At first light today, I was watching for morning flight activity from my local patch of Astoria Park in Queens. Overnight radar had been active but not as intense as the previous day, and it seemed like more birds had departed than arrived. However, I did spot a small, unusual-looking gull flying south over the adjacent neighborhood at 6:30 AM. Its slender, dainty appearance immediately caught my attention, especially considering that this is the prime time of year for rare overland seabird migrants like Sabine’s Gull and Long-tailed Jaeger, with recent reports of both in our expanded region. To my surprise, the distant, grainy documentation shots taken with my backup camera lens revealed some identifiable field marks, which confirmed (after consultation with other birders and review on a full-size computer screen) that it was a juvenile Black-legged Kittiwake. In addition to being a rather early date for this species, I was surprised to observe this typically pelagic species in an overland vismig context. Though Astoria Park is located along the East River across from Randall’s Island, few would consider it a proper “coastal” location. Other water-associated migrants observed at this hotspot in the past, including Caspian Tern and a variety of ducks, were obviously following the river. This individual was moving due north to south, high over the residential rooftops rather than the nearby shoreline. I find myself wondering whether this individual had been migrating overnight or if it was just starting the day’s journey after taking off from Long Island Sound or the Hudson River. It’s always a treat to see a familiar species in an unfamiliar context and learn something new about their life history, especially when it’s such an incredible patch bird! Good birding to all, and keep your eyes peeled for similar surprises as migration continues to advance.
Cheers! -Tim H -- 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/ --
