Two Black-necked Stilts mentioned on last night's New York RBA were present this morning at Sebonac Inlet in Southampton, Suffolk County. The stilts were feeding around the southwestern tip of the gravel island directly east of the north end of Sebonac Inlet Road, sometimes wandering behind the spit and into a sheltered cove. Even there they could be seen by walking south on Sebonac Inlet Rd and looking northeast.
Earlier in the morning, Patricia Lindsay and I made our traditional census of the woodland birds at East Hampton's Grace Estate. Many species have been declining here in recent years, but we were unpleasantly shocked to find not a single Wood Thrush or Veery and just three Ovenbirds. American Redstarts were more numerous than usual, and a Yellow-throated Vireo was perhaps the most notable species. At nearby Cedar Pt, the terns seem just to be getting started, but we found more Redstarts and enjoyed a pair of very cooperative Yellow-billed Cuckoos as we ate breakfast. At the Rte 51 DEC bikepath, in Eastport, Suffolk County, we ran into John Gluth, who had earlier seen the Blue Grosbeak near the north end of the bikepath, but dipped on the previously reported Yellow-throated Warbler in nearby Hunters Garden. After a long vigil, I spied the bird perched on the fence that borders the agricultural fields west of the bikepath shrublands, but it flew north and vanished before Pat and John could get on it. A longer vigil yielded one bout of song, but no more views. Shorebird numbers were way down at Moriches Inlet, compared to last weekend, with the vast majority of Sanderlings, Dunlin, and Ruddy Turnstones apparently having moved on. Red Knots were still numerous (134 between Pikes Beach and Cupsogue), and many very fine looking Black-bellied Plovers were still there. Notable terns included a breeding-plumaged Black Tern, at least eight Roseate Terns, and my first sub-adult Common Terns of the year: one each first- and second-summer. Photos of some of these birds can be seen at: https://picasaweb.google.com/tixbirdz/LongIslandSpring2011# Shai Mitra Bay Shore ________________________________ Change is in the Air - Smoking in Designated Areas Only as of July 1, 2011<http://www.csi.cuny.edu/tobaccofree> -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
