Sue and I ventured out to Montauk Pt. today on what the National Weather Service promised to be a relatively calm day (winds of 6-9mph). On our way out we passed a group of fifteen Wild Turkeys perched in trees on the south side of Montauk State Parkway. Once at the point (about 7:00AM) we could not help but notice that the winds were more in the 10-20 mph range. We searched in vain for our three target species - King Eider, Red-necked Grebe and Black-legged Kittiwake. Finally, on the bluffs at Camp Hero State Park we found a female KIng Eider fairly close to shore. On our way back from the Point we picked up a 1st year Red-shouldered Hawk in the shrubbery bordering the small frozen pond just west of the entrance to Theodore Roosevelt County Park. We then proceeded to Vicki Bustamante's neighborhood for a chance at the Western Tanager. Shortly after we arrived we saw the bird in the shrubbery at the NW corner of the intersection of Big Reed Path and Deer Way. As more birders arrived the Tanager was staying out of sight, perhaps due to an amazingly tame (or hungry) Merlin that was hanging out in the yard north of the shrubs. The feeders at Vicki's neighbor's home were busy; we observed Fox, White-crowned, Tree, White-throated and Song Sparrows. Finally, the bird seemingly came out of nowhere and perched on a branch giving good views to all (Mary Normandia and husband Sam, Sam Janazzo, Pat Jones, Joe Giunta, and our host Vicki). While the Tanager vigil was in progress Mary Normandia pointed out an immature Bald Eagle flying high over the assembled birders.
By the time we arrived at the Lake Montauk jetty the winds had subsided somewhat, and Pat Jones quickly picked out the second winter Iceland Gull that has been a fixture in the area these past few weeks. On the way down East Lake Drive we picked up Brown Thrasher, my third one for the month. Culloden Point proved a bust, but a feeder along the road had at least twenty male Red-winged Blackbirds (migrants perhaps?). We were unable to locate the Northern Shrike (we seem to be in good company in that regard), but were pleased to observe from the boat launch ramp at Lazy Point a gorgeous male Snowy Owl on Hicks Island (Northwest side of Napeague Harbor). The owl was feeding on dark-colored bird that we tentatively identified as a Black Scoter. We proceeded to the terminus of Atlantic Avenue in Amagansett and searched for the possible Eared Grebe with no luck. This location was the only place where we found more than one Red-throated Loon the whole trip (none at the Point!). Ken & Sue Feustel -- 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/ --
