Saturday, January 20, 2018

Point Lookout King Eiders

King Eiders were reported between Point Lookout and Jones Beach...several other reports including males popped up around Long Island including Setauket? and Brooklyn.  At one point, there were 6 King Eiders reported at Jones West End off the jetty (1 almost mature male, 1 immature male, 4 females)  I went one day to Point Lookout and found the mostly mature male, 1 female.  Other birds included a Horned Grebe, Common Eider, Snow Buntings, 8 Purple Sandpipers, 2 Ruddy Turnstones, Black and Surf Scoters, and lots of Scaup, predominately Greater.

I went back with Snouty and struck out on the King Eiders, but did see 3 Harlequins.  Went back another day and had a good King Eider day - mostly mature male, immature male (seen through the scope of another birder who found it for us) and good views of a female King Eider.  Also saw 20? Bonaparte Gulls, a Common Goldeneye.  I will always remember the close up King Eider we saw in Massachusetts, but I'm not complaining about a 3 King Eider day on Long Island.

King Eider
King Eider female (wings out)

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