8 Nov 2008 - Cattle Egrets in Bridgehampton

Today there were 2 CATTLE EGRETS trailing the herd of Jersey dairy cattle at the Mecox Bay Dairy and visible from Mecox Road in Bridgehampton, Suffolk Co., Long Island. Mecox Bay itself is full and the only birds of note were a steady eastward flight of Red-throated Loons, many still in alternate plumage. In contrast, NORTHERN GANNETS seemed to be making a westward push. At Sag Mains in Sagaponach, the gull flock on the exposed sand flat included 3 LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS (2 adults and 1 3rd year), a late juvenile WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER with DUNLIN and SANDERLINGS and a late AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER with 7 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER. The Golden-plover seemed to favor the base of the distant spit where the pond first narrows. 2 SEMIPALMATED PLOVER were also on this spit. A 1st winter LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL was a Georgica Pond. A juvenile SNOW GOOSE was with CANADA GEESE on the south side of Rt27 near the junction with Newlight Lane.