Joe Giunta's Brooklyn Botanical Garden birding class visited Jones Beach (27 Oct) starting at the Coast Guard Station. Arriving at high tide, the bar was covered with lingering AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER, BLACK SKIMMER,.BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, DUNLIN and DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT. Also noted were a few Red Knot, a Sanderling and a Greater Yellowlegs on the far bar. Four common gull species including a few Laughing Gulls, two ROYAL TERNS and approx. 40 FORSTER'S TERN were also there. Across the inlet were a half dozen GREAT EGRETS plus a SNOWY EGRET. A GREAT BLUE HERON was in the reeds on the island.
We were alerted, via the internet by a post from Steve Walter, of a WESTERN KINGBIRD at West End #2 parking lot. We arrived and scoped the bird before it flew off. While there, we decided to look at the sparrows around the parking field edges. We found a VESPER SPARROW at the same spot as reported in last few days. HORNED LARKS were in the swale near the Concession Building. Walking to the turnaround, we had a RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER among the numerous NORTHERN FLICKERS, an uncommon bird on the barrier beach. Both PINE SISKIN and AMERICAN GOLDFINCH were present, the former landing only momentary. YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS continue everywhere. Lunch was at the Nature Center picnic tables. NORTHERN GANNETS were seen over the ocean from that spot. The sparrows in the area looked interesting. We found an additional 3 VESPER SPARROWS among SAVANNAH and SONG SPARROWS along the parking lot edges and on the grassy patches adjacent. Altogether we had 6 sparrow species for the day. We stopped by Pt. Lookout on the way home. There were SANDERLING and RUDDY TURNSTONES by the west jetty and fishermen on top of all three. Species for the day-50. --Sy Schiff for the group. -- 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/ --
