A hike this afternoon (12:30-3:30), from Smith Point County Park west to the new inlet opened up by Hurricane Sandy, produced 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls (1-3 yrs. old) and 6 Piping Plovers (2 adult females, 4 juveniles-all banded). I mistimed the tide (used low at Smith Point bridge) and found the inlet bars in the process of being covered by the rising tide. Those that were above water held gulls, terns, cormorants, and a couple Snowy Egrets, but shorebirds were scarce and those seen were mostly flyby "peeps" in distant small flocks. Those that passed or landed close enough to identify included 3 Oystercatchers and 4 Greater Yellowlegs.
An earlier short visit to check the impoundments of the Shirley marina found only 9 Semipalmated and 5 Least sandpipers. The marsh to the west held 2 Greater and 1 Lesser yellowlegs, 3 Willet and a Little Blue Heron. John Gluth Sent from my iPhone -- 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/ --
