Although a bit early, but encouraged by last night's n/w winds, this morning I decided to take my first trip up to the "Riverhead Trapezium", bordered by Sound Ave, Route 105, Northville Tpke and Doctor's Path. Avian activity was thin, with Kildeer being the only shorebird found - 6 in this area, and only a total of 8 for the day. Tree & Barn Swallows are starting to flock, with most feeding heavily.
Unfortunately, there has been quite a reduction in fields covered with sod. Many of them have just, or are presently, being harvested, and, along with the loss (since last year) of bordering fields to vegetable and nursery crops, makes for only about 1/2 the fields to survey. I then checked the fields in the "Oregon" section of Cutchogue, the other Riv. fields west along Sound Ave to Edwards Ave, Baiting Hollow, the fields s/o Edwards to just n/o the LIRR tracks in Calverton, finishing with the fields on Route 25, both east & west of Edwards. At every one of these locations, the conditions found were the same as at the "trap" - hardly any birds, and the same loss ( ~ 1/2 ) of green grass, for the same reasons noted above. They are calling for n/w winds again tonight, so maybe I'll go to...Fire Island ! Cheers, Bob -- 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/ --
