My trip to Sunken Meadow SP(Suffolk County) rewarded me my first of the year
Red-shouldered Hawk. This particular bird was an immature and was perched
along the stream down in the backwater of Sunken Meadow Creek. Pine warblers
had a good flight last night. I had a total of seven individuals and the
majority of them were singing too. The only other warbler species I could find
was Yellow-rumped warbler, several throughout the park. Also in the backwater
of the Creek I had 9 Wood ducks, 6 Green-winged Teal, a Sharp-shinned Hawk, 5
Eastern Phoebes, several Golden-crowned Kinglets, a Hermit thrush, and 5 Swamp
sparrows. The expansive thicketed area a half mile in on the Inner Marsh
trail produced a Brown Thrasher and only a few Eastern towhees.
The waterfowl that were on Sunken Meadow Creek seemed to have moved out since
my last trip on Thursday. The only species on the Creek included Gadwall, 4
Common Merganser hens, American Coot, and a handful of Ring-necked ducks and
Bufflehead.
I scoped the Long Island Sound from Field 3(eastern end of park) and saw 2
breeding-plumaged Common Loons and about 25 or so Brant. Feeding on the
mudflats also at the eastern end of the park were 3 Great Egrets, 2 Great Blue
Herons, and two dozen Tree Swallows. The Ospreys were very vocal today and on
several occasions were seen bringing nice-sized catches back to the nest. Also
doing good for themselves were the 5 Belted Kingfishers hunting on the Sound
and in the marsh.
Vinny Pellegrino
www.flickr.com/pellegrinov
East Northport, NY
"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you've
imagined."
-Henry David Thoreau
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