Nickerson Beach: Brown Booby

Got a call from Snouty that a Brown Booby was just reported at Nickerson Beach - we headed over there and saw the bird on a Piping Plover cage on the west tern colony.  Unfortunately, it was getting attacked by terns.

Brown Booby

Nickerson Beach: Arctic Tern

Went to Nickerson again - noticed a "different" looking juvenile tern.  With some help on Facebook bird ID pages, I was able to confirm it was my lifer Arctic Tern.

Arctic Tern (on left)

Jones Beach West End

After a couple of attempts I caught up with the continuing 2 Black Neck Stilts at the Jones Beach swale.

Black Necked Stilt

Nickerson Beach

On June 6th there was a belated report of 2 Sandwich Terns but by the time I arrived they were gone,,,I just saw 3 Royal Terns.  On June 7th and 9 there were reports of an Arctic Tern (missed) and a Black Tern June 7th (missed)  The only uncommon tern I saw was a Roseate that was banded  I also saw some banded Oystercatchers - one ate a tern egg when all the terns took to the air for no apparent reason.

Spring Migration: Third Week of May

A lot of "good" birds were seen May 16th and 17th but on May 18th they all seemed to have moved on.  Notable birds were Bay Breasted Warbler males at Hempstead Lake SP and Washington park/ playground.  At HLSP I saw Canada Warbler, Black Throated Green, Black Throated Blue, Magnolia Warbler, Chestnut Sided Warbler female, Scarlett Tanager, Wood Pewee, ~12 Swainson's Thrushes, and a Least Flycatcher!

Spring Migration: Second week of May

Wasn't the best conditions for the normal peak time for spring migration - northwest winds surely prevented an influx of new migrants.  Summer Tanagers and Kentucky Warblers seemed to pop up but not much else.  The best sighting I had this week was a Tennessee Warbler at Hempstead Lake State Park that I got to see very well and up close.

My highlights:

Uplands Farm Sanctuary - Orchard Oriole, 2 Bald Eagles (high up)

Hempstead Lake State Park - Tennessee Warbler, Blackpoll, Orchard Oriole, FOS Red Eye Vireo, Redstart, Solitary Sandpiper

Massapequa Preserve - Yellow Billed Cuckoo, young Mourning Dove

Spring Migration - first week of May

Some highlights:
Hempstead Lake State Park:
Ruby Throated Hummingbird, Warbling Vireo, Blue Gray Gnatcatcher, Redstart, Northern Waterthrush, Eastern Kingbird, Great Crested Flycatcher

Massapequa Preserve:
Warbling Vireo, Blue Gray Gnatcatchers (1 pair at nest)

Lido Preserve:
Clapper Rails, 2 Short Billed Dowitchers

Jones Beach West End:
Worm Eating Warbler, Blue Grosbeak, single Black Skimmer at the Coast Guard sandbar

Blue Gray Gnatcatcher

Warbling Vireo

Clapper Rail (with Fiddler Crab)