A very foggy morning in the East Hampton area with a stiff ESE breeze on the water. Visibility was very poor. I birded Mecox Bay, Sagaponack Pond, and Georgica Pond from approx 0615 to 0850.
Mecox Bay is not currently communicating with the ocean, however on the bay there are a few exposed sand bars and a sandy flat on which gulls and terns were roosting. The tern flock included an adult SANDWICH TERN, a Royal Tern, and a Roseate Tern among ~50 Common Terns and 22 Black Skimmers. At one point the terns, skimmers, and a few gulls took flight more hastily than usual. Out of the fog over the terns emerged a near adult LONG-TAILED JAEGER, which then passed by me as it headed out to sea. Not the first LTJA I've seen from land in the northeast but the first I've seen OVER land, presumably thanks to the fog and wind direction. It seems to me that from/near land reports of this species in the northeast have increased in recent years, perhaps as a result of more digital photography and increased understanding of jaeger identification? Though I am surprised by the mid-July timing of this bird since I believe this falls between the typical spring and fall migration windows. This will be written up for NYSARC if it is a review species, but here is a brief description: gray above, small black cap, slightly contrasting darker flight feathers on upperside, very long pointed central tail feathers, smooth gray belly and vent, completely white breast with not a hint of a breast band, lack of white on underside of primaries, slim belly, narrow wings, very buoyant flight. I did notice at least a few checkered underwing coverts, so not a full adult. The bird's age may help explain the seasonal timing. Sagaponack Pond had no flats and just a small sandspit or two for roosting birds. There was one first-summer Lesser Black-backed Gull. Georgica Pond had even less habitat, but as I was leaving the fog lessened a bit to reveal a slow trickle of Wilson's Storm-Petrels hugging the shoreline just beyond the surf, heading east. A single Cory's Shearwater as well. These are the first WISP I've noted this week, again possibly thanks to the weather. Migrant shorebirds only represented by 5 SB Dows and a Least Sandpiper. Nick Bonomo Wallingford, CT www.shorebirder.com -- 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/ --
