Having spent scouting in Queens and Brooklyn the last few days. Today, I took a crack in Nassau County, spending most of my time near and around the Coast Guard Station and West End II at Jones Beach, then rounding things out with a stop at Point Lookout.
At Jones Beach, the highlight was 13 ROYAL TERNS, that included 4 juveniles, still begging for food. I had counted 11 this morning scoping from the fisherman's parking lot but then had 13 on my second pass at Jones late this afternoon. This time, they had come into roost on the spit near the Coast Guard Station. Also present on the bar were were 230 Oystercatchers along with 60 Dunlins and other usuals. Upstate birders visiting for the NYSOA conference interested in the ROYALS may want to try for them early or give it a shot late in the afternoon as the tide rises. The median did not host a lot of land birds with only a BROWN THRASHER and BLUE-HEADED VIREO being the most notable. At Point Lookout, the highlight was 13 RED KNOTS in the parking lot coming into roost late this afternoon. 3 of them were banded and I managed to document 1 of them before a roving Peregrine put them up. I swear there must be a Peregrine conspiracy against me as this only seems to happen when I am studying shorebirds. The beach at Point Lookout did not host a lot of birds, with the only notable bird being a SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, which was loafing with Sanderlings and Dunlins. I did spend some time sifting through the gulls that were on the beach and in the parking lot but could not find anything notable. Upstate birders who might be interested in the RED-KNOTS could apply the same method as I mentioned for the ROYAL TERNS as far as time but remember to look for them in the parking lot. Cheers! Andrew Baksh Queens, NY www.birdingdude.blogspot.com "Don't start none, won't be none" ~ Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones Sent from my iPad -- 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/ --
