Spent weekend in Fire Island birding from The Pines to Watch Hill. Counted over 40 species. 9 Warbler species, the Black-throated Blue being the most abundant. Large flocks of Red-breasted Nuthatches and Yellow-shafted Flickers. No unusual gulls but lots of Royal Terns. Because of the overcast and light southwesterly wind, not much raptor fly-over except for Ospreys, but did get one-each of Peregrine, Merlin, Kestrel, and Northern Harrier (brown). I usually go later in the season when there is more sparrow activity - however highlight was capturing a Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow in its usual spot near the beginning of the Watch Hill Nature Walk in my scope, and then inches away a Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow popped into view. Do these recently split species reform?
Locals spoke of a Whip-poor-will sunning itself on the deck railing of a house on Spindrift Way. Checked out and it appeared to be an immature grey Common Nighthawk. Missing the white collar and handkerchief, but had a small lightly patterned head, and when it shifted around to preen, we could clearly see scaley instead of white undertail coverts and white bars at the base of the primaries. Happy Birding, Alan Drogin -- 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/ --
