Massapequa Lake: Nassau County Common Gallinules

I decided it was long overdue to check out Massapequa Lake - I was pleasanty surpised when I saw 2 Common Gallinules!  They continued for about a week.  I also saw Northern Shovelers, Coots, Green Heron, Parulas, a Pewee and a Coopers Hawk? harassing an Osprey.

Hempstead Lake State Park

I went to HLSP to try to find a continuing Philadelphia Vireo - didn't have any luck and it was quiet except for the dried up pond that had a lot of action.  Some nice consolation prizes were Wilson's Warbler, Northern Waterthrush, Palm Warbler, and 2 Redstarts.

Fall "Migration", Avalon Preserve: Bobwhite

I was at many locations this day and it was unusually quiet.  (Jones Beach WE, Avalon Preserve, Chandler Estate, Sunken Meadow State Park)  There should be more songbirds coming through this time of year - there were a few around but I had to work hard for them.  Highlights were a Common Eider, 2 Palm Warblers, Prairie Warbler, 2 Pectoral Sandpipers from Jones Beach West End.  The best find for the day was at Avalon Preserve where I saw my lifer Bobwhites!  I saw 4 juveniles and heard an adult calling from the middle of a grassy field.  Presumably, these juveniles are the babies born at the preserve from re-introduced adults.  At Chandler Estate, Mt Sinai I heard a Great Horned Owl hooting, however it was 2:30pm.

Common Eider

Bobwhite

Bobwhite

Smith Point

I looked through the gulls in the parking lot - found an interesting Great Black Backed Gull and a Lesser Black Backed.

juvenile Great Black Backed Gull

Lesser Black Backed Gull

North Fork Sod Fields

Started the day at Jones Beach West End where the highlight was a lot of Red Breasted Nuthatches, apparently the result of an irruption because the northern pine cone seed "crop" were low.  Later, I took a drive out to the sod fields out east with Snouty to look for Golden Plovers since I've only seen one once and it was a juvenile.  There were about 60 Golden Plovers near Sound Avenue, some in adult plumage, as well as 2 Buff Breasted Sandpipers although they could only be seen from a distance.  Also saw a Turkey Vulture.

Red Breasted Nuthatch

American Golden Plovers

Snouty McSnouster's Pelagic Tour: Wilson's Storm Petrel

I went with Snouty on his fishing boat to catch Sea Bass and Fluke as well as trying to get some lifer pelagics.  In the marsh we saw a couple of Clapper Rails and when we got out of the inlet, Mike saw 2 Petrels that I missed.  Luckily later on I saw one for my lifer.  The only other birds out there were Laughing and Great Black Backed Gulls.

When we got back to shore we went to the Jones Beach Ponds where Snouty got his lifer White Rumped Sandpiper.  The other highlight was a Pectoral Sandpiper.

Wilson's Storm Petrel

Jones Beach West End Ponds

I went to the ponds with my birding buddy Mike Snouty mostly to try to find him his lifer Western Sandpiper - we walked through the mud and muck for most of the entire span of the ponds.  We saw the "standard" sandpipers as well as at least 6 Stilts, guessing same amount of Pectorals and Stilts, (one Semipalmated Plover), Short Billed Dowitchers, White Rumped Sandpipers, a Great Blue Heron and a Peregrine Falcon who had "breakfast".  The highlight was a continuing Virginia Rail who was a few feet away from us!  Before we left and assumed we should hit "J-Bay" we ran into Joe V who advised us there was at least 1 Western Sandpiper.  We asked another birder who he referred us to and there was 2 right in front of us!  I'm glad Snouty finally got his lifer Western, not to mention one was in nice plumage.

Later Snouty and I looked for a repored Western Tanager what was seen days earlier at Twelve Pines Park, Medford - no luck. I went to Muttontown Preserve later in the day and it was awfully quiet there - heard wrens and saw a female Redstart.

Virginia Rail!

Peregrine Falcon with "breakfast"

Western Sandpiper

Pectoral and Semipalmated Sandpipers