Massapequa Preserve, Massapequa

I know it's not rare at all, but I saw a Greater Yellowlegs at Massapequa Preserve this morning - noteworthy because long time residents of the area have said that the preserve used to be a hotspot for them years ago - I don't know what drove them away, but hopefully today's sighting is some hope that they might return.  American Wigeons, Northern Shovelers, Great Blue Herons, and a Wood Duck were at the ponds north of Sunrise Highway.  I'm hoping the Eurasian Wigeons that have frequented the preserve for the last several winters will return - I'll check at least every few weeks.  Songbirds (nothing uncommon) included Downy and Red Bellied Woodpeckers, Carolina Wrens, Catbirds, Robins,Yellow Rumped Warbler, and White Breasted Nuthatches.

Around my house, several Carolina Wrens were singing.

American Wigeon

Wood Duck

Wood Duck

Yellow Rumped Warbler

White Breasted Nuthatch

Carolina Wren

Smith Point, Mastic Beach

I stopped over here to try to get a look at the beached Finback Whale and find some foxes - didn't see the whale but had a long distance view of a fox by the marsh.  I noticed some waterfowl out on the ocean so gave a look - all appear to be Black Scoters.  Also found a Savanah Sparrow by the parking lot.

Black Scoters

Black Scoters

Patchogue Lake, Patchogue

I saw reports of a Common Gallinule so stopped by  - took a while to find it, but could only get poor distant shot at 120x zoom.  Not the best pic for a positive ID but I'm confident it's the Common Gallinule.  The waterfowl have begun moving in - saw FOS Pied Billed Grebes, Ruddy Ducks, American Wigeons and Coots.

Mute Swans

Common Gallinule

Common Gallinule

Common Gallinule

Jones Beach West End - Migration Fallout!

Looking at posts on ABA about the migration fallout, I headed to the Jones Beach Coast Guard area.  The sandbar only had Oystercatchers and Dunlin, but the hedgerow and wooded areas were teaming with songbirds.  Lots of Kinglets and Phoebes, and White Throated Sparrows.  Got a good view of a cooperative Blue Headed Vireo and female Baltimore Oriole.  Area had lots of birders checking out the action in the hedgerow - great morning.

Blue Headed Vireo

Palm Warbler

Golden Crowned Kinglet

Ruby Crowned Kinglet

Golden Crowned Kinglet

Baltimore Oriole - female

Baltimore Oriole - female

Robin

"the scene" at the Coast Guard area

Special Post: Long Billed Dowitcher and Stilt Sandpiper, Jamaica Bay East Pond

When I was at Jamaica Bay, I saw the last few sandpipers - besides the Long Billed Dowitcher and Stilt Sandpiper there was only a Semi Palmated Sandpiper.  I was within 10 feet of the so got some good shots that deserve to be on the blog.

Stilt Sandpiper, Long Billed Dowitcher

Stilt Sandpiper, Long Billed Dowitcher

Stilt Sandpiper, Long Billed Dowitcher

Long Billed Dowitcher

Stilt Sandpiper, Long Billed Dowitcher

Stilt Sandpiper, Long Billed Dowitcher

Stilt Sandpiper, Long Billed Dowitcher

 Long Billed Dowitcher

Stilt Sandpiper, Long Billed Dowitcher

Stilt Sandpiper

Stilt Sandpiper

Green Island, Jones Beach West End, Plumb Beach, Jamaica Bay, Massapequa Preserve, Oyster Bay, Bayville Creek, Shu Swamp

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.

Semi Palmated Sandpiper

Stilt Sandpiper

Stilt Sandpiper, Long Billed Dowitcher

Egrets (can't determine species) mostly

Great Blue Heron

Savanah Sparrow

Common Loon

Great Egret

Double Crested Comorants

Oystercatchers, Black Skimmers

Oystercatchers, Black Skimmers

Great Egret

Northern Flicker

Merlin

Phoebe

Northern Wheatear

Northern Wheatear

Northern Wheatear

Bryant Park, NYC

Along with all the excitement of Mourning and Connecticut Warblers in the city, and a Northern Wheatear at Plum Beach, Brooklyn, I also saw a post today about Bryant Park which included a Grey Cheeked Thrush.  Since I recently saw a lifer Swainson's Thrush, I decided to try my luck - I wasn't disappointed and found the Grey Cheeked Thrush during lunch as well as Common Yellowthroats, Ovenbirds, Catbirds, White Throated Sparrows (tan morph) and a Northern Waterthrush.  Sadly, the lawn is being torn up so either that will scare the birds away or just force them to stay among the flower beds and shrubs around the park.

Grey Cheeked Thrush