I saw one of the previously reported Least Bitterns at Ashamomaque Preserve at about 8:15 this morning, about 10 minutes after I arrived at the viewing tower. It flew across the marsh to the far side of the pond, provided a brief scope view before clambering out of sight in the cattails, and a few minutes later flew back in the direction it had come from, dropping out of sight along the near border of the right side of the pond. I did not see it again during the ca. 25 minutes I stayed afterward. A local bird photographer who I met at the tower told me that the Least Bittterns are being reported mostly in the evening.
Immediately before the tower, a short boardwalk makes a right-angle turn to the left. Approaching the tower, I had here a point-blank view of a Virgina Rail, almost too close to focus on. The Preserve is on the west side of the short Chapel Lane, between Route 25 and Truck Route 25 (confluent with CR 48), west of Greenport. A sign on the main trail directs you to the "observation blind", i.e., the tower. I made a short visit to the Inlet Pond County Park, less than a mile to the east, where singing White-eyed Vireos and American Redstarts were the highlights. Doug Futuyma Stony Brook -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
