Re: [nysbirds-l] Gyrfalcon at Cedar Beach Marina (Suffolk County) YES

[Derek Rogers]

Gyrfalcon currently sitting on an osprey platform about a mile west of Cedar 
Beach Marina. 

Best,
Derek Rogers
Sayville

> On Dec 9, 2015, at 4:33 PM, Ken Feustel  wrote:
> 
> Yesterday Sue and I observed a large gray falcon briefly sitting on an Osprey 
> platform in the salt marsh north of the Cedar Beach Marina (CBM). Before we 
> could even get out of the car to look at the bird it dropped off the platform 
> and flew low over marsh before abruptly pouncing on something hidden in the 
> marsh grass. We stayed an additional hour in anticipation of the bird showing 
> itself - which it never did. The light gray back, large bulky body, broad, 
> pointed wings and manner of flight all suggested a Gyrfalcon, but the 
> observation was too brief to be sure. We entered the sighting in E-bird as 
> ”large falcon sp.”. 
> 
> Today a brief stop at CBM in the morning yielded only a Peregrine Falcon on 
> the Osprey Platform. However, we had alerted another birder of the 
> possibility that a Gyr was present, and in the early afternoon we received a 
> phone call that the Gyrfalcon was being observed north of the marina, perched 
> in a lone Cedar tree out on the marsh. Upon arriving, the bird was sitting in 
> the Cedar, interestingly the same tree used by the last Gyfalcon seen in this 
> location a few years ago. The bird, seen from a distance with a spotting 
> scope, was heavy-bodied, resembling a Red-tailed Hawk. The light gray back 
> with light feather edgings was observed, as well as the weak, narrow mustache 
> stripe. During our observation of well over an hour, we observed the bird 
> tussle with a Peregrine Falcon, chase a Black Duck (he missed) and grab two 
> unidentified prey items, always flying back to the lone Cedar tree after 
> presumably devouring its prey. The bird was too far away for my meager 
> telephoto, but usable photos were obtained and will be posted to e-bird in 
> the near future by another birder. Our observation of the birds behavior gave 
> us no reason to believe this bird was an escapee from a falconer.
> 
> A word about access. Cedar Beach Marina is usually open during the week when 
> maintenance people need to get in. The facility is open on the weekend if 
> there is some special event being held there, which does not happen 
> frequently at this time of year. If the facility is closed my recommendation 
> is to park at Cedar Overlook on the south side of the Ocean Parkway, (opens 
> anywhere from 9 to 10AM on weekends) walk west past the 9/11 Memorial on your 
> left then out the entrance of Cedar Beach to the parkway. Cross the parkway 
> carefully and walk in the main entrance to the marina. You could also park 
> outside the entrance to the marina and take your chances with the gendarmes.
> 
> Good Birding,
> 
> Ken & Sue Feustel
> 
> 
> --
> NYSbirds-L List Info:
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> Please submit your observations to eBird!
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Re: [nysbirds-l] Gyrfalcon at Cedar Beach Marina (Suffolk County) YES

[Derek Rogers]

Gyrfalcon currently sitting on an osprey platform about a mile west of Cedar 
Beach Marina. 

Best,
Derek Rogers
Sayville

> On Dec 9, 2015, at 4:33 PM, Ken Feustel  wrote:
> 
> Yesterday Sue and I observed a large gray falcon briefly sitting on an Osprey 
> platform in the salt marsh north of the Cedar Beach Marina (CBM). Before we 
> could even get out of the car to look at the bird it dropped off the platform 
> and flew low over marsh before abruptly pouncing on something hidden in the 
> marsh grass. We stayed an additional hour in anticipation of the bird showing 
> itself - which it never did. The light gray back, large bulky body, broad, 
> pointed wings and manner of flight all suggested a Gyrfalcon, but the 
> observation was too brief to be sure. We entered the sighting in E-bird as 
> ”large falcon sp.”. 
> 
> Today a brief stop at CBM in the morning yielded only a Peregrine Falcon on 
> the Osprey Platform. However, we had alerted another birder of the 
> possibility that a Gyr was present, and in the early afternoon we received a 
> phone call that the Gyrfalcon was being observed north of the marina, perched 
> in a lone Cedar tree out on the marsh. Upon arriving, the bird was sitting in 
> the Cedar, interestingly the same tree used by the last Gyfalcon seen in this 
> location a few years ago. The bird, seen from a distance with a spotting 
> scope, was heavy-bodied, resembling a Red-tailed Hawk. The light gray back 
> with light feather edgings was observed, as well as the weak, narrow mustache 
> stripe. During our observation of well over an hour, we observed the bird 
> tussle with a Peregrine Falcon, chase a Black Duck (he missed) and grab two 
> unidentified prey items, always flying back to the lone Cedar tree after 
> presumably devouring its prey. The bird was too far away for my meager 
> telephoto, but usable photos were obtained and will be posted to e-bird in 
> the near future by another birder. Our observation of the birds behavior gave 
> us no reason to believe this bird was an escapee from a falconer.
> 
> A word about access. Cedar Beach Marina is usually open during the week when 
> maintenance people need to get in. The facility is open on the weekend if 
> there is some special event being held there, which does not happen 
> frequently at this time of year. If the facility is closed my recommendation 
> is to park at Cedar Overlook on the south side of the Ocean Parkway, (opens 
> anywhere from 9 to 10AM on weekends) walk west past the 9/11 Memorial on your 
> left then out the entrance of Cedar Beach to the parkway. Cross the parkway 
> carefully and walk in the main entrance to the marina. You could also park 
> outside the entrance to the marina and take your chances with the gendarmes.
> 
> Good Birding,
> 
> Ken & Sue Feustel
> 
> 
> --
> NYSbirds-L List Info:
> Welcome and Basics
> Rules and Information
> Subscribe, Configuration and Leave
> Archives:
> The Mail Archive
> Surfbirds
> BirdingOnThe.Net
> Please submit your observations to eBird!
> --

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Please submit your observations to eBird:
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[nysbirds-l] Gyrfalcon at Cedar Beach Marina (Suffolk County)

[Ken Feustel]

Yesterday Sue and I observed a large gray falcon briefly sitting on an Osprey 
platform in the salt marsh north of the Cedar Beach Marina (CBM). Before we 
could even get out of the car to look at the bird it dropped off the platform 
and flew low over marsh before abruptly pouncing on something hidden in the 
marsh grass. We stayed an additional hour in anticipation of the bird showing 
itself - which it never did. The light gray back, large bulky body, broad, 
pointed wings and manner of flight all suggested a Gyrfalcon, but the 
observation was too brief to be sure. We entered the sighting in E-bird as 
”large falcon sp.”. 

Today a brief stop at CBM in the morning yielded only a Peregrine Falcon on the 
Osprey Platform. However, we had alerted another birder of the possibility that 
a Gyr was present, and in the early afternoon we received a phone call that the 
Gyrfalcon was being observed north of the marina, perched in a lone Cedar tree 
out on the marsh. Upon arriving, the bird was sitting in the Cedar, 
interestingly the same tree used by the last Gyfalcon seen in this location a 
few years ago. The bird, seen from a distance with a spotting scope, was 
heavy-bodied, resembling a Red-tailed Hawk. The light gray back with light 
feather edgings was observed, as well as the weak, narrow mustache stripe. 
During our observation of well over an hour, we observed the bird tussle with a 
Peregrine Falcon, chase a Black Duck (he missed) and grab two unidentified prey 
items, always flying back to the lone Cedar tree after presumably devouring its 
prey. The bird was too far away for my meager telephoto, but usable photos were 
obtained and will be posted to e-bird in the near future by another birder. Our 
observation of the birds behavior gave us no reason to believe this bird was an 
escapee from a falconer.

A word about access. Cedar Beach Marina is usually open during the week when 
maintenance people need to get in. The facility is open on the weekend if there 
is some special event being held there, which does not happen frequently at 
this time of year. If the facility is closed my recommendation is to park at 
Cedar Overlook on the south side of the Ocean Parkway, (opens anywhere from 9 
to 10AM on weekends) walk west past the 9/11 Memorial on your left then out the 
entrance of Cedar Beach to the parkway. Cross the parkway carefully and walk in 
the main entrance to the marina. You could also park outside the entrance to 
the marina and take your chances with the gendarmes.

Good Birding,

Ken & Sue Feustel



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Please submit your observations to eBird:
http://ebird.org/content/ebird/

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[nysbirds-l] Gyrfalcon at Cedar Beach Marina (Suffolk County)

[Ken Feustel]

Yesterday Sue and I observed a large gray falcon briefly sitting on an Osprey 
platform in the salt marsh north of the Cedar Beach Marina (CBM). Before we 
could even get out of the car to look at the bird it dropped off the platform 
and flew low over marsh before abruptly pouncing on something hidden in the 
marsh grass. We stayed an additional hour in anticipation of the bird showing 
itself - which it never did. The light gray back, large bulky body, broad, 
pointed wings and manner of flight all suggested a Gyrfalcon, but the 
observation was too brief to be sure. We entered the sighting in E-bird as 
”large falcon sp.”. 

Today a brief stop at CBM in the morning yielded only a Peregrine Falcon on the 
Osprey Platform. However, we had alerted another birder of the possibility that 
a Gyr was present, and in the early afternoon we received a phone call that the 
Gyrfalcon was being observed north of the marina, perched in a lone Cedar tree 
out on the marsh. Upon arriving, the bird was sitting in the Cedar, 
interestingly the same tree used by the last Gyfalcon seen in this location a 
few years ago. The bird, seen from a distance with a spotting scope, was 
heavy-bodied, resembling a Red-tailed Hawk. The light gray back with light 
feather edgings was observed, as well as the weak, narrow mustache stripe. 
During our observation of well over an hour, we observed the bird tussle with a 
Peregrine Falcon, chase a Black Duck (he missed) and grab two unidentified prey 
items, always flying back to the lone Cedar tree after presumably devouring its 
prey. The bird was too far away for my meager telephoto, but usable photos were 
obtained and will be posted to e-bird in the near future by another birder. Our 
observation of the birds behavior gave us no reason to believe this bird was an 
escapee from a falconer.

A word about access. Cedar Beach Marina is usually open during the week when 
maintenance people need to get in. The facility is open on the weekend if there 
is some special event being held there, which does not happen frequently at 
this time of year. If the facility is closed my recommendation is to park at 
Cedar Overlook on the south side of the Ocean Parkway, (opens anywhere from 9 
to 10AM on weekends) walk west past the 9/11 Memorial on your left then out the 
entrance of Cedar Beach to the parkway. Cross the parkway carefully and walk in 
the main entrance to the marina. You could also park outside the entrance to 
the marina and take your chances with the gendarmes.

Good Birding,

Ken & Sue Feustel



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2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L
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Please submit your observations to eBird:
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