Tuesday, 3 August, 2010 - Rockaway peninsula and Jamaica Bay area, Queens County, N.Y. City
There were a couple of big highlights for me today - 2 pelican species - A Brown Pelican flew SW from near the Rockaway inlet, seen from the beach by Beach 25th. The access is a little odd out that way right now, there is a lot of work being done to renovate the old boardwalks... But the beach does have access in that area. A strong onshore wind from the S. and even a bit SE, at first but it switched to straight S., then SW. Timing for this was in the early afternoon, but on a falling tide by then. The other pelican is of course the lingering American White Pelican at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge still up within the E. Pond's north section. First time ever seeing these two species in NY on one day in 1 county for me. Today was also (approximately) my 1,000th visit to the refuge. There was 1 year in the 1990's when I visited on well over 150 days... Also seen, at 6:30 p.m. along the West Pond trail at Jamaica Bay near Bench #8, or actually viewed from #8, but closest to bench #10, was a Black-bellied Whistling-Duck which also came (it seemed to me) out of the vegetation near that wide and somewhat sandy area (inside of the trail on the pond's edge) and almost immediately took off as had many of the Mallards & a few other ducks, from the shores, seeming to fly at least part-way out over the bay & possibly all the way over to Brooklyn. Which could have been the ultimate direction the Brown Pelican took - although it also could have ended up passing anywhere - from Coney Island, NYC to Sandy Hook N.J. ... and so many points between them. I had joined 2 of the stalwart Bay-watchers and regular NYS reporters who were specifically looking for the whistling-duck again today, and I noted that a photographer showed up just minutes too late to get the duck's image in flight, perhaps... although the bird flew out quickly. It \also called a couple of times as it went right by over the trail and out. Water levels at the Jamaica Bay Refuge's East Pond have finally got down to where at least some may venture forth without "knee-high's", but (for most folks) boots, preferably mud and water resistant, will be desired. Mud at the edges is drying but there are still some soft spots so caution is still urged and again - never go on the north edge mud, at the east pond. That area is permanently treacherous to all people. There were a lot of shorebirds again at Jamaica Bay Refuge including the Hudsonian Godwit (apparently the same individual adult still there) as well as two basic (non-breeding) plumaged Wilson's Phalaropes, & at least 18 additional shorebirds - Killdeer, Black-bellied Plover, Semi- palmated Plover, American Oystercatcher, Willet (definitely 'Western'), Pectoral, Stilt, Western (few), Semipalmated (thousands), Least, and Spotted Sandpiper, Red Knot, Ruddy Turnstone, Short-billed Dowitch- er (over 1,500 adults, perhaps a couple of juveniles as with a couple of other species such as Lesser Yellowlegs), Greater Yellowlegs and a single American Woodcock, flushed unintentionally (in the Refuge). There were a few (perhaps 5) Dowitchers that i'd identified as Long- billed, on the East Pond's south section, before the peak of the tide. Altogether I easily estimated 6-8,000 shorebirds and again the high counts were for Semipalmated Sandpiper, & Short-billed Dowitcher, to a lesser extent. There were times when 2,000+ peep were in one view - "peep" being a generic for smaller birds in the genus Calidris. A Black Tern was among Forster's Terns at the East Pond's n. end. Besides the Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, there were also a number of Wood Ducks all in rather drab plumage, Green-winged, and Blue- winged Teals, N. Shjovelers, Gadwall & Ametican Wigeons, besides all the Mallards and American Black Ducks. There was a N. Harrier, that for a minute or two forgot that it was the raptor, and allowed a substantial flock of (200+) peep - perhaps Semipalm. Sandpipers - to harass it in flight, until it gained a little height and 'showed them'. All of the typical herons & egrets of Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge - at this time of year - Great Blue Heron, Little Blue Heron, Great & Snowy Egrets, Black-crowned, & Yellow-crowned Night-Herons & Tricolored Heron, plus Glossy Ibis were all seen in good numbers. Boat-tailed Grackle family goings-on were rather unavaiodable at the West Pond trail's edges. The North Garden while mainly very quiet at the hour I visited, had a few warblers on it's outer edges - the more notable one a bright Blue-winged Warbler. A number of American Redstarts (more than those that may have bred there) were also flitting in that area, & a Ruby-throated Hummingbird is being seen lately, which fits with other local NYC reports of them returning in areas where they probably had not nested ... There seemed to be far fewer Yellow Warblers or Willow Flycatchers - but the winds may have kept a lot of birds activities in literal low profile, this afternoon & evening. Black Skimmers are in rather good numbers and often most common very early & late in day. Jamaica Bay and it's surrounds are pretty special places to see. Good birding; keep an eye to the sky while out there: kite crazy! Tom Fiore, Manhattan -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
