Out at Montauk (Suffolk Co.), Sunday's SW winds brought cold air in off the ocean and it became increasingly foggy as the day went on. Visible landbird migrations seemed significantly reduced compared to Saturday but there was evidently some settling in of local breeders. For example, Wood Thrush could be heard singing in Camp Hero and both Baltimore Oriole and Great Crested Flycatcher were making themselves heard in Springs. During a short seawatch from the Point I noted my first *MANX SHEARWATER* of the year and picked up 3 *WHIMBREL* that emerged from the fog bank over Block Island Sound before heading due NNW towards Connecticut. Several hundred sterna terns were following a similar track to and from some feeding spot SE of the Point but the visibility was too poor to reliably differentiate Common from Roseate. Judging from the vector, I would guess these are from large colony on Great Gull Island. Small numbers of all three scoter and Common Eider remain and both Common and Red-throated Loons were very numerous. The 3 *HARLEQUIN DUCKS* from Saturday were still on the rocks in Turtle Cove. Two adult *WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS* were in the parking lot next to the old toilet block and a *MERLIN * was hunting over center of Montauk Village.
At Napeague, an immature *BALD EAGLE* coarsed over the Walking Dunes and was joined by 6 Turkey Vultures that seemed to be working their way west. The vultures seem to baulk at crossing the few yards of water at the top of the harbor and chose the southern route instead. During a long hike up the east side I flushed a *NELSON'S SHARP-TAILED SPARROW*. The bird wasn't very cooperative but immediately struck me a rich orange-colored Ammodramus. I stood as still as the viscous mosquitoes would allow and eventually the sparrow paused in the open long enough for me to view the solid orange wash across the upper breast and throat, with only faint light brown streaking. -- Angus Wilson New York City & The Springs, NY, USA http://birdingtotheend.blogspot.com/ -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
