I don't get to NY very often these days but I was back for the Montauk CBC (90th). As usual I worked Accabonac, so I thought I'd report my highlights.
Owls: the still of predawn meant that we heard Screech Owl at every location. I think our team had 20 Screech, 4 Great Horneds and a Saw Whet. Landing Lane in Accabonac was productive as usual with 4 Virginia Rails, 1 Clapper Rail, and 4 Marsh Wrens. A drake Harlequinn Duck was found east of the Hog Creek Inlet, as were Purple Sandpipers. Quail Hill Farm produced a Palm Warbler, an American Tree Sparrow, a flock of 44 Chipping Sparrows and a Yellow-breasted Chat (on the western end of the western field) Stony Hill had 4 Pine Warblers and a Palm Warbler We found different first year Iceland Gulls at Atlantic Avenue in Amagansett and the north end of Accabonac Harbor. Snow Buntings were also at Atlantic Ave. A Bald Eagle was frequenting Accabonac harbor, and one was seen both Friday & Saturday on the south end of Cartwright Shoal and flying out over the water.. The count totals were pretty impressive, but we'll have to wait for Brent or Angus fill us in on the details. Hugh -- Hugh McGuinness Washington, D.C. -- 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/ --
