This afternoon's trip to Shinnicock Inlet was different-birds were not the goal...seals were! While I'm usually alone, enroute to this location, today my wife, Ruth Ann, was riding "shotgun". With the temperature and sunlight pulling her outdoors, along with her rememberence of my description of seal activity earlier in the month at Shinn.Bay/Inlet...she suggested taking a ride there. Upon arrival at the inlet, we ate the tasty lunch she had prepared, and while I was sent out on a one man, seal "scouting party", she made her usual Sunday telephone calls to our married daughters.
As I walked out on the w/jetty, I came upon 2 birders I didn't know. Gerhardt & Tracy W. are from upstate, had spent the weekend at Montauk, and were on their way home, hoping to see some of the species they missed out east, here at the inlet. We talked for a bit, with the only bird of note being the male N.Harrier (aka The Gray Ghost), that flew up the inlet (jetty high) into the bay...first time I've ever seen this specie take this flight pattern-wind related? After a fast, negative scan for Harlequins & King Eiders, but finding a lone seal in the inlet, I headed for the car, while Gerhardt & Tracy headed out. By the time I returned, Ruth had finished with her calls, and "the game was afoot"! We couldn't find the seal again. However, feeding at the mouth of the inlet, close to the e/side of the w/jetty, were the 5 Harlequin Ducks reported previously. When we looked earlier, they must have been at the very end of the w/jetty, possibly up on the rocks. Moral of the story...don't forget to walk out to the end of those jetties! Also, if you"re looking for seals at Shinnicock, don't forget to check the sandbars out in the middle of the bay! The eastmost bar held 20-25 seals this afternoon, and the view through the spotting-scope made for one happy lady! The ride home, by way of Dune Rd. produced 3 N.Harriers, 2 females and a male, which could have been the bird seen earlier in the inlet. Cheers, Bob -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
