The main highlight of a full day spent on both the north and south shores of eastern Suffolk County was the previously reported PINK-FOOTED GOOSE. I found it in a field at the intersection of Northville Turnpike and Sound Avenue, one of the locations it was seen at before if I'm not mistaken. It only stuck around for a few minutes (long enough for a few distant digiscoped photos) before flying out with part of the Canada Goose flock in which it was embedded. As that group flew south, it broke into smaller groups heading in different directions, so I can't say for sure exactly which way the Pink-footed went. I later found another large gathering of geese in a stubble field on the west side of Route 105, south of Northville Tpke. Despite it's size, this flock held only Canadas as far as I could see.
Other highlights (and some misses) of the day are as follows: Shinnecock Inlet/Dune Road: King Eider (1 female), Iceland Gull (1-2, 1st winter), Boat-tailed Grackle (2), Ipswich Savannah Sparrow (2). No Red-necked Grebe at any of the docks--lots of ice in the water. No Snowy Owls. Northville/Riverhead area: 1 Iceland Gull (Iron Pier beach, returning adult); ~150 Horned Lark and 10-12 Snow Bunting (field at corner of Doctor's Path and Reeve's Ave.); 4-5 American Pipit and 1 imm. White-crowned Sparrow (Buffalo ranch, Reeve's and Roanoke Ave.); 1 American Kestrel (female, Penny's Road); 2-3 N. Harriers throughout the area, all gray ghosts. At the Buffalo ranch it was interesting to see Brown-headed Cowbirds in something close to their original milieu--feeding in the footsteps of bison. Hulse Landing Road: another 100 or so Horned Larks. EPCAL: 1 E. Meadowlark, 8 Savannah Sparrows, 12 Horned Larks; unfortunately I saw no Short-eared Owls, despite staying until 5:30. http://www.flickr.com/photos/jgluth_brb/sets/72157639292692304/ -- 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/ --
