Caspian Terns and newly arrived shorebirds at Sagg Mains and Mecox Inlet - 25 April 2009

The cuts at the Sagaponnack and Mecox Inlets (Bridgehampton, Suffolk Co.) have been opened and the water level on the ponds has begun to fall after being high for quite a while. At Sagg Mains (south end of pond) seven CASPIAN TERNS, a LAUGHING GULL and an estimated 800 or so Double-crested Cormorants were on the main sand bar. The impressive number of cormorants implies a large build up of small fish. A number of newly arrived shorebirds were feeding around the muddy edges, as was a gorgeous looking IPSWICH SPARROW. When I checked back in later, the Caspian Terns had moved up the pond north of the bridge and were just visible through a gap off Parsonage Lane. Hugh McGuinness informed me that a similar number of Caspians (probably the same) had been on Georgica Pond on Thursday.

CASPIAN TERN - 7
LAUGHING GULL - 1
SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER - 1
Greater Yellowlegs - 6
LESSER YELLOWLEGS - 2
EASTERN WILLET - 1
LEAST SANDPIPER - 22
SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER - 1
IPSWICH SPARROW - 1

At Mecox, the water is still pretty high but I did note:

LEAST TERN - 1
Greater Yellowlegs - 3
SEMIPALMATED PLOVER - 1
Piping Plover - 13
Bufflehead - 26 (no doubt counting the days befor departing)