Date: Saturday, 17 July 2010 (6:30a-5:00p) Location: NW section of S.I., Clove Lakes Park & Great Kills Park Observers: Catherine Barron (NW section), Ben Cacace Reported by: Ben Cacace
A fledgling LEAST TERN was seen close to the shoreline off the salt flats at Great Kills Park. This was one of the more interesting sightings of the day. The 1st and 2nd Atlas of Breeding Birds in N.Y.S. shows Least Terns not breeding on Staten Island. The nearest breeders are in Queens around Breezy Point which is nearly 9 miles to Great Kills. Do Least Terns disperse from the breeding site this early in a young bird's life? This bird matches the juvenile (Jul-Sep) plumage in Sibley's. Outer primaries in flight were gray to dark gray and were not restricted to the outer 2 primaries. At rest, the cap was lightly streaked and the streaking comes to a point on the nape of its neck which was easily seen when the bird was preening its chest & belly feathers. The darkest marking on the face was behind the eye and the bill was dark. The bird was first seen accompanied by 2 adults. The young bird stuck close to shore and was flying in place looking for food but didn't dive during the time I was watching. The young bird settled on the salt flats with one adult attending. A Killdeer tried scaring off the terns but the young bird flew only a few feet and landed back on the flats. Another highlight was great looks at a SALTMARSH SPARROW on the salt flats at Great Kills Park. The bird was in the grasses on the shoreline and then it flew to a perch on the beach and stayed there for a few minutes giving great scope views. The bird was perched 25 paces away at nearly 40x in the scope. Abundance categories below from 'The Birds of Staten Island' checklist last updated in 2000. Abundance categories below for 'Summer'. Taxonomic order follows abundance categories. Weather for 17-Jul for Newark, NJ (6:51a-4:51p) < http://tinyurl.com/36bkb3c>: - Conditions: Mostly Cloudy & Scattered Clouds - Temperature: 75.9 to 93.9 F (24.4 to 34.4 C) - Wind direction: West / westerly / variable / West - Wind speed: 5 - 18 mph (gusts to 25 mph) ** Total species - 59 ** Not listed as a 'Summer' resident [6 spp]: - Greater Scaup - 1 male off the salt flats at Great Kills Park in transitional plumage - Solitary Sandpiper - 1 near the S end of Brook's Lake in Clove Lakes Park - Greater Yellowlegs - 1 on Old Place Creek - Lesser Yellowlegs - 5+ on Goethal's Bridge Pond - Least Sandpiper - 10+ on Goethal's Bridge Pond - Bank Swallow - 1 over the salt flats at Great Kills Park 'Rare' seen every 2-5 years [5 spp]: - Great Blue Heron - 1 on Neck Creek - Osprey - 6+ incl. 1 from Goethal's Bridge Pond & 3 adults with 3 young near Saw Mill Creek Marsh - Warbling Vireo - 4+ incl. young at the obs. deck at Goethal's Bridge Pond - Cedar Waxwing - 4 from the obs. deck at Goethal's Bridge Pond - Saltmarsh Sparrow - 1 from the salt flats at Great Kills Park 'Occasional' seen a few times per season [4 spp]: - Red-tailed Hawk - 2 adults on the large antenna tower S of Clove Lakes Park - Willow Flycatcher - Heard at several locations incl. Chelsea Rd & Bloomfield Ave - Carolina Wren - 2 heard around Saw Mill Creek Marsh - Boat-tailed Grackle - 10+ at the salt flats at Great Kills Park 'Uncommon' present but June not be seen [11 spp]: - Double-crested Cormorant - 50+ on Upper NY Bay - Yellow-crowned Night-Heron - 3 incl. 2 flyovers from Goethal's Bridge Pond & 1 on Neck Creek - Turkey Vulture - 2 N of Goethal's Bridge Pond - American Oystercatcher - 2 off the salt flats at Great Kills Park - Spotted Sandpiper - 2 on Goethal's Bridge Pond - Least Tern - 5 incl. 2 adults at Goethal's Bridge Pond & 2 adults with 1 fledgling off the salt flats at Great Kills Park - Fish Crow - Several heard incl. 4+ at Great Kills Park - Tree Swallow - 3+ at Goethal's Bridge Pond - Marsh Wren - 2+ at Saw Mill Creek Marsh - Swamp Sparrow - Several heard incl. 2+ at Saw Mill Creek Marsh - Brown-headed Cowbird - 1 male at the obs. deck at Goethal's Bridge Pond 'Common' certain in proper habitat [16 spp]: - Great Egret - 4+ incl. 2 at Goethal's Bridge Pond & 2 over Great Kills Park - Snowy Egret - 8+ incl. 7+ at Goethals Bridge Pond & 1 at Great Kills Park - Black-crowned Night-Heron - 2 adults over Great Kills Park - Glossy Ibis - 1 heading S over Great Kills Park - Killdeer - 9+ incl. 7+ at Goethal's Bridge Pond & 2+ at Great Kills Park - Common Tern - 32+ incl. 30+ over Upper N.Y. Bay & 2 off Great Kills Park - Chimney Swift - 4+ incl. 1 over Goethal's Bridge Pond & 3 over Clove Lakes Park - Red-bellied Woodpecker - 1 female in Clove Lakes Park - Downy Woodpecker - Several heard at Goethal's Bridge Pond (2+) - Northern Flicker - 1 heard at Saw Mill Creek Marsh - Eastern Kingbird - 3+ incl. 1 at Goethal's Bridge Pond, 1 off Chelsea Rd & Bloomfield Ave & 1 in Clove Lakes Park - Barn Swallow - 20+ incl. 8+ over Goethals' Bridge Pond & 12+ over Great Kills Park - Northern Mockingbird - Seen at all sites incl. 3+ at Goethal's Bridge Pond - Baltimore Oriole - 1 young bird at Goethal's Bridge Pond - House Finch - 1 male at Saw Mill Creek Marsh - American Goldfinch - See at several sites incl. 2+ at Goethals' Bridge Pond 'Abundant' sure to see [17 spp]: - Canada Goose - Seen at all sites incl. 12+ at Goethal's Bridge Pond - Mallard - Seen at all sites incl. 1 on Old Place Creek - Laughing Gull - 10+ incl. 5+ over Upper N.Y. Bay & 5+ off Great Kills Park - Ring-billed Gull - 2+ over Upper N.Y. Bay - Herring Gull - Seen at all sites incl. 2+ on Goethal's Bridge Pond - Great Black-backed Gull - 2+ off Great Kills Park - Rock Pigeon - Seen at all sites incl. 6+ on Goethal's Bridge Pond - Mourning Dove - Seen at all sites incl. 6+ on Goethal's Bridge Pond - American Crow - 1 heard at Goethal's Bridge Pond - American Robin - Seen at all sites incl. 6+ on Goethal's Bridge Pond - Gray Catbird - Seen at all sites incl. 6+ on Goethal's Bridge Pond - European Starling - Seen at all sites incl. 200+ over Saw Mill Creek Marsh - Song Sparrow - Heard at all sites incl. 2+ at Goethal's Bridge Pond - Northern Cardinal - Heard at all sites incl. 3+ at Goethal's Bridge Pond - Red-winged Blackbird - 12+ at Goethal's Bridge Pond - Common Grackle - 6+ in Clove Lakes Park - House Sparrow - Seen at all sites incl. 6+ on Goethal's Bridge Pond Taxonomic order: - Canada Goose - Seen at all sites incl. 12+ at Goethal's Bridge Pond - Mallard - Seen at all sites incl. 1 on Old Place Creek - Greater Scaup - 1 male off the salt flats at Great Kills Park in transitional plumage - Double-crested Cormorant - 50+ on Upper NY Bay - Great Blue Heron - 1 on Neck Creek - Great Egret - 4+ incl. 2 at Goethal's Bridge Pond & 2 over Great Kills Park - Snowy Egret - 8+ incl. 7+ at Goethals Bridge Pond & 1 at Great Kills Park - Black-crowned Night-Heron - 2 adults over Great Kills Park - Yellow-crowned Night-Heron - 3 incl. 2 flyovers from Goethal's Bridge Pond & 1 on Neck Creek - Glossy Ibis - 1 heading S over Great Kills Park - Turkey Vulture - 2 N of Goethal's Bridge Pond - Osprey - 6+ incl. 1 from Goethal's Bridge Pond & 3 adults with 3 young near Saw Mill Creek Marsh - Red-tailed Hawk - 2 adults on the large antenna tower S of Clove Lakes Park - Killdeer - 9+ incl. 7+ at Goethal's Bridge Pond & 2+ at Great Kills Park - American Oystercatcher - 2 off the salt flats at Great Kills Park - Spotted Sandpiper - 2 on Goethal's Bridge Pond - Solitary Sandpiper - 1 near the S end of Brook's Lake in Clove Lakes Park - Greater Yellowlegs - 1 on Old Place Creek - Lesser Yellowlegs - 5+ on Goethal's Bridge Pond - Least Sandpiper - 10+ on Goethal's Bridge Pond - Laughing Gull - 10+ incl. 5+ over Upper N.Y. Bay & 5+ off Great Kills Park - Ring-billed Gull - 2+ over Upper N.Y. Bay - Herring Gull - Seen at all sites incl. 2+ on Goethal's Bridge Pond - Great Black-backed Gull - 2+ off Great Kills Park - Least Tern - 5 incl. 2 adults at Goethal's Bridge Pond & 2 adults with 1 fledgling off the salt flats at Great Kills Park - Common Tern - 32+ incl. 30+ over Upper N.Y. Bay & 2 off Great Kills Park - Rock Pigeon - Seen at all sites incl. 6+ on Goethal's Bridge Pond - Mourning Dove - Seen at all sites incl. 6+ on Goethal's Bridge Pond - Chimney Swift - 4+ incl. 1 over Goethal's Bridge Pond & 3 over Clove Lakes Park - Red-bellied Woodpecker - 1 female in Clove Lakes Park - Downy Woodpecker - Several heard at Goethal's Bridge Pond (2+) - Northern Flicker - 1 heard at Saw Mill Creek Marsh - Willow Flycatcher - Heard at several locations incl. Chelsea Rd & Bloomfield Ave - Eastern Kingbird - 3+ incl. 1 at Goethal's Bridge Pond, 1 off Chelsea Rd & Bloomfield Ave & 1 in Clove Lakes Park - Warbling Vireo - 4+ incl. young at the obs. deck at Goethal's Bridge Pond - American Crow - 1 heard at Goethal's Bridge Pond - Fish Crow - Several heard incl. 4+ at Great Kills Park - Tree Swallow - 3+ at Goethal's Bridge Pond - Bank Swallow - 1 over the salt flats at Great Kills Park - Barn Swallow - 20+ incl. 8+ over Goethals' Bridge Pond & 12+ over Great Kills Park - Carolina Wren - 2 heard around Saw Mill Creek Marsh - Marsh Wren - 2+ at Saw Mill Creek Marsh - American Robin - Seen at all sites incl. 6+ on Goethal's Bridge Pond - Gray Catbird - Seen at all sites incl. 6+ on Goethal's Bridge Pond - Northern Mockingbird - Seen at all sites incl. 3+ at Goethal's Bridge Pond - European Starling - Seen at all sites incl. 200+ over Saw Mill Creek Marsh - Cedar Waxwing - 4 from the obs. deck at Goethal's Bridge Pond - Saltmarsh Sparrow - 1 from the salt flats at Great Kills Park - Song Sparrow - Heard at all sites incl. 2+ at Goethal's Bridge Pond - Swamp Sparrow - Several heard incl. 2+ at Saw Mill Creek Marsh - Northern Cardinal - Heard at all sites incl. 3+ at Goethal's Bridge Pond - Red-winged Blackbird - 12+ at Goethal's Bridge Pond - Common Grackle - 6+ in Clove Lakes Park - Boat-tailed Grackle - 10+ at the salt flats at Great Kills Park - Brown-headed Cowbird - 1 male at the obs. deck at Goethal's Bridge Pond - Baltimore Oriole - 1 young bird at Goethal's Bridge Pond - House Finch - 1 male at Saw Mill Creek Marsh - American Goldfinch - See at several sites incl. 2+ at Goethals' Bridge Pond - House Sparrow - Seen at all sites incl. 6+ on Goethal's Bridge Pond -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
