Massapequa Preserve

Walked home from the LIRR through the preserve - binoculars would have helped, but still saw some decent birds - most notable were Goldfinch, Chimney Swifts and 2 Spotted Sandpipers on the east shore of the Brady Park pond.

Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge - East Pond

After seeing the first good report at the East Pond including Pectoral Sandpipers and a Red Necked Phalarope, I decided it was a good time to visit.

When I arrived at the south end of the East Pond, I saw Canada Geese, lots of Egrets and Black Crowned Night Herons and a Glossy Ibis.  After a little while, they all took off.  Hoping to see sandpipers in decent numbers I became quickly disappointed - although the pond was easy to navigate, the shorebirds were noticeably absent.  Only saw a handful - most were Least Sandpipers, some Yellowlegs and a few Semi-Palmated Plovers and Sandpipers.  I did see a good amount of Northern Waterthrushes.  I did not walk to the North end, but seemed to have some more shorebirds, as well as egrets and swans - I guess I'll start there next time.

Least Sandpiper

Least Sandpipers

Northern Waterthrush

Least Sandpiper

Least Sandpipers

Jones Beach Coast Guard Station/ Short Beach, Green Island

I arrived a little after sunrise to do a quick look, hoping to find some migrating shorebirds - numbers were disappointing - maybe because tide was so low?  Only a handful of Semi-Palmated Sandpipers and Plovers.  Highlights were:  ~10 Great Egrets (6 flying together), 1 Great Blue Heron, 2 Spotted Sandpipers, 1 Clapper Rail.

Also saw a Yellowlegs at Green Island, Wantagh.

Jones Beach Coast Guard Station

Early morning walk around Short Beach and onto the sandbar - not much going on except for a few Clapper Rails that were active and then just as quickly took cover as the sun rose, a few Black Skimmers, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret and a few peeps including a Semi-Palmated Sandpiper that had a "backwards" leg.

Clapper Rail

Clapper Rail

Semi-Palmated Sandpiper - problem with the legs

Jones Beach West End, Lido Beach Preserve, Nickerson Beach, Massapequa Preserve

Now that the beginning of shorebirding is here I headed over to Jones Beach West End - I had a feeling the Jones Beach Coast Guard Station would be a "beach club" for boaters so I knew I would be searching the vernal ponds, or what's left of them between Field 2 and the Teddy Roosevelt Sanctuary.  We won't get into what I witnessed on the Coast Guard Station, but the ponds were mostly empty except for ~20 Least Sandpipers, 1 Semi-Palmated Sandpiper, Killdeer, Canada Geese, and various songbirds including a Flycatcher of some sort - guessing Phoebe.  Seems definite that the Red Phalarope is officially gone.

I had better luck at Lido Beach Preserve where I was treated to 2 Little Blue Herons, Great and Snowy Egrets, Willetts, a single Least Sandpiper and Glossy Ibis.  Black Skimmers, Oystercatchers, Ospreys, and Barn Swallows flew overhead.

Not much at the Nickerson Beach parking lot pond or Massapequa Preserve except there were hundreds of Red Winged Blackbirds and Grackles at the "Doris Place Pond" at Massapequa Preserve.

Least Sandpiper

Least Sandpiper

Least Sandpipers

Barn Swallow

Little Blue Heron

Semi-Palmated Sandpiper

undetermined

Little Blue Heron

Little Blue Heron, Great Egret

Little Blue Heron

Glossy Ibis

Jones Beach West End: Banded Semi-Palmated Sandpiper

I was by the coast guard station from around sunrise to 7am- lots of shorebirds including Oystercatchers, groups of Willetts, Short Billed Dowitchers, Semi Palmated Sandpipers and Plovers and Sanderlings.  One of the Semi-Palmated Sandpipesr had a yellow band on its leg- took a photo but lighting was bad and couldnt make out the letters/ numbers - will upload and enhance the photo later so I can try to report it.  Also seen were Comorants, Canada Geese and Common Terns.

I briefly checked the vernal ponds for the Red Phalarope- only checked the western pond  - just found Canada Geese, Semi Palmated Sandpipers and Plovers and Least Sandpipers.  Swallows were flying over and I saw a sparrow sp. that I'll have to work on identifying - guessing Savanah Sparrow for now

On a side note, weather was pleasant and didnt have any mosquitos or gnats at all.

lots of Willetts

Semi-Palmated Sandpipers

Shorebird mix

Semi-Palmated Sandpiper

Least Sandpiper

Great Egret

banded Semi-Palmated Sandpiper

banded Semi-Palmated Sandpiper

banded Semi-Palmated Sandpiper

Short Billed Dowitchers

Shorebird mix

Common Yellowthroat - female

Bobolink - female

Least Sandpiper

Jones Beach Coast Guard Station

Around sunrise this morning, I checked the area by the Coast Guard Station.  There were some shorebirds but not quite as many as last time - saw mostly Willetts and Oystercatchers as well as Semi-Palmated Sandpipers/ Plovers, Least Sandpipers, Sanderlings, Piping Plover, Spotted Sandpiper, Short Billed Dowitchers, Ruddy Turnstone, Great Egret, Black Crowned Night Heron and 3 Green Herons in the trees by Short Beach.  Osprey and Terns were busy feeding and a Flycatcher was in the trees but unable to ID it.

Short Billed Dowitchers

Semi-Palmated Sandpiper, Sanderling

Shorebirdmix

Willetts

Least Sandpiper

Shorebird mix

Short Billed Dowitchers

Short Billed Dowitcher

Green Heron