I hadn't heard reports of this bird in over four months and I wouldn't usually think to chase such birds, but I did today. And it's still there - namely the RED-HEADED WOODPECKER at Muttontown Preserve. This in an immature, now sporting a fair amount of red on the head. To look for it, take the trail southeastward from the nature center. Within site of the nature center, there's a vernal pond on the right. Look in the trees surrounding the pond, usually about two-thirds the way up toward the tops of the trees. A picture can be seen at http://www.stevewalternature.com/ .
>From there, I hit some water spots on the north shore. A RED-NECKED GREBE was at the end of the long (closed off) pier in Oyster Bay. A dozen Common Mergansers and two Pintails were among the ducks on nearby Mill Pond, with an Osprey flying over. St. John's Pond had a robust number of about 80 Ring-necked Ducks and a pair of Redheads. On the east side of Cold Spring Harbor, there were two RED-NECKED GREBES, both at one time or another close to the little fishing pier almost opposite the Harbor Mist restaurant. One of these is in very nice plumage. I've been keeping tabs on the two that I found on the Mill River for the opportunity to get breeding plumage pictures. I'd been seeing what I assumed to be the same two weekly, although upriver from the original spot. I only found one yesterday, but the bill pattern suggested a new individual. So they seem to be still shuffling around. Back on Redheads, there was a cooperative pair fairly close to shore on Baldwin's Milburn Pond, if you're looking for that. Yea, Redheads everywhere now. In Queens, there were 36 on Baisley Pond last weekend and two continue on Oakland Lake. Steve Walter Bayside, NY -- 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/ --
