Long Island Birding: Jones Beach West End, Jamaica Bay East Pond: Prairie Warbler, PECTORAL SANDPIPER, Black Tern

Thursday, August 27, 2015

Jones Beach West End, Jamaica Bay East Pond: Prairie Warbler, PECTORAL SANDPIPER, Black Tern

I started the morning with a walk at Jones Beach West End on the ocean side - I walked from the SW corner of the West End 2 lot down to the jetty and up along the inlet. On the shore, there were hundreds of Sanderlings and Common Terns as well as a Least Sandpiper and Short Billed Dowitcher. A Peregrine Falcon was sitting on the beach and then chased the Sanderlings. A few Ruddy Turnstones were along the inlet on the rocks.

I checked out the Coast Guard area where I saw another birder by the brush area - I went over and saw lots of warblers darting between the shrubbery - Magnolias, female Redstarts, Common Yellowthroat females, Yellow, and lifer Prairie Warblers.

I proceeded to Jamaica Bay East Pond to try for my target "nemesis bird", the Pectoral Sandpiper. Overall number of shorebirds were very low, however there were some good ones in there... but you had to work hard to find them. Highlights were some Short Billed Dowitchers and 2 juvenile Black Terns (lifers) on the North End. After trudging through the mud, I had enough of Jamaica Bay and headed back to the car, but then I saw a report of a Red Necked Phalarope on the south end. I rushed over, and walked up from the south end - no Red Necked Phalarope in sight. I did see around 3 Western Sandpipers, a few Semi and Leasts, a Brant and Pied Billed Grebe. Feeling somewhat disappointed I walked back out - right before I got out of the pond I spotted a distinctive sandpiper - I knew right away it was my lifer Pectoral! Got killer views of it feeding with a Lesser Yellowlegs and Least Sandpiper - mission accomplished! Also visited Nickerson Beach and Seaman's Neck Park.