Some readers might recall recent efforts by various observers to nail down a tally for the Marbled Godwits in the Cupsogue, Suffolk County, area. This afternoon, Andy Guthrie, Patricia Lindsay and I counted zero at Pikes Beach, then six on the northeast peak of the main flats at Cupsogue, then one on the “pelican bar” to the west. Looking northeastward from our vantage above the last site, we saw plenty of godwits remaining on the main flats. In fact, by the time we sorted them out, we had tallied nine Marbled and a tight flock of twelve Hudsonian Godwits there, as well as the one Marbled on the bar below us!
We scrambled to get down onto the flats as quickly as we could, but by the time we got there, the Hudsonians had departed. A tenth Marbled was now present on the main flats—probably the one from the pelican bar, as that bird was no longer there a few minutes later. When we checked Pikes a little later, no godwits were present. The weather throughout our visit was very unsettled, with occasional light rain and an easterly breeze. During our initial stop at Pikes, we had been impressed by a fly-over flock of 40+ Lesser Yellowlegs plus at least one Stilt Sandpiper. We remarked on the improbability that these panne and pool aficionados would tarry for long on Cupsogue’s sandy flats, but welcomed them as an indication that shorebirds were on the move. Shai Mitra Bay Shore Think green before you print this email. -- 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/ --
