Hi everyone, Hurricane Bill stirred up an impressive amount of clams and deposited them on the beach of the West End. The exact location is just southwest of the traditional Buff-breasted Sandpiper-attracting swale by the West End 2 lot (which is now flooded and had yellowlegs, peeps, and single Short-billed Dowitchers and White-rumped Sandpipers this afternoon). At least five Lesser Black-backed Gulls were tending this banquet along with good numbers of the typical gulls, Semipalmated and Black-bellied Plovers, Sanderlings, and all three species of peep (only 1 Western, a juvenile). There was a flyby Black Tern offshore, but nothing else was visiting the usual Common Tern hangout by the jetty. Well, aside from another 5-6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls! I photographed up to 13 individuals total. The turnout of LBBGs was quite astonishing and I did my best to document it.. They were in a variety of ages, from 1st to what I believe is a 4th year. If anyone is interested, I made a gallery of the birds (the link follows). The bird labeled #6 is interesting to me... it was much frostier than the rest. I'd greatly appreciate anyone's thoughts and/or corrections. http://picasaweb.google.com/pipingplover27/LesserBlackBackedGulls82409#
All my best, Brendan Fogarty Hempstead, NY http://www.flickr.com/photos/birderbf/ Please think of the environment before you print this email. -- 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/ --
