Jones Beach West End 16 Nov Joe Giunta and I (Sy Schiff) stopped by the Coast Guard Station parking lot, now open for visitors. No bathrooms open. A "Sandy" high water line in the concession stand shows the level about two feet. So there was a pretty strong wash over. The main glass door facing the bay is smashed. Lots of debris. The board walk is ripped loose from the concession stand to the Coast Guard property, most boards and sections tossed and piled in front of the hedge row.
The gazebo appears untouched with the usual picnic tables underneath. I suspect the staff had cleaned up a bit. The landscape is changed. The close bar and far bar through which you can access the island at low tide are gone.The island is very much smaller. We were there at high tide, so it remains to be seen how much sand, if any, will be exposed at low tide. The drifting of sand in the area has become a problem. No dredging is now required, but the sand may come back eventually. The medium is OK, but sections of bayberry shrubs have brown leaves while others are still green. Looks like salt water came in. The pines weathered the storm, but obviously are still not healthy. BIRDS. On the island edge were about 200 AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHERS and 2 GREATER YELLOWLEGS with DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS mixed in.. In the inlet, there were 3 RED-THROATED and 6 COMMON LOONS; 2 LONG-TAILED DUCKS flew by. The best bird was a very late immature COMMON TERN resting on a piling and then flying around.. The median had many RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES, AMERICAN GOLDFINCH and a few other species. Some winter finches flew over (unidentified). Raptors included a COOPER'S HAWK, 2 SHARP-SHINNED HAWKS and a NORTHERN HARRIER. As to be expected the swale is a lake. No birds noticed, but a fair number of fishermen and a group of surfers going out to the ocean . Sy -- 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/ --
