I saw the COMMON GROUND DOVE late this afternoon (just after 4:00). It was feeding along the edge of the paved pedestrian path that connects the north and south parking lots. It was last seen flying across the road into the setting sun.
The Captree visit wrapped up a full day of birding that started at Plum Beach in Brooklyn and continue at Fort Tilden, Floyd Bennett Field, and Jones Beach (west end & Zach's Bay). The weather was beautiful but the birding was generally slow. I'd hoped to find a Nelson's Sparrow or two at Plum Beach, but if there were any present they kept out of sight. Only Song Sparrows revealed themselves. There were 5 Oystercatchers out on the offshore sandbar and a small raft of Greater Scaup on the bay. At Fort Tilden the highlights were mostly waterbirds too--good numbers of all 3 scoter species, 15 flyby Common Eiders, Gannets, and 2 Red-throated Loons. As far as landbirds go, there were 2 flyover Pipits, 1 flyover Siskin, and 1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet. At Floyd Bennett, 4 CATTLE EGRETS were resting/feeding in the field east of the main runway, opposite Aviator Sports. Two kestrel were also seen, 1 male and 1 female. At Jones Beach, I did not see the N. Shrike at the Nature Center, but did see and hear a WILSON'S SNIPE that lifted out of one of the inter-dune marshy spots. -- 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/ --
