There are now 4 Marbled Godwits in the Jones Beach area. They were embedded in the large Oystercatcher roost, which this morning was on the outer part of the sand spit near the Coast Guard station. All left about half way down on the falling tide.
One reason for going there today was to hopefully catch up with the lingering Gull-billed Tern. As late is it now is for one to be around, I suspected (and actually had seen a distant photo of it) that it would be in a plumage that I didn't have. After a previous trip in which I only saw it as a fly by, I succeeded in getting pictures today. It looks to me to be a molting adult, not all the way into winter plumage. If I'm wrong, my tern guru will let me know. I posted a picture at my web site (http://stevewalternature.com/ ). I also posted pictures of an Empidonax flycatcher (one of the very few migrants that I came across). Sadly, after many years of birding, I can't say that I've mastered expertise in these guys (and I don't have an Empi guru). When I looked at the pictures, I got the impression of a buffy wash on the belly. But surely, that must be yellow? As in Yellow-bellied Flycatcher? But it doesn't strike me as that, and it is kind of late. Acadian? Gotta study up on primary projections. Steve Walter Bayside, NY -- 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/ --
