forster's Tern, Black Tern, Rock Dove, Mourning Dove, B-b Cuckoo,  Y-b Cuckoo, E. Screech-Owl, Great Horned Owl, SNOWY OWL, Barred Owl, L- e Owl, S-e Owl, N. Saw-whet Owl, C. Nighthawk, Chimney Swift, R-t  Hummingbird, Belted Kingfisher, R-b Woodpecker, R-h Woodpecker, Y-b  Sapsucker, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, N. Flicker, Pileated  Woodpecker, O-s Flycatcher, E. Wood-Pewee, Y-b Flycatcher, Acadian  Flycatcher, Alder Flycatcher, Willow Flycatcher, Least Flycatcher, E.  Phoebe, Great Crested Flycatcher, E. Kingbird, N. Shrike, B-h Vireo, Y- t Vireo, Warbling Vireo, Philadelphia Vireo, R-e Vireo, Blue Jay, Am.  Crow, Fish Crow, C. Raven, Horned Lark, Purple Martin, Tree Swallow, N.  R-w Swallow, Bank Swallow, Cliff Swallow, Barn Swallow, B-c Chickadee,  Tufted Titmouse, R-b Nuthatch, W-b Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Carolina  Wren, House Wren, Winter Wren, Marsh Wren, G-c Kinglet, R-c Kinglet, B- g Gnatcatcher, E. Bluebird, Veery, G-c Thrush, Swainson's Thrush,  Hermit Thrush, Wood Thrush, Am. Robin, European Starling, Gray Catbird,  N. Mockingbird, Brown Thrasher, Am. Pipit, BOHEMIAN WAXWING, Cedar  Waxwing, B-w Warbler, G-w Warbler, Tennessee Warbler, O-c Warbler,  Nashville Warbler, N. Parula, Yellow Warbler, C-s Warbler, Magnolia  Warbler, Cape May Warbler, B-t Blue Warbler, Y-r Warbler, B-t Green  Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, Pine Warbler, Prairie Warbler, Palm  Warbler, B-b Warbler, Blackpoll Warbler, Cerulean Warbler, B-&-w  Warbler, Am. Redstart, W-e Warbler, Ovenbird, N. Waterthrush, Louisiana  Waterthrush, Mourning Warbler, C. Yellowthroat, Hooded Warbler,  Wilson's Warbler, Canada Warbler, YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT, Scarlet  Tanager, E. Towhee, Am. Tree Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, CLAY-COLORED  SPARROW, Field Sparrow, Vesper Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, Grasshopper  Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Lincoln's Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow,  W-t Sparrow, W-c Sparrow, D-e Junco, Lapland Longspur, Snow Bunting, N.  Cardinal, R-b Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, Bobolink, R-w Blackbird, E.  Meadowlark, Rusty Blackbird, C. Grackle, B-h Cowbird, Orchard Oriole,  Baltimore Oriole, Purple Finch, House Finch, Am. Goldfinch, House  Sparrow.   LEADER'S MISS LIST  Here's what the leader has missed as of September  CATTLE EGRET, GLOSSY IBIS, ROSS'S GOOSE, Brant, EURASIAN WIGEON,  WHIMBREL, WESTERN SANDPIPER, Wilson's Phalarope, R-n Phalarope, RED  PHALAROPE, PARASITIC JAEGER, LITTLE GULL, LAUGHING GULL, SNOWY OWL, L-e  Owl, S-e Owl, R-h Woodpecker, N. Shrike, BOHEMIAN WAXWING, G-w Warbler,  Lincoln's Sparrow.  -----------------------------------------------------------------  EDITOR'S NOTE:  Neither TRUMPETER SWAN nor NORTHERN BOBWHITE are  countable in the David Cup at this time.  Trumpeter Swans are not yet  countable in New York State, having not been established long enough to  count as a completely wild species here.  There is evidence (wing- tagged birds) that some of the Trumpeters seen in the Basin have come  on their own from a reintroduction program in Ontario; however, they  are not a countable species in Ontario either.  Therefore, I think it  advisable not to count Trumpeter Swan on the official David Cup list.   (I'm not counting the Mandarin Ducks Bard Prentiss and I found at Myers  Point this January either.)  While Trumpeters may not be countable on  your David Cup list, do not ignore them; such species have to be kept  track of if they are ever going to be countable.        As for Northern Bobwhite, there has been a private reintroduction  project going on in the Snyder Hill area for many years, so all  bobwhites seen anywhere near there must be assumed to be those released  birds.  Again, it is good to keep track of them, but they are not  countable in the David Cup.  $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$  BASIN BIRD HIGHLIGHTS by Jay McGowan  AUGUST  A few of the more common shorebirds started to be seen in early August,  mostly at Montezuma and at Myers Point.  The first American Golden- Plovers of the year were seen at Montezuma on the 10th, and the first  Baird's Sandpiper on the 23rd (22 Baird's Sandpipers were seen there on  the 26th, a new maximum for New York State).  Also on the 23rd, two  WILSON'S PHALAROPES were seen at May's Point Pool, along with a  probable WESTERN SANDPIPER.  On the 26th, Ken and Gary Rosenberg found  the first RED-NECKED PHALAROPE of the year at May's Point, and Gerard  Phillips found a drake EURASIAN WIGEON there two days later.  The first  Long-billed Dowitchers appeared near the end of the month.  Other  shorebirds of note present at Montezuma in late August included White- rumped Sandpiper, Stilt Sandpiper, and Sanderling.  On the 24th, Meena  Haribal saw a SANDHILL CRANE flying over the Wildlife Drive at  Montezuma.  Common Nighthawks and both Least and American bitterns were  seen often at Montezuma as well.  Two Worm-eating Warblers were seen on August 10th at the Lindsay- Parsons Biodiversity Preserve, where they regularly breed.  On the  17th, Steve Fast found an OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER on the Dryden Lake  trail, in almost exactly the same location as one appeared earlier this  year in May.  A number of Philadelphia Vireos were seen in late August,  as well as many species of warblers.   SEPTEMBER  On the 1st of September, Gerard Phillips and Chris Tessaglia-Hymes  found a BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER on the far side of May's Point.  (Buff- breasted were seen at May;s Point as late at September 29th.)  A Ruddy Turnstone was seen at Myers Point on the 5th, and up to three  others were seen at Montezuma throughout the month.  A juvenile Red  Knot was reported at May's Point on the 7th, but no details were  posted.  The first LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL of the season was seen at  Montezuma on the 13th.  The 7th annual Montezuma Muckrace was held on September 5-6th; 178  species were seen in the Montezuma Wetlands Complex area during the  event.  The winning team, 'Crex crex', was composed of Pete Hosner, Tim  Lenz, Mike Andersen, and Ryan Bakelaar, and totaled 139 species, by far  the highest-ever total; the second-place team, 'The Gallinagos', Chris  Tessaglie-Hymes and Gerard Phillips and joined by Jeff Wells and Steve  Kelling, totaled 137; and the third-place team, 'Corn Crake', made up  of Scott Haber, Dan Lebbin, Lena Samsonenko, and Colby Neuman, saw 125  species.  Some of the highlights were: Merlin, SANDHILL CRANE, 20  species of shorebirds, Black Tern, LONG-EARED OWL, RED-HEADED  WOODPECKER, a reported SEDGE WREN (near East Road), all the thrushes,  25 species of warblers (including GOLDEN-WINGED, a Brewster's hybrid,  Cape May, Bay-breasted, Prairie, Cerulean, and Canada), and Grasshopper  Sparrow.  Although just outside the Cayuga Lake Basin, Steve Kelling's property  in Caroline hosted many good birds in September, including a flyover  DICKCISSEL on the 10th, and a CONNECTICUT WARBLER on the 21st.  An ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER was seen at Sapsucker Woods on September  11th, and another on Bomax Road in Lansing on the 26th.  Night  migration continued to be good late into the month, with many  Swainson's, Gray-cheeked, and other thrushes heard.  Lincoln's Sparrows  started to appear towards the end of the month, and an early Fox  Sparrow was seen at Dryden Lake on the 27th.  Hurricane Isabel passed to the west of the Basin (over Lake Erie) on  September 19th.  Birders stationed themselves around Cayuga Lake in the  hope of seeing pelagic rarities brought inland by the storm.  The south  end of the lake turned out to be the place where most of the birds were  concentrated.  One Forster's and several Common Terns were joined by an  adult ARCTIC TERN in the afternoon.  Several flocks of up to 8 RED- NECKED and 5 RED PHALAROPES were also present at times, and a WHIMBREL  was sighted flying by.  A Jaeger species was seen flying south from  Myers Point, but was not resighted that day.  (Also, during this time a  Red-necked Phalarope was seen at Montezuma.)  The next day, September  20th, Willy Hutcheson saw a storm-petrel from Taughannock Park that  headed south.  A little later in the day, two WILSON'S STORM-PETRELS  were visible from the south end of the lake for much of the day.  Jeff  Wells found a juvenile LAUGHING GULL at Myers Point in the afternoon.   Later in the evening, an adult PARASITIC JAEGER was seen from Stewart  Park.  The next morning, the 21st, Curtis Marantz discovered a probable  BAND-RUMPED STORM-PETREL at the south end of the lake.  (If accepted by  NYSARC, this will be a first New York State record.)  A definite  Wilson's was also present.  The separation of Band-rumped from Wilson's  is fairly difficult; this bird was thought to be a Band-rumped based on  flight-pattern (stronger and less fluttery than the Wilson's), wing- shape (longer and more pointed, with Wilson's appearing shorted and  more rounded), and less extensive white on the flanks.  Some observers  who saw the bird closer reported a slightly notched tail with no foot  projection beyond the wings.  However, most of the time the bird was  very far out on the lake and good looks were hard to obtain.  In an  attempt to clear up any confusion, birders chartered a boat on the 22nd  to go out on the lake to try to get a closer look at the storm-petrels.   Unfortunately, the birds were not seen again.   Meanwhile, on the evenings of the 20th and 21st, the Cayuga Bird Club  held a Shorebird Workshop at Montezuma.  Most of the normal shorebirds  were there, as well as Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Ruddy Turnstone, 50+  White-rumped Sandpipers (Benning Marsh; a new fall inland maximum?),  and Lesser Black-backed Gull.  On September 27th, Marva Gingrich reported that a Glossy Ibis was  present at Benning Marsh, Montezuma NWR.  Later in the day, two birders  at Montezuma saw the purported Glossy but noticed that the bird had a  red eye, and quickly got the word out.  Indeed, the bird turned out to  be the Basin's first-ever WHITE-FACED IBIS, a species normally found  only in the southwest part of the U.S.  (John Van Niel reported a  Glossy Ibis flyover at Montezuma a week before, on the 20th, very  possibly the White-faced.)  It stayed until at least October 5th, when  it was observed flying high to the southwest, and was not seen again.   Also seen at Benning Marsh during this time was a probable Richardson's  form of Canada Goose, and up to three Lesser Black-backed Gulls, and a  WESTERN SANDPIPER was found there on the first of October.   LETTER TO THE EDITOR  Dear Editor-  The remark made in reference to me in the last issue of The Cup was  completely inappropriate. To be referred to as a "historical figure"  was reprehensible. If you were earning your keep as editor, you would  have omitted that offensive remark. As former editor, I resent this  departure from the traditional always-respectful tone; I never, ever  teased any Cuppers in my e-pages, nor did I allow them to be heckled in  interviews, as I was in the last Kickin' Tail interview. I implore you  to reinstate the delicacies that I insisted upon during my tenure as  Cup editor, and to do so starting immediately.  "Historically" yours, Allison Wells   Dear Ms. Wells:  Thank you for your letter.  I can quite understand your consternation  with respect to the offending statement mentioned by you.  It was  exceptionally careless of me to let that go into print.  As you  doubtless realized, the statement was made by Mr. Chao, a griller-in- training.  He has not yet been trained to use the finesse and courtesy  needed to live up to the standard of excellence in interviewing style  that was essential during your prestigious career as the editor of The  Cup.    Once again, may I offer you my sincere apologies, and let me assure you  that it will happen again as often as is practical.  Regards,  J.W. McGowan Editor, The Cup   !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !                       KICKIN' TAIL!                      ! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  This month's Kickin' Tail interviewee is Ithaca birder extraordinaire  Tim Lenz.  Currently a graduate student in Cornell's Computer Science  department, Tim has been the dominant figure in the McIlroy Award  competition for the past two years.  Last year, unfortunately, he was  edged out for the coveted McIlroy shoe by Pete Hosner, but Tim has come  back and birded Ithaca harder than ever this year.  Technically, we  probably should be interviewing Ken Rosenberg this month, since he just  overtook Tim for the McIlroy lead at the end of September.  But, Tim  was in the lead for the entire first half of the year, and we wanted to  recognize his birding efforts.  Plus, we're The Cup, and we can  interview whomever we please.  And, to be honest, we find Ken to be a  bit on the boring side, so we thought we'd liven things up by  interviewing Tim instead.    Since Tim is a computer science major (or perhaps more importantly,  since Tim is under the age of 25), we've decided to employ a "new"  technology for the Kickin' Tail--Instant Messenger.  So, rather than  sending Tim a batch of questions, having him answer them, and then  manipul, er, I mean editing them, I am conducting this interview "live"  on my computer.     THE CUP: Congratulations, Tim!  You've been birding the Town of Ithaca  feverishly for the past two years or so, and you've probably been  leading the McIlroy Award competition for most of that time, but now  you've finally hit the big-time--your first Kickin' Tail interview.   How does it feel?  TIM: Great!  When I first started reading The Cup many years ago, I  never imagined I'd actually be the one being interviewed someday.  I  thought all of these birders were able to come up with extremely witty  responses on the fly, but then you told me these were done via email.   Anyway, it's still exciting to be here behind this instant messenger  portal, talking about birding, etc.   THE CUP: Yes, we at The Cup never imagined that we'd been interviewing  you either.  TIM: (phone)  THE CUP: Come on!  This is the Kickin' Tail interview we're talking  about here.  I didn't think I'd need to state the obvious and tell you  that all cell phones and electronic pagers should be turned off.  TIM: Very sorry.  But it could've been Ken Rosenberg calling about a  McBarred Owl!  TIM: We'd have to interrupt the interview for that.  THE CUP: True, but I thought you were going to go out and find one on  your own last night.  TIM: I was very busy yesterday.  In fact, I think it was one of the few  days this year I wasn't able to go birding--a real tragedy.  THE CUP: Yes, a real tragedy indeed.  I'm sure that somewhere, Ken  Rosenberg is crying in his beer over it.  TIM: Ken Rosenberg drinks beer?  So *that's* how he gets all of his  McIlroy birds.  THE CUP: Well, that could explain *some* of his "sightings."  Speaking  of Ken, we should point out that while the Town of Ithaca has  essentially been your own private birding domain for the past two  years, Ken is actually in the lead for the McIlroy Award as of the end  of September.  This interview is to honor you for being in the lead at  the end of August.  Do you even remember August at this point?  I know  I don't.  TIM: Not really, since I was only in Ithaca for the last week of  August.  THE CUP: What?!?  How could you possibly wait until the last possible  minute in August to come back to Ithaca?  And don't even tell me that  you were birding someplace better.  TIM: Better than the Cayuga Basin?  What!?  Actually, I did go on a  birding trip to Adak [in the Aleutian Islands] at the end of August.   It was spectacular. I got to see birds I'd never even dreamed of  before, and it helped me freshen up on Lapland Longspur callnotes.   THE CUP: Forget about longspur call notes--did you study the call notes  of the Red-throated Pipit that your group had?  Now *that* would be a  good McIlroy bird!  And you know how Siberian birds seem to have a  fondness for the Cayuga Lake Basin.  THE CUP: What were some of your favorite birds from that trip?  TIM: The two juvenile Sharp-tailed Sandpipers were real stoinkers.  Of  course it was also great to see Whiskered Auklet, Black-footed and  Laysan Albatrosses, Rock Ptarmigan, and a juvenile Red-necked Stint.   The Song Sparrows on that island are gigantic!   THE CUP: At the risk of upsetting the new editor-in-chief (and we hear  he has quite the temper), could you give us an update on the current  McIlroy situation?  Where do you and Ken stand?  TIM: I think I'm just one bird behind now, at 203.  Ken did really well  with McShorebirds this year, and just about everything else too.  He's  going to be really hard to beat.  THE CUP: What is the McIlroy Award record?  TIM: Allison Wells got 207!  THE CUP: Hmm.  She must have gotten lucky, since it seems like little  Evan is the one who is always pointing out birds to Jeff and her.  Do  you think that you will be able to tie or break her mark?  TIM: Possibly.  If I can get Lesser Yellowlegs somewhere, Tundra Swans  in November, that "easy" Goshawk at Bostwick Rd., and both field birds  I might have a chance.  Also, who knows what might show up on the lake  this time of year.  It would be great to get a fly-by King Eider at  East Shore.  THE CUP: Yes, it certainly would, but I don't think I'd count on that.   Why don't you set your sights a little lower, and hope for the three  winter finches (Pine Siskin, Evening Grosbeak, and Common Redpoll) that  are on the move already?  TIM: Oh yeah, I forgot about those.  THE CUP: Come on, Tim!  Are you fully committed to this McIlroy thing,  or what?  Winning a prestigious Basin birding competition requires  total focus--you should be thinking, dreaming, eating, and drinking  birds 24 hours a day!  How else do you think you're going to beat  Rosenberg?  TIM: I'm hoping those birds will show up at the Lab feeders.  THE CUP: I see two problems with that.  First, if they're at the Lab of  O feeders, there is a good chance that Ken will be the one to find  them.  Plus, we all know that the feeders on the north side of the new  Lab are *clearly* in the Town of Lansing.  I sure hope that you and Ken  haven't been padding your totals with birds from that area...  TIM: You should ask Allison about this.  Remember, the nearest road  rule? And I DO have some places up in the hills that I staked out for  winter finches. I'm just not sure if they will turn up anything, since  most winter finches would be McLife birds for me.  THE CUP: What?  You want me to ask the "Queen of Ithaca/Lansing" about  the geography of Sapsucker Woods?  Of course she's going to say that  all of Sapsucker is in McIlroy territory.  How else do you think she  got to 207?  Birding skill?!?  THE CUP: Speaking of premier birding competitions, can you tell us  anything about your record-shattering performance in last month's  Montezuma Muckrace, as part of "Crex crex?"  TIM: Yeah, we had a great day, and a lot of luck.  Pete's secret  sparrow spot came through once again, and we picked up a lot of birds  we thought we were going to miss in the evening at May's.  The Muckrace  seems to be the only time I'm able to see Golden-winged Warblers in the  Basin too.  TIM: Those should have been in the jetty woods this fall.  THE CUP: What was it like birding with grizzled Basin veteran Ryan  Bakelaar?  That must have been a highlight for you.  TIM: He was very mellow the whole day, almost like Steve Kelling.  THE CUP: Hmm.  He must have mellowed out, now that he is a respectable  M.D.  That's disappointing.  Last year, I heard that fisticuffs almost  broke out between Ryan and the other competitors...and I think it was  *all* the other competitors.  TIM: Wow.  THE CUP: OK, I think it's just about time for the traditional first- time leader questions.  But first, I'd like to continue a theme that  Mark Chao started last month in his fine interview with Jay.  THE CUP: In testing Jay's birding dedication, Mark asked whether Jay  would rather see a Yellow Rail in the Basin, or have a date with  Cameron Diaz.  THE CUP: It was an intriguing line of questioning, but one of the  problems with that question is the fact that Cameron Diaz is probably  more than twice Jay's age.  So, the question for you is, would you  rather see a Yellow Rail at Hog Hole, or have a date with, say, Britney  Spears?  THE CUP: [Please note for the record that it is taking Tim an extremely  long time to answer this question.]  THE CUP: Hello?  TIM: Of course, it would be ideal to go on a date with Britney Spears  to Hog Hole and see a Yellow Rail at the same time, but I'm afraid that  the Yellow Rail could wait.  How often do you get to go on dates with  Britney Spears!?  THE CUP: That is a good question.  I like your idea of taking Britney  on a date to Hog Hole to see the rail.  Maybe you could make a picnic  of it.  TIM: Anyway, I could probably get Yellow Rail as a night migrant over  Ken's House.  THE CUP: Ahh--an excellent point!  THE CUP: OK, onto the classic questions...  THE CUP: What's your favorite color?  TIM: The industrial grayish-purple on Purple Sandpipers  THE CUP: Very nice!  THE CUP: What is on your MP3 player right now?  TIM: Liszt's 2nd Transcendental Etude, played by the Hungarian Pianist  Gyorgy Cziffra  THE CUP: Hey--that's what I'm listening to right now too.  What a  coincidence!  TIM: Yeah, right  THE CUP: You read the old issues of The Cup more than I do.  Are there  any other questions that I'm supposed to ask you?  TIM: I'm not sure.  THE CUP: Reply-to-sender or Reply-to-all?  TIM: Reply-to-sender  THE CUP: Trunks or Speedo?  TIM: Trunks  THE CUP: What?!?  You dive in trunks?  That must make it hard to really  "rip" the entry.  TIM: No, but after four years of diving in a Speedo, you can understand  why I might prefer trunks now.  THE CUP: Yes I can.  THE CUP: What has been your most exhilarating David Cup moment so far?  TIM: The Barrow's Goldeneye and Gyrfalcon this winter on Cayuga Lake.   There's nothing more exhilarating than winter birding in the Basin, as  far as I'm concerned.  THE CUP: Wait--what about the hurricane birding in September!?!  TIM: Oh yeah, that's a repressed memory.  I missed Ruddy Turnstone,  Semipalmated Sandpiper, Whimbrel, and Sanderling on that day.  But the  birds I did see definitely made up for it.  I'll always remember  looking at those terns at East Shore and then hearing Mike yell out,  "Why isn't the bird in the back an Arctic!?"          THE CUP: And then there was that little storm-petrel thing too...  TIM: Yeah, those were nice.  THE CUP: I just realized that we haven't really talked much about who  you are.  Do you care to share with your fellow Cuppers a little bit  about yourself?  TIM: Sure.  THE CUP: Go right ahead...  TIM: I was born in Rochester, NY, moved to Ithaca at the age of 8, and  stayed in Ithaca for three years while my dad went to school.  We lived  on Tareyton Drive, very close to the Lab of O.  That's how I got  interested in birds.  THE CUP: OK, how about "Tim Lenz, the Teenage Years?"  TIM: I spent my teenage years as a ski bum in Reno, NV.  I only went  birding once a month maybe, because I didn't know anyone my age who  enjoyed it.  But I went skiing just about every weekend.  When I came  back to Cornell, I was excited to see there was a birding club here  that I could get involved in.  THE CUP: Huh.  I never knew that you were a skier.  Anyway, have you  made it out of your teens yet?  TIM: Yeah.  Be patient.  TIM: I didn't really start birding hardcore until the Fall of 2001-- when the murrelet showed up.  THE CUP: That was definitely a good time to start.  How much longer  will you be lifting your binoculars in the beloved Basin?  TIM: I'm leaving in May  THE CUP: What?  Leaving the Basin so soon?  You've only been here,  what, five years?  I recommend staying at least ten years.  TIM: People come and go.  THE CUP: Do you have any plans after finishing your Masters?  Any  thoughts of doing some summer bird work, or are you going to look for a  computer science job right away?  TIM: Maybe I'll get a computer science job first, make lots of money,  and then go birding a lot.  Or maybe I'll do the birding first.  I  haven't decided yet.  CUP: Any final thoughts?  This might be the last time you get  interviewed by a major electronic birding publication for some time...  TIM: Yeah...I'm still trying to find someone else who's interested in  doing McIlroy next year.  Maybe one of these new freshmen.  Scott?   Ben?  It's really fun.  I hope to see everyone out in the field at  least a couple more times this year.  THE CUP: We'll be sure to stop by one of your offices--Stewart Park,  Hog Hole, or East Shore--some time soon.      @#$$%#%$^!(*$)%^@>(#?@<$&%^@(             DEAR TICK @#%$^!)$(%*&^>$*%?*%^#*%(*&  Dear Tick,  This summer I was visiting McLean Bog in Dryden, where (naming no  names) I saw a certain bird species which I had not run across  previously this year.  Now McLean Bog is (I believe) clearly within the  boundaries set for the Cayuga Lake Basin, the Cayuga Lake Basin being  the area whose waters drain into Cayuga Lake.  So I can count it for  the David Cup, right?  Now here's the problem: By definition, a bog has  no drainage.  So, is a bird seen in a bog countable for the Basin, even  though the land where it (the bird) is doesn't drain into Cayuga Lake  (i.e., is the drainage basin really only a rough boundary from which we  derive our territory, our 'playing field', if you will)?  Or does the  countability of a bird actually depend on where the water drains?  Is  my bird countable only for the 'McLean Bog Basin'?  Thanks for any  answers you can give me.  --Bogged Down in Dryden   Dear Bogged Down,  Let me ask you this: When you see a Peregrine zooming through the air,  do you count it? What about Ken Rosenberg's alleged Ross's Goose, seen  flying over his house - in McIlroy territory, no less! Should he count  that?  Of course not! Air doesn't "drain" into Cayuga Lake, any more  than bog water does. In fact, any Cupper who counts any bird that is in  flight is cheating, unless of course, it's raining, in which case the  rain water hits the bird, rolls off it, and makes its way into the  grand Cayuga, thereby making it a "basin" bird.  This, by the way, is the primary argument for why Cuppers are not  allowed to count birds that reside in the frozen food section of  Wegman's.   [If you have a question for Dear Tick about anything having to do with  The David Cup, or just birding in general, send it to Allison Wells at  amw2@cornell.edu, and she will pass it along.]   "CUP QUOTES"  "I'm glad you took over from those namby-pambies who were running it  [The Cup] for a while." --Allison Wells  "We next tried Old Towpath Rd. from directions given by Matt M.  The  potholes are so big we were looking for shorebirds in them, but we  finally got to the dike and found a good selection..." --Steve Fast  "Last evening, while walking Evan to sleep in his stroller during the  power outage, we heard a loud "swooshing" sound a few feet behind us,  on Etna Lane. Neighbor Chris T-Hymes attempting to cool us off with a  Super Soaker?  No! A Great Blue Heron dropping the most massive guano  bomb we'd ever seen! It went the length of the road and about 8 meters  in width. Missed us by about two feet." --Allison Wells  "I was standing outside in the yard and thinking about Muckrace and  happenings etc. " --Meena Haribal  "Also in that area, Meena picked out a black fluffball (this is one of  Meena's specialties) that turned out to be a VIRGINIA RAIL chick."   --Matt Medler  "And, on a quick walk around the pond, a distinct lack of warblers (can  you say Geothlypis?) was mitigated by a YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER on  the Wilson Trail near the pond overlook." --Jesse Ellis  "In order to give Tim Lenz a break, we took the evening shift at  Stewart Park." --Steve Fast  "I'm off to Stewart Park on the slim chance that McSemipalmated Plover  is still around. Probably have better luck winning the lottery, but  it's worth a try!" --Tim Lenz   "I love you Isabel." --Pete Hosner, after listing the many birds brought in by Hurricane  Isabel  "Your choices are a dive meet dinner or a McWhimbrel.  I think the  choice is clear." --Matt Medler, to Tim Lenz, who needed to get his priorities straight.  "You must be sweating like crazy." --Matt Medler, said to Tim Lenz, who, clad in long pants and a bright  yellow raincoat, ran non-stop from the Newman Golf Course parking lot  to the white lighthouse jetty in five minutes, only to learn that the Wilson's Storm-Petrel had flown off ten seconds earlier  "I have a good deodorant." --Tim Lenz, who beat a closing Pete Hosner by 15 seconds and Matt "Old Man" Medler by over a minute  "What an incredible three days of Basin birding!  Unfortunately, it  would be equally incredible if I could actually finish all my work  before the due date..." --Tim Lenz  "...Sheesh you'd almost think this was a post on Pelagics-L." --Tim Lenz   May Your Cup Runneth Over, - Jay