Grey Breasted Martin - MEGA - Staten Island - lifer

 There was an incredible report of a Grey Breasted Martin for a few days in a neighborhood bordering a marsh in Staten Island - I didn't think I would have a chance to see it - although not a "pretty" bird it was the first time one has ever been recorded in the USA.  Luck was on my side since my daughter and wife were going to a trip to Florida and my son was staying at his friends house - I dropped my wife at the airport/ LaGuardia and looked at the Waze App which said I was 30 minutes away from this lifer - yeah, I went.  At first I met some other nice birders who pointed it out flying above in the sky - I "saw" it but not great, but luck struck again when it landed on some telephone wires and I got some nice looks and decent photos.  First lifer for 2025!

 

Jones Beach West End - End of Winter

 I took a look at Jones Beach West End, not expecting much.  I refound a continuing/ cooperative Horned Grebe at the Coast Guard Station - got nice looks/ photos.  Also got some good looks at a pair of Long Tailed Ducks, Loons and a Marsh Harrier on the ground by the fisherman's parking lot.  Every year I feel like the the wintering birds are more settled in/ more cooperative at the end of the season right before they depart for their spring/ summer destinations.

Northern Lapwing, No Gulls, Red Headed Woodpecker

 I had some time so took a trip out to Halsey Lane to find a continuing Northern Lapwing - I had seen one once before but only briefly/ in bad light near Santapogue Creek some years ago.  After not seeing the bird for while it appeared on a horse farm where it had been previously reported - got some good views and better photos.  I was the only one there for a while so posted the sighting on some chat.  I went to Old Field Point to refind the previously reported "European Herring Gull" etc but didn't have any luck.  I did see some Great Comorants which I sort of consider "uncommon".  I checked up on the Sunken Meadow Red Headed Woodpecker and was able to see it.

 

Commom Mergansers, Masapequa Lake

 I saw an ebird report of a lot of Common Mergansers at Massapequa Lake so checked it out for myself and found around 23 on the lake (but were out in the distance).

"the mystery gull/ European Herring Gull"

 Back in March 2, 2022 I saw a few gull at Old Field Point Lighthouse that caused a stir - around the same time there was a Glaucous Gull, Iceland Gull (did not see), and an odd/ mystery gull that no one could ID.  I got photos of it and photos of the gull were posted by me and other birders on different forums such as North American Gulls and Whats This Bird on FB.  It seemed that no one was willing to definitively ID the gull and put their name on the line in case they mis-identified it.  Now, the gull has returned to Old Point recently and one birder who got excellent photos of it is sure that it is indeed a European Gull after examining all the feathers etc (something beyond my expertise since I don't know feather names.)  The rest of the local birders are agreeing with that ID so I will also.  This will be my "first" life bird for 2025 even though I saw it years ago.  In the meantime, there was another gull I saw that had lighter wings and lighter yellow legs.  I can't help but think it could be a Yellow Legged Gull since they both have the same "ugly mustard" yellow looking legs.  At the time, it was dismissed as an "odd" gull of a common local type, but when I have the chance I might go looking on my older SD camera cards and see if I have any more photos of it and also of this likely European Herring Gull.  I should point out that since 2022, herring gulls were one species/ 2 subspecies but have now been separated into 2 species - Atlantic and European.

Yard Birds/ Bird Feeder

 This morning when I brought the garbage cans back from the curb I saw a Blue Jay and Cardinal sitting in my Crape Myrtles on the side of my yard - they didn't seem bothered by me even though I was less than 10 feet away - I assume they found a nice spot to warm up since it was cold out - maybe they recognize me as "that big thing that puts food in the feeder for us"?  Later on, I saw some birds at the feeder - the usual but first time I saw Starlings.

Bohemian Waxwing - no

 I had some time in the morning before work so I decided to try again for the Bohemian Waxwing that was near Jones West End.  It hadn't been seen again but I gave it a shot anyway.  I didn't find any flocks of Robins that it had been associating with.  I did see a couple of flocks of Horned Larks on the median but no Lapland Longspurs.  I saw a few Ravens here and there.  The biggest highlight was actually Yellow Rumped Warblers - there was a group of them together by the Coast Guard hedgerow which I thought was unusual.