Massapequa Preserve

I was at Massapequa Preserve yesterday from 4:30-7:30pm, walked from Sunrise Highway North to about Jerusalem Ave.  Catbirds...everywhere.  Besides that, there were about 8 Common Terns at the lake by Brady Park...usually the preserve will have one or two on each lake during the summer.  Also by Brady Park, a Warbling Vireo was defending it's nest from anything that got near...mostly Red Winged Blackbirds and Grackles.  There's a continuing resident mix of domestic ducks on the lake -one red-brown Muscovy and some domesic Mallards/ possible hybrids.

The rest of the preserve was uneventful except the west path...heard a singing Wood Thrush (self explanatory), saw a Great Crested Flycatcher and an Eastern Wood Pewee.  Only warbler I saw were Yellow, which are numerous at the preserve.  Note: mosquitoes were awful on the smaller paths

Eaatern Wood Pewee

Bryant Park, NYC

NYC Birder Mike and I have been checking the southeast corner of Bryant Park for new species - between Thursday and Friday we've seen Black and White Warblers, Starling, White Throated Sparrows, Ovenbirds, Northern Waterthrush and a Wood Thrush.

White Throated Sparrow

Black and White Warbler

Northern Waterthrush

Starling

Ovenbird

Massapequa Preserve

I made a brief visit yesterday evening by the Pittsburgh Avenue pond  - there's a group of bushes by the pond that seems to be a good spot for warblers - saw a Yellow and Magnolia Warbler there as well as a Baltimore Oriole.  Yellow Warblers were numerous on the path leading to the pond- more heard than seen.

Baltimore Oriole

Jones Beach West End, Massapequa Preserve

Over the weekend, I briefly stopped by the Jones Beach Coast Guard Station and Massapequa Preserve.  By the Coast Guard Station I saw Common Terns, Black Bellied and Piping Plovers on the sandbar - from what I could see, I assume there were also Sanderlings, Semipalmated Sandpipers and Plovers but I couldn't get better looks from the sun glare  - it was windy and my son was with me, so I chose not to stay and investigate.  An Eastern Kingbird posed for a photo - I saw one or two? Eastern Wood-Pewees but couldn't get a good photo.

I took my daughter along to Massapequa Preserve by the Sunrise Highway lake to investigate a nest I saw recently - turned out to be an active nest for a pair of Warbling Vireos.  We also saw about 5 terns and a Baltimore Oriole.  I returned Sunday evening and saw a Great Crested Flycatcher and a Hummingbird feeding at a yellow iris.  This was the second time I recently found both species so perhaps the preserve might prove to be a reliable area to find these birds.  I heard a weird call/ song to the south of the pond - sounded like a type of game bird but could not locate anything.

Common Tern

Warbling Vireo in nest

Baltimore Oriole

Chimney Swift

Black Crowned Night Heron

Eastern Kingbird

Tree Swallow

Massapequa Preserve, Bryant Park, NYC

I stopped by the preserve before work - saw Chimney Swifts flying over between the lake and LIRR parking lot - also Goldfinches and Yellow Warblers.

Following reports of a Lincoln Sparrow at Bryant Park, I headed over there with city birder Mike who relocated it at "the shed".  Also found Common Yellowthroats and the park was crawling with Ovenbirds.

Jones Beach, Nickerson Beach, Point Lookout, Massapequa, Muttontown, Fuchs Pond, Cold Spring Harbor

I went to a number of places: Green Island, Wantagh, Jones Beach Wet End, Nickerson Beach, Point Lookout, Massapequa and Muttontown Preserves, Fuchs Pond, Crab Meadow Beach, Uplands Farm Sanctuary, St John's Pond – will just include the highlights:

Green Island, Wantagh – semi-palmated plovers all over the place

Jones Beach West End – Red Knots on the Coast Guard sandbar, 9 Glossy Ibis overhead flying west, Scarlet Tanager pair, Rose Breasted Grosbeaks, Great Scaup female and Common Loon still present

Nickerson Beach – Common Terns and Black Skimmers (video at bottom of post)

Point Lookout – raft of ~75 Black Scoters
(Brant were still present on both shores - flocks of Comorants were seen heading north during the day)

Muttontown Preserve – Turkey Vulture over the large field, Bobolink female

Massapequa Preserve – 2 Great Crested Flycatchers, Wood Thrush singing

Scarlet Tanager - male

Scarlet Tanager - female

Rose Breasted Grosbeak

Baltimore Oriole

Black and White Warbler

Common Yellowthroat

Cardinal

Chickadee

Wood Thrush

Veery

possible Swainson's Thrush

Great Crested Flycatcher

Bobolink (female)

Blue Jay

Swallow

Savannah Sparrow

Turkey Vulture

Glossy Ibis

Red Knots, Black Bellied Plovers

Black Crowned Night Heron

Green Heron

Sanderling

Black Skimmers

Common Terns

Black Skimmers

Black Skimmer and Common Tern

Great Black Backed Gull

Black Scoters

 Black Skimmers and Common Terns

Massapequa Preserve

I stopped by the preserve for about an hour yesterday looking for warblers -I could not find the Black Throated that I saw the last few days or a Cerulean seen by another birder, but found a Magnolia, Chestnut Sided, Green Winged, Back and White, and a Yellow.  Comorant was "posing" on the pond by Pittsburgh Avenue.

Magnolia Warbler

Yellow Warbler

Chestnut Sided Warbler

Double Crested Comorant

Bryant Park, NYC

I stopped by Bryant Park with NYC birder Mike during our “lunch break” for a quick look by the shed.  It has been slower than last year but hopefully picking up now…saw  Hermit Thrush, Ovenbirds, White Throated Sparrow, and a Common Yellowthroat.  A Wood Thrush also made a quick appearance.  Besides the Hermit  Thrush, most birds seemed skittish.  Wish I could have stayed longer – have a feeling there was more to find.

Hermit Thrush

Ovenbird

Wood Thrush