Last night's migration was quite evident on Long Island's barrier beaches this morning. The calm conditions during the overnight combined with a building NWerly during the predawn hours seemed to push a good number of migrants to the oceanfront. At Robert Moses State Park in Suffolk County, a light morning flight was evident with many additional newly-arrived Neotropics in the bushes as well. The highlight was a female-type Passerina bunting that appeared around 6am. It immediately struck me as Lazuli-like with a bold white median wingbar and a neatly white-edged greater covert bar. It was not very cooperative as many active migrants are along the barrier, but I did manage to study it twice briefly. The white wingbars and buffy wash on the flanks seemed suggestive of Lazuli, but a pale throat, cooler toned upperbreast, two-toned bill and chunkier-headed appearance is more consistent with INBU influence and lead me to think it is not a pure bird. I'm not sure what to make of it, but I would think that it is likely of some degree of hybrid origin (comments welcome!). It was originally found near the Field 2 toll booths, was briefly resighted further west closer to the turnaround, before disappearing for good (likely bouncing westward beyond down the barrier strip). Other interesting migrants were present indicative of the active movement overnight. This ranged from the broadly common, but locally very significant species such as multiple Green Herons, Warbling Vireo, Blue Jay, and Wood Thrush (all very scarce on the barrier except during good flights) -- to a few regionally-scarce migrants like a male Blue Grosbeak that dropped in near the tollplaza and Orange-crowned Warbler. Full details of the morning and poor photos of the Passerina can be seen at: https://ebird.org/checklist/S109029452 Best,Mike McBrien --
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/ --
