As the coastal scene shifts into late summer mode, with southbound shorebirds moving through and newly fledged gulls and terns flocking up, it seems like a good time to take stock of early summer's teenage larid scene on Long Island. I offer this summary as an aid to NYSARC and others interested in enumerating records of New York State birds and would welcome comments concerning any errors or differences of interpretation. The summary focuses on situations where I thought that the birds’ individual identities were important, and it explains my rationale for concluding that June-July 2011 featured one Iceland Gull, two Glaucous Gulls, four Sandwich Terns, and five Arctic Terns on Long Island. Sub-adult gulls and terns are frequently individually identifiable through close study of head pattern, bill and leg color, and tail streamer length, and also via unique asymmetries and injuries.
I've selected photos to illustrate the features used to identify individual birds and presented them together at: https://picasaweb.google.com/tixbirdz/LongIslandSummerLaridWrapup Andrew Baksh, Gail Benson, Nick Bonomo, Patricia Lindsay, Donna Schulman, Eileen Schwinn, and Steve Walter generously shared images of some of these birds. I also wish to thank everyone who reported their observations of these birds, with special thanks to Bob Adamo, Seth Ausubel, Andrew Baksh, Rob Bate, Gail Benson, Bobby Berlingeri, Jeff Bolsinger, Brent Bomkamp, Nick Bonomo, Tom Burke, Jim Cullen, Richard Fried, Doug Futuyma, John Gluth, Andy Guthrie, Richard Kaskan, Patricia Lindsay, Michael McBrien, Bobby Rossetti, Eric Salzman, Sy Schiff, Donna Schulman, Eileen Schwinn, Benjamin Van Doren, Steve Walter, Angus Wilson, and the mysterious ornithological agent sometimes known as “Gamma Digitorum” (or “G-Digit” to his crew). Shai Mitra Bay Shore Places and abbreviations Nickerson Beach & Jones Beach—Nassau County Robert Moses SP, Cupsogue, Mecox Bay, Orient Pt—Suffolk County SY—second calendar-year = first-summer = ca. 12 months old = “portlandica” TY—third calendar-year = second-summer = ca. 24 month old P—primary, PP—primaries; gulls and terns have 10 PP on each wing, with P10 outermost R—rectrix, RR—rectrices; gulls and terns have 12 RR, with R6 outermost. Lesser Black-backed Gull Notable counts include: 1 Jun 28 birds Jones Beach to Robert Moses SP (20 SY) (Robert Rossetti) 3 Jul 43 birds Nickerson Beach (36 SY, 7 older imms) (Gail Benson, Tom Burke, Andy Guthrie) 10 Jul 70 birds Nickerson Beach (56 SY, 14 older imms) (Jeff Bolsinger, John Gluth, PJL, SSM) Iceland Gull At least one seen Jones Beach to Robert Moses SP on a number of occasions through 12 July (PJL). Glaucous Gull Two different birds. Long-staying individual at Orient Pt with injured right leg, present at least through 20 Jun (SSM) and illustrated by photos from July 2010, January 2011, and June 2011. A bird at Cupsogue mid Jul 2011 (Eileen Schwinn et al.) appears to be a different individual (whiter plumage and dark-looking eye suggest SY; no injury to right leg, whereas injured right leg of Orient Pt bird obvious under most circumstances). Arctic Tern Five different birds, only one seen on more than one day. 2011a 15 Jun Cupsogue (SSM et al.) Typical SY; rear crown flecked with black; dark mask of average breadth and diffuse; RR6 (outermost tail feathers) no longer than RR5 (nest to outermost); demonstrably different from 2011b, 2011c, 2011d; arguably could be the same as 2011e (9 Jul) if RR6 still growing on 15 Jun, but facial pattern also subtly different; also these observations were separated by almost a month, with three other ARTE—but no sightings plausibly attributable this bird—in between. 2011b 29 Jun Cupsogue (Seth Ausubel, “Gamma Digitorum,” et al.) Distinctive immature, SY or TY; plumage more advanced than in most SYs but less advanced than in most TYs; bill black as in SY, but legs slightly redder than usual for that age. 2011c 29 Jun Cupsogue (Seth Ausubel, “Gamma Digitorum,” et al.) 2011c 30 Jun Cupsogue (Steve Walter, Rob Bate, et al.) Typical SY; long tail streamers extending beyond wingtips at rest; white crown extended farther rearward than in other 2011 SYs; dark mask relatively narrow and neat; faint white arcs above eyes. Photo documentation of these characters strongly supports the identity of birds observed 29 & 30 Jun. To my knowledge, this is just the third example of an individual Arctic Tern persisting across dates among 40+ photo-documented birds on Long Island. 2011d 3 Jul Cupsogue (SSM, mob) Typical SY; outermost tail feather on right side (right R6) missing; rear crown flecked with black; dark mask relatively broad and diffuse. 2011e 9 Jul Cupsogue (Brent Bomkamp, Gail Benson, mob) Typical SY; rear crown flecked with black; dark mask narrow and diffuse; both outermost rectrices (RR6) present and longer than RR5. Sandwich Tern Four different birds, all one-day wonders. 2011a 25 Jun Cupsogue (Richard Kaskan et al.) Unbanded; fading alternate plumage (small but distinct white blotches in forehead); P6 darkest (primary molt suspended after P5 replaced). 2011b 29 Jun Cupsogue (SSM et al.) Unbanded; near-alternate plumage (very small white marks in lores but not on forehead); P8 darkest (primary molt suspended after P7 replaced). 2011c 3 Jul Mecox Bay (Donna Schulman, Angus Wilson, et al.) Unbanded; near alternate plumage (very small white marks on forehead but not in lores); P7 darkest (primary molt suspended after P6 replaced). 2011d 11 Jul Cupsogue (Andrew Baksh) Near-basic plumage; it is unlikely that 2011b or 2011c would reach this plumage so rapidly; it is unlikely that 2011a would reappear more than two weeks later, with two other SATE—but no sightings of this bird—in between. ________________________________ Change is in the Air - Smoking in Designated Areas Only in effect.<http://www.csi.cuny.edu/tobaccofree> Tobacco-Free Campus as of July 1, 2012. -- 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/ --
