Jones Beach, Zachs Bay, Tackapausha

I went by the Coast Guard Station to find something new but just saw Laughing Gulls, Common and Least Terns, 2 Black Skimmers, Comorants and a remaining female Greater Scaup.  Leaving the West End, also saw Robins, Brown Thrashers, a Cedar Waxwing and Horned Lark.  Viewed a Glossy Ibis flying overhead  - seems to be a usual occurence there lately.

I tried my luck by Zachs Bay/ the Amphi-theater and saw a few Glossy Ibis take off from behind the stadium but access is blocked so I couldn't locate the spot where they were.  In the distance on the beach I viewed 2 large birds  - after walking a little closer, I discovered they were the pair of Peregrine Falcons that live in the Jones Beach tower.  They caught a bird (Pigeon?) and after a while took off with it and landed in the nearby parking lot.  One of them had dinner while the other circled ahead and occasionally landed.  After a while that one perched on the tower while the other continued eating.  As I was leaving, one was being chased by a few Red-Winged Blackbirds.

During a quick stop at Tackapausha I saw 3 young Black Crowned Night Herons on a fence by the bridge.

Greater Scaup - female

Peregrine Falcons

Peregrine Falcons

Peregrine Falcon

Jones Beach West End, Massapequa Preserve

I stopped by Jones Beach West End where there wasn't anything unusual except a a Glossy Ibis flying overhead - one landed at the pond west of the Teddy Roosevelt Sanctuary (area closed off)  Laughing Gulls, Terns, Willets, Snowy/ Great Egrets, and a Black Skimmer were by the Coast Guard Station area sandbar.  Around the Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary I saw several Horned Larks and House Finches.  A Willet was perched on the wood rails.

There were a lot of songbirds at Massapequa Preserve notably Cedar Waxwings, Eastern Kingbird, Great Crested Flycatcher, Baltimore Orioles - the highlight was on the west side trail between Jerusalem and Pittsburgh Ave - saw a Yellow Billed Cuckoo and a singing Wood Thrush.  I highly recommend this part of the preserve.  The most numerous birds today were Robins, Red-Winged Blackbird, Grackles, Brown Headed Cowbirds and Red Bellied Woodpeckers.  There were also a lot of newly hatched birds throughout the preserve.

There were a few Wood Ducks flying over the lake by Merrick Road.

Black Crowned Night Herons

Red Tailed Hawk, Crow

Yellow Billed Cuckoo

Warbling Vireo?

Wood Duck

Cedar Waxwing

Tern

Yellow Warbler

Wood Thrush

Ruby Throated Hummingbird

Woodpecker feeding young

Plainview

Just a note that I saw a Turkey Vulture gliding over Plainview today around 2:15pm heading South.

Jones Beach West End

Wednesday morning I stopped by the Coast Guard Station sandbar for a little while to look for unusual shorebirds - not much going on except a flock of Laughing Gulls.  Driving back through the West End I saw a Glossy Ibis flyover and a light phase Red Tailed Hawk near one of the entrance ramps.

Laughing Gull

Red Tailed Hawk

Red Tailed Hawk

North Fork, Shirley Marina, Massapequa

On Saturday I drove through North Fork Wine Country to Orient Point -I did notice 7 Turkey Vultures circling relatively low over a field near North Fork Preserve.
 
On Sunday I stopped by Shirley Marina to find a recently reported Wilson's Phalarope - I could not locate it but the "ponds" inside the dirt mounds provided a place where birds can bathe and drink fresh water.  Saw some gulls, sandpipers, a vocal Killdeer, Mallards and a pair of Gadwall.  Along the marsh I found some Willets and a Great White Egret.

When I came home I went on my patio to enjoy the evening and was treated to a Night Heron flying overhead.

Sandpiper - assuming Semi-Palmated

Willet

Jones Beach, Bethpage, Cold Spring Harbor, Lloyd Harbor

Was having a good time with friends today and birding was part of a "nature watching" theme.  Notable mentions were a rather unusually large Red Tailed Hawk in Bethpage, Chipping Sparrows, a Turkey,  and a female Mandarin Duck at Teddy Roosevelt's House in Oyster Bay.  (the Mandarin Duck had a blue band on its leg and was in Cold Spring Harbor)

female Mandarin Duck

Bryant Park, Massapequa Preserve

After work I stopped by Bryant Park and Massapequa Preserve "on the way home".  Highlight was a female Redstart in Bryant Park.