There was a nice morning flight at Robert Moses SP, Suffolk Co., yesterday morning (28 Aug 10).
Swallows were moving heavily, passing at a rate of ca. one per second through the morning. Barns outnumbered Trees by about four to three, Banks were easy to find (we estimated ca. 50), and we noted two Cliff Swallows. We did not see a single Rough-wing, underscoring the scarcity of this species on the outer beach. Many species were noted migrating, including a Great Blue Heron, three Merlins, an American Kestrel, and many passerines. Among ten species of warblers, the most numerous were Yellow (15), Common Yellowthroat (15), Northern Waterthrush (9), and Am. Redstart (6); the most notable were single Blue-winged and Cape May (the former always very scarce on the outer beach). As noted by many observers lately, Red-breasted Nuthatches seem to be mounting a good flight this year (we noted 5). A single Purple Finch was only mildly surprising, as this species often appears on the coast in small numbers around Labor Day, a month or more ahead of the main flight. As with the spring flight of 15 May, it is interesting to compare our morning with Rob Jett's data from Prospect Park. The two Veeries we recorded at RMSP were two more than one usually finds on the barrier beach and, together with Rob's big inland count, are evidence of a significant push of Neotropicals Friday night. We also noted an mass-emergence of ants, attended by feasting Laughing Gulls. These events probably occur every year, and I know Tony Lauro wrote an article on the topic many years ago. Here is a link to a photo of an ant from a similar event last year: http://picasaweb.google.com/tixbirdz/CrittersAndOthersFunctAndNotSo#5380791796728136466 Shai Mitra Bay Shore Think green before you print this email. -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
