Massapequa: Great Horned Owl heard

Occasionally at night I have heard a Great Horned Owl hooting from the preserve (I live 2 blocks away).

Massapequa Preserve

Stopped by the preserve since I haven't been there in a long time...not much going on today:
flyby Kingfisher
continuing Wood Duck with female Mallard
Song Sparrows
Mute Swans
2 Yellow Rumped Warblers

I'll probably revisit some time in November - I'm always hopeful that Eurasian Wigeons will be present each winter.  Best one I saw was in 2012 - beautiful red headed male, but at that time I didn't have a decent camera.

Bryant Park, NYC

There was a report of a Nelson's Sparrow at Bryant Park yesterday - I tried briefly looking for it on the way to work, but didn't see it.  I did see White-Throated and Swamp Sparrows, Towhee and a male Common Yellowthroat.

Jones Beach West End, Massapequa Preserve: Royal Terns Part 2, Fall Migrants

A quick peak in Massapequa Preserve produced some Swamp Sparrows and a Phoebe.

Spent a good part of the day at Jones Beach West End: Coast Guard Station sandbar, Coast Guard shrub area, median, West End 2 lot and Field 6.

Highlights were 2 Royal Terns, a gull chomping on the remains of a Black Skimmer, Scoters, juvenile White Crowned Sparrow, Yellow Bellied Sapsucker, Merlin, and lots of Tree Swallows getting ready to migrate.

I was birding with my friend Mike so I kept a complete list: (~46 species)

Canada Geese, Mallard, Black Scoters (2), Surf Scoters (1 continuing + 7 new including some female)

Dunlin, Sanderling, Semi Palmated Sandpiper, Black Bellied Plver, Piping Plover, Ruddy Turnstone, Oystercatcher, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Green Heron,

Royal Tern, Forsters Tern, Black Skimmer, Herring, Great Black Backed, Laughing, Ring Billed Gulls

Merlin, Peregrine Falcon (1) Northern Harrier (1) Osprey (1)

Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Yellow Bellied Sapsucker (in the weedy spot by the Coast Guard Station), Flicker, Yellow Rumped Warbler (lots), Golden Crowned Kinglet, Phoebe (lots), Brown Creeper, Mockingbird, Boat Tailed Grackle, Robin, Blue Jay, Tree Swallows (lots), Palm Warbler, Towhee, Savanah Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, White Crowned Sparrow, House Sparrows

Again, I'll have to go through my sparrow photos in case I found something less common.

Semi Palmated Sandpiper

Black Skimmers

Laughing Gull

Surf Scoter

Great Black Backed Gull with the remains of a Black Skimmer

American Black Scoter

Yellow Bellied Sapsucker

(sparrow)

Royal Terns

Surf Scoters

shorebird mix

Ruddy Turnstone

Royal Terns

shorebird mix

Tree Swallows

White Crowned Sparrow

Palm Warbler

shorebird mix

Jones Beach West End: Royal Terns, Fall Migrants

I started the day at Green Island, Wantagh where I noticed some new arrival sparrow sp.  When I got to the Coast Guard Station it was low tide so I took a walk around Short Beach and onto the sandbar.  I got good views of the continuing Surf Scoter (supposedly has been there most of the summer), Black Scoters, Black Bellied Plover and Sanderlings, Great and Snowy Egrets.  Later in the day at high tide 5 Royal Terns landed and took a bath.

Songbirds included both Kinglets, lots of Yellow Rumped Warblers and Phoebes.  At West End 2 there were hundreds of Tree Swallows getting ready to migrate.  Other sightings include: a few Juncos and a Palm Warbler by the closed up concession stop/ restrooms, a Peregrine Falcon on the beach, Mallards with a probable Blue Winged Teal in the swale, and some unidentified ducks far off in the "reverse J pond".

I saw some random sparrows here and there - most were Song and Savanah - I'll have to go through my photos in case I found something less common.

Bryant Park, NYC

Finally some action in Bryant Park - some White Throated Sparrows have arrived - also saw an Ovenbird.

Tackapausha, Seaford

I went to Tackapausha with my son and daughter - I was pleasantly surprised that they had a Harris Hawk on display.  The kids wanted to take a walk outside so I didn't argue.  There were lots of Flickers and a handful of Yellow Rumped Warblers.  Not bad for a quick walk.