Philip Dempsey and I spent the whole day birding in the Hamptons, working from Montauk West to Shinecock Inlet (on the Southampton side). First bird of the year was an EASTERN SCREECH-OWL in my yard in East Hampton just before dawn. Best things today included an ICELAND GULL, a close female KING EIDER, and 8 PURPLE SANDPIPERS at Camp Hero (along with many scoters, gannets, razorbills, etc). We had 2 RED-NECKED GREBES at Culloden Point, a LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL at Napeague, and an immature GLAUCOUS GULL at Sag Main (a huge very white one). The Southampton ponds gave us 6 REDHEADS at Coopers Neck Pond along with a good mix of more common ducks. A late GREAT EGRET along Dune Road in Southampton was trumped by a SNOWY OWL scoped from the inlet. Finally, in keeping with the large white birds theme, we had 4 SNOW GEESE (one "Blue Goose") along Town Line Road in Wainscott in the fading light.
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