Jones Inlet 21 Dec Birding on both sides of the inlet was and has been slow lately. However, key target birds are in the area and make up for this. This morning on the Pt. Lookout side, there were PURPLE SANDPIPERS, a RUDDY TURNSTONE, and 2 RED KNOT on the west most jetty. RED-NECKED GREBES and HARLEQUIN DUCKS were in the inlet close to the jetty.
On the Jones Beach side, the West End parking lot and adjacent swale had a flock of HORNED LARKS with 1 and perhaps more LAPLAND LONGSPUR (the flock alternated between the swale and the parking lot), SNOW BUNTINGS were in the air between the parking lot and the dune line. A SNOWY OWL was atop a dune at the beach line and directly in front of the west section of the Nature Center parking lot. It's a big bird and easily seen in spite of the distance. Binoculars are good and a scope is better. One does not have to chase the bird to get a look. Sy Schiff -- 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/ --
