Hi all.
I walked the trails on Tuesday afternoon and looked over the place for the
first time since Sandy. The staff and Town workers have cleaned the area so
that it's almost as before, although it is a bit disconcerting to see seaweed
at eye level in the shrubs along the trails. Storm
Jones Beach West End 15 Feb
Pleasant morning at the beach ushering in the coming Spring. Few birds, but
lots of RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES. Mixed in with one group were 3-4 BLACK-CAPPED
CHICKADEES, all feeding together in a small pine near the turnaround. An adult
male gray ghost NORTHERN HARRIER
Hempstead Lake SP 21 Feb
Cold partly sunny morning. A COMMON TEAL (North American subspecies, European
full species) was with 20 GREEN-WINGED TEAL on the pond by parking lot #3.
Other birds of interest; PIED-BILLED GREBE, BELTED KINGFISHER, 3 WINTER WREN,.
BROWN CREEPER, GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET
Marine Nature Study Area 13 Mar
The first OSPREY of the season circled over the nest platform this morning
before drifting over to the east.
Both REDWINGS and COMMON GRACKLES frequented the feeders; Northern Cardinals
and Song Sparrows were singing. All--in-all it's a start for spring.
The
Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge 21 March
Joe Giunta and I (Sy Schiff) went to see the damage from Sandy. The path to
Big Johns Pond is clear of debris, but most of the beautiful white birch trees
are down and cut into logs. There were 3 male WOOD DUCKS on the pond. On the
East Pond, the water
At Jones Beach, the LAPLAND LONGSPUR continues near the gazebo with HORNED
LARKS; all coming into breeding plumage. WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS also continue.
At Pl. Lookout, sixteen (16) PIPING PLOVER were on the beach to the west of
the west jetty mixed in with SANDERLING, a few DUNLIN and
A Longspur has been seen at this spot most of the winter. I have not heard of
two there, nor have I ever personally seen more than one this winter,.
However, the bird I saw today was about half way between the nonbreeding and
breeding pictures as shown in Sibley. Steve's bird was in full
Hempstead Lake SP 9 April
Palm, Pine, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Sapsucker, Flicker, Kinglets and Rusty
Blackbirds FOS Chipping Sparrow, but no Yellow-throated.
Sy Schiff
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Timber point east marina 19 April
Joe Giunta and I (Sy Schiff) found the 2 Ruffs together this morning (thanks
Andrew for getting the word out after being alerted). The obvious male is
molting into breeding plumage. Today there is much more black than in photos
posted earlier. In addition,
Hempstead Lake SP 20 April.
The Yellow-throated Warbler continues, now singing loudly. Also, Pine, Palm,
Yellow-rumped, Black-and-white and FOS Yellow Warbler. A nice start for the
migration season.
Sy Schiff
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Hempstead Lake SP 26 April
The Yellow-throated Warbler was relocated this morning by McDonald Pond,
singing loudly and reasonably tame.
Not a great many birds this morning, but a fair mixture:-- Blue-headed and
Warbling Vireos; Northern Parula, Yellow, Yellow-rumped, Yellow-throated, Pine,
Jones Beach April 28
The RED-HEADED WOODPECKER continues in the same place as yesterday.
The two GULL-BILLED TERNS continue on the bar in front of the west end marina.
Sy Schiff
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Hempstead Lake SP 14 May
After virtually no migrants, last Thursday brought the first relief. Friday was
also productive and since then, things have gradually tapered off. However,
each successive day did bring in a few new species. The warbler assortment has
been so-so
An orange, olive, yellow and some red SUMMER TANAGER showed up in Hempstead
Lake SP this morning. A rather odd bizarre looking bird. I've never seen one
in this transitional plumage before. Otherwise, the migration here is still
slow.
At Nickerson Beach, PIPING PLOVER and AMERICAN
Hempstead Lake State Park 17 May
PLEASE BE ADVISED, the Boy Scouts are taking over the park starting this
afternoon through Sunday. Field #3 will be closed. With the noise, activities
and limited access, birding there this weekend will be nil .
Today was less successful than yesterday, but
MNSA, Oceanside 23 May
Arrived mid-morning. Three widely separated CLAPPER RAILS were calling, with
one coming up for a photo op. Other shorebirds included SEMIPALMATED AND
BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, SEMIPALMATED and WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPERS, DUNLIN,
SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS and WILLET, Most of the
Robert Moses SP. 28 May
Joined by Bob Anderson; we spent about 2 hours sea watching at Field #2. The
only dark sea birds (not counting scoters and cormorants that we saw) were some
single small-dark-short-winged Storm-Petrel type birds whose flight patterns
more closely matched Wilson's rather
Doodletown, Iona Island, Mine Road: 1 June
Assembling at the foot of Doodletown Rd, 11 Long Island birders, arriving
within 5 minutes of the 7:30 AM time, enjoyed good birding and companionship as
we explored this upstate (for us) area for breeding birds. Raptors included
BLACK and TURKEY
As an addendum to my earlier post on birds at Doodletown, I'd like to share
other things seen.
We saw 2 BLACK SNAKES, 1 GARTER SNAKE and a very large (4.5 to 5-ft) TIMBER
RATTLESNAKE. The snake photos--not the snake--were carefully examined and
eleven (11) rattles were counted. This was some
Marine Nature Study Area, Oceanside June 2
This continues to be a prime location for breeding marsh birds. Today's list
included all the target birds.
Willet
Clapper Rail
Marsh Wren, heard not seen
Saltmarsh Sparrow
Seaside Sparrow
In addition, visiting the marsh were both Egrets, Both
Jones Beach West End 8 June
I met Bob Anderson at the Coast Guard Station. The storm brought nothing to the
site. We then walked out to the inlet. Ditto. There was an immature
RING-NECKED PHEASANT on the lawn of the entrance road to the station.
Presumably, we have a breeding pair on the west
Nickerson Beach 15 June
Arrived at 7:20 this morning. A half dozen photographers had proceeded me.
Other than AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHERS with young and hundreds of COMMON TERNS,
they had almost nothing else to take pictures of. A pair of GULL-BILLED TERNS
was flying over the tern/skimmer colony
Nickerson Beach 19 June
The immature ARCTIC TERN was sitting on the beach to the west when I arrived at
7:30 AM and was seen sporadically till 9:30 by a half dozen birders. There was
a lot of movement, particularly when an OSPREY flew over.. ID made difficult
separating the bird from a number
MNSA, Oceanside, 14 July.
Just after low tide; hot and sultry this morning. A beginning of shorebird
movement coupled with some visible marsh breeders. Today there was a KILLDEER,
LEAST and SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS, GREATER YELLOWLEGS and WILLET. (also,
Short-billed Dowitchers yesterday).
Nassau Co. Beaches 24 July
The Nickerson Beach tern/skimmer colony has simmered down now that most of the
young have fledged and are flying. Except for one Great Black-backed Gull that
was continually dive bombed till the tern gave up. Of course directly in the
sun from my position, so no
July 26, Oceanside
Since Sandy, full moon high tides at the Marine Nature Study Area, Oceanside
have inundated the marshes. Consequently, nests in the marsh have on more than
one occasion been washed away. As a result, nesting success has been poor.
Today, turned out to be a notable surprise,
Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge 27 July
Joe Giunta and I (Sy Schiff) started mid -morning at the north end. Except for
a few short spots (6-inches deep mud), the west edge is completely passable.
Today's goodies included a RUFF and a breeding plumage AMERICAN AVOCET. The
latter found by Ken
Jones Beach Coast Guard Station 28 July
Joe Giunta and I (Sy Schiff) spent the morning overlooking the bar in front of
the marina. As the tide increased, small numbers of shorebirds arrived till
there were in excess of a hundred. The mix included a dozen Willet, both
Semipalmated Plover and
Barrier Beaches July 29
Joe Giunta and I (Sy Schiff) birded the marina bar at Jones Beach West End.
Arriving a bit after low tide, we found the bar almost devoid of birds and a
brief stay disclosed little change. The Black Scoter flock continues. We
decided to see what was doing at Robert
Marine Nature Study Area, August 2
Only about 2 dozen shorebirds, but they comprised 8 common species. So, it made
the morning interesting. An imm. LITTLE BLUE HERON was feeding just down the
path. Start checking the snowys carefully, easy to overlook a stranger.
A SALTMARSH SPARROW was
Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge 4 August
Joe Giunta and I (Sy Schiff) birded the north end on a falling tide. There were
several hundred shorebirds, all of which flew off with the arrival of a
Peregrine Falcon making a few runs through the group. When we left only a few
dozen birds remained.
Jones Beach pools between Nature Center and West End #2.
About an hour after Dave left, the Baird's put in a brief appearance and was
almost immediately spooked by the resident Peregrine Falcon which was active
the entire morning. After this latest pass, the birds returned again, but no
Marine Nature Study Area, Oceanside 30 Aug.
A very late CLAPPER RAIL chick with parent made a brief appearance this morning
. They posed for a quick photo before disappearing into the marsh. (Mike
Farina, staff biologist, posted the picture on his blog.) Other birds of note
were a pair of
A full birding day: 4 September
After a short walk around Alley Pond Park produced a smattering of birds, but
nothing out of the ordinary, Joe Giunta and I (Sy Schiff) traveled out to the
riverhead sod fields. There at theOsborn/Sound Ave field we found 3 dozen
KILLDEER, 2 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS
September 12. Slow day for land and shorebirds.
The day started with a short visit with the South Shore Audubon at Hempstead
Lake SP. Birds included. SOLITARY SANDPIPER, GREAT-CRESTED FLYCATCHER, singing
WARBLING VIREO, yellow green SCARLET TANAGER and 5 warblers, NORTHERN
WATERTHRUSH and
Alley Pond Park 17 Sep
Joe Giunta Debbie Martin and I (Sy Schiff) started at the Winchester Blvd
Parking Lot (entrance under the parkway). We walked towards the trees along the
far side of the ball field where we finding a PHILADELPHIA and RED-EYED VIREO
and a RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET. The few
Marine Nature Study Area, Oceanside 29 Sept.
Please note. Today is the last Sunday the facility is open till Spring.
What was noteworthy this morning were adult and immature LITTLE BLUE and a
TRICOLORED Heron. Some sparrows around the pond included a Swamp, the usual
Song and a number of
Marine Nature Study Area, Oceanside 2 October
Did the Government also shut down Fall? Beautiful August type day and finally,
what appears to be the start of a migration. For a change, a decent mix of
shorebirds and sparrows.
Starting with the shorebirds:-BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, PECTORAL, STILT
Marine Nature Study Area, Oceanside 15 Oct
A loud screeching Ca, Ca, Ca Ca caught my attention. As I turned toward the
sound, a CLAPPER RAIL had burst out of the marsh, flew about 10 yards, calling
all the time, and dove back in. This was followed by some GREATER YELLOWLEGS
calling and flying
Jones Beach Coast Guard Station 23 Oct
A cold and raw morning. Yesterday 24 ROYAL TERNS were reported on the bar.
Today the same number were resting on pilings on the other side of the inlet. A
large number so late in the season.
Sy Schiff
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Jones Beach and Pt. Lookout 30 Oct
Joe Giunta, Sam Jannazzo and I (Sy Schiff) joined by Stan birded the marina
bar, hedgerow and median Our first LONG-TAILED DUCKS were in the cove to the
east of the marina (seen yesterday by others). The hedgerow had a scattered mix
of White-throated,
Joe Giunta and I (Sy Schiff) found the NORTHERN SHRIKE to the north-west of
the Jones Beach West End parking lot. While scoping for the shrike we saw a
large flock of SNOW BUNTINGS flying along the beach. To the west a NORTHERN
HARRIER was hunting and the sky contained a half dozen TREE
A small comment on birding in Britain,
Back in the 60's, a defense contractor I worked for built a zero noise
microwave amplifier, cooled by liquid helium. It was delivered to the Jodrell
Bank Radio Telescope in England by the Department Head of the group who
developed it. This was cutting
16 Dec.
Joe Giunta, Sam Jannazzo and I (Sy Schiff) spent this morning at Jones Beach .
Across the inlet, there were 20 AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHERS; on this side DUNLIN
and SANDERLING; in the water, both LOONS, BUFFLEHEAD, LONG-TAILED DUCK and
RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS. BONAPARTE'S GULLS were feeding
Pt. Lookout 18 Dec.
Joe Giunta and I (Sy Schiff) drove into the town park and spooked a flock of
SNOW BUNTINGS that flew over towards the beach. A GREAT BLUE HERON flew by as
we got out of the car.
There were SANDERLING, RUDDY TURNSTONES and a single RED KNOT on the rocks in
the water at the
Jones Inlet 21 Dec
Birding on both sides of the inlet was and has been slow lately. However, key
target birds are in the area and make up for this. This morning on the Pt.
Lookout side, there were PURPLE SANDPIPERS, a RUDDY TURNSTONE, and 2 RED KNOT
on the west most jetty. RED-NECKED GREBES
There was a Black Guillemot reported flying east on the ocean at Jones Beach on
Jan 4, 2006 early in the morning. Later that morning, I saw one (or the same
bird) flying west from the same spot. I believe the report appeared in the
Kingbird.
Sy Schiff
- Original Message -
From:
Hempstead Lake State Park' 24 Dec
Joe Giunta and I (Sy Schiff) did a pre CBC scouting trip this morning. After
parking at field #3, we walked up to the traverse road and scanned the big
pond. At the extreme north end we found our first target bird, an adult BALD
EAGLE. In the pond were a dozen
Jones Beach 10 Feb
Joe Giunta, Sam Jannazzo and I (Sy Schiff) met at the Coast Guard Station. The
lot was plowed out as were Fields 6 and 10, but West End 2 was not except for a
path through the lot. Last night's snow was powdery and blowing in the sharp
breeze. It covered a 6 inch remnant of
Connetquot River SP 112 Feb
Joe Giunta, Sam Jannazzo, Joe Viglietta and I (Sy Schiff) birded the large mill
pond. While mostly frozen, there was a large stretch of open water. The far
side of the pond contained open water and a pair of RED-NECKED GREBES were
visible there, They gradually
Jones Beach and Mill River, East Rockaway 17 February
Joe Giunta and I (Sy Schiff) arrived at the Coast Guard Station where Steve
Walter pointed us to the RED-NECKED GREBE in the boat basin. Great view! To the
east an accipiter flew by and flushed 2 Killdeer off the lawn. In the 1-ft.
bare
Jones Beach west End. and Long Beach 19 February
Joe Giunta, Sam Jannazzo, Joe Viglietta and I (Sy Schiff) birded at the Coast
Guard Station and then the median.. There were 7 COMMON LOONS in the inlet but
no Red-throated Loon. The Red-necked Grebe was also missing. The edge of strip
next to
Jones Beach and Pt' Lookout 7 March
Joe Giunta and I (Sy Schiff) birded a barren landscape, cold, overcast, with
east winds. There were virtually no birds except for a small flock of AMERICAN
ROBINS that flew by. However, from the SW corner of west end #2 and looking SW,
the NORTHERN SHRIKE
There was a singing FOX SPARROW at the Jones Beach West End turnaround.
Responding to word of mouth for Doug's find of the ICELAND GULL at Field#10, a
pair or calling SNOW GEESE flew low over the parking lot as I paused to take
pictures of the gull from my car window..
Sy Schiff
--
Jones Beach West End 21 Mar
Joe Giunta and I (Sy Schiff) found the first full day of Spring sunny but
windy. In keeping with the new season, for a change, there were a fair number
of birds to look through, The lawns along the road were covered with American
Robins and Red-winged Blackbirds and
Jones Beach 25 Mar
Adding to Ken's report, this morning there were 14 PIPING PLOVER on the bar at
the Coast Guard Station and 50+ TREE SWALLOWS resting on the West End #2
parking lot. The 2 EASTERN MEADOWLARKS continue along with a FOX SPARROW.
Sy Schiff
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Hempstead Lake SP 27 Mar
Joe Giunta, Debbie Martin and I (Sy Schiff) took leave of the birding group
at field #3 and drove to field #1, entering the lake shore at the entrance
across from the lot. Far to the north in trees at the north edge of the pond
was an imm. BALD EAGLE with a white
Massapequa 5 Apr
I stopped by and found the red phase Screech-Owl sunning itself in the nest
hole clearly visible from the path. The path itself was full of bicyclist,
joggers and walkers. I was amazed at how many of these regulars knew the owl
was there and liked the whole idea of it,
Alley Pond Park 7 Apr
Joe Giunta and I (Sy Schiff) went looking for migrants this morning and found
Robins and Robins and more Robins everywhere. The few new arrivals we saw were
all in their finest plumage. A pair of CHIPPING SPARROWS and 3 EASTERN TOWHEES
appeared stunning against the drab
Hempstead Lake SP 9 Apr
Joe Giunta and I (Sy Schiff) went looking for migrants this bright sunny
morning . The rain followed by NW winds appeared to have moved everything out
with little replacement. An OSPREY carrying a large fish flew north. A pair of
WOOD DUCKS flew out of the inner pond.
Marine Nature Study Area 11 Apr
I stopped by this morning to look for GLOSSY IBIS. There were 5. They finally
flew off towards the golf course. In the puddles to the left (east) of the
pond, there were 2 LEAST SANDPIPERS and 2 GREATER YELLOWLEGS, shorebirds all
with yellow legs, a color
Hempstead Lake SP 13 Apr
A visit this morning (they are now charging on weekends to enter) was mostly a
continuation of the last few days. Warblers included PINE, PALM and
YELLOW-RUMPED. A BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER made an appearance along with multiple
TREE and BARN SWALLOWS and a lone CHIMNEY
Alley Pond Park 18 April
Joe Giunta and I (Sy Schiff) went looking for migrants this morning on an
overcast day, It was good to be out. What wasn't good was the birding. No
warblers, but a single BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER at Little Alley Pond. The only
other birds of interest were the continuing
Jones Beach 20 April
The NORTHERN SHRIKE made a brief appearance to the south of West End #2 lot
this morning. It was at the top of a distant pine and very quickly flew off to
the left (east). In the ponds between the two parking lots (WE #1 #2), there
was a flock of approx 20 teal that
Alley Pond Park 25 April
Joe Giunta and I (Sy Schiff) had an interesting day. It started with a singing
HOUSE WREN and ended with a singing YELLOW WARBLER. Both posed for pictures and
both were FOS birds for us. In between, a bit slow. A dozen RUSTY BLACKBIRDS
continue at several of the
Marine Nature Study Area, Oceanside 27 April
A FOS SEASIDE SPARROW was singing by the pond path, but failed to show itself.
Other recently arriving summer birds seen today included GLOSSY IBIS, WILLET, 2
loudly calling and then posing CLAPPER RAILS , LAUGHING GULL and FORSTER'S TERN.
Sy Schiff
Hempstead Lake SP 7 May
A slow day, but the CERULEAN WARBLER continues in the same place.
Sy Schiff
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Hempstead Lake SP progress report
Lots of construction going on. The entrance to the park from Peninsula Blvd is
closed. Exit 18 West on the Southern State Pkwy is being rebuilt and you may
or may not be able to exit there. The Exit East is OK. Eagle Ave through the
park is udder
Marine Nature Study Area, Oceanside 13 May
There were 3 singing sparrows in the marsh around the pond, 1 SEASIDE SPARROW
and 2 SALTMARSH SPARROWS. All popped up briefly before disappearing. Other
birds included 2 CLAPPER RAILS, also briefly seen, FORSTER'S TERNS, a pair of
LEAST TERNS and a
Hempstead Lake SP 14 May
A slow birding morning with few migrants. There were singing White-eyed,
Warbling and Red-eyed Vireos, Gray Catbird, Northern Cardinal, Baltimore
Oriole, calling Great-crested Flycatcher and Red-bellied Woodpeckers. It seemed
more like early Summer than Mid May.
NEWS
Nickerson Beach 20 May
A single BLACK SKIMMER flew into the tern colony (500+ birds there and on the
beach). To the west on the beach, a pair of GULL-BILLED TERNS mated. Maybe
they'll nest in the colony. SANDERLING were along the shore, an OSPREY was
fishing just beyond the breakers and a
Nickerson Beach 4 June, late afternoon
Alerted by Ed Becker, I went to Nickerson Beach, joined in the parking lot by
Bob Anderson. We found Joe Viglietta, on the beach in front of the tern
colony, looking at a pair of ROSEATE TERNS. One bird was a banded sub-adult and
the other an adult. The
Lido Beach Passive Nature Area, 12 July
High tide. Other than breeding WILLETS, few shorebirds; namely 3 SHORT-BILLED
DOWITCHERS, 2 GREATER YELLOWLEGS and several SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS.
There was a continuous, sporadic movement of COMMON TERNS flying between the
channel and the Nickerson
Jones Beach West End 25 July
While there were only a few species this morning, the bar in front of the
marina and the adjacent bar behind the island running to the east hosted
700-800 shorebirds. They were mostly Semipalmated Sandpipers along with
Semipalmated Plover, American Oystercatchers,
Jamaica Bay East Pond 28 July
Joe Giunta and I (Sy Schiff) arrived at the north end around 1:30 and quickly
found the 2 Avocets in the water way down toward the south end. Otherwise, for
the afternoon, we saw about 100 shorebirds of 6 species. Not a very impressive
experience.
The water
Marine Nature Study Area, Oceanside 22 August
The pools to the east of the pond have been full of waders and Laughing Gulls
recently. Today, among the many egrets, there were a few white LITTLE BLUE
HERONS and a TRICOLORED HERON. Included were a half dozen species of common
shorebirds.
Two
Marine Nature Study Area, Oceanside 29 August
With the approaching high tide, the Avocet along with most of the birds in the
pool west of the pond flew off. (High tide is 40 minutes past Jones Inlet).
After a review with Mike Farina, staff Biologist, it appears that sightings in
prior years
Jones Beach West End 5 September
Joe G. , Joe V. Stan, and I (Sy Schiff) found a single GULL-BILLED TERN on the
bar at the Coast Guard Station and a single SPOTTED SANDPIPER for shorebirds.
The swale was empty except for Canada Geese. On the beach, the gulls to our
right (west), consisted
Jones Beach West End 17 Sep
At 8:00 this morning there was a large reddish brown shorebird across the inlet
on the Long Beach Side, presumably the MARBLED GODWIT seen lately. Shorebirds
on the marina bars included 250-300 AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHERS, a dozen
BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, 4 RED KNOT and
Jones Beach West End 21 Sep
Arrived just after high tide (8:30). The bar was covered with shorebirds and
skimmers. All but the oystercatchers and some of the skimmers left at 10:15.
Both Osprey and Peregrine were about, but not near the shorebirds, so not sure
what spooked them. But while
Hempstead Lake SP.
Joe Giunta, Debbie Martin and I (Sy Schiff) joined the South Shore Audubon
this morning in Hempstead. The walk produced several dozen species including
lingering Wood Duck, Pied-bill Grebe, 8 species of warbler, 4 species of
woodpecker, a Blue-headed Vireo, a few
Joe Giunta and I (Sy Schiff) encountered the fallout at Jones Beach West End.
Surprisingly, the number of species was modest, but some of the numbers made up
for it. Starting with Quantity, TREE SWALLOW-3-5.000 (hard to count or
guesstimate when the sky was covered and full of them); PINE
Jones Beach West End 12 Oct
A birdy morning with lots to look at and an interesting mix of species. This is
a composite list from the 7 or 8 of us enjoying the company and birding
together. Raptors included OSPREY, NORTHERN HARRIER, SHARP-SHINNED AND COOPER'S
HAWK, MERLIN AND PEREGRINE FALCON
Jones Beach West End 13 Oct.
There were many less birds today. Still, of interest were 422 AMERICAN
OYSTERCATCHERS (count cur testy of Paul Gildersleve), a MARBLED GODWIT on the
bar, approx. 50 BLACK SKIMMER (mostly young), a dozen FORSTER'S TERNS feeding
in the inlet, 13 LESSER BLACK-BACK
Jones Beach West End 14 Oct
Joe Giunta and I (Sy Schiff) birded the west end this morning to find fewer
birds but still 50+ species The bar still harbors a few hundred AMERICAN
OYSTERCATCHERS plus an undetermined number of mostly hatching year BLACK
SKIMMERS. As the tide increased, the dozen
Add Black-throated Blue Warbler. The Blue-throated Blue Warbler was last seen
hiding between the keys on my key board.
Sy
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Jones Beach 17 October.
Joe Giunta and I (Sy Schiff) birded the west end at low tide this morning.
Yesterday's rain and today's brisk W to WSW wind seems to have driven the birds
away. Yellow-rumped warblers continue to dominate, but the Phoebes and Sparrows
have moved on. We did see one each
Joe Giunta, Debbie Martin, Joe Viglietta and I (Sy Schiff) primarily birded
the perimeter around the West End #2 (WE) lot venturing down to the beach.
First, we perused the bar, by scope, from the Coast Guard Station lot, finding
a mass of AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHERS and 7 ROYAL TERNS. The base of
Jones Beach West End 27 Oct
The bar at the Coast Guard Station continues to harbor a MARBLED GODWIT and
today, 5 ROYAL TERNS along with the 100 odd AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHERS. There were
a modest number of raptors moving through.
The sky are still full of migrating YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS but in
Jones Beach West End 28 Oct
With the winds shifting to the SW, the previous day's migration tapered off.
However, lots of sparrows continue along the edges, either the same remaining
to feed or a new crop replacing them. A VESPER SPARROW was reported by others
(we didn't look today) and 2
Jones Beach West End 29 October
Looking over the ocean, the sky was full of NORTHERN GANNETS, hundreds all
moving west in a steady stream.
Other than that spectacular, the migration has petered out. Three VESPER
SPARROWS and the MARBLED GODWIT continue,
Sy Schiff
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Joe Giunta, Debbie Martin, Joe Viglietta, Ed Becker, Rick K, Bob Anderson and I
(Sy Schiff) birded Jones Beach West End 31 October
The migration is still on, with lots of WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS and large
numbers of DARK-EYED JUNCOS covering the lawns. There were fewer other
sparrows, but
Jones Beach 3 November
Arrived 5 minutes too late and wasn't invited to breakfast of raw squab. All of
us who missed the dove today saw the last one seen at Captree.
Consolation prizes: 5 LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS on lot, WOODCOCK at the
turnaround, GREAT HORNED OWL (it flew off with Crows
Joe Giunta, Sam Jannazzo, Joe Viglietta and I (Sy Schiff) spent the morning at
Jones Beach.
A quiet day; DOWNY, HAIRY, FLICKER, BROWN CREEPER, RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH in the
pines. WHITE-THROATED, SONG and JUNCOS on the ground; YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS
everywhere.. So a bit slow today, if you're
Nassau Co, 5 November
Joe Giunta and I (Sy Schiff) spent the morning checking ponds and inlets in
Western Nassau Co. for early duck movements. We visited Grant Park, Bay Park,
Pond X, East Rockaway RR Station and Mill Pond in Rockville Centre.
Grant Park was the most interesting with species
Cool but bright sun and cumulous clouds; Fall color is still strong. Beautiful
day.
Two immature BALD EAGLES flew over Hempstead Lake SP this morning heading
south. Nice Birthday present.
Thanks guys for taking me out to lunch.
Sy
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NYSbirds-L List Info:
Joe Giunta led a joint Brooklyn Botanical Garden and Brooklyn Bird Club field
trip to Jones Beach and Pt Lookout. Starting at the Coast Guard Station, the
bar was home to AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHERS, DUNLIN and a MARBLED GODWIT. In the
inlet were LONG-TAILED DUCK, COMMON and RED-THROATED LOONS,
The first Snowy Owl of the season made its appearance today almost immediately
followed by the first idiot with a camera who spooked the bird. Some where
between Brooklyn and Montauk Pt. This is for the record only.
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NYSbirds-L List Info:
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Jones Beach West End 16 Nov
There were both BLACK and WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS moving both east and west along
the ocean. A male HARLEQUIN DUCK was at the end of the jetty. (Another
Harlequin was reported from the Pt. Lookout side.) A flotilla of fishing boats
was out on the horizon surrounded by
Jones Beach West End 30 Nov
Quick summary: MARBLED GODWIT on the bar; Ground-Dove not found as of noon,
numerous birders looking; COMMON EIDER flyby in the inlet; SNOW BUNTINGS and
HORNED LARKS on the lawn by the Coast Guard lot before flying off toward the
swale. A LAPLAND LONGSPUR was seen
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