[nysbirds-l] Staten Island, Sat. 5-Jun-2010 incl. Caspian Tern & Chipping Sp.
*Date*: Saturday, 5 June 2010 (7:30a-6:50p) *Location*: Clove Lakes Park, Great Kills Park & Goethal's Bridge Pond *Reported by*: Ben Cacace Best bird of the day was the last bird. While watching every Common Tern from the front of the docked ferry on the Staten Island side I spotted a larger tern flying below the ferry. It's bill was red and it had an obviously different wingbeat. The bird's bill was thicker than the Commons and was a distinctive red. This was my first *CASPIAN TERN*. According to the checklist I missed only 1 of the abundant summer breeders. This was American Crow. On Staten Island I now only call crows to species when heard. Both Fish and American have been heard fairly regularly. *Clove Lakes Park* (2.5 hours): Typical breeders seen. According to the list only EASTERN WOOD-PEWEE, WARBLING VIREO & CHIPPING SPARROW are 'Rare' for the Summer season. The vireo & sparrow were just north of Martling Ave. south of the red bridge which is one of my favorite spots in the park. Species seen - 29. *Great Kills Park* (2.75 hours): I arrived around high tide to see what the situation is like when the salt flats are under water. The most obvious shorebirds were the 18+ SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS on the beach near the north end of the flats. Also seen were 6 AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHERS, 2 KILLDEER, 1 SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER & 2 SPOTTED SANDPIPERS. The breeding plumaged HORNED GREBE continues off the salt flats. A blue morph LITTLE BLUE HERON continues on the flats. Heard along Buffalo St. were YELLOW WARBLER & COMMON YELLOWTHROAT. Additional species - 19. *Goethal's Bridge Pond* (2.75 hours): No new shorebirds were added. Seen were 2 KILLDEER, 2 SPOTTED SANDPIPERS & 16+ SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS. Other birds seen were 1 OSPREY, 2 TURKEY VULTURES & 8 SNOWY EGRETS. Additional species - 6. Three additional species were *seen at the ferry* including CASPIAN TERN, COMMON TERN & LAUGHING GULL. Abundance categories below from 'The Birds of Staten Island' checklist last updated in 2000. Abundance categories below are for 'Summer'. Taxonomic order follows abundance categories. Weather for 5-Jun for Newark, NJ (7:51a-6:51p) < http://tinyurl.com/34ujdcj>: - Conditions: Mostly Cloudy - Temperature: 77.0 to 90.0 F (25.0 to 32.2 C) - Wind direction: SW / WSW to W / SW - Wind speed: 10 - 21 mph (gusts to 28 mph) ** Total species - 57 ** *Not listed as a 'Summer' resident* [4 spp]: - Horned Grebe - 1 in breeding plumage continues off the salt flats at Great Kills Park - Semipalmated Plover - 18+ at the salt flats at Great Kills Park - Semipalmated Sandpiper - 17 incl. 1 at the Great Kills Park salt flats & 16+ at Goethal's Bridge Pond - Bank Swallow - 30+ at Great Kills Park *'Rare' seen every 2-5 years* [6 spp]: - Brant - 1 continues on the salt flats at Great Kills Park - Osprey - 1 seen several times over Goethal's Bridge Pond - Caspian Tern - 1 seen from the docked ferry on the S.I. side - Eastern Wood-Pewee - 1 singing S of Martling Ave. W of the stream - Warbling Vireo - 1 N of Martling Ave. S of the red bridge - Chipping Sparrow - 1 N of Martling Ave. S of the red bridge *'Occasional' seen a few times per season* [6 spp]: - Little Blue Heron - 1 blue morph continues at the Great Kills Park salt flats - Red-tailed Hawk - 1 over Clove Lakes Park & 1 over Goethal's Bridge Pond - White-eyed Vireo - 1 N of Martling Ave. S of the red bridge - Northern Rough-winged Swallow - 1 at Great Kills Park mixed in with the Banks - Yellow Warbler - 6+ singing along Buffalo St. in Great Kills Park - Boat-tailed Grackle - 10+ around the Great Kills Park salt flats *'Uncommon' present but may not be seen* [9 spp]: - Double-crested Cormorant - 4+ off Great Kills Park - Turkey Vulture - 2 over Goethal's Bridge Pond - American Oystercatcher - 6 at the salt flats & off Great Kills Park - Spotted Sandpiper - 4 incl. 2 at the Great Kills Park salt flats & 2 at Goethal's Bridge Pond - Fish Crow - 1 calling as it was being chased by a "blackbird" at Great Kills Park - Tree Swallow - 3+ at Goethal's Bridge Pond - House Wren - 1 singing & seen close at the Goethal's Bridge Pond observation deck - Eastern Towhee - 1 male singing & seen close at the Goethal's Bridge Pond observation deck - Brown-headed Cowbird - 5 incl. 3+ at Clove Lakes Park, 1 at Great Kills Park & 1 at Goethal's Bridge Pond *'Common' certain in proper habitat* [15 spp]: - Great Egret - 1 at the S end of Clove Lakes Park - Snowy Egret - 10 incl. 2 at the Great Kills Park salt flats & 8 on Goethal's Bridge Pond - Black-crowned Night-Heron - 2 adults at Clove Lakes Park - Killdeer - 4 incl. 2 at the Great Kills Park salt flats & 2 at Goethal's Bridge Pond - Common Tern - 10+ off the S.I. ferry both ways - Chimney Swift - 6+ incl. 5 over Bay St. & Victory Blvd plus 1 over Clove Lakes Park - Red-bellied Woodpecker - 2+ heard at Clove Lakes Park - Downy Woodpecker - 2+ incl. 1 heard at Great Kills Park & 1 at Goethal's Bridge Pond - Northern Flicker - 1 at the N end of Clove
[nysbirds-l] Staten Island, Sat. 5-Jun-2010 incl. Caspian Tern Chipping Sp.
*Date*: Saturday, 5 June 2010 (7:30a-6:50p) *Location*: Clove Lakes Park, Great Kills Park Goethal's Bridge Pond *Reported by*: Ben Cacace Best bird of the day was the last bird. While watching every Common Tern from the front of the docked ferry on the Staten Island side I spotted a larger tern flying below the ferry. It's bill was red and it had an obviously different wingbeat. The bird's bill was thicker than the Commons and was a distinctive red. This was my first *CASPIAN TERN*. According to the checklist I missed only 1 of the abundant summer breeders. This was American Crow. On Staten Island I now only call crows to species when heard. Both Fish and American have been heard fairly regularly. *Clove Lakes Park* (2.5 hours): Typical breeders seen. According to the list only EASTERN WOOD-PEWEE, WARBLING VIREO CHIPPING SPARROW are 'Rare' for the Summer season. The vireo sparrow were just north of Martling Ave. south of the red bridge which is one of my favorite spots in the park. Species seen - 29. *Great Kills Park* (2.75 hours): I arrived around high tide to see what the situation is like when the salt flats are under water. The most obvious shorebirds were the 18+ SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS on the beach near the north end of the flats. Also seen were 6 AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHERS, 2 KILLDEER, 1 SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER 2 SPOTTED SANDPIPERS. The breeding plumaged HORNED GREBE continues off the salt flats. A blue morph LITTLE BLUE HERON continues on the flats. Heard along Buffalo St. were YELLOW WARBLER COMMON YELLOWTHROAT. Additional species - 19. *Goethal's Bridge Pond* (2.75 hours): No new shorebirds were added. Seen were 2 KILLDEER, 2 SPOTTED SANDPIPERS 16+ SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS. Other birds seen were 1 OSPREY, 2 TURKEY VULTURES 8 SNOWY EGRETS. Additional species - 6. Three additional species were *seen at the ferry* including CASPIAN TERN, COMMON TERN LAUGHING GULL. Abundance categories below from 'The Birds of Staten Island' checklist last updated in 2000. Abundance categories below are for 'Summer'. Taxonomic order follows abundance categories. Weather for 5-Jun for Newark, NJ (7:51a-6:51p) http://tinyurl.com/34ujdcj: - Conditions: Mostly Cloudy - Temperature: 77.0 to 90.0 F (25.0 to 32.2 C) - Wind direction: SW / WSW to W / SW - Wind speed: 10 - 21 mph (gusts to 28 mph) ** Total species - 57 ** *Not listed as a 'Summer' resident* [4 spp]: - Horned Grebe - 1 in breeding plumage continues off the salt flats at Great Kills Park - Semipalmated Plover - 18+ at the salt flats at Great Kills Park - Semipalmated Sandpiper - 17 incl. 1 at the Great Kills Park salt flats 16+ at Goethal's Bridge Pond - Bank Swallow - 30+ at Great Kills Park *'Rare' seen every 2-5 years* [6 spp]: - Brant - 1 continues on the salt flats at Great Kills Park - Osprey - 1 seen several times over Goethal's Bridge Pond - Caspian Tern - 1 seen from the docked ferry on the S.I. side - Eastern Wood-Pewee - 1 singing S of Martling Ave. W of the stream - Warbling Vireo - 1 N of Martling Ave. S of the red bridge - Chipping Sparrow - 1 N of Martling Ave. S of the red bridge *'Occasional' seen a few times per season* [6 spp]: - Little Blue Heron - 1 blue morph continues at the Great Kills Park salt flats - Red-tailed Hawk - 1 over Clove Lakes Park 1 over Goethal's Bridge Pond - White-eyed Vireo - 1 N of Martling Ave. S of the red bridge - Northern Rough-winged Swallow - 1 at Great Kills Park mixed in with the Banks - Yellow Warbler - 6+ singing along Buffalo St. in Great Kills Park - Boat-tailed Grackle - 10+ around the Great Kills Park salt flats *'Uncommon' present but may not be seen* [9 spp]: - Double-crested Cormorant - 4+ off Great Kills Park - Turkey Vulture - 2 over Goethal's Bridge Pond - American Oystercatcher - 6 at the salt flats off Great Kills Park - Spotted Sandpiper - 4 incl. 2 at the Great Kills Park salt flats 2 at Goethal's Bridge Pond - Fish Crow - 1 calling as it was being chased by a blackbird at Great Kills Park - Tree Swallow - 3+ at Goethal's Bridge Pond - House Wren - 1 singing seen close at the Goethal's Bridge Pond observation deck - Eastern Towhee - 1 male singing seen close at the Goethal's Bridge Pond observation deck - Brown-headed Cowbird - 5 incl. 3+ at Clove Lakes Park, 1 at Great Kills Park 1 at Goethal's Bridge Pond *'Common' certain in proper habitat* [15 spp]: - Great Egret - 1 at the S end of Clove Lakes Park - Snowy Egret - 10 incl. 2 at the Great Kills Park salt flats 8 on Goethal's Bridge Pond - Black-crowned Night-Heron - 2 adults at Clove Lakes Park - Killdeer - 4 incl. 2 at the Great Kills Park salt flats 2 at Goethal's Bridge Pond - Common Tern - 10+ off the S.I. ferry both ways - Chimney Swift - 6+ incl. 5 over Bay St. Victory Blvd plus 1 over Clove Lakes Park - Red-bellied Woodpecker - 2+ heard at Clove Lakes Park - Downy Woodpecker - 2+ incl. 1 heard at Great Kills Park 1 at Goethal's Bridge Pond - Northern Flicker - 1 at the N end of Clove Lakes Park - Barn
