I started out my day as I normally do by heading over to the Jones Beach Coast Guard area - I stopped at Green Island for a few minutes where I saw a Great Blue Heron in "the cove" and noticed a good amount of Savanah Sparrows, my FOS. Tree Swallows seemed to endlessly fly over. At the Coast Guard area, I got a few good pics of Oystercatchers, Black Skimmers, Great Egrets and a Common Loon on the sandbar - also saw distant Forster Terns, Dunlin, a continuing injured Black Bellied Plover, and an occasional Black Duck or Merlin flyng over. I checked out the median and saw some more Merlin, Flickers, Phoebes and a Ruby Crowned Kinglet that escaped my camera.
After hearing some good advice from another birder, I decided it was in my best interest to take a drive and try to find the Northern Wheatear that was being reported recently. When I got there, I met some other birders who had seen it before I arrived, but seemed to be hiding from everyone now. After they left to look for sparrows in the marsh, I walked around the goldenrod patch to see if the Wheatear was visible from another angle and/ or to give it some breathing room to come out for an appearance. Long story short, it paid off and I waved for the other birders to come back for a look.
I was so close to Jamaica Bay so made sense to check it out - stopped by the East Pond which mostly had ducks (saw Black Ducks, Northern Shovelers and Blue Winged Teal) The last of the shorebirds were represented by my lifer Long Billed Dowitcher, Stilt Sandpiper, Semi Palmated Sandpiper. I was within 10 feet of the shorebirds and got some great shots (see more recent post)
Massapequa Preserve had the usual suspects - Cedar Waxwings and Robins - also saw a Phoebe.
There were reports of a Bald Eagle around Bayville Creek, but all I could find was a Red Tailed Hawk and Osprey. Besides both Egrets and a Great Blue Heron, the only shorebirds were 2 Yellowlegs. Shu Swamp wasn't eventful except for an unknown warbler (possible Palm), Robins, distant Osprey and an unknown raptor flying overhead.
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| Semi Palmated Sandpiper |
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| Stilt Sandpiper |
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| Stilt Sandpiper, Long Billed Dowitcher |
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| Egrets (can't determine species) mostly |
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| Great Blue Heron |
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| Savanah Sparrow |
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| Common Loon |
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| Great Egret |
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| Double Crested Comorants |
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| Oystercatchers, Black Skimmers |
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| Oystercatchers, Black Skimmers |
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| Great Egret |
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| Northern Flicker |
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| Merlin |
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| Phoebe |
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| Northern Wheatear |
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| Northern Wheatear |
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| Northern Wheatear |
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