After driving back from the Adirondacks last night I wasn't too keen to run Out East this morning. However, Angus' promise of a RED-NECKED PHALAROPE got me going eventually, and I pulled in to Mecox at around 10:20am just in time to see Eileen's post that the bird was still there. Quickly picked up the strikingly well-marked female Red-necked Phalarope, along with one of the continuing WILSON'S PHALAROPES (couldn't locate the second, but birding from the East side of the inlet, the sand pile can hide a lot of the flat). A quick sea-watch produced a swirl of distant feeding SOOTY SHEARWATERS and a few Gannets and Loons passing by. Highlight was a pair of close BOTTLE-NOSED DOLPHINS heading East close to shore.
Heading back West, a stop at Dune Road in Hampton Bays (extensively flooded) produced 300+ Turnstones and a few other common shorebirds. Another stop at Gabreski Airport produced some nice views and decent shots of the breeding VESPER SPARROWS. -- 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/ --
