The highlight on the flats at Cupsogue this afternoon was a first-summer (one year-old) Arctic Tern. Also present were two first-summer and several second-summer Common Terns and a second-summer Forster's Tern. Earlier at nearby Pikes Beach, the local gang of immature Laughing Gulls had swelled to 91 (from just 26 last Friday), and there were also five Lesser Black-backed Gulls (four-first summer and one second-summer). Among other terns, I heard (but did not see) my first Royal Tern of the year at Pikes and saw three adult Roseate Terns at Cupsogue.
Among shorebirds, 15 White-rumped Sandpipers at Pikes were a typical "spring" max as to date and place. One or two flying around later at Cupsogue were possibly from this group. 45 mostly breeding-plumaged Red Knots at Cupsogue plus 7 different ones at Pikes seemed like a lot for the date (similar in number to 60 present last Friday), but Semipalmated Sands at Pikes had dropped to 150 from 600 last Friday, and Friday's 170 Sanderlings had completely vanished. Gangs of yearling Short-billed Dows and Black-bellied Plovers remain, as do two gray and two bright Dunlin. Notable birds from Friday not seen today were my first of year first-summer and second-summer Least Terns, at Pikes and Cupsogue, respectively, and single Western Willets at both sites. Photos of today's Arctic Tern can be seen at: https://picasaweb.google.com/tixbirdz/LongIslandSummer2011# Other observers today included Jim Cullen and Michael McBrien Jr. and Sr. Shai Mitra Bay Shore ________________________________ Change is in the Air - Smoking in Designated Areas Only as of July 1, 2011<http://www.csi.cuny.edu/tobaccofree> -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
