Dating to 1932 , the Southern Nassau County CBC encompasses some of the most
intensively birded sites in New York State. About 80 observers conducted this
count in coastal southwestern Long Island for the 83rd time on Saturday, 31 Dec
2022. For the first time since 28 December 2019, we gathered for an in-person
compilation. Otto’s Sea Grill was not available, but the Green Turtle in
Uniondale had plenty of space for us to catch up and run the numbers. We keenly
felt the absence of Sy Schiff, the Dean of South Nassau birding, for whom that
December 2019 compilation was his last. We also marked the loss of longtime
participant Shane Blodgett, who passed away this past September. One measure of
this count is the breadth and depth of its personnel, which includes some of
the most knowledgeable and talented birders from a large portion of
southeastern New York, from Dutchess, Westchester, and Manhattan to Shane’s
home county of Brooklyn (which was strongly represented this year), as well as
Queens and Suffolk Counties.
In recent decades the Long Island region has experienced an odd
micro-seasonal pattern in early winter, in which the early portion of the CBC
period (ca. 14-20 Dec) has tended to be markedly cold and windy in contrast to
the latter portion (ca. 30 Dec-5 Jan), which has tended to be warm and wet in
many years. This pattern was very strongly marked this year, with adverse
consequences of various kinds for many regional counts. In addition to the
strong front preceding the weekend of 17-18 Dec, a powerful bomb cyclone passed
on 23 Dec, leaving unusually cold temperatures in its wake. The deep freeze was
of short duration, however, and it had at most subtle direct impacts on this
circle’s avifauna, probably reducing numbers of various shorebirds and
waterfowl (but see below). Indirect impacts arose from the chilled ocean and
bays and extensive ice cover on the ponds, which cooked up fog for us under
100% humidity and temperatures as high as 52 F. Saturday’s count was yet
another one spent hoping, that forecast rain would hold off for a few hours,
and struggling, in foggy and rainy conditions. A belt of heavy rain at 06:45
impacted nocturnal birding, but over most of the circle, rain remained trace to
light until about 2:30 p.m.
The fog greatly reduced detection of many common and abundant species,
including many waterfowl, shorebirds, gulls, and raptors, and it was directly
responsible for two of our worst misses, Common Goldeneye and Common Merganser,
which were known to be present but could not be seen.* Otherwise, bad misses
were relatively few, involving just five additional species recorded on more
than half of recent counts: Redhead (8/10 years), Snow Goose (7/10), Red-necked
Grebe (7/10), Wood Duck (6/10), and Chipping Sparrow (6/10).
With one spectacular exception, the many highlights of the day were not
really surprises. they consisted mainly of either irruptive species (such as 3
Dovekies spaced along the three ocean-front territories, 14 Red Crossbills in
Atlantic, and a Pine Siskin in Five Towns), or else they were scarce species
that are routinely sought on this count.** Deserving of emphasis in the latter
category are Black-headed Gull (found this time in Atlantic), a regionally rare
species that we have recorded in eight of the past ten years; Common Gallinule
(returning for a fourth year in Massapequa--and, remarkably, found to have been
joined by a second, immature bird, the day after the count); and Yellow-crowned
Night-Heron (recorded in six of the past ten years, all in Baldwin). Like the
small number of bad misses, the long list of good finds listed under ** is a
testament to the skill and perseverance of our participants. The mind-bending
exception, possibly a first CBC record for Long Island, was a Northern Fulmar
seen by two observers in Atlantic.
Despite the weather and the negative population trends shown by many
species in our region, there were also many ten-year maxima (13 species) and
other high counts greater than 140% of recent averages (10 species). The raw
total of 1968 Razorbills involved at least 1500 birds and is consistent with a
region-wide incursion this season. Similarly, 2145 Bonaparte’s Gulls,
reminiscent of a bygone age of abundance, are part of a region-wide event this
year. Astonishing, but part of a year-over-year upward trend, were 404
Double-crested Cormorants. Like the Red Crossbills and Pine Siskin mentioned
above, many of the high counts involved irruptive forest birds that show
correlated abundance on our counts: 232 Blue Jay (ten-year max), 41 Tufted
Titmouse (ten-year max and the most since the epic irruption of 1995-1996), 65
White-breasted Nuthatch, 61 Red-breasted Nuthatch, 13 Brown Creeper, 38
Golden-crowned Kinglet, and 3 Purple Finch (a save in Baldwin). The icterids
tend to swing between feast and famine here, and this year was good for Rusty
Blackbird (20, all in Hempstead), Brown-headed Cowbird (280), and Common
Grackle (489). Counts of five Clapper Rail (three in Five Towns and singles at
separate sites in Baldwin) and five Marsh Wrens in three territories probably
reflect increasing skill and effort directed at these secretive species.
Ten-year maxima for Bald Eagle (5), Belted Kingfisher (20), and Orange-crowned
Warbler (7) are consistent with year-over-year trends, whereas 4 American
Pipit, although exceeding the 140% criterion, are probably best chalked up to
luck. Finally, several thicket-inhabiting species were at ten-year maxima (3
Brown Thrasher and 311 Northern Cardinal) or above 140% of average (43 Fox
Sparrow). These are noted in contrast to the low counts of Gray Catbird (11)
and Eastern Towhee (6), which thus can’t be dismissed as weather- or
effort-related.
The species total was 134, just shy of our ten-year average of 135. At
least eight species were present during count week but missed on the count.***
Thank you to all our participants, and best wishes to all for the New
Year.
Shai Mitra & Patricia Lindsay
Bay Shore
* Species with low counts likely influenced by rain and fog on count-day
--ten-year minima:
15085 Atlantic Brant
5473 Canada Goose
244 Red-breasted Merganser
4 Pied-billed Grebe
14 American Coot
2 Ruddy Turnstone
339 Dunlin
1729 Herring Gull
142 Great Black-backed Gull
37 Great Blue Heron
11 Northern Harrier
16 Red-tailed Hawk
5 Peregrine Falcon
1 Boat-tailed Grackle
--below 80% of ten-year average:
195 Gadwall
1095 Greater Scaup
303 long-tailed Duck
39 Ring-necked Duck
152 Bufflehead
89 Black-bellied Plover
1 Red knot
18 Purple Sandpiper
278 Sanderling
1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
233 Red-throated Loon
72 Common Loon
92 Northern Gannet
99 Fish Crow
Species with low counts, consistent with recent trends (also likely
weather-influenced in some cases)
--ten-year minima:
2 Common Eider
23 Northern Flicker
39 American Crow
49 Horned Lark
972 House Sparrow
1 Field Sparrow
--below 80% of ten-year average:
48 American Wigeon
15 Horned Grebe
3 Great Cormorant
54 Snow Bunting (fifth consecutive year at near-minimum levels)
22 American Tree Sparrow
300 Myrtle Warbler
Species with counts below 80% of the ten-year average, cause uncertain
60 Black-crowned Night-Heron
9 Cooper’s Hawk
11 Gray Catbird
152 House Finch
6 Eastern Towhee
**Unusual Species
Virginia Rail (Massapequa)
Common Gallinule (Massapequa)
Wilson’s Snipe (Tobay)
3 Dovekie (Tobay, Short, Atlantic)
Black-headed Gull (Atlantic)
Iceland Gull (Short)
Northern Fulmar (Atlantic)
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron (Baldwin)
3 Red-shouldered Hawk (2 Tobay, Baldwin)
3 Northern Saw-whet Owl (Short)
House Wren (Baldwin)
14 Red Crossbill (Atlantic)
Pine Siskin (Five Towns)
White-crowned Sparrow (Five Towns)
Seaside Sparrow (Short)
2 Saltmarsh Sparrow (Baldwin)
Common Yellowthroat (Five Towns)
Palm Warbler (Massapequa)
Additional saves, not otherwise mentioned, or mentioned above only in terms of
scarcity:
39 Ring-necked Duck (Massapequa)
2 Common Eider (Short)
6 Harlequin Duck (Atlantic)
14 American Coot (Massapequa)
2 Ruddy Turnstone (Short)
1 Red Knot (Short)
1 Lesser Black-backed Gull (Baldwin)
2 Great Egret (Five Towns)
2 Eastern Screech-Owl (Massapequa)
1 Field Sparrow (Massapequa)
1 Boat-tailed Grackle (Baldwin)
***count-week species
Blue-winged Teal
Common Goldeneye
Common Merganser
Piping Plover
Forster’s Tern
Black Skimmer
American Bittern
Long-eared Owl
--
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