On Sunday afternoon, May 25, I spent about two hours walking the dike at the West "Pond", from both directions. It was low tide, and the former pond was a large mudflat, with some higher bars on which some Forster's Terns loafed. Other than those and some foraging sandpipers, it was nearly devoid of birds. I kept a careful count of the birds I saw within and the perimeter, as well as more general notes on those outside the perimeter, in the fringing marsh and bay.
I thought it would be interesting to compare these sightings from records at this time of year in previous years, so I have compiled information from my own notes in 2011, 2008, and 2007. Shai Mitra kindly made available records of sightings by Patricia Lindsay and himself, from which I drew data for four years. Most of the data from previous years do not specify whether a bird was seen within the cionfines of the West Pond dike, or elsewhere in the West Pond/East Pond complex, and I have indicated those data by parentheses. It will be seen that except for the shorebirds that were foraging in the West "Pond" on Sunday (mostly Semipalmated Sandpipers), bird life was sparse; in particular, ducks were entirely lacking. Even including 3 species that I saw outside the perimeter, the numbers of species and individuals were low compared to most earlier tallies. I URGE CONERNED INDIVIDUALS TO SIGN THE WEST POND PETITION, if you have not yet done so. It will soon be submitted to its intended recipients. It takes only a minute to access it at www.tinyurl.com/West-Pond-Petition! The comparative compilation follows. Doug Futuyma Stony Brook and New York City Comparison of late May sightings at JBWR West Pond – Douglas Futuyma My sightings this year (May 25, 2014) compared to my sightings on May 22, 2011, May 25, 2008, and May 26, 2007, as well as sightings by Patricia Lindsay and Shai Mitra on May 18, 2008, May 20, 2007, May 21, 2011, and May 22, 2010. Values in parentheses do not distinguish whether birds were seen within the confines of the West Pond dike, or elsewhere in West Pond/East Pond complex. Square brackets indicate sighting from West Pond dike but not within. *Species* *5/25/14* *5/22/11* *5/25/08* *5/26/07* *5/18/08* *5/20/07* *5/21/11* *5/22/10* *Can Goose* *2 [+8]* *(30)* *(20)* *Mute Swan* *2 [+2]* *Gadwall* *4* *20* *4* *4* *Am Wigeon* *(1)* *Black Duck* *yes* *30* *(20)* *5* *Mallard* *[2]* *yes* *yes* *(30)* *Blue-w Teal* *1* *N. Shoveller* *3* *Gr-w Teal* *1* *Gr Scaup* *4* *2* *(5)* *Less. Scaup* *1)* *Red-b Merg* *4* *1* *(1)* *(6)* *Rudd Duck* *(145)* *(40)* *(20)* *54* *(20)* *D Cormor* *[4]* *yes* *(10)* *L Bittern* *1* *Great Egret* *1 [+1]* *(1)* *(10)* *yes* *Sn Egret* *7 [+1]* *(5)* *(2)* *yes* *(1)* *(3)* *G B Heron* *(1)* *(3)* *Tri Heron* *(1)* *L B Heron* *(1)* *Gr Heron* *1* *2* *B-c N Heron* *(3)* *(1)* *(1)* *(1)* *(12)* *Yc N Heron* *[2]* *(3)* *(2)* *(5)* *(5)* *(1)* *(8)* *Glossy Ibis* *1 [+25]* *(20)* *(15)* *(15)* *(5)* *(1)* *(8)* *C. Moorhen* *(1)* *(1)* *Semi. Plover* *1* *(2)* *(2)* *(12)* *Spot Sandp* *(5)* *(2)* *(3)* *(5)* *Gr Yell-legs* *1* *1* *(3)* *(5)* *L Yell-legs* *1* *2* *Semi Sandp* *50 [+30]* *4* *yes* *(250)* *(50)* *Least Sandp* *8* *(20_)* *(10)* *(20)* *Wh-r Sandp* *2* *(2)* *S-b Dowitch* *(25)* *(10)* *(2)* *Red-n Phal* *1* *Comm Tern* *(1)* *Forster’s T* *45* *10* *(15)* *(15* *6* *Bl Skimmer* *1* *1* * # species* *9 [+3]* *19* *18* *13* *13* *16* *13* *7* -- 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/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/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/ --
