Caspian Tern, Mecox - 17 April 2010

This morning a single CASPIAN TERN and three adult LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS were on the sand flats at Mecox Inlet (Watermill, Suffolk Co) along with a 1000+ Sanderling and usual mix of winter shorebirds. 2 LESSER YELLOWLEGS were on muddy extension of Georgica Pond and another was on a rain pool in Springs. The adult LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL ('Larry') continues at Lazy Point in Napeague and is now fully white headed. Generally there were few signs of landbird migration, however, BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHERS (local FoS's) at Long Pond in Sag Harbor and Bendigo Road in Amagansett were of note. Two SNOWY EGRETS were on Fresh Pond in Amagansett - egrets are still scarce out here and female AMERICAN KESTREL continues off Town Lane.

There was a decent waterfowl flight along the ocean throughout the morning. Unfortunately things were winding down when I stopped to do an hour seawatch from Amagansett (12:58-1:58 pm) but I still tallied the following (2,343 individuals of 12 species) heading east:

Northern Gannet - 118
Common Loon - 107
Red-throated Loon - 74
loon sp. - 14
dark-winged scoter sp. - 890
Black Scoter - 240
Surf Scoter - 260
White-winged Scoter - 2
Red-breasted Merganser - 11
Green-winged Teal - 2
duck sp. - 150
Double-crested Cormorant - 463
Great Cormorant - 1 (in with the Dc Corms)
Laughing Gull - 8
RAZORBILL - 3 (2 and then 1 half hour later)

I was seeing skeins of cormorants all morning, most traveling over land rather than water. Out here most flocks cut across the peninsula making a bee-line for New England.