Sue and I spent four days out at Montauk doing some birding, but the weather would not cooperate. On Thursday, the best day weather-wise, we found the previously reported Hudsonian Godwit at Sagg Pond. On a rainy Friday highlights included a Cackling Goose at Deep Hollow Ranch, and four Red-necked Grebes in Fort Pond Bay with an additional Red-necked Grebe off the Point. On a windy Saturday we observed two immature Bald Eagles flying over Fort Pond and a Short-eared Owl in the Napeague marsh at dusk. On Saturday we also observed a mixed Scoter/Eider flock off the south side of the Point at Camp Hero that we estimated at 45,000 birds. Today we spent an hour at the Point observing what can only be described as "Victory at Sea" - the wind was so strong that our car was covered in salt spray while sitting in the Montauk parking lot. Going anywhere near the beach risked getting sandblasted. On the negative side we did not see a single alcid during our four days at the Point. A non-birding highlight included a group of Gray Seals that put on a nice show just off the restaurant overlook. We hoped for better weather but when you go to Montauk in November you "takes your chances".
Ken & Sue Feustel -- 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/ --
