Despite the reports from Jamaica Bay, I went today anyway. I had to get out on such a beautiful day, and I don't want to be travelling 50 miles or more every time out. And not being a bird elitist, or some such term I've heard lately, there are other things I wanted to check on. For what it's worth, despite all the terrible things being said about the East Pond, I saw, by far, more Rambur's Forktails there than I 've ever seen in a day. Big Bluets were kind of scarce on the south end, where the algae is prevalent, but they seemed to be in better shape as I headed north beyond the Raunt. The shore area by the Raunt is extensive enough now and free of algae, yet mostly devoid of shorebirds. There were none there as I worked north, but two perhaps just arrived juvenile Least Sandpipers as I worked back to the south. In other words, those are shorebirds that don't fly off as soon as you as much as breathe in their direction. The young 'uns are also our hope the future - the rest of this season, I mean. We need that, as there sure aren't many shorebirds right now. A whopping four species for me today on the East Pond. Among other birds groups, a Gull-billed Tern put in two brief appearances, a Tricolored Heron flew over (or in), and an immature Little Blue Heron was present. Unseasonal in my mind were a Pied-billed Grebe (can't remember one in summer since many years ago when they could actually breed there) and a canadensis type Canada Goose (short neck, roundish head).
It appears that Jamaica Bay is part of what seems to be a regional explosion of the large moth Oldwife Underwing. Scores of them could be found in the gardens, sometimes a half dozen cryptically hiding on one tree trunk. It helps when your host plant is too big for NPS to eradicate. They do their best to wipe out other things (I understand that there is some well meaning effort to eliminate invasives, but it's not a good look along much of the trail system) . It's a disgrace what they do with the south field. Where there should be wildflowers and butterflies, there is mowed lawn. They are trying to plant a garden by the VC, yet can't seem to get much to grow in the middle of summer. And I think the stuff they're trying to plant was growing naturally elsewhere on the refuge - until it got mowed down. I think we need a refuge for wildlife that is displaced from the wildlife refuge. I also noted that phragmites are now taking over around the West Pond edge, where plants such as Seaside Gerardia once flourished. No problem NPS, take a few more years to study whether the pond needs fixing. Enough venting for now. We'll save the fence for another day. Ah, feels so good to be going to Jamaica Bay again. Steve Walter Bayside, NY -- 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/ --
