I too was at Cupsogue and Pike's Beach today, I assume later than Sy et al (~12:45-3:30, all but the last 10 min. at Cupsogue). I took the same route out to the flats (RV road, bay beach). I first found 2 MARBLED GODWITS (MAGO) out on the large sand bar in the middle of Moriches Inlet (north end, east side) and a scope was definitely necessary. Good numbers of Oystercatchers (30+), Black-bellied Plovers and Sanderlings were also out there. After a while I moved on towards the main channel that drains the flats, following that as far east as I could. I found shorebird numbers and diversity were very low. Other than 20-25 more B-b Plovers the only other species seen were Lesser Yellowlegs (10 at the south end of the flats) and a few Semipalmated Plovers. Out at the far north end of the flats was a mixed group of Black Skimmers, Royal and Forster's Terns, and a few Ring-billed and Laughing Gulls. A CASPIAN TERN, presumably the same bird Sy and company had at Pike's, eventually joined them after putting on a nice show, fishing over the flats and a pond in the marsh to the east.
The tide was rising at this point and when I turned to check on the position of the godwits I saw that they'd left the sand bar and were now closer, on the western edge of the flats. They had been joined by a third godwit and a WHIMBREL. The latter eventually separated itself and moved south along the bay beach while the MAGOs gradually worked their way east. I was able to get excellent scope views and decent photos of all, from <100 ft. On the walk back to the parking lot on the RV road I discovered a night-heron roost in the pines--their croaking gave them away. There were at least a dozen birds, mostly Black-crowned, but also 2 juvenile Yellow-crowneds. The Pike's Beach spit had ~25 Royal Terns. Photos at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jgluth_brb/ -- 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/ --
