While I didn't knowingly cross paths with any of the Swallow-tailed Kites bouncing around western Long Island this morning, I did see a few things worthy of mention here.
At Coney Island Creek, a young GLAUCOUS GULL was the only rarity in a very quiet (and therefore brief) morning trip that would otherwise have been highlighted by a modest northbound movement of Common Loons high up, concentrated around the mouth of New York Bay. The Glaucous Gull was on the sandspit just west of Leon Kaiser Park, on the south side of the Creek, and I was viewing from the dead end of 23rd Street, looking west. Keep in mind that there are several access points that offer closer vantage points for this location than 23rd Street, if you are checking the area. After looking away briefly after my initial observation I could no longer find it, though I didn't go back and check the area more thoroughly. >From Greenwood Cemetery, a stationary count yielded very few obvious dirunal >migrants other than over 200 Double-crested Cormorants heading east, in groups >in numbers ranging from 1 to 84. A Broad-winged Hawk gave a nice view before >drifting over towards Prospect Park, and 2 Common Ravens did the same. The >biggest surprise from this spot, however, was an adult Lesser Black-backed >Gull that had apparently just lifted off Prospect Lake (In nearby Prospect >Park) with a few Herring Gulls and gave a decent view briefly, before drifting >off to the East, as many of the gulls that cycle through Prospect Lake during >the day seem to do. There was also a weakly singing Northern Parula near the >Sylvan Water. Good Birding -Doug Gochfeld. Brooklyn, NY. -- 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/ --
