Shorebird arrivals - 24 Apr 2010

Migrant shorebirds are slowly infiltrating the South Fork of Long Island. This morning single SEMIPALMATED and LEAST SANDPIPERS were with the large Sanderling and Dunlin flock on the sandflats at Mecox Inlet (Watermill, Suffolk Co.), the former being (I believe) the first of the season out here. Four EASTERN WILLET and a CASPIAN TERN were roosting with the gulls and looking less than thrilled by the chilly breeze sweeping across Mecox Bay.

Sag Pond in Bridgehampton is nearly full of water again and the only bird of note was a lingering (likely injured) COMMON MERGANSER. On nearby Wainscott Pond, 5 or 6 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS, found on Friday by Hugh McGuinness, were visible by scope from the roadside. Who knows what else in lurking in the flooded vegetation of this interesting but rather inaccessible site. A number of observers have come across BLUE-WINGED TEAL in the past week or so. Today there were pairs on the flooded field at the SoFo Nature Center in Bridgehampton, a rain pool at the Merrill Lake Preserve in Springs and on Wainscott Pond.

This evening a couple of WHIP-POOR-WILLS were calling in Amagansett, and Bob Wick has been hearing a different bird for much of the past week. Also in Amagansett, Susan Benson observed a BLACK VULTURE over Cranberry Hole Road on Thursday (22 Apr).