On Saturday 3 Jun 2023, thirty-one observers conducted the Captree June
Count in southwestern Suffolk County, LI. It was the first cloudy day in
many days, but without rain. A north-northeast breeze contributed to
productive seawatching without unduly impeding the detection of marshbirds
and landbirds. The early date of this year’s count fortuitously coincided
with a definite flight of Neotropical migrant passerines, and the resulting
total of 142 species easily bested the previous record of 138 (2021) and
greatly exceeded the nine-year average of 129.
Five new species and one new supra-specific taxon were added to the
cumulative list of the “modern era,” 2015-present: Eurasian Collared-Dove,
Lesser Yellowlegs (5), Red-necked Phalarope (377), Least Flycatcher, and
Magnolia Warbler (4). The flight of Red-necked Phalaropes observed from
Robert Moses State Park on 3 Jun followed several days of much higher than
usual occurrence along Long Island’s ocean shore and was an astonishing
highlight for those who witnessed it.
Among 26 new maxima, the most notable were 30 Wood Duck, 17 Black Duck, 33
Wild Turkey, 83 Chimney Swifts (perhaps reflecting at least in part a late
push of migrants, as swifts and several species of swallows have been seen
migrating along the outer beaches 2-4 Jun), 129 Black Skimmer (observed
within the newly expanding Common Tern colony at Democrat Point, where it
is hoped they will nest), 275 Wilson’s Storm-Petrel, 461 Common Grackle, 14
Blackpoll Warbler, and 15 American Redstart. Both of the possible
explanations for the high count of the last species are likely not obvious
to most observers and deserve some explanation. One possibility is that
this species is following the examples of Warbling Vireo and Northern
Rough-winged Swallow in expanding its breeding distribution into the
coastal plain of south-central Long Island, where all three were previously
(and somewhat inexplicably) absent or nearly absent as breeders. The second
is that the total reflects mostly migrants, as American Redstart occurs in
the latest spring flights on Long Island, along with more familiar late
passage-migrants like several recorded on this year’s CJC (e.g., Least and
Acadian flycatchers, Magnolia and Blackpoll Warblers)--but also like
several other common breeding species whose late-migrating populations are
less obvious and familiar (e.g., Red-eyed Vireo and Common Yellowthroat).
One late migrant species that was decidedly *not* augmented much by birds
in passage was Eastern Wood-Pewee, which was among nine regularly recorded
species tallied at a new minimum for the modern period of the count. Others
in this category that deserve watching include Clapper Rail, Downy
Woodpecker, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Brown Thrasher (completely absent from
the mainland and represented by just four individuals on the barrier
beaches), Eastern Towhee, Baltimore Oriole, and Prairie Warbler. All of
these were among the 18 species whose totals were 70% or less than their
nine-year averages. Others in this category included Yellow-billed Cuckoo,
Whip-poor-will, Field Sparrow, Brown-headed Cowbird, and Indigo Bunting.
The similarity in the habitats favored by many of these species makes their
coincident low abundances concerning.
No fewer than 19 regularly occurring species were tallied at 150% or more
of their nine-year averages. Besides the new maxima noted above, it is
worth drawing attention to 46 Common Loon (still migrating heavily along
the ocean shore), 583 Common Tern, 113 Forster’s Tern, and 116 Purple
Martin. Each of the last three, like several of the species seting new
maxima, are definitely increasing as breeders within the circle.
Three rarities of very different sorts were recorded: a Eurasian Collared
Dove in Oakdale, a large stercorariid (either a skua or a Pomarine Jaeger),
distantly over the ocean, and a count-week Prothonotary Warbler in Islip.
The full results of this and past years’ counts are available on request.
Many thanks to all of our participants, whose dedication and skill continue
to add to our knowledge of Long Island’s changing avifauna, and especially
to Bob and Michelle Grover, for hosting a very festive and enjoyable
compilation at their home.
Shai Mitra & Patricia Lindsay
Bay Shore
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