Wednesday, 19 August 2009 - Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, Queens County
& Floyd Bennett Field, Brooklyn (Kings County), (& their environs in)
N.Y. City
I birded the (Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge's) East Pond's north end at
first light thru about high tide this early morning. There were
easily 4,000+ shorebirds just in the northern 1/4 of the pond (on
north, east, & especially west edges, spits, & pools, as well as on
the island there. The lighting was actually very good with
substantial, but not dark, cloud cover thru that time. The shore is
easily walkable in most spots with a few exceptiopns, & for those few
either high boots, or old shoes/sneakers that can take some muck,
will work well. There is one slightly more mucky cove on the west
side about 1/2 mile south of the NW corner access, there one might be
able to work carefully along the phragmites (reeds) & avoid much of
the softest mud. (or just "plunge in" - it's about 3-6" deep in spots
there.) 23 species of shorebirds were found, with 21 at the Jamaica
Bay Refuge.
The first highlight was a Marbled Godwit in somewhat worn adult
plumage, seen well down the west shore, on (or rather, off) the 3rd
real spit, & flying farther south around 6:45 a.m., after my initial
sighting. (A later visit to the Raunt from the Big John's Pond trail,
& further searching from the south end, revealed no godwits, nor did
a look 'round the West Pond either on the pond or bay shores.
Nonetheless that &/or many other birds can come & go here as tide,
predators (the Peregrines in particular) & other factors move them
all around the area.) A Wilson's Phalarope continued as did an
American Golden Plover loafing with many Black-bellied Plovers down
the west side from the NW corner of the East Pond. Pectoral (2),
Stilt (12+), White-rumped (25+), & Western (several, at the NW part
of the E. Pond, plus another at the south end of the E. Pond a bit
later), & at least a few Long-billed Dowitcher (picked out by calls
heard & as they flew) were among many other morning highlights, and a
return visit despite the low tide cycle added an American Avocet on
the E. Pond again seen from the NW corner side. Incidentally, I saw
absolutely no other birders (no other people) on my arrival at the E.
Pond & not until I made my way to the south end, when there were just
a very few photographers &/or birders there. There were a reasonable
variety (if not great numbers) of dabbling-type ducks, including at
least a few Wood Ducks (s. end), on the East Pond.
There were exceedingly few shorebirds during my looks at the West
Pond, early & also later. However, a nice grouping of about all the
expected large wading birds of the refuge, herons, egrets, ibis, etc.
along with a fair showing of both sex of Boat-tailed Grackle plus a
couple of Clapper Rails were all showing well in the south marshes
not far from the visitor center (nearest the close Osprey platform).
The gardens at the Refuge seemed very quiet but I didn't concentrate
on passerines; the Canada Warbler was near the E. Pond NW access
trail and led me to at first think a little warbler flight had
occurred, if it did it was very little there. One mystery was the
lack of swallows, although a smattering of Tree & Barn were about,
the paucity was notable for the location & the date.
I also more briefly looked around parts of Riis Park & Fort Tilden on
the barrier beach side of the bay (on the Rockway peninsula), and at
Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn, where a small puddly spot near the
far north end of the first runway (make the first possible left after
entering, then go all the way to the far end past the community
gardens, sports, museum, etc. until you can't go forward any more -
the puddles are immediately on the right just past a set of (possibly
temporary) low orange traffic barriers (be careful, as police,
ambulance, & other driver-training and such all take place on various
runways here, although almost always off the main one.)
Numbers of Eastern Kingbirds were far more than just local breeders
on territory, as there was a flock of 12+ at first light moving
across the bay & I saw singles & pairs in many, many locations
throughout the morning.
Butterflies, damselflies & dragonflies, & other insects were in
(only) fair variety & numbers. The biting insects didn't bother me at
all today & I was not using repellent, although some folks may still
want to have it handy.
** A news-flash from Manhattan: there was apparently a lot of tree
damage (felled trees & limbs) including some large & older trees
within at least several of the larger parks, including Central &
Riverside Parks & elsewhere: there will be a lot of clean-up and
damage assessment over today & this week - articles were published in
several newspapers on the situation, resulting from a thunderstorm in
N.Y. City Tuesday night.
Queens & Brooklyn birds...
Pied-billed Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Little Blue Heron
Tricolored Heron
Green Heron
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
Glossy Ibis
Canada Goose
Mute Swan
Wood Duck
Gadwall
American Wigeon
American Black Duck
Mallard
Blue-winged Teal
Northern Shoveler
Green-winged Teal
Ruddy Duck
Osprey
Peregrine Falcon
Clapper Rail
Black-bellied Plover (80++)
American Golden-Plover (1)
Semipalmated Plover (many)
Killdeer (family of 4)
American Oystercatcher
American Avocet (1, p.m.)
Greater Yellowlegs (many)
Lesser Yellowlegs (many)
Willet (west pond marshes)
Spotted Sandpiper (several)
Marbled Godwit (1, 6:15-30 a.m.)
Ruddy Turnstone (bayshore etc.)
Red Knot (3)
Sanderling (Riis, Ft. Tilden)
Semipalmated Sandpiper (1000+)
Western Sandpiper (3, or prob. 4)
Least Sandpiper (many)
White-rumped Sandpiper (25+)
Pectoral Sandpiper (2)
Stilt Sandpiper (12+)
Short-billed Dowitcher (1000+)
Long-billed Dowitcher (several)
Wilson's Phalarope (1 lingering)
Laughing Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Common Tern
Forster's Tern
Roseate Tern (off Breezy Point, on bay side)
Black Skimmer (Riis - Ft. Tilden)
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Chimney Swift (several over Refuge)
Ruby-throated Hummingbird (fly-by)
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Willow Flycatcher (continuing at Refuge)
Great Crested Flycatcher (J. Bay Refuge)
Eastern Kingbird (32 counted altogether)
White-eyed Vireo (vocal at Refuge)
Warbling Vireo " " "
Red-eyed Vireo " " "
Blue Jay
American Crow
Fish Crow
Tree Swallow
Barn Swallow
Carolina Wren (vocal at Refuge)
House Wren " " "
Marsh Wren " " "
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
Brown Thrasher
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
Yellow Warbler
American Redstart
Northern Waterthrush (6+, Jamaica Bay Refuge)
Common Yellowthroat
Canada Warbler (1, Jamaica Bay Refuge)
Eastern Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Boat-tailed Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Baltimore Oriole
House Finch
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow
Tom Fiore,
Manhattan
_________
--
NYSbirds-L List Info:
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES
Temporary archive:
http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html
Please submit your observations to eBird:
http://ebird.org/content/ebird/
--
