Melinda Billings, Helen Hays, Ann Shaw and I weathered hurricane Irene at the field station on Great Gull Island at the entrance to Long Island Sound in Suffolk County. The following are the highlights from the day of the storm (Aug. 28) and the day after (Aug. 29). Not all birds are necessarily storm related. (Sorry for the belated report – access to my email account can be problematic out here at the best of times.)
Joe DiCostanzo Wilson’s Storm-Petrel – Aug. 29 (5 – one was seen the day before the storm) Northern Gannet – Aug. 29 (1 – immature) Brown Pelican – Aug. 29 (1 – immature, briefly stood on dock in morning) 12 species of shorebirds including both yellowlegs, Semipalmated, Least and White-rumped sandpipers Bonaparte’s Gull – Aug. 29 (1 – immature) Lesser Black-backed Gull – Aug. 28 (1 – adult) Sooty Tern – Aug. 28 (9 – all adults over several hours after storm) Least Tern – Aug. 28 (1 – immature, very rare on Great Gull Island) Black Tern – Aug. 28 & 29 (10-15, all immatures, present before storm) Roseate Tern – island breeders Common Tern – island breeders Forster’s Tern – Aug. 28 & 29 (2-5, immatures and winter adults, present before storm) Royal Tern – Aug, 28 & 29 (at least 3, two of them wearing bands) Sandwich Tern – Aug. 29 (at least 3, at least one wearing a band) Common Nighthawk – Aug. 28 (1, flying over ocean after storm) Purple Martin – Aug. 28 (1, flying by after storm) -- 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/ --
