A brief seawatch this morning (7:54-8:54 AM) from the beach in Amagansett (Suffolk Co.) produced 6 *CORY'S SHEARWATERS*, 8 *WILSON'S STORM-PETRELS*, 4 *COMMON LOON*, 53 Northern Gannet, 1 Laughing Gull and 1 adult *ROYAL TERN*catching small baitfish just beyond the surfline. The Royal Tern was unexpected with Caspian more likely out here in the spring/early summer, but the bird was quite close and I was able to see that it's red-orange bill lacked a dark tip, was less massive than expected for Caspian and that dark markings on the underside of the primaries were restricted to the tips giving a discrete training edge.
A 1st or 2nd-year *BALD EAGLE* was soaring over the 'Art Barge' in Napeague mid-morning together with a *TURKEY VULTURE*. There have been several sightings of young eagles in the Napeague area this spring/summer and so perhaps an individual is attempting to summer locally. Yesterday afternoon, I tried seawatching from various spots in and around Montauk but had to contend with several heavy downpours and generally hazy conditions. Although there were plenty of gannets (>100/hr), I saw no shearwaters at all. Single *WILSON'S STORM-PETRELS* were off Montauk Point and Amagansett. Interestingly on the north side of the peninsula, there were 9 *WILSON'S STORM-PETRELS* working the flat water between Culloden Point and Gardiner's Island. I don't recall seeing storm-petrels this far in Gardiner's Bay before. Small numbers of Common Eider linger off the Point and around the Montauk Inlet, where there was also a female *LONG-TAILED DUCK*. I had seen this bird the weekend before in same area. A 3rd-summer *LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL* was among the ratty subadult Herring and Great Black-backed Gulls loafing around the inlet. -- Angus Wilson New York City & The Springs, NY, USA http://birdingtotheend.blogspot.com/ -- 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/ --
