This is a belated post, but not of any rarities. On Friday I checked the ponds between the nature center and West End 2 at Jones Beach state park. As I approached I noticed a lot of Green-winged Teal and Wood Duck in the air with the other usual expected ducks (Black, Shoveler and Mallards). Sneaking up on the ponds since the ducks are very skittish here I was amazed to see that the Green-winged Teal numbered in excess of 200+ and the Wood Duck probably numbered around 60+. The ducks were scattered through the different sections of the pond and in one instance were put up by a Peregrine which came in and made a beeline towards me and flew in about 20 feet overhead and checked me out then headed southwest towards the west end of the pond. On Saturday the numbers of ducks were greatly reduced though some may have been hidden in the back of the pond. Tree Swallow numbers were up this day with three different groups, one in the dunes on the sand, another at the pond on the phragmites and another group by the parking lot exit resting on the lawn all in all totaling close to 250+ A second hand report today was that the ducks were much fewer in number with a pair of Blue-winged Teal have being found by Stacey. Not sure of her last name sorry. A single Great Egret also flew over on Saturday at the pond. Robert A. Proniewych
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