Large numbers of shorebirds arrived today on the marsh islands north of Cedar Beach, Gilgo, and Tobay. The flocks were dominated by Dunlin (ca. 5,000) and Black-bellied Plover (ca. 500), but several unusual species were also present. Pat and I spread the word about the shorebirds after we found a basic-plumaged Red Knot and two Ruddy Turnstones at Cedar Beach Marina, around 9:00. A little later, we found two early Short-billed Dowitchers at Tobay (one was a yearling bird retaining a tiger striped, albeit heavily worn, juvenal tertial). Meanwhile, Tom Burke and Gail Benson arrived at Cedar Marina and picked out an American Golden-Plover and another dowitcher. We rejoined them in time to see the Golden-Plover, plus a breeding-plumaged Red Knot they found in the interim.
We saw immature male Common Eiders at Robert Moses SP and Jones Beach SP, an adult Yellow-crowned Night-Heron was present at Camman's Pond, and an Orange-crowned Warbler continued at Hempstead Lake SP. Shai Mitra & Pat Lindsay 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/[email protected]/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/ --
