Long Island Birding: September 2014

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Bryant Park, NYC

I figured I should provide a list of what I saw today at Bryant Park (1:00-2:00pm today):

Lots of Common Yellowthroats and Catbirds scattered about, House Wren by the SE "begonia patch", Brown Thrasher and a Northern Waterthrush SW corner, Swainson's Thrush by the birdbath (had to re-review iphones photos to confirm ID). The coolest thing was a partially leucistic House Sparrow in the SW area by that bar place. Not sure if same as the one reported earlier in the year.

I tried the front of the library for the recently reported injured Black Throat Green Warbler, but no luck - difficult to get a good look unless you snoop around the bushes.

I went back around 6pm on the way home - mostly female and a few male Common Yellowthroats.

Swainson's Thrush

partial leucistic House Sparrow

Monday, September 22, 2014

Bryant Park, NYC

I stopped by Bryant Park to check out the action with local NYC birder Mike who spotted "something new" earlier in the day. Upon closer inspection we discovered 2 Brown Thrashers - a first for us in Bryant Park.

Saturday, September 20, 2014

Jones Beach West End

I'm always drawn to the Jones Beach Coast Guard Marina as one of my favorite birding spots - on the weekends during the nicer weather, I try to get there early in the morning - usually by mid-day. There's a bunch of boaters who use the sandbar as their "vacation destination" and chase the shorebirds away. With the recent sightings I thought it would be worthwhile to check it out again. In addition to the continuing Marbled Godwit, I saw a large flock of Sanderlings (200+), continuing Red Knots, Oystercatchers (one tagged), some Short Billed Dowitchers, and a Dunlin and Semi Palmated Sandpiper in the mix. A Peregrine Falcon invited itself to breakfast and picked out a tern for the main course. A Black Scoter and a Common Loon were also seen.

north side of the sandbar - always worth a look

Red Knot, Short Billed Dowitcher

Marbled Godwit, Oystercatchers (one tagged)

Peregrine Falcon with tern

Sanderlings

Bryant Park, NYC

Since I haven't been looking for songbirds recently, I make a point to stop by the shed at Bryant Park. With my friend, NYC birder Mike, he spotted a female Redstart - the Redstart was putting on some kind of bold display showing off the yellow in it's tail feathers - was quite a show. On a side note, we've been noticing an occasional White Throated Sparrow during the past week.

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Jones Beach West End

I stopped by the Coast Guard Marina in the evening because I had a feeling something would be there - I spotted the continuing Marbled Godwit right away with the mixed flock of Oystercatchers, Black Bellied Plovers and Red Knots that have been in the area. I noticed an odd colored shorebird next to another "unusual" looking shorebird - turned out to be 2 Hudsonian Godwits! I believe one was the same I found on Monday and was either joined by a second or the second was already there but avoided my binoculars. Since I had a good view of the shorebirds Monday, I'll have to assume the second was a new arrival. 2 Royal Terns added to the excitement.

Herring Gull, RMSP

Short Billed Dowitcher, RMSP

Black Bellied Plover, RMSP

Ruddy Turnstone, RMSP

Short Billed Dowitchers, RMSP

Tern, RMSP

Jones Beach Coast Guard sandbar (south end view)

2 Hudsonian Godwits, Oystercatchers, Black Bellied Plovers

Marbled Godwit (center)

more Oystercatchers flying in

Black Skimmers mixed in with the Oystercatchers

Black Bellied Plover

Royal Terns

another view of the Marbled Godwit

Monday, September 15, 2014

Jones Beach West End, Nickerson Beach, Point Lookout, Robert Moses, Sunken Meadow, St John's Pond, Norman Levy Preserve

I started the day as I usually do at Green Island and the Jones Beach Coast Guard Station - at Green Island I saw a large flock of Brown Headed Cowbirds and at the Coast Guard Marina a Caspian Tern was flying East, plunging hard into the water every several seconds. I checked the weedy patch by the Coast Guard looking for songbirds and found a juvenile Magnolia Warbler. The rest of the day was mostly uneventful except for the Black Skimmers at Point Lookout (not at Nickerson) and when I returned to the Jones Beach Marina in the evening:

When I came back searching the sandbar, all I saw was a Royal Tern and a sandpiper I could not ID (turned out to be a Red Knot) I decided to walk around the bay and go onto the spit using the "tidal sandbar" to get a better look at the sandpiper (Red Knot). When I arrived on the North side of the spit I was surprised to see a variety of shorebirds: 200+ Oystercatchers to the west and a mix of Black Bellied Plovers, Red Knots, and Dowitchers to the east. I inched my way over so that I had a good frontal view of the shorebirds. To my delight I spotted a lifer Marbled Godwit and Hudsonian Godwit. The Marbled Godwit did it's own thing and walked to the south side of the spit (main sandbar) Some time later, the Oystercatchers got chatty and took off - the other shorebirds followed about 5 minutes later. They landed on another sandbar close to the Loop Parkway (need to find a way to observe that spot - think only by boat) When I walked back to the marina dock, I got more views of the Marbled Godwit - another birder pointed out a Lesser Black Backed Gull that I missed on the sandbar so 3 lifers for me in one day!