Finding myself with a bit of free time early this afternoon, I headed down toward Dune Rd. where I birded between the Post La. Bridge, Quogue and Shinnicock Inlet, Hampton Bays, Suffolk, Co.
The only birds of note were 5 separate, female-plumaged N.Harriers (3 hunting, while the other 2 were on the marsh, though not actively feeding) as well as, a bird that was probably a Peregrine Falcon. This raptor had the specie's size and shape, but was facing away from me, plus the lighting was very poor. The bird was perched on the osprey nest (but not on the platform) just east of the entrance road to the old Ponquogue Bridge. It was resting below the platform, on one of the supports which secure it to it's vertical "pole". After a short while, the bird dropped down and out of sight. I tried viewing it from a couple of spots to the east, without success. Arriving at the inlet, I met Gary Straus, and learned of his seeing a Snowy Owl earlier at a location I had just visited...without finding it ! He graciously escorted me back, and sure enough, *Nyctea scandiaca* awaited us ! How I missed it, I can't say - what I can say, however, is at least I was able to help Gary get one of his target birds for his "Year List" ! As we were talking at the inlet (he looking west, while I was looking at the inlet) he also mentioned his "misses" of the day, with Common Eider leading the parade. Just then, as if on cue, 2 male eiders ( an adult & a sub )went by, which I alerted him to, in time for him to get ! On my way home, I took the same way back, without seeing a single N.Harrier. Cheers, Bob -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME.htm http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES.htm 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://birding.aba.org/maillist/NY01 Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
