Sooty & Manx Shearwater, Little Gulls and Wilson's Plover - 22/23 May 2010

A nice collection of rare or scarce migrants were seen over the weekend, with the activity centered along Dune Road in Westhampton/Shinnecock and the remaining flats of Mecox and Sag Ponds. On Saturday morning John Shemilt photographed a 1st-summer LITTLE GULL on the flat at Mecox Inlet and resighted the hybrid shorebird he'd seen there on 12-13 May. Interestingly, Tom Burke and Gail Benson saw a LITTLE GULL of the same age at the mouth of the Shinnecock Inlet the next day. True to schedule, Shearwaters have also begun to show up, with a scattering of SOOTY SHEARWATERS fresh from their nesting grounds in the stormy archipelagos of southern Chile and a MANX SHEARWATER at the mouth of the Shinnecock Inlet. The female-type WILSON'S PLOVER at Sagg Main continued through Saturday but could not be located on Sunday. Just out of region, Shai Mitra found the first Arctic Tern of the season at Cusogue County Park on Sunday and it is worth looking carefully for this species among roosting terns. Prime spots include Mecox Inlet (1 or 2 seen last summer) or perhaps at Montauk Point where terns gather on the beach.

Good numbers of migrant shorebirds (Ruddy Turnstone, Sanderling, Dunlin and Semipalmated Sandpiper) were seen in the marshes and flats between Cupsogue County Park (just out of our region) and the Shinnecock Inlet, especially in sandy areas where horseshoe crabs having been laying eggs. Several small flocks of RED KNOT were noted (with close to 40 around Pike's Beach) and are especially significant these days. The bulk of the North American population (subspecies rufa) winters at the southern tip of South America (some as far south as Tierra del Fuego) and travel up to 9,000 miles to reach their nesting grounds in the Canadian arctic. They are reliant on a small number of refueling points during this arduous migration with the Delaware Bay being the most important site by far. The knots rely on horseshoe crab eggs to maintain their body mass, not only for this extraordinary flight but also to sustain them for the first few days on the tundra when feeding is often impossible. As you may know, the North American breeding population has undergone an alarming decline (100,000 to less than 15,000 in 20 yrs) and is considered a candidate for extinction by several monitoring bodies. Fortunately the Old World populations remains large and has shown less of a decrease, so the species as a whole is less threatened. The tremendous decline in horseshoe crabs (a travesty in its own right), human disturbances at the stopover sites and continued hunting in South America are considered the chief reason for the steep decline of North American Red Knot. The southshore of Long Island, including the South Fork provides a critical rest stop for these remarkable sandpipers and long may it continue.

During the Group for the East End Faunathon, Hugh McGuinness, Brian Kane and myself found 134 species of bird, the majority on the South Fork. Given the good weather conditions our total could have been a bit higher but landbird migration was lackluster and some expected nesting species (e.g. Marsh Wren) proved impossible to find. No doubt some of the gaps will be filled by others. Our thanks to those who sent word of their sightings during the day. At 4:45 am, we heard several Whip-poor-will singing in the dwarf pines near Gabreski Airport plus several Grasshopper Sparrows, Horned Larks and Field Sparrows on territory within the airport grounds. An singing EASTERN MEADOWLARK was a nice surprise, given how scarce they have been so far this year. The sharp ears of Hugh and Brian picked up what might have been a Upland Sandpiper out in the grasslands on the NW side of the airport but the call was too fleeting to include on any list. Anyone visiting this site in the very early morning is encouraged to keep a sharp eye out for this declining species that traditionally bred here. Of course, let us know if any are seen/heard. A COMMON NIGHTHAWK over Long Pond in Sag Harbor was the first report for the year. Clapper Rails have been very vocal all along Dune Road, with the marshes just east of Dockers Restaurant being a great spot to hear and occasionally see them. The species is restricted to tidal saltmarsh and seems quite rare elsewhere on the peninsula. However, on Sunday, Anthony Collerton heard two rails (most likely Clappers) 'tooking' back and for to each other near the osprey platform at Sammy's Beach at the head of Three Mile Harbor in East Hampton. A Red Knot and Glossy Ibis were also noted at this lovely but decidedly under-birded spot. Anthony also spotted an immature BALD EAGLE over the Walking Dunes in east Napeague. I had a similar aged bird there on 2 May, suggesting it might be hanging around the area, perhaps using Fresh Pond or Gardiners Island.

Noteworthy reports from the weekend:

** Sat 22 May 2010 **
SOOTY SHEARWATER (4), Shinnecock Inlet SH (Hugh McGuinness, Brian Kane, Angus Wilson)
Great Cormorant (imm.), Shinnecock Inlet SH (Hugh McGuinness, Brian Kane, Angus Wilson)
Red-brested Merganser (lingering male), Shinnecock Inlet SH (Hugh McGuinness, Brian Kane, Angus Wilson)
Common Eider (65+), Shinnecock Inlet SH (Hugh McGuinness, Brian Kane, Angus Wilson)
Bald Eagle (imm.), Walking Dunes, Napeague EH (Anthony Collerton)
Turkey Vulture (9), Sunrise Hwy, just E of Quogue exit (Luke Ormand)
LITTLE GULL (1st-summer), Mecox Inlet, Watermill SH (John Shemilt)
Black Skimmer (2), Sagg Mains, Sagaponack SH (Antony Collerton)
Black Skimmer (2), Georgica Pond, Georgica EH (Hugh McGuinness, Brian Kane, Angus Wilson)
Red Knot (3+), Dune Road, Shinnecock SH (Hugh McGuinness, Brian Kane, Angus Wilson, Luke Ormand)
Red Knot, Mecox Inlet, Watermill SH (Hugh McGuinness, Brian Kane, Angus Wilson)
White-rumped Sandpiper (5), Sagg Mains, Sagaponack SH (Antony Collerton, Hugh McGuinness, Brian Kane, Angus Wilson)
White-rumped Sandpiper (2), Mecox Inlet, Watermill SH (John Shemilt, Antony Collerton, Hugh McGuinness, Brian Kane, Angus Wilson)
WILSON'S PLOVER, Sagg Mains, Sagaponack SH (Antony Collerton, Hugh McGuinness, Brian Kane, Angus Wilson)
American Woodcock (1 in display flight), Napeague EH (Hugh McGuinness, Brian Kane, Angus Wilson)
Chuck-Will's-Widow, Napeague EH (Hugh McGuinness, Brian Kane, Angus Wilson)
Grasshopper Sparrow (2-3), Gabreski Airport SH (Hugh McGuinness, Brian Kane, Angus Wilson)
Grasshopper Sparrow (2+), Walking Dunes, Napeague EH (Anthony Collerton)
Bobolink (1 male), Wainscott Pond, Wainscott EH (Hugh McGuinness, Brian Kane, Angus Wilson)
Eastern Meadowlark (1 male), Gabreski Airport EH (Hugh McGuinness, Brian Kane, Angus Wilson)
Willow Flycatcher, entrance to Sagg Mains Parking Lot, Sagaponack SH (Anthony Collerton)
Willow Flycatcher, Mecox Inlet, Watermill SH (Anthony Collerton)

** Sun 23 May 2010 **
SOOTY SHEARWATER (2), Shinnecock Inlet SH (Tom Burke, Gail Benson)
MANX SHEARWATER, Shinnecock Inlet SH (Tom Burke, Gail Benson)
LITTLE GULL (1st-summer), Shinnecock Inlet SH (Tom Burke, Gail Benson)
BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE (1st-summer), Shinnecock Inlet SH (Tom Burke, Gail Benson)
White-rumped Sandpiper (2), Sagg Mains, Sagaponack SH (Angus Wilson)
Common Nighthawk, Long Pond, Sag Harbor SH (Hugh McGuinness)
Indigo Bunting, brush pile at East Hampton Recycling Center, East Hampton EH (Roger Grunewald)