Cupsogue: Bar Tailed Godwit

 Initially ID'd as a Marbled Godwit, a nice rare Bar Tailed Godwit was reported a day or 2 earlier on the Cupsogue mud-flats.   I went early in the morning and just as I gave up hope, I got to see it for a few minutes before it disappeared.  I lost it when I was reporting it to other birders. Not the best view since it was distant but a lifer is a lifer.  I was also treated to see lots of other "common" shorebirds. Lots of Hsort Billed Dowitchers.

Aruba: Tropical Birding

 My family and I went to Aruba for about a week on vacation.  Our hotel was right by the Bubali Bird Sanctuary so I had plans to visit there when possible.  I had high hopes of getting some life birds but didn't set my expectations too high so I wouldn't be disappointed if it didn't work out as planned.  Aruba did not disappoint.  It was a weird island with desolate fields/ properties surrounded by a beautiful coastline.  The good thing about the "desolate" areas is that provided more diverse habitat to find more birds.  My "wish list" for the trip was Neotropic Comorant, White Cheeked Pintail, Venezuelan Troupial, Bare Eyed Pigeon, Eared Dove, Carib Grackle, Crested Caracara and Burrowing Owl.  I was able to find everything except Burrowing Owls even though I was in the "right location".  The very friendly locals explained that introduced pythons have decimated their numbers.  The Crested Caracara was an especially nice find since I decided to not bird Bubali so much and turned my attention to one of those "desolate" fields where I found a pair on the last morning of my trip.

Other life birds included: Southern Lapwing (found incidentally in a ditch on the side of a road), Northern Scrub Flycatcher, Tropical Kingbird, Shiny Cowbird, Black Faced Crassquit, Sooty Tern, Brown Throated Parakeet, Blue Tailed Emerald Hummingbird, Cabot and and Cayenne Sandwich Terns.

I saw the Sooty Tern and Sandwich Terns on the ocean side of Baby Beach, which is a beautiful lagoon.  There were other terns there that I believe to be Brown Noddys but I could not confirm 100% since they were at a distance.  From what I could tell, they were darker than the other birds, but had a lighter cap on their heads.

When I was driving around, I saw a "crane-like" bird that could have been a flamingo - it had an outstetched neck which rules out herons.  At Bubali, I saw a long tailed bird which might have been a Fork Tailed Flycatcher but was at a long distance so could not positively 100% ID.

Massapequa Preserve: Yellow Throated Warbler

 There were reports the last couple of days of a Yellow Throated Warbler around the Pittsburgh Ave pond - I was lucky to refind it on the southeast corner of the pond on a branch right above the paved trail.  It disappeared into the woods and I couldn't relocate it.  It's a county first for me.  I also found a Brown Thrasher and noticed lots of Comorants migrating northeast.

Ketham's Creek, Amityville: Eurasian/ Green Winged Teal Hybrid

 I had some time before work this morning so I went back to Ketcham's Creek for a reported Eurasian/ Green Winged Teal that was probably only found because of the attention surrounding the Mottled Duck.  The Mottled Duck was not present when I went this morning but was lucky enough to find the hybrid teal - the white lateral line wasn't too dramatic but distinctive enough to make a proper ID.  On the way out, I heard but did not see a continuing White Eyed Vireo and some Monk Parakeets that set up nests on the light poles on Merrick Road.

Ketcham's Creek: Mottled Duck, yes

 There was a reported Mottled Duck earlier in the week at Ketcham's Creek, Amityville recently that was with a female Mallard.  After several attempts the weekend earlier etc I finally lucked out and saw it early Friday.  I had noticed some American Black Ducks/ Mallards that I thought had potential to be the Mottled Duck but when another birder put me on the target bird, it was obvious.  (it had just flown in)  It's not known where the Mottled Duck and the female Mallard go when they're not at the creek.  As of Easter weekend, the female Mallard was not seen but the Mottled was, so hopefully nothing bad happened to her***.  This is a lifer for me.

*** update, from late Monday, the female Mallard was reported with the Mottled Duck in the afternoon

Massapequa Preserve: Orange Crowned Warbler

 I had some time before work this week so went to the preserve just to get outside.  On Tuesday, I found an Orange Crowned Warbler by the Pittsburgh Ave pond.  I refound it again today but it flew into the woods.  I thought it sounded like a wren.  I also saw my FOS Yellow Warblers.

Pine Warblers

 When I dropped my son off at school, I noticed a couple of warblers singing in the tree at the school that I suspected were Pine Warblers - when I got back home I heard a warbler singing down the street and was able to see that it was a Pine Warbler before it flew into the preserve.