I played hooky from my dead-end job this morning and birded the Sands Point Preserve and adjacent land. The winds were favorable and there was decent migratory movement. The highlight was a first-year Bald Eagle that I flushed out of a tree along the preserve trail that parallels the bluffs (trail 4). It meandered lazily off to the south. Warblers at the preserve included Black-and-white, Parula, Magnolia, Black-throated Blue, Black-throated Green, Blackpoll, Wilson’s, Redstart, quite a few Yellowthroats (about 11), and great looks at a Prairie which has been very difficult for me to find in the fall at this location. Also seen were Red-Eyed Vireo, Eastern Phoebe, E Wood Pewee, several empidonax types, Veery, Scarlet Tanager, and a big Cooper’s Hawk.
After the preserve, I walked west along the beach to Prospect Point and the adjacent salt marsh, where I found another great bird, a very dingy looking Dickcissel associating with House Finches in the dune shrubbery. I had to look at this bird for a while but it eventually took off and gave its distinctive flight call. I also found a late Yellow Warbler in the marsh along with 8 Bobolinks and 15 Palm Warblers. It was great to be at this location this morning, where it all started for me in September....41 years ago. Returning to Hauppauge, I had 2 Common Nighthawks over the yard at about 6 30 PM. Cheers, Glenn Quinn Hauppauge, NY --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus -- 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/ --
