A Western Willet present on the flats around Moriches Inlet, Suffolk, LI yesterday was my first of the season (apart from probable over-winterers noted six weeks ago, described below). As is usually the case with these late spring birds on LI, it was in a non-breeding (probably first-summer) plumage. On a related note, only three Short-billed Dowitchers remained there, two of which were dull-plumaged yearlings, newly arrived.
Some photos can be seen near the end of this album: https://picasaweb.google.com/109808209543611018404/LongIslandMiscellany2013 Shai Mitra Bay Shore ________________________________ From: Shaibal Mitra Sent: Sunday, April 14, 2013 8:21 PM To: NYSBIRDS ([email protected]) Subject: Long Island Willets >This morning, Pat and I found three Western Willets at the Levy Preserve in >Nassau County. This taxon winters in the southeastern US, occasionally as far >north as LI, and these three winter-plumaged birds probably spent the winter >locally. In any case, today's date appears to be my latest "winter" record for >a Western Willet on LI (other wintering birds have been noted as late as 10 >Apr 2005, whereas we don't generally see the arrival of transients until late >May or June). ________________________________ Washington Monthly<http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/magazine/septemberoctober_2012/features/americas_bestbangforthebuck_co039461.php> magazine ranks the College of Staten Island as one of "America's Best-Bang-for-the-Buck Colleges" -- 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/ --
