Whilst I've seen isolated black skimmers every summer for the past few years on this stretch of the Hudson, I've never seen them with such regularity as I have over the last week. Just now another 4 cruised upriver, seeming to have crossed NYC at its point of lowest altitude (smart birds), before bearing west into Weehawken bay.
All the birds (12 in total) have taken the exact same route. I suspect they're from one of the Queens breeding populations, and are going to feed nocturnally in the Meadowlands. It's interesting as diurnal-foraging birds are regular at the mouth of the Hudson - at Liberty SP - all summer. Anyway, if you're in need of BLSK for your NY county list, an early evening vigil from Chelsea piers would likely be rewarded. Good skimming. Dom Dominic Garcia-Hall www.antbirds.com + 1 201 851 6512 -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME.htm http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES.htm 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://birding.aba.org/maillist/NY01 Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
