A Sandwich Tern was present on the blustery flats at Cupsogue, near Moriches Inlet, this afternoon, accompanied by two Arctic Terns--one First Summer and one Second Summer-type. Also seen were one Roseate, two First Summer Common, and five Second Summer-type Common Terns.
Photos of some of these birds can be seen at: http://picasaweb.google.com/tixbirdz/LongIslandMiscellany2010# Shorebird numbers around Moriches Inlet have diminished drastically since last week, and, as suggested above, non-breeders of various kinds have made a big push lately. In addition to the various sub-adult larids, which included Skimmers and Laughing Gulls as well as the terns mentioned above, I saw a winter aspect Dunlin and a flock of 19 morose-looking and apparently unemployed Oystercatchers on the flats today. On the other hand, Pat saw two breeding-plumaged White-rumps at Pikes, so this late-migrating species is still on the move. Over the roiling ocean we saw one Cory's, one Greater, and two unidentified large shearwaters at Cupsogue and one Sooty and two unidentified large shearwaters at Shinnecock. Immature Gannets were present by the hundreds, mostly moving from east to west now. Yesterday Tom Burke and Gail Benson saw a similar movement of Gannets, as well as Greater, Manx, and Sooty Shearwaters, plus Wilson's Storm-Petrel in this same area. They also recorded a Caspian Tern at Cupsogue yesterday. 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/[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/ --
