Re: [nysbirds-l] StoneBridge Nighthawk results - 8/28

2020-09-02 Thread TURNER 
Hi Angus: You raise a bunch of good questions and we have few answers. We're 
not sure what it is about the Stone Bridge/Setauket Mill Ponds that make them 
such a productive place to see nighthawks. I suspect there are a few micro and 
macro factors to explain the site's productivity.

As for the micro:

1) The two elongated ponds seem, in late summer through early fall, to produce 
an impressive hatch of aerial insects which obviously attracts nighthawks, 
swallows, and swifts once they get near. On many nights of the watch, toward 
dusk, we'll see upwards of a dozen or so nighthawks circling low over the ponds 
actively feeding (I've seen them skim the water a few times to drink).

2) The sight lines from the Stone Bridge are impressive. You can see north into 
Conscience Bay, good views to the east, fair views to the west, and very good 
vantage points to the south. That much open sky over wetland habitat may play a 
role in our ability to see and count the birds. 

Regarding macro:

1) We suspect that the site is simply well located for a general west- and 
southbound movement of nighthawks.  I think the birds fly across the Sound with 
no problem, being such strong fliers and the fact that even over LI Sound there 
is probably ample food for nighthawk in the form of small insects. But rather 
than continuing south across the island, once they hit the north shore, they 
generally follow the LI Sound shoreline in a westerly direction, breaking 
south/southwest across the island at some point further west than Setauket, 
before exiting the NYC metro area. While its  anecdotal, a few times I've been 
further east (most recently at Paul Adam's now closed hummingbird sanctuary in 
Riverhead)) and have watched a half dozen to a dozen or so nighthawks flying 
west along the top of the bluffs (perhaps taking advantage of the deflecting 
currents from the bluff face). 

For 35 years I lived in Massapequa Park (south shore of Nassau County) and if I 
saw half a dozen to a dozen nighthawks a year in the fall it was a good season. 
And while there are occasional reports of birds in the middle and south shore 
of Suffolk County it seems most of the sightings take place along the north 
shore. So what I think may be going on is: nighthawks fly across the Sound to 
the north shore and then move west, building in obvious abundance as they do. 
This would explain why nighthawk concentrations aren't especially noted along 
the North Fork but do become meaningful futher west.   

Jim Clinton once ran a nighthawk watch for years in Wading River (I 
believe)if we could get his data it would prove helpful.  

If additional nighthawk watches were established in other LI locations or we 
could monitor specfic birds during fall migration we might get a more complete 
picture as to what is going on.  

As for how long an individual bird stays around, we don't know for sure but I 
suspect its for a short time of a day or so. The later arriving birds feed and 
then probably roost in the woodlands near the ponds and head off the next day.

So..there's a lot we don't know but it is fun trying to figure it out.

John Turner 



> On August 29, 2020 at 9:30 PM Angus Wilson  wrote:
> 
> 
> I've always been impressed and puzzled by the remarkable number of 
> nighthawks recorded in early fall year from the Setauket Mill Pond area. 
> Nowhere else on Long Island has numbers anywhere close to this. In fact, 
> single-digit counts are the norm elsewhere except perhaps a few spots that 
> are also close to the north shore of the island. I'm curious to know what 
> aspect of the geography might explain this disparity? I would have guessed 
> that south-bound migrants are reluctant to cross the full width of the Sound 
> and perhaps make shorter jumps via Fisher's and Plumb Islands, mirroring the 
> preference of several hawk species. However, that would predict large counts 
> on the North Fork, which I'm unaware of. Alternatively is there something 
> about the ponds and woodland of Setauket that is uniquely attractive to 
> migrating Nighthawks? If the attraction is good rooting and feeding 
> prospects, is there evidence that the birds counted on a particular evening 
> remain in the area a night or two, or do they inevitably move on? Finally, is 
> there any evidence of significant numbers on other north-facing extensions 
> into Long Island Sound such a Eaton's Neck or Caumsett?
> 
> Angus Wilson
> New York City
> 
> On Sat, Aug 29, 2020 at 8:42 AM TURNER < redk...@optonline.net 
> mailto:redk...@optonline.net > wrote:
> 
> > > 
> > We had a banner evening with 351 nighthawks passing by the watch, 
> > making it the 2nd highest daily total we've ever recorded.  We had a kettle 
> > of about 130 birds circling above us at one point. Many swallows and swifts 
> > and even some laughing gulls were feeding on the insect swarms above us. 
> > 
> > John Turner
> > 
> > > --

Re: [nysbirds-l] StoneBridge Nighthawk results - 8/28

2020-08-29 Thread Ben Cacace 
Click the name below for the shared location on eBird:

   - Stone Bridge Nighthawk Watch, Setauket
   

On the hotspot map click 'View Details' for species details (last seen,
first seen, high counts & bar charts) and the last 200 checklists submitted
under 'Recent Visits'.
-- 
Ben Cacace
Manhattan, NYC

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Re: [nysbirds-l] StoneBridge Nighthawk results - 8/28

2020-08-29 Thread Angus Wilson 
I've always been impressed and puzzled by the remarkable number of
nighthawks recorded in early fall year from the Setauket Mill Pond area.
Nowhere else on Long Island has numbers anywhere close to this. In fact,
single-digit counts are the norm elsewhere except perhaps a few spots that
are also close to the north shore of the island. I'm curious to know what
aspect of the geography might explain this disparity? I would have guessed
that south-bound migrants are reluctant to cross the full width of the
Sound and perhaps make shorter jumps via Fisher's and Plumb
Islands, mirroring the preference of several hawk species. However, that
would predict large counts on the North Fork, which I'm unaware of.
Alternatively is there something about the ponds and woodland of Setauket
that is uniquely attractive to migrating Nighthawks? If the attraction is
good rooting and feeding prospects, is there evidence that the birds
counted on a particular evening remain in the area a night or two, or do
they inevitably move on? Finally, is there any evidence of significant
numbers on other north-facing extensions into Long Island Sound such a
Eaton's Neck or Caumsett?

Angus Wilson
New York City

On Sat, Aug 29, 2020 at 8:42 AM TURNER  wrote:

> We had a banner evening with 351 nighthawks passing by the watch, making
> it the 2nd highest daily total we've ever recorded.  We had a kettle of
> about 130 birds circling above us at one point. Many swallows and swifts
> and even some laughing gulls were feeding on the insect swarms above us.
>
> John Turner
>

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Re: [nysbirds-l] StoneBridge Nighthawk results - 8/28

2020-08-29 Thread TURNER 
The Nighthawk Watch is actually in Setauket near Stony Brook. 

Directions: Long Island Expressway to Nicolls Road (Exit 62). Take Nicolls Road 
north to the end where it joins State Route 25A. Make a right heading east on 
25A. Make left at first light onto Main Street. Take this north to end where it 
forms a t-intersection. Look to left and you'll see the stone bridge crossing 
over water. Make a right and immediately find a parking space on the road 
across from or near the old Setauket Post Office.  


John 

> On August 29, 2020 at 9:12 AM "Krinsky, Robert"  wrote:
> 
> Stony Brook Long Island!  Not far from the University.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone
> 
> 
> > > On Aug 29, 2020, at 9:09 AM, Larry Trachtenberg 
>  wrote:
> > 
> > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > CAUTION: External Sender
> > 
> > Where is this. Thank you. 
> > 
> > Sent from my iPhone
> > 
> > 
> > > > > On Aug 29, 2020, at 8:42 AM, TURNER 
> >  wrote:
> > > 
> > > 
> > > > > 
> > > > > 
> > > -CAUTION: EXTERNAL EMAIL
> > > 
> > >  
> > > 
> > > We had a banner evening with 351 nighthawks passing by the 
> > > watch, making it the 2nd highest daily total we've ever recorded.  We had 
> > > a kettle of about 130 birds circling above us at one point. Many swallows 
> > > and swifts and even some laughing gulls were feeding on the insect swarms 
> > > above us. 
> > > 
> > > John Turner
> > > 
> > > --
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Re: [nysbirds-l] StoneBridge Nighthawk results - 8/28

2020-08-29 Thread Krinsky, Robert 
Stony Brook Long Island!  Not far from the University.

Sent from my iPhone

On Aug 29, 2020, at 9:09 AM, Larry Trachtenberg  wrote:


CAUTION: External Sender
Where is this. Thank you.

Sent from my iPhone

On Aug 29, 2020, at 8:42 AM, TURNER  wrote:



-CAUTION: EXTERNAL EMAIL



We had a banner evening with 351 nighthawks passing by the watch, making it the 
2nd highest daily total we've ever recorded.  We had a kettle of about 130 
birds circling above us at one point. Many swallows and swifts and even some 
laughing gulls were feeding on the insect swarms above us.

John Turner

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Re: [nysbirds-l] StoneBridge Nighthawk results - 8/28

2020-08-29 Thread Larry Trachtenberg 
Where is this. Thank you.

Sent from my iPhone

On Aug 29, 2020, at 8:42 AM, TURNER  wrote:



-CAUTION: EXTERNAL EMAIL



We had a banner evening with 351 nighthawks passing by the watch, making it the 
2nd highest daily total we've ever recorded.  We had a kettle of about 130 
birds circling above us at one point. Many swallows and swifts and even some 
laughing gulls were feeding on the insect swarms above us.

John Turner

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[nysbirds-l] StoneBridge Nighthawk results - 8/28

2020-08-29 Thread TURNER 
We had a banner evening with 351 nighthawks passing by the watch, making it the 
2nd highest daily total we've ever recorded.  We had a kettle of about 130 
birds circling above us at one point. Many swallows and swifts and even some 
laughing gulls were feeding on the insect swarms above us. 

John Turner
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