Here are some belated notes from eastern Long Island on Saturday and Sunday. The birding was slow at times, but Patricia and I enjoyed the company of Gerta Fritz, Bobby and Janice Berlingeri, Karen and Barbara Rubinstein, and many others.
The scoters and eiders off Montauk Point continue in spectacular numbers. We were unable to find a King Eider but enjoyed listening to the courting Black Scoters. An odd sight was a flock of 20 or so Atlantic Brant flying eastward to a vanishing point over Block Island. Razorbills were scarce off the point, but relatively numerous and cooperative along the north shore of the Montauk peninsula, especially right around the inlet to Lake Montauk. Bonaparte’s Gulls were very scarce, with just a couple at the point and 7 at Ditch Plains. Other notables included: 2 Richardson’s Geese at Mecox Bay on Saturday morning 7 Red-necked Grebes at Culloden Pt 1 Great Cormorant at Lake Montauk Inlet (coming into breeding plumage) continuing Black-bellied Plover at Lake Montauk Inlet 4 Purple Sandpipers at Ditch Plains 3 Iceland Gulls at Lake Montauk Inlet (juv, 3rd winter, and adult together on Sunday) continuing adult Lesser Black-backed Gull at Lazy Pt, Napeague 1 Black-legged Kittiwake at Montauk Pt on Sunday 2 Dovekies at Montauk on Sunday (a flyby at Culloden Pt and one standing on the roadside near the entrance to Camp Hero; the latter swam and dove well on release in Turtle Cove) continuing immature female Snowy Owl from Lazy Pt, Napeague on Sunday 2 Hermit Thrushes at Big Reed Pond on Sunday 1 Pine Siskin flying around at Montauk Pt on Saturday—my first since the fall flight Shai Mitra Bay Shore ________________________________ 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/ --
