As Doug Futuyma and I were leaving Fire Island, Ken Feustel called with news that he'd found a probable White-faced Ibis at nearby Captree Marsh, north of Captree Rd. and west of the Robert Moses Parkway (this area is north of Captree SP). We headed over immediately and reached Ken two minutes after the bird had flown out to the south with a Glossy Ibis. Given the fog, Ken couldn't be sure that the birds hadn't returned a little to the west, and a search of this area produced both the ibis and another novelty for spring on LI, a Stilt Sandpiper in partial breeding plumage.
The White-faced Ibis could be readily distinguished from the 25 or so Glossies present because it was the only immature/non-breeding plumaged individual present, and because it was slightly larger than the others. Fog, distance, and Phragmites were obstacles to close study, but we could readily see the bird's bright red ankles, reddish face and eye, and a vaguely defined but complete band of white feathering behind the eye. Given the bird's non-breeding condition and the constraints on our views, we might not be able to rule out a hybrid with certainty, but I think it looked good for a White-faced. Some very marginal record shots are at the end of this album: https://picasaweb.google.com/109808209543611018404/LongIslandMiscellany2014 This location has limited public access, with a small lot for fishing permit holders on the south side of the loop road. We local birders depend on each other's discretion when visiting the area, in terms of avoiding conflict with the residents and gendarmerie, and we would ask anyone chasing these birds to act accordingly. Shai Mitra Bay Shore ________________________________ CSI Represents NY in Nationwide State Rankings. Learn more>>><http://csitoday.com/2014/04/csi-represents-ny-in-nationwide-state-rankings/> -- 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/ --
