This morning, I cleared out the north end trail on the west side of the East Pond at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, making it usable for the 2017 Shorebird Season.
The water level on the pond is high and I would advise against attempting to bird the pond for now. Compounding the water level problem, is an algae mat that makes viewing where you are wading impossible. Additionally, the thickness of the Algal mat, made it hard work when walking the pond, as I leaned today. Yes, I did walk in a bit - up to the area known as Sanderling Point. It was for testing purposes and a bit tricky. In some areas, water was above my calf. The water level read out is 1.36 which is high. For this time of the year, we should have been at the very least 1.20 (yeah we had rain but what about draining early?) Nevertheless, I did note shorebirds beyond Dead Man's Cove. Highlighted by 4 STILT SANDPIPERS. They were feeding in a mixed flock consisting of Short-billed Dowitchers, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs and Peeps. The latter hugging the Phragmites as they sought any open shoreline. I ventured out to the southend of the pond as well, though I opted not to clear the trail on that end. The fence is still up but there a huge sign at the trail entrance indicating the area is part of the Refuge. No doubt, brought on by the hubbub over the fence that sprung up right under NPS' noses. On the south end there were the usual suspects including a few Least Sandpipers. A banded Glossy Ibis was the highlight as well as a marauding young Peregrine Falcon that was nicely harassed by a few Common Terns who did not put up with its presence. For those of you interested in what the fence looks like on the south end and what the pond looks like in terms of the water level. Here is a link to some photos I took by phone. https://flickr.com/photos/37626025@N05/sets/72157683844150731 For those of you unfamiliar with the nomenclature of the various spots on the pond. Here is a link to an East Pond map that should help. http://birdingdude.blogspot.com/2016/06/jamaica-bay-wildlife-refuge-east-pond.html?m=1 Many thanks who have taken the time to contact NPS regarding the East Pond access issue. I will update the listserves, if I learn anything new. Cheers, -------- "I prefer to be true to myself, even at the hazard of incurring the ridicule of others, rather than to be false, and to incur my own abhorrence." ~ Frederick Douglass 風 Swift as the wind 林 Quiet as the forest 火 Conquer like the fire 山 Steady as the mountain Sun Tzu The Art of War > (__/) > (= '.'=) > (") _ (") > Sent from somewhere in the field using my mobile device! Andrew Baksh www.birdingdude.blogspot.com -- 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/ --
