Tom and Gail obtained some very useful images of the Barwit, which they have graciously allowed me to share. These are the first three images starting at the following link, followed by my own (which are so bad partly because I couldn't resist the opportunity to annoy Steve Walter), then by some mudscape shots of the bay south of the former West Pond.
https://picasaweb.google.com/109808209543611018404/LongIslandMiscellany2015#6150329835747035714 Shai Mitra Bay Shore ________________________________ From: Shaibal Mitra Sent: Sunday, May 17, 2015 7:27 AM To: nysbirds-l Subject: Info re Jamaica Bay Bar-tailed Godwit Yesterday afternoon's low tide was exceptionally low, exposing flats at Jamaica Bay that we had never seen before in many years of birding the area. It was partly this unusual circumstance that prompted us to visit the breach at what used to be the West Pond, an area that has not been particularly productive for birds since Sandy, to take photos of the odd mudscape to the south. We found the godwit feeding and resting with other shorebirds on the expansive flats south of the breach, on surfaces that are ordinarily not exposed during normal low tides (south and east of Terrapin Pt.). As the tide began to rise (but before locally available habitat was completely submerged), it flew off to the south with other birds and landed on the marsh islands to the south. It remained there, feeding and briefly resting, for only a short time before flying purposefully eastward and out of sight with other shorebirds. If it is still in the area, the best approach to finding it would be to search potential roosting sites at high tide and any visible mudflats at lower tides. This European Bar-tailed Godwit (nominate race lapponica) is small and markedly short-legged and very drab-looking overall. Its upper parts are grayish brown with darker feather centers, browner and more contrasting than in similarly plumaged HUGO--a trait I recalled from the only prior Barwit I've seen on Long Island, found by Ken & Sue Feustal at Mecox Bay in May 2004. Glimpses of the white upper rump while the bird preened nailed the ID and confirmed the subspecies as European lapponica (Siberian baueri has also occurred on the East Coast). Several of the people we had been birding with earlier at Forest Park were able to get there before it flew and to enjoy flight views of the finely barred tail, pale underwings, white lower back, etc. All of my photos are marginal, but I think Tom Burke and Gail Benson might have done a little better. I'll try to post something to my Picasa site at some point. Shai Mitra & Patricia Lindsay Bay Shore ________________________________ Celebrate the World of Peptide Chemistry and Biology. Register today for the Symposium in Honor of the Scientific Contributions of Dr. Fred Naider><http://www.csi.cuny.edu/symposium/> -- 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/ --
