"I'm sharing my photos and stories of my bird watching adventures on Long Island. I also feature my sightings from around the USA and other countries when I travel. I hope you enjoy them." - Rob (from Massapequa)
There has been a continuing Common Gallinule at Mill Pond - I saw a recent ebird report that mentioned it had a red shield, which I've never seen before. I went to Mill Pond and found it and got decent looks. I also found a continuing female Blue Winged Teal and a Kingfisher.
As I was out and about, I got a message in whatsapp that Sy Schiff had passed away at 90. I remember seeing and talking to him especially when I started birding. He was always very polite and tried to be helpful to new birders. It was very interesting to hear his perspective as he was a long time birder. Rather than write a story about the times I met him, I'll list some of the memories I have of him that are personal to me.
always seemed to have a thing for sparrows and clapper rails at Oceanside Marine Nature Study
I would keep going back to Oceanside to try to get my lifer Clapper Rail because of his reports
"I don't like that bird" I was with him the day Long Island got a bunch of off course Franklin's Gulls and he saw a Franklin's Gull at the Captree parking lot - (he wasn't convinced it was a Franklin's Gull, but it was)
when I saw my lifer Pomarine Jaeger sitting on the sand at Jones Beach West End(my birding claim to fame) he commented to me, that's the least likely seen jaeger that would be seen from shore
He will be missed
I was on the way to NYC Mike's hgolouse and stopped at Greenwood Cemetery "on the way". I had to try for the Common Redpolls that have been seen there and this time I got lucky - I saw one within about 2 minutes. I later found a second in the same area. I also saw goldfinches and pine siskins.
I have to count but I think I made it to lifer #400
After meeting Mike we went to Central Park. We looked for the Barred Owl but a couple said it wasn't there (more about that later). As we moved on, we met another birder who told us the Barred Owl had been seen ealier that day - strange right? We went to the reservoir and found the continuing Greater White Fronted Goose. We went back to where the Barred Owl was reported and a local birder pointed it out to us. Long story short, I have reason to believe that the couple we met earlier misled us and didn't want to help us see the Barred Owl. real jerks
I wasn't having much luck in early January. There was a female Spotted Towhee in Baldwin that I tried to see, but it was skulky and didn't get to see it. I wasn't too upset because I saw a male in California so it wasn't a missed lifer. I also tried but failed to find reported Common Redpolls at Jones Beach and Greenwood Cemetery. I took a day to go to Greenwood and various spots around Long Island such as Cedar Creek in Seaford, Shu Swamp and Teddy Roosevelt Beach in Oyster Bay. I did see Pine Siskins at Greenwood and a refound a reported Snow Goose at Teddy Roosevelt on the rocks by the boat ramp. I also found 2 Greater Yellowlegs by Cedar Creek so at least I found something cool n my own instead of chasing other birders' reports.
Recently here and there, I did go to Jones Beach West End and see Snowy Owls in the distance (being chased by photographers) and a continuing flock of Red Crossbills. Not sure if I mentioned earlier in my blog but it's an irruption year for finches. Always nice to see Red Crossbills, a rare treat on Long Island.
So 2020 wasn't the best year - the COVID pandemic and it's effect prevented me from birding as much as I would have liked to. I did manage to go birding sometimes which included a trip to Maine and 2 trips to the Sterling Forest area. I only saw 2 life birds this past year, however, I did get better looks at some species that I haven't seen well before - notably a perched Broad Winged Hawk upstate (before that I only saw them in flight) Birding at Ironwood Road/ Sterling Forest was awesome - I saw a Brewster's Warbler and lifer Golden Winged Warbler. I'll definitely go back in the spring. Maine was a bit disappointing because I was expecting to see white winged gulls and Barred Owls everywhere, but at least I saw a bunch of Black Guillemots.
This fall was interesting because I saw some cool warblers on or around my property in Massapequa. I was treated to 2 long visiting Parulas (my son nicknamed them Pingus and Pongus), a Black Throated Warbler and a Tennessee Warbler!
I'm not complaining but hopefully will see more life birds in 2021.
