[nysbirds-l] East End Report
With an eye on Jose, Patricia and I stayed near the ocean today. Given that on Long Island Jose will most likely impact overflying and offshore migrants, rather than really pelagic birds, we sought to record a baseline for potential storm species such as Lesser Black-backed Gull, Black Tern, and various shorebirds. Mecox Bay has been breached, but the water level was still very high this morning. There was very little in the way of flats or bars, and the only notable shorebirds were single Western Willet and White-rumped Sandpiper. It was almost windless, but the ocean's glassy surface belied a series of deep swells. Becalmed Cory's Shearwaters were sitting all around but obscured beyond the swells most of the time. We recorded a conservative count of 20, but many more were surely present. Seven Black Terns were notable, as we are now more than halfway through September. Montauk Point was fogged in. The inshore waters were similarly glassy, but the breaking swell was providing waves on occasion for a flotilla of surfers. Switching focus to landbirds, we found migrants scarce but interesting, with a variety of warblers and a Clay-colored Sparrow near the Sound end of the Seal Haulout Trail. We were surprised to find zero Black Terns at Napeague Harbor, which is usually a favored staging site for this species. Maybe it's getting late for that mode of occurrence? Checking Cupsogue a little before high tide, we tuned in quickly to the ocean side, where good viewing conditions combined with a building southeast wind. Cory's Shearwaters, Gannets, and Black Terns were obvious from the start. Then we had a close fly-by of a juvenile Black-legged Kittiwake, certainly the highlight of the day, west to east like the Black Terns. We eventually saw three Parasitic Jaegers as well. An adult, breeding-plumaged Lesser Black-backed Gull was our first of this sort for the season, and right on time. Interesting was the fact that this individual was begging from beach-goers in a Herring Gull-like voice, and then flew over to the parking lot with Herring and Ring-billed Gulls when a misguided samaritan decided to mess with their Atkins diets. I watched it hovering over its frenzied congeners and almost landing on car roofs during the carb fest. It will be interesting to learn what appears over the next few days. Shai Mitra & Patricia Lindsay Bay Shore -- 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/ --
[nysbirds-l] East End Report
With an eye on Jose, Patricia and I stayed near the ocean today. Given that on Long Island Jose will most likely impact overflying and offshore migrants, rather than really pelagic birds, we sought to record a baseline for potential storm species such as Lesser Black-backed Gull, Black Tern, and various shorebirds. Mecox Bay has been breached, but the water level was still very high this morning. There was very little in the way of flats or bars, and the only notable shorebirds were single Western Willet and White-rumped Sandpiper. It was almost windless, but the ocean's glassy surface belied a series of deep swells. Becalmed Cory's Shearwaters were sitting all around but obscured beyond the swells most of the time. We recorded a conservative count of 20, but many more were surely present. Seven Black Terns were notable, as we are now more than halfway through September. Montauk Point was fogged in. The inshore waters were similarly glassy, but the breaking swell was providing waves on occasion for a flotilla of surfers. Switching focus to landbirds, we found migrants scarce but interesting, with a variety of warblers and a Clay-colored Sparrow near the Sound end of the Seal Haulout Trail. We were surprised to find zero Black Terns at Napeague Harbor, which is usually a favored staging site for this species. Maybe it's getting late for that mode of occurrence? Checking Cupsogue a little before high tide, we tuned in quickly to the ocean side, where good viewing conditions combined with a building southeast wind. Cory's Shearwaters, Gannets, and Black Terns were obvious from the start. Then we had a close fly-by of a juvenile Black-legged Kittiwake, certainly the highlight of the day, west to east like the Black Terns. We eventually saw three Parasitic Jaegers as well. An adult, breeding-plumaged Lesser Black-backed Gull was our first of this sort for the season, and right on time. Interesting was the fact that this individual was begging from beach-goers in a Herring Gull-like voice, and then flew over to the parking lot with Herring and Ring-billed Gulls when a misguided samaritan decided to mess with their Atkins diets. I watched it hovering over its frenzied congeners and almost landing on car roofs during the carb fest. It will be interesting to learn what appears over the next few days. Shai Mitra & Patricia Lindsay Bay Shore -- 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/ --
[nysbirds-l] East End report: continuing sandhill crane, and migrant arrivals
The sandhill crane first reported on 1/4/17 continues at Wainscott Pond. Over the past week, there have also been 2 lesser yellowlegs, a few meadowlark, and at least 9 Wilson's snipe hanging out as a group. At Sagg Pond, the lesser black-backed gulls first reported by Derek Rogers 4/5/17 continue, and today there was a caspian tern on the sand flats, apart from the gulls. There was a whimbrel in the flooded field just northeast of the parking lot reported by Terry Sullivan on 4/8/17. Several migrants at Shinnecock on 4/5/17 (FOS for me, but in most cases already back in large numbers), include: boat-tailed grackle, osprey, phoebe, and oystercatcher, Shinnecock also had common loons and horned grebe in full breeding plumage; lots of tree swallows at Short Pond, along with a few green-winged and 1 blue-winged teal; and a pair of snowy egret at Accabonac Harbor. *Bruce Horwith* *16 Salt Marsh Path* *East Hampton, NY 11937* *(631) 599-0040* -- 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/ --
[nysbirds-l] East End report: continuing sandhill crane, and migrant arrivals
The sandhill crane first reported on 1/4/17 continues at Wainscott Pond. Over the past week, there have also been 2 lesser yellowlegs, a few meadowlark, and at least 9 Wilson's snipe hanging out as a group. At Sagg Pond, the lesser black-backed gulls first reported by Derek Rogers 4/5/17 continue, and today there was a caspian tern on the sand flats, apart from the gulls. There was a whimbrel in the flooded field just northeast of the parking lot reported by Terry Sullivan on 4/8/17. Several migrants at Shinnecock on 4/5/17 (FOS for me, but in most cases already back in large numbers), include: boat-tailed grackle, osprey, phoebe, and oystercatcher, Shinnecock also had common loons and horned grebe in full breeding plumage; lots of tree swallows at Short Pond, along with a few green-winged and 1 blue-winged teal; and a pair of snowy egret at Accabonac Harbor. *Bruce Horwith* *16 Salt Marsh Path* *East Hampton, NY 11937* *(631) 599-0040* -- 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/ --
