Mona and I visited the west end of Jones Beach today, and although the Snowy Owl wasn't where I had seen him previously (on the w/s of the trail to the beach that exits the SW corner of the parking lot), the balmy weather and few birds we saw still made for a fabulous day. At the Short Beach CG basin, hoards of Dunlin and Brant, with 18 American Oystercatchers, were on the sandbar. It was quite a site when, spooked by something, they all took to the air at once (image at the link below). Thankfully they didn't fly directly overhead. On the ocean side there was a large flock of Dunlin (1,000 +) resting at the shoreline just east of the jetty, in addition to a group of 5 Black-bellied Plovers with 9 Sanderlings on the jetty north of the inlet. Also spotted the Piping Plover and Semipalmated Plover mention by Ken Feustel and others. For a couple beginners, it wasn't a bad day. Photo link: <https://picasaweb.google.com/117222190912776797073/2012BirdingImages?authus er=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCIOL273hmrXpSw&feat=directlink> https://picasaweb.google.com/117222190912776797073/2012BirdingImages?authuse r=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCIOL273hmrXpSw&feat=directlink - Mac & Mona Waters
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