Black Terns congregate in Napeague Harbor - 30 Aug 09

The BLACK TERN show continues in Napeague Harbor (Suffolk Co), viewed from Lazy Point on the western side of this shallow bay. The Black Terns - a nice mix of molting adults and birds in smart juvenile/formative plumage – were dip feeding all over the bay and roosting on the shellfish hatchery floats at the north end along with several hundred Roseate and Common Terns. The latter two species appeared to be feeding on the ocean and flying back and forth over Route 27. I kayaked across the channel so as to get a better look at the roosting birds and made several single sweep counts, with a maximum of *261 * Black Terns. I only noted a single Forster's Tern in the mix and a handful of Least Terns. A basic-plumaged COMMON LOON flew overhead into Gardiner's Bay and a scattering of shorebirds around the bay included 8 WESTERN WILLET.

There was a good ocean swell at Montauk Point, left over from yesterdays storm, but relatively few birds. I noted a single CORY'S SHEARWATER, 5 WILSON'S STORM-PETRELS and a paltry 10 Laughing Gulls (presumably this will build as we enter the fall). Small groups of Common and Roseate Terns ranged widely but did not form any significant feeding congregations.

Three
WHITE-WINGED SCOTER flew past the Montauk Inet and 6 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS, 2 Semipalmated Plovers, and 2 Black-bellied Plovers joined 18 Killdeer on the fields at the Deep Hollow Ranch on the south side of the road. The pond on the north side is brimming (no shoreline) but I noted 4 Green-winged Teal and 2 Green Heron in the vegetation. I checked several wooded and scrubby area but could find no evidence of any passerine migration.

Tropical Storm Bob stirs up the terns - 29 Aug 09

There seems to be a major eastward flight of terns and other larids along the ocean side of Long Island today, presumably brought about by the heavy rains. Winds were moderate swinging around from the S to the E during the middle part of the day. I seawatched from Main Beach in East Hampton (Suffolk Co) late this morning. Visibility was limited to a few hundred yards but there was enough movement very close inshore (and overland) to keep it interesting. A 1-hour tally (11:40-12:40) produced:

Wilson's Storm-petrel – 5
BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE - 1 juv.
Laughing Gull – 6
Common Tern - 1,423
Forster's Tern – 19
Roseate Tern – 326
Least Tern – 265
Black Tern – 11

Andy Baldelli (via Hugh McGuinness) also watched from Main Beach earlier in the morning and I believe he logged 6 PARASITIC JAEGERS, numerous Wilson's Storm-Petrels and Black Terns - again all going east fairly close to shore.

In Napeague Bay I counted 200+ BLACK TERNS but there could easily be more as it was impossible to scope properly in the driving rain. There were also a few Roseate and Forster's Terns. This seems to be one of the best spots for Black Tern in the fall. An adult LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL was on the Maidstone Golf Course and in only a few minutes of looking skyward, I noted several hundred terns flying out of Hook Pond and back onto the ocean. Like observers to the west, I am currently puzzled by the numbers of Roseate Terns (mix of adults and juvs) in this eastward movement as the bulk of the local population is already east of these watchpoints. Perhaps they had moved south offshore and are now spinning back up to avoid the worst of the weather?

Whimbrels at Mecox Inlet - 16 Aug 2009

This morning (7:15 - 9:00 am) I scanned the extensive sandflat at Mecox Inlet (Watermill, Suffolk Co.) from the overlook on the eastern side. A good number of shorebirds and terns were present, including 2 WHIMBREL which flew in around 8:15 and single a BLACK TERN. Here are my approximate totals.

Forster's Tern - 25
Common Tern - 30+
BLACK TERN - 1
Least Tern - 40+
Laughing Gull - 1
Greater Yellowlegs - 10
Lesser Yellowlegs - 3
Western Willet - 6
Eastern Willet - 2 (fresh juvs)
WHIMBREL - 2
Short-billed Dowitcher - 15
Ruddy Turnstone - 4
White-rumped Sandpiper - 5
Semipalmated Sandpiper - 200+ (mix of ads and juvs)
Least Sandpiper - 160
Sanderling - 220
Black-bellied Plover - 20
Killdeer - 2
Piping Plover - 10
Semipalmated Plover - 60