Pat and I counted migrating waterfowl from 7:25-8:25 yesterday morning (27 Mar) at Main Beach, East Hampton, Suffolk Co. The main flight was from west to east, but White-winged Scoters and some others were moving from east to west.
Black Scoter was the most numerous species (277), and most of the 475 distant, unidentified scoters we saw were probably also this species. Also notable were 93 White-winged Scoters (seemingly scarce this season), 151 Red-throated Loons, 49 Northern Gannets, and 32 Razorbills. The vast sea duckage present at Montauk Pt this season appeared to have been augmented yesterday by additional thousands of Black Scoters. Different observers have been coming up with very disparate estimates of the actual numbers involved there, and I've been told that Pat's and my numbers have been low. For what it's worth, we've estimated ca. 15,000 Black Scoters there on several visits earlier this season (compared to ca. 20,000 Surf Scoter, 5,000 Common Eider, and 1,000 WW Scoter), whereas yesterday I thought BLSC numbers were approximately twice what we've been seeing. Consistent with the impression of swelling numbers of Black Scoter were 2,700 at nearby Ditch Plains, in a dense flock close inshore and in full song. 209 Ring-billed Gulls were surface gleaning here, along with 17 Bonaparte's Gulls and one SY Black-headed Gull. We saw single Turkey Vultures in Montauk and Napeague, Merlins at Montauk and Hook Pond, Great Egrets in Napeague and Water Mill, and Lesser Black-backed Gulls at Napeague and Mecox Bay. Following up Carl Starace's tip, we visited Terrell River County Park for the first time and were impressed by a flock of 105 Green-winged Teal plus three Northern Shovelers. The greenbrier thickets at this park look superb for wintering half-hardies; although we didn't have time to work them, we encountered a Hermit Thrush along the trail that looked pretty spry after a long, snowy winter--as did a Gray Catbird that flew across Further Lane earlier in the day. Shai Mitra Bay Shore ________________________________ Think green before you print this email. -- 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/ --
