Massapequa home and patch

 The weather has dropped a little over the last few days.  I stepped outside and saw a flock of Cedar Waxwings and a Phoebe in my neighbors' yards.  Between dropping my son off at school and work, I went to the preserve for a little while.  Saw lots of Phoebes, Flickers, Cedar Waxwings.  No sign of the Scarlett Tanagers.  Also saw a bunch of Swamp Sparrows, a Black and White Warbler, female Redstart, few Common Yellowthroats, House Wren, Yellow Rumps, Red Eyed Vireos, and a "late" Warbling Vireo.

Massapequa Preserve "Patch"

 The temperature dropped a little today where the rest of the week will struggle to reach the lower 70's.  When I went outside in the morning I heard some "new" bird calls that I couldn't figure out yet.  Shortly after, another birder reported a Hooded Warbler at Marjorie Post in Massapequa but I didn't have time to look for it and make it back in time for work.  I went to my new local patch at Massapequa Preserve by Pittsburgh Ave.  I saw a Swamp Sparrow, Black and White Warblers, Phoebe, Yellow Rumps by the pond. Also saw a thrush - assuming Swaison's.  Near the preserve entrance there's a tree with berries that continues to host numerous Robins, Red Eye Vireos, Baltimore Oriole and a bunch of Scarlett Tanagers!

Nickerson Beach: Marbled Godwit

 There was a continuing Marbled Godwit at Nickerson on the beach towards Lido Beach so I went and found it.  Also saw lots of Lesser Black Backed Gulls, Great Black Gulls (ebird flagged 250 as exceptional) and a Warbling Vireo which is considered "late" on ebird.

Massapequa Patch

 Saw and heard an unidentified flycatcher.  I assumed it was a Yellow Bellied but my photo wasn't clear enough/ diagnostic for one, so I have to assume it was a Pewee.  I did see lots of Red Eyed Vireos, more femal Scarlett Tanagers, a likely Swainson's Thrush and a Least Flycatcher.

Massapequa Preserve Patch

 Saw 3 female Scarlett Tanagers and a Yellow Bellied Flycatcher!!!

At my house, 2 Cooper's? Hawks were trying to attack a bird in my front bushes.  Also saw a female Redstart a block away from my house.

Migration tonight

 I went outside a couple times tonight and heard lots of bird calling overhead as they migrate. Birdcast radar showing high activity.

During the day, I went to Massapequa Preserve and saw an Olive Sided Flycatcher.

Nickerson, HLSP, Robert Moses, Heckscher, Roseate Spoonbill Part 3

 Took some time with Snouty to look for some of the rarities that have been around.  Went to Nickerson where we found a continuing Baird's Sandpiper right on the beach.  We also noticed lots of dead young Skimmers and terns.  There was an adult tern that seemed to have a broken wing.  We caught up with the Red-Winged Blackbird/ Cowbird flock that had a recent female Yellow Headed Blackbird mixed in but did not find it.  We assume it's gone. At HLSP, it was mostly unproductive but did find a nice looking Magnolia Warbler and some Red Eye Vireos, and a Veery.  I tried looking for flycatchers in the northern part by the houses but no luck there.  We headed to Heckscher to look for shorebirds - bunch of other birders there.  We saw a continuing Western Sandpipers, couple of White Rumped, and 3 Stilt Sandpipers.  On the bay we saw a Royal Tern and some gulls picking up baitfish from the water.  We headed over to Mill Neck where we saw the Spoonbill and I was able to get some decent photos of it after it flew from roosting in a tree on Beaver Lake to the other side of Cleft Road into the marsh.  On the way there, Snouty saw a hawk that was "definitely not" a Red Tailed.  His best guess was Ferruginous but we weren't able to confirm 100%.

Roseate Spoonbill Part 2

 There was a report Saturday on Facebook of a Spoonbill by Beaver Lake/ Mill Pond Preserve in Mill Neck that was later confirmed by ebird reports.  I went Sunday morning and got some good looks at it before it flew further into the marsh/ mudflats.  I'm not sure if this is the same Spoonbill that was recently at Cold Spring Harbor.  Leaning towards that it most likely is the same.

Philadelphia Vireo, Massapequa Preserve

 I woke up early with some plans of going to Robert Moses Field 2 for a long awaited sea-watch but couldn't get out in time to guarantee I didn't have to pay the admission fee.  Since it was a nice day, I decided to try Massapequa Preserve right by my house.  When I got there around 7am, it was very dead which is what I tend to expect there.  All I saw was a few Catbirds and a House Wren.  But once the sun warmed things up a bit, I was treated to a bunch of Redstarts (mostly female), Red Eye Vireos and Parulas.  I got a good luck at one vireo that looked "different".  It was noticeably yellow on the belly and throat and turned out to be my lifer/ no longer nemesis bird, a Philly Vireo.  I couldn't get any photos but didn't try my hardest because I wanted to get some good looks at it.  I also saw a Parula eat a small caterpillar.  It stayed still long enough for me to get a photo.

Yellow Bellied Flycatcher, Lido Beach

 I got up early before work to go with Snouty to try to find a recently reported female Yellow Headed Blackbird.  The last report was from last Wednesday but for reasons I won't mention here, I was very doubtful that it was a legit sighting.  We tried looking around for the blackbird flock it was flying around with, but they were not around.  We did see lots of Semi-palmated Plovers on the grassy fields by the parking lots.  We tried Lido Preserve where we saw a few orioles and an unidentified flycatcher.  At Point Lookout we found a Yellow Billed Cuckoo.  

On a whim, we went into the neighborhood area, at the corner of Neptune and Anchor Roads.  I saw a small bird fly from the telephone wires into a big maple tree that caught my attention.  We both got good looks at it and it was a Yellow Bellied Flycatcher.  It was later joined by 2 Yellow Warblers and at least one Least Flycatcher.  I think I have seen a Yellow Bellied Flycatcher before once at HLSP, but didn't get satisfying looks.  At least I can say for 100% certainty that I finally have a legit lifer Yellow Bellied Flycatcher.  The bird I saw was very yelllow and had all the right field marks.

I should mention that I was up at 4am and heard some birds migrating overhead so I was hoping some new birds would turn up.