A relatively balmy day made for pleasant and productive birding on the south fork today. Things started well with 3 * WILD TURKEYS * foraging along the north shoulder of Montauk Highway, spotted as I drove, about a mile west of Montauk Village. When I arrived at Montauk Pt. State Park, I was greeted by a juvenile * RED-SHOULDERED HAWK * perched in a tree just west of the parking lot. The scoter/eider spectacle off the restaurant never fails to amaze. Among all those sea ducks were 5-8 * RAZORBILLS *.
Over at nearby Camp Hero I was lucky enough to run into Pat Lindsay and Shai Mitra who clued me into the presence of several * KING EIDER * not far offshore. I was eventually able to spot three2 females and 1 immature male. Shai and Pat also told me about the * WESTERN TANAGER * on Big Reed Path. Patience was required, but the bird finally showed at the feeders of the gray house on the corner of Big Red Path and Deer Way. The feeders are well off the street and partially obscured within a stand of small trees, so a scope is in order to get even a so-so view. Down at Montauk Harbor 5 * GREAT CORMORANTS * were perched atop the towers at the end of both jetties (4/1). Scores of Common Loons were on the water outside the inlet. At Hither Hills State Park, 4 juvenile * WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS * fed among numerous Song & White-throated sparrows in grassy areas of the picnic area. Several trips up and down Napeague Meadow, Lazy Point, and Promised Land roads failed to turn up the N. Shrike, but "Larry", the adult * LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL * was guarding his turf, the beach west of the boat launch out at Lazy Point, and 3 * AMERICAN PIPITS * were on the beach near the ramp. Along Napeague Meadow road an adult N. Harrier and immature Cooper's and Sharp-shinned hawks were seen. I finished up in Sag Harbor, hoping to see the Barrow's Goldeneye. Noyack Bay was completely iced up, as was much of Sag Harbor Cove. I eventually found a small flock (~12) of Goldeneye well to the east, near the end of the breakwater in Sag Harbor Bay, but they were all Commons. Photos of the Red-shouldered Hawk, Pipit, and Harrier can be seen here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jgluth_brb/ -- 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/ --
